Luke 22:63-65 - Was Jesus A Prophet?

We're continuing on this morning through our sermon series on the Book of Luke. We are we're down to 10 sermons brothers and sisters 105 sermons to the Gospel of Luke. We've got 10 left today sermon is entitled was Jesus a prophet was Jesus a prophet pastors and theologians over the long history of the Christian faith have looked for ways to help God's people learn and understand and appreciate and apply and communicate through Jesus is in what Jesus has done? The founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance has is no different. He did such a thing as a b Simpson formulated what he called The fourfold Gospel. That is he believed we could best understand the person work of Jesus by considering him as Savior sanctifier healer and coming King. Will there is a date a much older and and really much more prevalent way of understanding a person work of Jesus that really is found mainly and and reform traditions and they had a construct to consider Jesus as Prophet priest and King and this morning we want to consider that first office mentioned Jesus as a prophet of God as well see in these few verses we look at this morning from Luke chapter 22 The suffering of Jesus is now experiencing in this moment and vs 63 through 65 pertains to him being a prophet. So let's look at these verses 3 verses and chapter 22. We're looking over 63 64 and 65.

Nothing men who were holding Jesus and custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him prophesy. Who is it that struck you and they said many other things against him blaspheming him. Let's pray. Father God we thank you for your words. We come this morning Father God as creatures who are finite. and sinful

father God and that means that we cannot achieve this morning what it is we desire and what it is we came for

we came to glorify you. Add to be conformed to the image of your son and we cannot do that without your help. heard from your spirit

Father God, would you by your spirit help us to understand with our minds and embrace with our hearts your truth. And your word? And father God then help us father God conform us to the image of Christ. causes to grow in godliness

father God help me to communicate your truth and Proclaim your truth. In a way that's helpful to those ends. And father God help us to see Jesus help us this morning to see Jesus as your true and better profit. I pray this in his name. Amen. Point number one was Jesus a prophet whether or not Jesus was a prophet is the question at the very heart of the suffering that Jesus is experiencing in these verses. He's being beaten. He is being mocked. He is being blasphemed around the question of him being a prophet now. Think about this think about just before this moment just before this moment as we talked about last Sunday Peter denied Jesus. And his denial was the Fulfillment of Jesus's prophecy that Peter would deny him. And just after this moment in a passage that you'll hear Nelson and and preach next Sunday. Christ is asked if he is the Christ and he says to those. Who are causing him pain who are questioning who he is if I tell you you will not believe in if I ask you you will not answer, but from now on the son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God. We know that that prophecy is true. So in this moment where he's suffering where he's being mocked and beaten about being a prophet that is sandwiched between two prophecies that Jesus gave that came true. If that didn't answer the question the very moment. He's in the very things that are happening to him in this moment. He had already prophesied about and Luke chapter 18 verse 32 for he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon those were Jesus's words. Prophesying about what's happening in the moment as they mock him and beat him about whether or not he's a prophet. You see during his Galilean Ministry many people believe that he was a prophet Luke chapter 9 verse 18 and 19. Now. It happened that he was as he was praying along the disciples were with him and he asked them who do the crowds say that I am and they answered John the Baptist but other say Elijah and others that one of the prophets of old has risen. The people believe thought he could be a prophet and now he was being mocked and beaten and suffering as a result of that. Now when we hear the word Prophet we have to think of someone predicting the future and certainly that was part of what the biblical prophets did but that was not their main focus the main focus of their Ministry. Most fundamentally God's prophets were his ambassadors. It was their job to explain God's covenants and to encourage God's people to be true and faithful to them. One of the definitions I came across this week in regards to what a prophet is says this a prophet is God's covenant Ambassador Cooper claims and applies God's word, especially to warn of judgment against in and to encourage the kind of loyal service to God that leads to blessing.

And we know that Jesus himself declared that he was a prophet slooten Prophet Luke Chapter 13 Verse 33 nevertheless. I must go on my way today or tomorrow in the day following for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem. Jesus declared himself to be a prophet. Phone number to Prophet priest and King this this Paradigm of prophet priest and King is deeply woven into the fabric of the biblical narrative. And in fact, it's it's cord of the entire trajectory of Redemptive history. In the Old Testament God instituted three offices. Three offices true which he administered his kingdom on Earth the office of prophet the office of priest in the office of King. How many people pointed John Calvin is the one responsible for popularizing this construct of the threefold office of Christ? An email Papa writes that he certainly didn't create it it it was older than he was. And now and then and after his time this concept was employed by many of the reformers and many people of that tradition as well as their children the Puritans. And this helps us to understand who Jesus is and what Jesus has done.

So as we consider the office of prophet.

It's helpful to look through the Old Testament to the original Office of the prophets that God used to administer his kingdom before Christ game. A general understanding of prophets in the Old Testament can help us understand and consider how Christ is a fulfillment of that. Obviously she wrote the Old Testament. There's much we can learn about profits but the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy is particularly helpful in regards to what the qualifications are for a prophet Deuteronomy 18 verse 17 through 22. Moses's speaking and lays out some qualifications for a prophet's we read in the Lord said to me they are right and what they have spoken I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him and whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name. I myself will require it of him, but the prophet who presumes to speak a word of my name that I have not committed him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods that same profit shall die. And if you stay in your heart how we how may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord if the word does not come to pass or come true that is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously C4 qualifications for a profit. We see that profits were one called by God to prophets were given God's words three prophets were loyal to God and four prophets were authenticated by sub for filament of their prophecies. Let's look at those four things quickly first called by God. We see this in the phrase. I will raise up for them a prophet. Now this call of God to be a prophet of God was not an invitation. It was a summons. There was no RSVP to see if you wanted to do it. This is a Divine summons. We see this in Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 4 and 5 before I formed you in the womb. I knew you and before you were born. I consecrated I appointed you a prophet to the Nations. An example of the call of God. It's a summons.

A prophet was also given God's words. We see this in the phrase. I will put my words in his mouth. It says corroborated in the New Testament. We reading 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 20 through 21 knowing this first of all that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone's own interpretation for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man but men spoke from God as they were carried Along by the Holy Spirit. The prophet speaks. He speaks words superintendent by the Holy Spirit.

They were words that were authoritative infallible because they were God's word. We also see that profits were loyal to God. We see that in the phrase. He shall speak to them all that. I command him a little earlier on in Deuteronomy. Moses is talking about prophets again chapter 13 verse 1 through 4. In what Moses says there is that if you see a prophet who works wonders who performs Miracles who even predict the future if he contradicts my word, he's not a prophet listen to this verses 1 through 4 chapter 13 to Deuteronomy. If a prophet or a dreamer of Dreams arise as among you and gives you a sign or wonder in a sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass and if he says let us go after other gods, which you have not known and let us serve them you shall not listen to the words of the Prophet or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord. Your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul you shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him and keep his Commandments and obey his voice and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. It was a test. If a profit did or said something that was contrary to God. He wasn't being loyal to God and God's people weren't supposed to listen to him. The prophet was called by God and given God's word and loyal to God. And finally a profit was authenticated by the Fulfillment of the words. He spoke when a prophet spoke in the name of the Lord.

If that word does not come to pass or come true, then it's a word that the Lord has not spoken.

Jeremiah chapter 28 verse 9 ties for the prophet who prophesied peace when the word of that profit comes to pass then it will be known that the Lord has truly send the prophet. Write a profit is authenticated by the words and the predictions coming true. And so for qualifications of a prophet in the Old Testament that we see there, but one of the interesting things that we see in Deuteronomy and I'm always ready to already read it to you is that from the days of Moses on there was an expectation of a great prophet. We can we read in chapter 18 the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you from your brother's it is to him. You shall listen Verse 18. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among your brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him. Will Jesus is the Fulfillment of that expectation of a great prophet? Let's consider .3 the Fulfillment in Jesus. Let us look at these four qualifications and see that Jesus was qualified to be a prophet of God. First of all, Jesus was called by God. Read about it in Luke chapter 4 verse 16 through 21. If you remember the story of Jesus goes into the synagogue in Nazareth, and they asked him to read some portion of scripture. Any reads from The Scroll of Isaiah? The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to Proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind if set at Liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and then he rolled up the scroll and he handed it back to the attendant and he sat down. And everyone in the synagogue looked at him fix their eyes on him were told and he said today the scripture has be been fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus is I am the one who has been called by God anointed by God to proclaim the good news to Proclaim Liberty to the captives to Proclaim sight to the blind.

We also know that Jesus was given God's words to speak John Chapter 14 verse 24. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words and the words that you hear are not mine, but the fathers who sent me. Jesus was given God's word to speak. And of course Jesus was loyal to God we read in Hebrews chapter 3 verses 5 through 6 now Moses the great prophet of Israel. Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken later. But Christ is Faithful over God's house as a son. Christ was loyal to God. And finally The Words of Christ or a Fanta created by their fulfillment in his role as a prophet is authenticated by the Fulfillment of his words, and there's so many from the Gospel of Luke. We could choose I'll pick some from Luke chapter 9 verse 21 and 22 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one say the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised over these next ten weeks as we finish off the Gospel of Luke and we hear of his great and intense suffering and we hear of his horrific death on the cross and we Rejoice at hearing the good news of his resurrection from the dead know that he predicted all of those things that they are not scented caitian of him as a prophet of God.

So Jesus clearly qualifies as a prophet. In fact, he qualifies as God's greatest profits. He said he was not only called by God. He was my God. He is God.

It wasn't just his prophecies and his predictions which could be considered God's word every syllable. He spoke was God's word. Every word he uttered was the word of God. No Prophet could say that. And no profit was more loyal to God than Jesus who was perfect in his obedience to the will of the father. And in fact, we know he is the Fulfillment of all. God's words, we read in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3 long ago at many times in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. Jesus is the Fulfillment of the office of the prophet. He is the Fulfillment of the ambassador of God who is to teach God's people God's ways to encourage them to walk in those ways. He's a fulfillment of that. He is the true and better profit. On our last few minutes here this morning. I want to make three points of application related to having a proper perspective of ourselves and 1/2 pertaining to a proper perspective of Christ.

These application points all come I was helped by the mall by a Puritan named John Flavel a few years ago. I read through the complete works of John Flavel. My infant is for doing so is I have received a set of them as a gift from the previous pastor of this church is a look around many of you. Of course new Mike Wilkins some of you didn't but Mike Wilkins gave me a complete set of the works of John Flavel and and I had this desire to read through them all before he passed away. I was able to do that, but he gave me that gift and it's a gift that keeps on giving it as I was studying about Jesus as Prophet. I came across to sermons by John Flavel speaking on price for filling that office as well as some commentary on the Westminster catechism in regards to that and so we're going to use some of these ideas by John Flavel to make applications this morning. The first application of pertains to our perspective of ourselves the truth of Christ being God's true and better profit means that humans should see themselves as sinful and in need of Christ for salvation. This comes from the catechism in for valve's exposition of it. One of the questions was what does Christ profetica Law Office imply that implies man's natural blindness in ignorance. You see mankind needs a prophet mankind needs someone to tell them and reveal and explain God to them. That points to our sinfulness a sinfulness that will result in blindness and ignorance to the ways of God. Another question can no man saving Lee know the will of God without the teachings of Christ. No, no common knowledge may be obtained in a natural way yet not saving knowledge that also points to our sinfulness. We do not have the knowledge or the facility or capacity to save ourselves. We need someone to tell us the way we need someone to point us the way and explain to us the way of Salvation in Jesus Christ was the prophet who did that. The prophet who told us that salvation comes through repentance repenting of our sins and true Faith putting our faith in him.

That's a proper perspective. We need to have Christ being God's Great profit implies that every human being is a sinner who cannot save themselves who cannot know the way of Salvation apart from what Christ has taught? Apart from his teaching that we are saved by repenting of our sins and putting our faith in him. And if you're hearing this this morning, And you're not a Believer I encourage you listen to God's prophets repent of your sins and put your faith in him. That's the first perspective.

The second perspective the truth of Christ being God's true and better profits means that in spite of the fact that we as Believers are weak or immature or weary. We need not be discouraged because Christ the very Son of God God himself Christ perfectly holds the office of the Prophet who teaches us of God. Listen to John Flavel said, he said if Christ be the great prophet of the church, then it follows that the weakest Christians need not be discouraged at the domus and incapacity. They finding themselves. Well, then be not discouraged. Others May know more than you but you are not incapable of knowing so much are so shall save your souls if Christ be your teacher and other knowledge others may excel you but if you know Jesus Christ in the truth as it is one drop of your knowledge is worth a whole CD of their gifts that little you have been taught of Christ sheds down. It's gracious influences upon your affections and slide sweetly to your melting hearts. Brother or sister this morning if you're weak. If you're weary, even if you're wandering you need not be discouraged because you have a great prophet who shows you the way who teaches you and you can go to him and learn of him and his Flavel says he will shut down his gracious influences upon you and those influences will slide sweetly into your heartbeat. Don't be discouraged this morning church.

You have a great prophet. Who is your savior final perspective this morning? Let's finish by seeing clearly the Grandeur of Christ. Let's Behold The Glory of Jesus as God's true and better profit from those two sermons. I mentioned throughout them for Bell indicates that Jesus as the great prophet of God shows himself to be glorious. Shows himself to be the one who fulfills this office of profit and we need to see that and Flavel mentions a couple things. He mentions that Jesus as the prophet is our teacher and guide and he's called the faithful and true witness. If you are here this morning and you are a believer in Christ. It is because price as profit taught you the way of salvation. And he taught it effectively so that you came to faith in him. What a glorious profit he is for Bill knows that he is a tender-hearted profit full of compassion to Soul. He was sent to bind up the Brokenhearted. He was made like us he took on flesh and as we read today and is coming weeks. He suffered like us Because he suffered like us he can sympathize with us. And is suffering points to his love for us. He is a tender-hearted profit and he was a hard worker on the half of God completing everything that God called him to do. And again, we will see the labors of redemption the next 10 weeks. We will see it over and over again. It will be a weighty lesson. The work that Christ did to save our souls. But he has shown himself to be a glorious Workman. Finally Prevail notes that he is a prophet of Integrity living up to every word. He preached and every command he gave for Val says his life and Doctrine harmonized in all thing. He is our perfect example. Who lived up to every word he spoke and show us showed us what it looked like to lived and Covenant with God Faithfully. Call Val says he says lastly, how are believers obliged to love serve and honor Jesus Christ whom he has enlightened with the saving knowledge of himself. All that with hands and hearts lifted up to heaven you would adore the free Grace of Jesus Christ to your souls how many roundabouts you have their eyes closed and their heart shut up. How many are in darkness and they are likely to remain till they come to the Blackness of darkness, which is reserved for them. Oh what a pleasant thing it is for you and for your eyes to see the light of this world, but what is it for the eye of your mind to see God in Christ to see such ravishing sites as the objects of Faith are to have a pledge as this given to you of the Blessed visions of Glory Full Bell is making the case that as we see Christ as the true and better prophet of God who has perfectly fulfilled that office. We see him in all his goodness and all his Grandeur and All His glory. And therefore we should adore him. Let's pray.

Father God, I thank you for your words. I thank you Father God for this picture of Jesus Christ that your word has given us this morning. The very thing needs versus that he suffered for the very thing. He was mocked about and beating a boat. Father God that he was a prophet is so clearly true. I pray father God you would help us to see him in his glory and the office of prophet ever those who don't know you they would know their own sinfulness and look to him for the way of salvation for those who are weary and wandering. And weak this morning. I pray your spear would help them to call out to their great prophet who can show them the way. Father God help us this morning. Help us to respond. To your glory and your goodness in Jesus Christ. I pray this in his name. Amen.