Speak Up! Lessons from Luke 9 and 10
Working through the book of Acts makes it abundantly clear that the church grew because people talked about the gospel to unbelievers. Sermons by Peter, Stephen and Paul are given in detail. They all emphasise that Jesus is God’s Messiah, that he is Lord of all, that he died to bear the sins of all who turn to him and rose to prove that his claim to be the very Son of God was true. The resurrection also teaches us, his followers, that we can experience the same power of God as we live new lives, speaking for him.
Is speaking up for Jesus that important?
In Britain today relatively few Christians have adopted the mindset that they now live to point people to Jesus. This is done by what we say, backed up by loving lives. Ask your Christian friends when was the last time they talked to an unbeliever about Jesus!
If speaking to others is so important then it should be obvious from the way Jesus taught his disciples. This query led to a review of the gospel of Luke to see if speaking is an emphasis. It was an eye-opening study. In Luke’s gospel the word ‘said’ comes 2000 times, ‘replied’ appears 48 times, ‘told’ comes 42 times, ‘teach’ and similar words comes 42 times, all this in just 24 chapters. Whilst these are common words, could it be that Luke is trying to pass on something to us? Reading through his book makes it clear why Luke wrote his gospel – he feels the story about the Lordship of Jesus must be told. This story had been passed on to him and he wanted to continue the process.
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who were eye-witnesses and servants of the word.” Luke 1:1-2
Luke goes on to say he has verified what these witnesses about Jesus had said.
“It seemed also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:3-4
This urgency to pass on the news about Jesus is emphasised throughout the book. We will look at just two chapters to illustrate this emphasis.
Luke 9
Here Jesus sends out the twelve disciples. They represented the twelve tribes, the Children of Israel, whose original role was to let the nations know about a God who is sovereign and who saves. They were given authority to drive out demons and cure diseases but their primary purpose was clear,
“He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal those who were ill.” Luke 9:2
What did they then proceed to do?
“So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” Luke 9:6
Today many are satisfied to just meet people’s physical and social needs but overlook what God has called us to be – proclaimers of the news about Jesus.
This news about Jesus was spreading fast. Even Herod in his ivory tower was told about him, asking,
“Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” Luke 9:9
‘Who is Jesus?’ remains a vital question. Contrast this with what is happening in England today. A ten year old boy in Bermondsey asked his teacher,
“Please can you tell me why they gave Jesus a swear word for a name!”
How can he be so ignorant? Jesus had a lot of people follow him, possibly because they wanted to see the miracles butJesus’ priority remained clear.
“He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.” Luke 9:11
When Jesus wanted to initiate a spiritual conversation he asked a good question. When wanting to help his disciples to be clear about who he is, he asked them,
“Who do the crowds say I am?” Luke 9:18
Such a question easily leads on to the crucial question,
“What about you? . . . Who do you say I am?” Luke 9:20
Jesus helped his disciples by teaching them. For example,
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
Speaking remains the main way we inform others about Jesus and what Jesus said is central to an understanding of the gospel.
The transfiguration
When Luke describes the transfiguration he significantly relates this to Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ, ‘God’s Messiah’, this proclamation is key. He said to his disciples,
“Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:27
“About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.” Luke 9:28
What Jesus says was so important for the disciples and must be for us. After they returned from seeing the glory of the Lord Jesus he healed a lad who had severe epilepsy but Jesus was most concerned that everyone hears what he has to say,
“While everyone was marvelling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, ‘Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” Luke 9:46
In this chapter Luke goes on to discuss the cost of following Jesus. Three people give excuses, about why they want to postpone their discipleship. One man who asked to delay following Jesus so that he could bury his father, who almost certainly was not dead yet! Jesus replied with what his priority should be,
“Let the dead bury the dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:60
Telling people the message about Jesus is top priority for all Christians.
Luke 10
Jesus then appointed 72 to go ahead of him and prepare people for his coming. This number is the same as the number of Noah’s offspring that were dispersed to cover the world.
“He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go!” Luke 10:2
The number of his followers at the time of Pentecost amounted to 120. This must have been a considerable proportion of his male followers. This demonstrates how important learning to talk about the Lord Jesus really is a priority, the gospel must be proclaimed
He also warns us that we will face opposition and we will be rejected. People will very rarely be rejected for being kind, it is what people say about Jesus that disturbs others. Yet this is what our Lord has called us to do.
“Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:3
In spite of this opposition the task of preparing people for Jesus’ return is urgent.
The phrase ‘harvest field’ comes from the Old Testament. Joel uses the phrase when he talks about God’s coming judgment of all people in all the nations. The valley of Jehoshaphat was where God destroyed the enemies of his faithful people (2 Chronicles 20:1-30) and is used as a symbol for the future judgment.
“Let the nations be roused; let them advance to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle for the harvest is ripe . . .so great is their wickedness.” Joel 3:12-13
When Jesus sends out his people into the harvest field it is to warn people that they will meet their God in judgment, but there is hope of salvation. This salvation is given to all who believe in Jesus and commit themselves to obey him as their Lord. Jesus’ emphasis is again on speaking out. Jesus said to the seventy-two,
“When you come to a house first say, ‘Peace to this house.’” Luke 10:5
What we say and how we say it is so important. Unkind criticisms can make people want to stay away from us and from God’s people, whereas gracious, kind speaking will encourage them to continue listening and coming to hear more.
When they are welcomed in a town, they are first to build up relationships but then must speak out.
“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you.’” Luke 10:6
If they are not welcomed in a town, then they are still to go and warn the people about God’s coming judgment.
“But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe of against you. Yet be sure of this: ‘The kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” Luke 10:12
All people need to be warned of this coming judgment by God and of the only hope there is to avoid this. People must listen to the message of God as it is delivered by his people. Jesus continued,
“He who listens to you listens to me; but he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10:16
What God says to us is very important. We reject what he says at our eternal peril. Jesus is the only person who can forgive our sin. The rest of this chapter keeps referring to what Jesus said. At the end of the chapter Jesus visited the village of Bethany, near Jerusalem, where Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus.
“. . . Mary . . . sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and said, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
‘Martha, Martha’, the Lord said, you are worried and upset by many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
The prime purpose of a church is to teach all people God’s word and encourage them to live by it. What can be more important? In the next story the disciples recognise this need for being taught,
“Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1
Jesus then taught them the Lord’s prayer, the structure for any prayer.
What must we talk about?
We must make warm relationships with people so they will want to talk with us but sooner or later we must communicate out essential message, that God has spoken and wants everyone to listen and respond to his Word. The final paragraph of Luke’s gospel makes the content of our message abundantly clear. God’s word to us is found in Scripture but Jesus summarises four key points
“Then he opened their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written:
The Christ will suffer . . .
. . . and rise from the dead on the third day,
. . . and repentance
. . . and forgiveness of sins
. . . will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’” Luke 24:45-49
This is the news that every person must hear. Jesus is God’s Chosen King, the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament Scriptures. He will die and by so doing will take responsibility for the sins of all who turn to him. He will then rise from the dead to prove his claim to be God’s Son but also to demonstrate that all people will eventually, rise from death to meet God face to face. Repentance is the means of our being accepted by God, it means rethinking the direction our life is going and turning to follow Jesus. To those who accept this offer the benefit is immense. The sin we have committed by turning our backs on God and our resultant wrongful actions will be forgiven. Those who turn to Christ are free and members of God’s family.
What wonderful news we have been commissioned to share. Paul summarised his understanding of the Christian’s role,
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
We must therefore all keep asking ourselves, ‘How much am I speaking up for Jesus and passing on the news about him and the gospel of forgiveness?’ Am I continually praying that God will use me for his glory? Am I using every possible means to help people consider his claims, using speech, literature and invitations? Indeed, do I have a mindset to create and use opportunities to promote the Lord Jesus?
BVP
Sept 2022
