Note: Last Sunday morning, we took another look at the “Great Commission” in Luke,
dwelling especially on Luke 24:47. Here
are some sermon notes on the exposition of this verse:
And that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47).
Every word
or phrase in this verse has been providentially chosen and should be meditated
upon and pondered.
Notice first the emphasis on the means for carrying out the Great
Commission. The means is
preaching, the man of God standing to proclaim God’s truth about Christ from
God’s Word (cf. Rom 10:14-15, 17; 1 Cor 1:21).
Notice second the content of the proclamation: “repentance [metanoia: change of heart,
change of way, turning from sin] and remission [aphesis: cancellation,
release (as of prisoners)] of sins.”
The
joining of these two terms is not accidental.
True preaching must balance these two things. It must demand repentance and announced
forgiveness. Neglect one for the other
and preaching gets out of balance.
Preach repentance without simultaneously announcing forgiveness and you
get legalistic preaching which accentuates awareness of sin and piles up guilt,
but it never offers relief. Preach
forgiveness without simultaneously demanding repentance and you get licentious
preaching, “cheap grace” preaching. This
kind of preaching likes to dwell on “let he who is without sin cast the first
stone” but omits “go and sin no more” (John 7:53—8:11).
Notice third the
manner of the proclamation: “in his name.” Jesus speaks of himself here in the third
person as the Messiah, as the Christ.
This has at least two explicit applications.
First,
Great Commission preaching is to be done explicitly in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. There is a place for mercy
ministry and compassion ministry to be undertaken by Christians. Building schools and hospitals, teaching the
minds and feeding the bodies of men, may have some place in Christian service
as we do good to all men (cf. Gal 6:10).
But these things are not to be done as a replacement for or as a
substitute for explicit preaching in the name of the crucified Christ. The Asian missionary K. P. Yohannan has noted
that men can go to hell with better educated minds and healthier bodies. Indeed, as Jesus taught, What does it profit
a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul (Matt 16:26)?
Second,
Great Commission preaching is to be done under the authority of Jesus. Preaching in the name of Jesus means
preaching under the authority of Jesus. This means that Great Commission
preaching is to be preaching that is consistent with the doctrine which Jesus
taught and the methods which Jesus practiced.
Jesus did not preach, for example, a health and wealth gospel. Someone may go out and preach that gospel and
might even gather a large crowd of hearers.
But if his doctrine is inconsistent with the doctrine of Jesus, he is
not preaching in the name of Jesus or under the authority of Jesus. He is, instead, preaching in his own name and
under his own authority.
Notice fourth the audience for Great Commission preaching: “among all nations [the Greek word is ethnos, the root for our English word
“ethnic”].” Here is where the Lukan
Great Commission sounds like that recorded by Matthew in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go and teach all nations….” This furthers the announcement made by the
angel to the shepherds at Christ’s birth:
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). The nation watched this week those scenes of
destruction in Ferguson, Missouri as vivid examples of sin which overflows from
ethnic division and rivalry. There is
only one solution for ethnic division and that it the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Christian message is not
universalism (all men will be saved regardless of their response to Christ) but
it is universal (it is directed to all men).
Notice, finally, the last thing Jesus says here in
v. 47 is that it is to take place “beginning at Jerusalem.” This is made even clearer in the instructions
which Jesus gives in Luke 24:49. When we
turn over to Acts chapters 1-2 we see the working out of the plan Jesus unveils
as the Spirit is poured out on the first disciples at Pentecost. Leon Morris notes the significance of this command: “The disciples are not to attempt the task of
evangelism with their own meager resources, but are to await the coming of the
Spirit” (Luke, p. 343). We might conclude then that this last phrase
addresses the resources upon which the disciples were to rely in pursuing the
Great Commission.
Think
back on v. 47: The disciples were to use
the right means (preaching), in
proclaiming the right content
(repentance and remission of sins), in the right
manner (in his name), to the right
audience (all nations), with the right
resources (God’s power given through the Holy Spirit and not our own
power).
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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