December 15, 2013
Scripture:
Ministry:
Hymn 95 – I have a glorious Saviour
Prayer
Today’s parable is short. To understand it we need to read the story that made Jesus tell the parable, which comes right before it.
Luke 11:14 - 22
In the world today there is the power of God and the power of Satan. In our story there was a demon in a man that made him unable to speak. Jesus cast out the demon and he was able to speak. The man had been under the power of Satan. The people that watched Jesus cast out the demon said that He cast out the demons by the prince of demons. Basically, they were saying that he was using Satan’s power to cast out one of Satan’s demons. If you were watching a hockey game, it would be quite strange to see a team score on their own net. That is what these people were saying Jesus was doing.
In today’s parable there as a strong man and a stronger man. The strong man built a palace to keep his goods: it also tells us that he had weapons to protect his goods. This strong man is like Satan. His goods are the souls of men and he is guarding them with all his strength. In our parable, a stronger man comes and overtakes him. The stronger man is like Jesus. The big conflict was at the cross. Jesus died on the cross and rose again. All those that are saved have been given deliverance from Satan’s palace.
Acts 5:17-42
Last week we saw that the disciples were doing marvellous miracles. Apparently even the shadow of Peter had healing power. They couldn’t even be kept in prison, because an angel brought them out. There was a question asked as to why the disciples couldn’t get themselves out of prison. They had such power before, but in prison they seem powerless. The reason is this: Jesus and the apostles never did a miracle for their own benefit. It was always for the benefit of another.
The Jewish leaders didn’t like what was going on. They couldn’t condemn what the apostles were doing as unlawful, but they might lose followers to this new system. That would be bad for business. They tried to put a lid on the disciples by putting them in prison, but the angel of the Lord set them free and sent them to speak “the words of this life”. That’s precious, isn’t it? We have the words of life.
In the morning, the council was brought together and sent to fetch the apostles from prison. But they weren’t there, and the prison was shut! The angel had opened the doors, but had closed them and locked them again. The council didn’t know what would happen next. They had never met with this kind of power. Someone told them that the apostles were speaking in the temple, so they sent for them and brought them without violence.
The High Priest enjoyed the power that he had, and in a way that was alright. What he and these other men stood for had been given by God, but things had changed. There was a new system now.
Once again the disciples found themselves in front of the council. You would think that just having been in prison they would answer these men carefully and try not to stir them up, but not so. The High Priest brought up the three topics that bothered them the most: the teaching in the name of Jesus, their doctrine—grace and truth is the doctrine Jesus brought, instead of the law ofMoses—and the blood of Christ—which they were guilty of.
Judas Iscariot was guilty of betraying our Lord and leading His captors, but it was Satan who tempted him and lead him to do it. After tempting us, though, Satan leaves us with the guilt. Judas felt so bad that he hanged himself. These men still felt guilty of killing Jesus.
The name, the truth, and the blood. In them we have the person of Christ. These men had accepted the responsibility of the blood of Christ when they said, “his blood be on us, and on our children.” Here they tried to blame the apostles for blaming them.
Peter saw this situation as an issue between obedience to God and obedience to man. Both wanted something different. Before, Peter had made the wrong choice and denied the Lord. Now again they face the choice between the will of man and the will of God. Things would be comfortable if they followed man, but obeying God was right and would bring the most blessing.
God raised up Jesus, not from the dead, but as a Saviour so obedient that He could be the sacrifice for our sins. Man killed Him, but God raised Him to His right hand and exalted Him “to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” The apostles declared that they were witnesses of all this. That’s weighty, because a witness in court promises to testify to the truth. Repentance and forgiveness bring salvation. Not just to Israel, of course, but that is where the disciples were.
So, who do we obey? God? Or man? Man seemed to be in charge here: the High Priest’s office, the temple, and the ceremonies were all divinely inspired; but they never had the Holy Spirit. The apostles had that Spirit of Truth, though, and so do we.
Hymn 31 - Precious, precious, blood of Jesus
Prayer