The Plan
Luke 18:31-34
Introduction
Our journey through the Gospel of Luke is rapidly coming to a conclusion. We have observed the earthly life of Jesus from the beginning.
Luke’s letter to Theopholis began with the account of the priest Zechariah encountering Gabriel in the temple learning that his barren wife, Elizabeth, would have a baby in her old age.
It is not long before Luke leads us to Mary’s house as Gabriel tells her “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).
Soon thereafter, Shepherds will hear the announcement from angels in the fields, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
Luke 9:51 “When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
When we get to Luke 18, Jesus is passing through Jericho. Jericho is about 17 miles from Jerusalem, all uphill from here. Jericho was wealthy, with residences of aristocratic priests and with winter palaces once held by Herod the Great. It was a time of pilgrimage and Jesus would be traveling along with many others. In our text he gathers his disciples aside and shares with them one last time what they are to expect in the future. (Read Text)
Luke 18:31-34 NIV Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
1. The Plan
“We are going up to Jerusalem…” Luke records previous revelations from Jesus about what is going to happen at Jerusalem, often emphasizing his suffering, rejection, and resurrection. (Luke 5:35, 9:22, 44, 17:24-25)
“Everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.” The prophecies of the Old Testament are shouting out! The disciples were fully aware of the Messianic passages.
Isaiah 53:1-9 - Let’s read this together
Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
“He will be delivered over to the Gentiles.” This is the first time for this expression - it refers to the Roman occupation that will carry out the execution. Though it is the Jewish leaders who call out for his death, the Romans will carry it out.
“They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him.” This is Jesus’ final and most detailed prediction of the suffering that is ahead of him in Jerusalem. Matt Skinner: Jesus leaves the specific manner of his death unstated, but everything he mentions about his fate emphasizes the humiliation he will suffer. Crucifixion in the ancient world was more than inflicting agonizing physical pain. The Romans used it as a spectacle to parade the humiliation and rejection of its victims. He knows what is ahead for him, yet he continues anyway. Jesus is fully preparing the disciples for life after his physical departure from the earth.
“On the third day he will rise again.” Barclay: “One thing more we must note. Jesus never foretold the Cross without foretelling the Resurrection. He knew that the shame lay before Him, but He was equally certain that the glory lay before Him too. He knew what the malice of men could do, but He knew also what the power of God could do. It was the certainty of ultimate victory that He faced the apparent defeat of the Cross. He knew that
without a cross there can never be any crown.”
“The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.”
2. The Path: From Jericho to Jerusalem
A Path of Healing (the blind man Luke 18:35-43)
A Path of Saving (Zacchaeus Luke 19:1-10) Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
A Path of Teaching (19:11-28).
A Path of Determination
-The Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:28-40) Luke 19:38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
-The Coming Rejection- Jesus weeps (Luke 19:41-44)
-The Cleansing of the Temple (Luke 19:45-48) 46 “My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.”
-Opponents to his ministry confounded (Luke 20:20, 26, 40)
-The Betrayal: Judas agrees to betray Jesus (Luke 22:1-6)
3. The Passover (Luke 23:14-20)
As the Passover recognizes the rescue of Israel from Egypt, so the Supper recognizes the rescue of God’s people from sin.
As the Passover remembers the blood on the doorpost, so the Supper remembers the blood of Christ on our hearts.
As the Passover required the people to be ready to leave in the Exodus, so the Supper required the disciples to get ready.
Luke 23:37 “It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in
me….”
Conclusion What does The Plan tell us?
1. God’s intention to save lost humanity is eternal.
1 Peter 1:18-21 "He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake."
Revelation 13:8 "...the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world."
2. The Sacrifice of Jesus is Intentional; it was not an accident nor an afterthought - this was the reason he came to this earth.
3. The Sacrifice of Jesus was motivated by Love. He loves lost humanity enough to die on the cross. Everything he did was motivated by that great love.
4. Jesus did not let anything deter him from his mission:
-Not rejection from the ones who should have received him
-Not betrayal from those he considered friends
-Not opposition from the religious leaders
-Not affliction that he would suffer
-Not humiliation he would endure
5. The move of Jesus to save the world is Personal
To Him - He loves us and was willing to go through this for us.
To Us - the decision is left in your hands.
Follow Him today in faith, repentance, baptism. Follow Him once again if you have wandered.
6. Sinners Jesus Will Receive!
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Questions For Discussion
1. We can understand why Jesus’ disciples were unclear about what was going to happen. What was Jesus trying to accomplish by telling them what to expect? Why do you think the disciples followed him into such a confrontation? That we know of, none of them abandoned him.
2. On the way from Jericho to Jerusalem, several encounters took place (with blind man, Zaccheaus, etc.). How would you describe the attitude of Jesus on what is essentially a death march? What does this teach us about discipleship?
3. The mood swings sharply from the Triumphal Entry (19:28-40) to Jesus weeping over a Jerusalem that rejects him (19:41-44) and ultimately calls for his crucifixion. What accounts for a turning of the tide of opinion?
4. Judas is an interesting person. What do you think motivated him to betray Jesus? Can that motivation cause people to abandon Jesus today? How can we guard against that?
5. The Passover and the Lord’s Supper are not the same thing, but there are common roots there. What are some of the themes of communion that we can think of that relate to the Passover?
6. The plan of God to save humanity is an eternal one. As far back as Genesis 3:15, what event/saying reveals God’s plan? How do you think that happened at the cross?
7. How can we grow to feel more personal about the love of Christ for us as individuals? How do I know that Christ loves ME?
8. Next week we will study the crucifixion. We often want to hurry through that to get to the resurrection because it is brutal and uncomfortable. Why is it important to take our time to study through these events?
