The Final Words of Jesus

I. Introduction
A. I have selected a passage and topic this morning for Easter in light of our new series on the Holy Spirit.
B. The title of the sermon is “The Final Words of Jesus.” It is the final words of Jesus recorded in the book of Luke. But there is another sense in which these are the final words of Jesus.
1. Luke 24 begins with the morning of the resurrection and it ends with the ascension, almost as if it all happened on the same day, with no clear break for a lapse in time. But Luke the author knows that the period between the resurrection and the ascension was 40 days, as he himself says in Acts 1:3.
2. This opens up the possibility that this section of Christ’s teaching is actually a Holy-Spirit-inspired summary of His teaching in the 40 days between His resurrection and His ascension, as opposed to it being what He said that first Easter evening when He appeared to the believers. If that is true, this can also be considered the final words of Jesus in that sense.
3. But whatever the case, we have here the words of Jesus, and we’re going to treat them as such.
II. Explanation of Luke 24:44–49
A. First, let’s talk about the setting.
1. The crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23:26-49)
2. The hurried and partial burial (Luke 23:50-55)
3. The Sabbath of sadness (Luke 23:56)
4. Early on the first day of the week, the women came to the tomb to finish anointing his body, and the stone had been rolled away from the mouth of the tomb and the body of Jesus was gone. (Luke 24:1-3)
5. And two men in dazzling clothing appeared to them and said that Jesus had risen just like He said. And they remembered Jesus’ words that He would be crucified and rise on the third day. And so they ran back to tell the Twelve, who were now eleven. (Luke 24:4-10)
6. But the disciples didn’t believe their report, though Peter went and also found the tomb empty. (Luke 24:11-12)
7. That afternoon, two believers left the others and were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They were talking about all the sad and strange things which had been happening. While they were talking together, Jesus himself drew near and began to walk with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What were guys talking about?” Then one of them answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know about the things that have been happened the last few days concerning Jesus of Nazareth, how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him? We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Not only that, but, some of our women amazed us. They were at the tomb early in this morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but He was gone.” Then Jesus said to the two men, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And He began to explain to them all the OT Scriptures about himself. As they drew near to the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther, but they strongly urged him to stay, so He went in to their home. When they sat down for dinner, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he immediately vanished from their sight. And they turned to each other and said, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, opening the Scriptures to us?” And they got right up and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven and the other believers assembled together, who were talking about how the Lord had indeed risen and had appeared to Simon Peter! Then the two of them told everyone what had happened on the road, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were talking about these things, suddenly Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:13-40)
B. Luke 24:44-49 has been called “a great mural of salvation.” (Joel Green, NICNT on Luke). I like that.
1. Let’s look at this passage as a mural. It’s a special kind of mural. It’s an historical mural. It tells a story from one end to the other, or describes the new historical reality in five panels:
C. PANEL #1 – AS JESUS HAS REPEATEDLY TOLD HIS DISCIPLES WHILE HE WAS WITH THEM, THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED ARE THE FULFILLMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES .
1. V.44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
2. The Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms: these are the three parts of the OT. From the beginning of the OT to the very end, there is a building expectation and promise of a coming Redeemer.
a. One of the main themes of Jesus’ teaching was that He was the One the OT was referring to, the One who had come in fulfillment of the OT.
b. Now I certainly don’t have time to go through all those places in the OT which point forward to this promised Messiah, but I will show you a two volume set I have in my library: Hengstenberg on OT Christology.
3. Isn't it interesting that Jesus refers to the time "while I was still with you"?
a. The expression: “while I was yet with you,” is remarkable; for it proves that, in the mind of Jesus, His separation from them was now consummated. He was with them only exceptionally; His abode was elsewhere. - Godet
b. This is similar to His instruction for Mary not to grab hold of Him when He appeared to her risen at the tomb (John 20:17), He is not here to stay, just for a revelatory visitation. He did not want them to get attached to His presence in the bodily form. The new state they were to live in and get used to and learn to think according to was Jesus gone to heaven and present with them through the Holy Spirit. His home now is in heaven, which He is preparing for us while the Holy Spirit prepares us for heaven.
D. PANEL #2 – AT THIS MOMENT IN HISTORY, GOD IS OPENING THE EYES OF THE DISCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL THIS IS ABOUT.
1. V.45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
2. During His three years with His disciples, Jesus told them repeatedly that He was the One the OT kept promising. But they didn’t get it.
3. He had told them repeatedly He was going to be crucified and rise again. But they didn’t get it.
4. He told them repeatedly who He was, but they didn’t get it. And when they finally began to get it, (when in Mt.16:15-17 Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was, and Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,”) Jesus said this: “Blessed are you! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
5. They heard many of these things before, but they didn’t get it. Now, after the resurrection, they are catching on. What made the difference? God opened their eyes.
6. You see, it wasn’t enough that the OT prophesies all these things about Jesus. It wasn’t enough that Jesus had told them. This kind of knowledge requires divine illumination.
7. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1Corinthians 2:14
8. At one time in my life I was so convinced that there was no God that I would have bet my life on it. But then God opened my mind to know that He did exist, and that He revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.
9. God opens eyes to see His light. There are things we simply cannot see until He enables us to see.
10. “Jesus closes these explanations by an act of power for which they were meant to prepare. He opens the inner sense of His apostles, so that the Scriptures shall henceforth cease to be to them a sealed book. This act is certainly the same as that described by John in the words (20:22): “And He breathed on them, saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” The only difference is, that John names the efficient cause, Luke the effect produced. The miracle is the same as that which Jesus shall one day work upon Israel collectively, when the veil shall be taken away (2Cor.3:15-16).” -Godet
E. PANEL #3 – THE SPECIFIC THINGS PROPHESIED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WHICH HAVE NOW BEEN FULFILLED ARE: 1) THE SUFFERINGS AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, AND 2) THAT THE RESULTING GOSPEL OF FORGIVENESS WILL BE PROCLAIMED TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.
1. V.46-47 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
2. In these verses, Jesus talks about the specific things which the OT Scriptures tell us about the Christ.
3. He will suffer (ending in crucifixion) and be raised from the dead on the third day.
4. As a result of these things, a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in the name of Christ to all nations.
5. This is the gospel: the good news of Jesus coming and dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead in order to supply forgiveness to those who repent of their sins and put their faith in Him.
6. Where are these things found in the OT?
a. Suffering and death of the Christ – Is.52:13–53:13
b. Resurrection of the Christ: Ps.16:8-11, 110:1; Is.26:19; John 2:22, 20:9; Acts 2:25-28, 13:35.
c. The gospel extended to the Gentiles in OT: Is.49:6; 42:6; Joel 2:1
F. PANEL #4 – THE DISCIPLES HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SPECIAL ROLE TO BE THE EYEWITNESSES OF THE SUFFERING, DEATH AND ESPECIALLY THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS.
1. V.48 “You are witnesses of these things.”
2. This verse speaks of the special role of the apostles. Their eyewitness testimony of the death and resurrection of Christ, now recorded in the New Testament Scriptures, is the foundation of our faith in Christ.
3. Just in the book of Acts, the centrality of the apostles as witnesses of Christ is mentioned at least ten times (Ac.1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31; 22:15).
4. Eyewitness testimony, of course, is how we establish whether something happened or not.
5. Today there are many who say that it really doesn’t matter whether Jesus rose from the dead; it’s the principle of resurrection which matters: it’s a lesson about new life, about a new start, about not giving up hope.
a. Well, that’s not what Jesus says. That’s not what the Bible says. Not only does it say that He did rise from the dead, but it says it makes all the difference in the world.
b. Earlier in Luke 24, when Jesus appeared to the disciples, they thought He was a ghost. But Jesus was intent that they believe He was actually raised bodily: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” – Luke 24:39
c. And in 1Corinthians 15:14–19 Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins — and those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
d. My friends, people may not believe the eyewitness testimony of these women and men who turned the world upside down with their testimony that Jesus had risen from the dead.
e. But please don’t tell me it doesn’t matter.
f. If Jesus is risen, then it makes all the difference in the world. It’s a matter of eternal life and eternal death.
g. And if Jesus is not risen, then we are wasting our lives believing that He is and telling others that He is, and putting our hope in the fact that He is.
G. PANEL #5 – VERY SOON, JESUS WILL POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT UPON HIS PEOPLE.
1. V.49 “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
2. This is referring to something which happened just ten days after Christ ascended into heaven: the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:4-5).
3. This new project, this universal proclamation of the gospel of Christ in the whole world, required a mighty divine power. He didn’t even want them to get started on it until this power had come.
4. Notice the strong connection between our calling to spread the word of Christ in this world and the receiving of the power of the Spirit to enable us to do. God does not require of us what He is not ready to provide for.
III. Five important principles defining a new reality, a new age, a new power.
A. You see, Jesus came to earth, but Jesus didn’t stay. Why? Because He came to inaugurate a new reality, a new normal, a new age:
1. the age of the gospel proclaimed in all the world, not the age of having to go to Judea to see Jesus,
2. the age of the Spirit, not the age of Jesus present in His risen flesh.
3. This is the age of walking by faith in what Jesus said, not by sight of Jesus Himself.
4. This is the age not of seeing the resurrected Jesus but of believing in the resurrection on the basis of apostolic eyewitness testimony.
5. This is the age of the Spirit living in us, representing Christ’s presence to each one of us in way impossible while Christ was here in the flesh.
6. This is the age of working by the power of the Spirit to spread the gospel of forgiveness-through-the-cross and hope-through-His-resurrection to every corner of the earth.
7. Jesus himself said that “it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)
8. Next week we’ll talk more about the significance of this power from on high which the Father promised to empower the people of Christ.