Luke 12:4 - 12
Have No Fear
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.[a] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?[b] And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Who has the authority to cast us into hell?
2. God does know how many hairs we have. What's the significance of mentioning that here?
3. What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus before men?
4. What does it mean for Jesus to acknowledge us before the angels?
5. What does it mean to be denied before the angels?
6. How does one blaspheme against the Holy Spirit?
7. Should we be prepared before speaking to authorities?
https://hartmangroupdevotions.blogspot.com/2015/05/matthew-1021-31-21-brother-will-betray.html?zx=4c6cd1273b0ad164 says:
ReplyDeleteNot a single sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will (Matthew 10:29).
Sometimes God sees to it that the worst of people are allowed to be exalted so that they may fulfil His purposes without their knowing it (Isaiah 10:5, Isaiah 10:7).
He uses even the enemies of His people to discipline them in their disobedience (Judges 2:14-15, Judges 2:21-23; Judges 2:3:12).
On the other hand, He can harden the hearts of His people's enemies so that they fall into His people's hands or even destroy themselves (Joshua 11:20; Judges 7:22).
Ordinary daily needs are within His concern and control (Matthew 6:30, Matthew 6:33).
The will of God may be worked out in what appears to be a complete accident (1 Kings 22:28, 1 Kings 22:34).
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My 2 cents:
Does God care about us? Absolutely. Does God care FOR us? That's the question. To what extent does God control circumstances in our lives has been debated forever.
There's a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum is the belief that God planned and wound up the universe at the beginning, did a really good job of it, and is just letting His plan wind out. At the other end of the spectrum is the belief that God literally controls every aspect of our lives - down to the tiniest minutiae.
So, let's take a couple of cases:
1. We are brushing our teeth and we drop our toothbrush on the floor. Was that God's will or wasn't it? People on the far right of the spectrum would say of course it was.
2. We are driving down the street and another driver barely misses us going through a red light. One second earlier and we would have been in a serious accident. Did God control that event? Was it totatlly random and God didn't exert any influence at all? What's the possibility that God influenced events so that the timing was such as it is - that we missed the other car? Does God let "random" events just happen and teach us through whatever circumstances that just happen to us?
3. You are putting on a church event for newcomers. Things aren't going very well. You can't find enough volunteers, you don't know where food, tables, silverware and a hundred other things are going to come from. You pray and do the best you can. The day of the event comes and somehow ends up being a huge success. The newcomers are blown away. Several of them become exited and passionate members of the church. Did God exert His influence in this? Was it all your effort, perhaps mixed with a little bit of good fortune that brought off a good event? How did God intervene in this? Does He ever?
So, in all three cases, depending on where you lie on the spectrum, you would say that God did or did not intervene in all three cases. My opinion? I don't know. I don't know if I will ever know (on this earth), and I suspect everyone that claims they know.
https://hartmangroupdevotions.blogspot.com/2015/06/matthew-1032-39-32-whoever-acknowledges.html says:
ReplyDeleteLike Peter, if you have denied/disowned Jesus in the past, then repent like Peter, confess, and ask God for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9-10). You will receive it, and you can then move forward. Ask to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, to be so in love with Jesus, so filled by God’s Spirit, that you will never again disown Jesus before men, but will love and serve Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength as Jesus said to in Mark 12:30.
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Jesus desires that we acknowledge faith in him before other people. Why? There are at least two answers to that question.
Confessing our faith before others strengthens our faith. When we talk about what Jesus has done for us with other people, whether they are believers or not, our spiritual muscles are exercised and we become stronger. Conversely, if we do not share our faith in Jesus, we tend to become weaker, making our faith less and less a part of our daily lives. So Jesus asks us to confess our faith in him for our own good!
Confessing our faith before others spread the Gospel. The word gospel means “good news”, and when we share the good news with other people, the Holy Spirit will use that gospel to bring some of them to faith.
Jesus has already given us eternal life. When we lose our lives for the sake of Jesus, that is, when following him becomes more important than our own personal security, then Jesus gives us a life that has tremendous depth and meaning, a life that not even death can extinguish.
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My 2 cents on acknowledging or not acknowledging God:
I've heard and I think many people have an incorrect and legalistic view of what this verse is saying. The view goes something like: "If we aren't out there boldly sharing the gospel, we are going to hell." I think that this view is unique to the evangelical movement.
To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure what this verse means. I both don't know exactly what acknowledging Jesus before men means, or what Jesus acknowledging us before God means. If Jesus doesn't acknowledge us before God, does that mean we are out on are ear? Or does it mean that Jesus won't acknowledge those times in our lives when we were dragging His name through the mud?
In conclusion, I think there's an overarching meaning. If we are saved and have the Holy Spirit working in us, we will desire to share Jesus with others. If we lose our way and forget about what Jesus has done and wants to do in our lives, we lose our desire for Jesus and our desire to make Jesus known.
Making Jesus known comes in a variety of forms. If we are smart and are listening to the Holy Spirit, we will reveal Him to people in a way that they will listen. Sometimes we have to earn the right for an audience before we should share. Otherwise, it becomes more about us discharging what we think our duty is, rather than attempting to reach people with the knowledge of Jesus.
On the other hand, maybe I'm completely wrong and Jesus wants us all to indiscriminately and loudly preach wherever we are.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-12-commentary says:
ReplyDeleteNET Note - Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14–15. = "Let us not fear him who thinks he is killing us, for great is the struggle of the soul and the danger of eternal torment lying before those who transgress the commandment of God."
Someone once wrote, "Fear is the wrong use of imagination. It is anticipating the worst, not the best that can happen."
He is teaching us that a basic cause of hypocrisy is the fear of man. When we are afraid of what others may say about us or do to us, then we try to impress them in order to gain their approval. If necessary, we will even lie to accomplish our purposes, and this is hypocrisy.
Our Lord does not want us to be silent disciples. He encourages us to witness boldly to others about His grace.
If your faith in Christ is worth having, it's worth sharing.
I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell - The implication is fear God, not men and not other created being. Some people think Satan has power to send people to hell but that is absolutely not true. And of course we are never commanded to fear Satan (cf 1 John 4:4, Ro 16:20), but to resist him (James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:9, not be ignorant of his schemes (Eph 6:11).
God must be feared. Let me tell you what hypocrites are like. They don't fear God, they fear men. And they live their lives to please men. They live their lives for the outside, which is visible and not the inside, which is invisible. Stop fearing men and start fearing God.
Fear of God takes two forms, a healthy, reverential awe of the creature before the Creator including the idea of fear of offending (Ro 11:20) or the terror and dread of the unregenerate sinner in the presence of the just and holy God (Lxx of Ge 3:10, cp Lk 12:5).
Puritan Charles Bridges defines fear of God - It is that affectionate reverence by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father's law. His wrath is so bitter, and His love so sweet; that hence springs an earnest desire to please Him, and—because of the danger of coming short from his own weakness and temptations—a holy watchfulness and fear, 'that he might not sin against Him.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-12-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteHell (Gehenna) (1067)(geenna from Hebrew gay = valley + Hinnom = a deep narrow ravine south of Jerusalem once associated with the pagan god Moloch and his disgusting rite of infant sacrifices clearly prohibited by God in Lev 18:21, 20:2-5) is literally the valley of Hinnom, the valley where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned and where there were trash fires and perpetually burning rubbish, all a fit symbol of the future home of all unrepentant, unregenerate wicked men and women. It was a foul, forbidding place where the fire, smoke, and stench never ceased. It is thus fitting that gehenna is where sin and unrepentant sinners will one day find it's "resting place".
Hendriksen adds that Gehenna (Wikipedia) "comes from Gē-Hinnōm, that is, the land of Hinnom, a valley belonging originally to Hinnom (see picture) and later to his sons. Originally, no doubt, this was a beautiful valley. But it did not remain so. It was in this valley that a high place was built. It was subsequently called Tophet, meaning, according to some, "place of spitting out" or "abhorrence"; according to others, "place of burning." Either interpretation would fit very well. It would seem that in the top of this high place there was a deep hole in which much wood was piled, and that this wood was ignited by a stream of brimstone (see Isaiah 30:33). The wicked kings Ahaz and Manasseh actually made their children pass through this terrible fire as offerings to the gruesome idol Moloch (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6; cf. Lev. 18:21; 1 Ki 11:7). Others copied their wicked example (Jer 32:35). Jeremiah predicted that the divine judgment would strike Tophet; God would visit the terrible wickedness that occurred in Gē-Hinnōm with such mass destruction that the place would become known as "the valley of slaughter" (Jer 7:31-34; 19:6; 32:35). God-fearing King Josiah defiled this idolatrous high place, and stopped its abominations (2 Ki 23:10). Afterwards Jerusalem's rubbish was burnt here. Hence, whenever a person approached the valley, he would see those rubbish-burning flames. Now by adding these various ideas represented by Gē-Hinnōm—namely, ever-burning fire, wickedness, abomination, divine judgment, slaughter—it is easily seen that this Gē-Hinnōm became a symbol for the everlasting abode of the wicked, namely, hell.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-12-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteLuke 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
a small Roman copper coin worth about one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour's average wage (one tenth of a drachma).
James said it’s wrong for a Christian to practice partiality (James 2:1). It’s a sin to show personal favoritism (v.9). The reasons may be social, economic, educational, or ethnic, but there’s no excuse for disrespecting people with our attitudes and words.
Jesus didn’t do this. He crossed all kinds of traditional barriers to talk with tax-collectors, sinners, non-Jews, people of mixed races, the poor, as well as the rich. He came to identify with each of us, and to pay the price on the cross for all our sins.
THE REWARD FOR CONFESSING - JESUS BEFORE MEN ON EARTH
Paul eagerly confessed, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Ro 1:16). He was not ashamed to acknowledge the person and work of Christ because His is the only message that offers salvation and hope to a corrupt and dying world.
Moody Bible Commentary - To confess is more than just a "cold recitation of words" but it is an active acknowledgment—by life and word—that "Jesus is Lord" of one's life.
Confess means to affirm and agree with. It is not simply to recognize a truth but to identify with it. Even the demons, for example, recognize that God is one (James 2:19), but they by no means confess God, because they are His implacable enemies. We do not confess Christ simply by acknowledging that He is Lord and Savior but by acknowledging and receiving Him as our Lord and Savior.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-12-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteSo, what does it mean to confess Him?
To confess Christ means to proclaim to others the fact that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord and that our salvation is all from Him and not at all from us.
Don’t miss the fact that Jesus here not only accepts, but also openly promotes, His own preeminence.
To confess Christ, we must remember that all of life is lived under the Father’s gaze.
To confess Christ, we must fear the judgment of God more than we fear the judgment of men.
To confess Christ, we must trust in the loving, providential care of the Father.
To confess Christ, we must count on the faithful promises of the Son.
To confess Christ, we must rely on the instructive ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Peter did deny Jesus publicly three times, but he regretted his act and responded later with numerous public declarations of Jesus. Judas denied Jesus through betrayal and was tormented by his decision. Nevertheless, Judas’s response was inadequate; rather than declaring Jesus, he committed suicide. Peter’s denial was one of nerve, which was later dramatically reversed. Judas’s denial was one of the heart. Thus, Judas—not Peter—better illustrates this verse.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-12-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteBLASPHEMY OF THE SPIRIT - "THE UNPARDONABLE SIN"
It must be stressed that the Bible teaches there is only one unforgivable sin, and that is the rejection of Christ.
This verse has even created anxiety in believers who wonder if they have committed the unpardonable sin. The answer is that they have not. In fact if anyone is worried that they are guilty of this sin, then they are not! Why do I say that? Because the sin is against the Holy Spirit and if one had committed it, he would have no concern for the Holy Spirit would have ceased convicting him. He is so dead to God that he has no consciousness of no sin at all, including no concern of committing the unpardonable sin. Concern that one has committed or might commit the unpardonable is clear evidence that this person still has a consciousness of sin.
As Utley puts it "The gospel is as wide as all humanity, but judgment is also as wide as all of those who say “no”!"
Blasphemes (987) (blasphemeo from bláptō = to hurt, injure, harm + from phēmí = to speak) means literally to speak to harm and in general therefore means to bring into ill repute and so to slander, to defame (to harm the reputation of by libel or slander).
The difference between blaspheming the Son of Man and blaspheming the Spirit is that blasphemy of the Son of Man is an instant rejection, while blasphemy of the Spirit is a permanent decision of rejection.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-12-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteA WORD OF ASSURANCE - FOR DISCIPLES
Jesus is warning His disciples of persecution and not from the lay folks but from religious folks!
THE PROMISED POWER OF THE SPIRIT - IN THE NICK OF TIME!
Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, (Read Acts 4:8-12, 19, 20)
Acts 6:10 But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
Leon Morris - Jesus is concerned with the duty that rests compellingly on believers even in such a time of danger. He is not telling them how to secure acquittal. He is telling them how they may best serve God in their trying situation. The Spirit will inspire them with such a defence that through it the gospel will be proclaimed and God’s purposes be set forward.
https://unlockingthebible.org/sermon/jesus-will-confess-before-father/ says:
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean to confess Christ?
The word “acknowledge” or confess in the Greek is homo = ‘one,’ plus logeo = ‘word.’ It literally means “to be of one word.” So, to confess Jesus is to be of one word with him. To confess Jesus means that what he says, you say.
When Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), you say “For me, Jesus is my way and my truth and my life.” You believe it. You own it. You do not say “This is what Jesus says, but I have a different view.” Or “I’m not sure about that.”
Peter disowned Jesus. He did that three times, and then afterwards he went out and wept bitterly. In the light of this, we can be sure that Jesus is not saying “If you have ever disowned me, you are gone forever.” He is saying “If you continue to disown me, I will disown you.”
If you read this verse in isolation it could sound like salvation by works: (Jesus says “If you do this for me; I will do that for you.”) That is not the Gospel.
We are saved by the blood of Christ, not by an act of confession. There is no redeeming power in confessing Christ. Redeeming power lies in the Christ who is confessed. This Christ becomes ours by faith, and our confession is an evidence of faith in Christ who saves us.
Two Surprises
Jesus is not speaking to unbelievers, but to His disciples
The whole of this chapter is Jesus speaking to those who have already made a commitment to Him: [Jesus] “called his twelve disciples” (Matthew 10:1). This isn’t evangelism—calling unbelievers to make a decision and confess Christ. This is for Christians. He’s challenging us.
Jesus is not talking about something easy, but something hard
But look with me at the context:
“I am sending you out as sheep among wolves” (v16).
[What chance do sheep have among wolves?]
“They will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings. When they arrest you…” (v17-19).
[Not “If they arrest you…, When they arrest you…”]
“Brother will betray brother to death… Children will have their parents put to death. All men will hate you because of me. When you are persecuted in one place flee to another…”
(v21-23). [“When you are persecuted…,” not “If…”]
Clearly “confessing” Christ will be the most demanding challenge these men will face in their entire lives.
Seven Ways to Confess Jesus Christ
1. Confess the lordship of Christ in baptism
2. Confess the glory of Christ in costly obedience
If you have grasped the glory of Jesus Christ, you will wade out into deeper water, giving sacrificially like never before. Costly obedience shows how you value Jesus Christ.
3. Confess the presence of Christ in loneliness
If you have felt let down by your friends at a time when you really needed them, you will know that it can be really tough to confess the presence of Christ in your loneliness.
4. Confess contentment in Christ under financial pressure
5. Confess the sufficiency of Christ in sickness and pain
6. Confess the comfort of Christ in crushing trials
7. Confess the sovereignty of Christ in sorrow and loss
Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit
Remember, you are not in this alone. Anyone can go around saying “Jesus is Lord.” That’s not what he’s talking about. Only the Holy Spirit makes this kind of confession possible. The Holy Spirit is given to you for this very reason, so that in the hardest circumstances of your life you will be able to stand and confess him.
Anticipate the outcome of your faith
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32
Questions and findings:
ReplyDelete1. Who has the authority to cast us into hell?
God (the triune God) and only God.
2. God does know how many hairs we have. What's the significance of mentioning that here?
To bring to light the depth of God's feeling and care for us. He knows every single thing about us, both outside and inside. He feels every single emotion that we do, every disappointment, every triumph. He cares more deeply about us, feels more deeply about us, and is concerned more deeply about us than every single entity in the universe (including ourselves).
3. What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus before men?
It means that we acknowledge Him always before our brothers and sisters in Christ. It means that we live for Him before all people always.
This question is not necessarily concerned with preaching the Gospel to unbelievers, although it relates. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit for when and how we should share the Gospel with others. We need to ignore the fear of man and put ourselves out there whenever the Spirit calls. We will ignore the (natural) fear of man, and not let it rule us, and we will not let that fear shut us up. However, we need to keep our mouths shut when the Holy Spirit tells us (I think that's going to be often).
4. What does it mean for Jesus to acknowledge us before the angels?
I think that He will claim us as family, which is everything. If we have entered into Jesus' family, we will naturally live for Him in the sight of all. When we do, Jesus will count us as family and we will draw a lot of attention from Him and His council.
5. What does it mean to be denied before the angels?
It means that those are not part of the family. They will not be entitled to any of the family rights.
6. How does one blaspheme against the Holy Spirit?
By not believing in Jesus. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus. Those who permanently reject that witness are committing the one sin that Jesus cannot forgive - blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It's immportant to note that this is not a one time event, but a life-time spanning decision.
There are a lot of people who reject Christ for a while, and then come to a saving belief in Him later. Think of what Paul did before coming to Jesus. If anyone was guilty of a one time event (if blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a one time event), he was.
7. Should we be prepared before speaking to authorities?
We can be. But, we should do two things: 1. Not worry about our preparation, and 2. Let the Holy Spirit come in and replace whatever we prepared to say. Otherwise, I think thinking about it ahead of time (by praying about it, giving it to God, and letting God speak to us about it) is a good idea.