Lord’s Day, Vol. 14 No. 30
Steadfastly Set to Suffer
Luke 9:49-56 (KJV) And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. 51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Our Lord Jesus’s earthly ministry culminates in His suffering for human sins. He would be crucified on the cross by the Jewish leaders and Roman authority. Ironically, the providence of God was for His earthly body in His crucifixion to take the penalty of human sins past and future, to save men from the judgment of God in hell fire. To this end, Jesus was born – For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. (v56).
The depravity of man, the depth of human wickedness and sin deserves God’s severest judgment. In the eyes of the disciples, God should send fire to come down from heaven to consume them for their unbelief and their sins. But our Lord rebuked His disciples, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” It was likened to the unsanctified Jonah spirit against the cruel Assyrians. To the disciples, the Samaritans were like to Assyrians – incorrigible. The heart of God is to save sinful men so that they may not perish eternally. The disciples could not easily comprehend in their present spiritual state the great love of God for rebels. But for our Lord Jesus, He knew the Father’s will. He must go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things and to be rejected of the elders and high priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day (v22). He would appear to His disciples after His resurrection for forty days before His ascension to heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father as the Advocate for His saved ones before the Father. Our Lord speaks of His ascension to emphasise His ultimate triumph over sin, Satan and the world so that His coming suffering would be properly understood!
And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up (referring to His ascension to heaven), He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him (v51-52). “To set His face” is to fix firmly implying fixedness of purpose especially in the prospect of difficulty and danger. It is humanly impossible to comprehend the suffering that our Lord has to go through to bear the punishment of our sins upon Himself. And yet, in His human nature, He was determined to do the Father’s will, come what may, whatever the cost. Our Lord did not cringe in the face of the greatest trial but trusted God through prayer to do the Father’s will – Psalm 22:8, 19 (KJV) He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him… 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
The Apostle Peter expressed his deepest gratitude for our Lord’s willing suffering that gives men the power to live holy lives having being freed from the bondage of sin when he said in 1 Peter 4:1-2 (KJV) Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. The Apostle Paul reminds us of the great battle to save souls that often entails suffering for righteousness’ sake in Hebrews 12:3 (KJV) For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
The John Sung choruses “LORD CRUCIFIED” well applies this text for us:
Lord crucified, give me a heart like Thine;
Teach me to love the dying souls of men;
And keep my heart in closest touch with Thee,
And give me love, pure Calvary love,
To being the lost to Thee.
The Lord was preparing His disciples to be heralders of the gospel after His ascension to heaven. They needed to see the depth of God’s love for unsaved souls and to be co-labourers with Him guided by the Holy Spirit that He would sent after His ascension to heaven to fulfil the Great Commission that He has entrusted to the church. Amen.