“BUT NOW …”

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 26, 2022 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: January 12, 2022 from Luke 22:35-38

Theme: We must respond rightly to the fact that the world’s hatred for Jesus is now directed at us.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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It was the night before our Lord was crucified.

For three-and-a-half years, His disciples had been in His bodily presence to hear His teaching and behold His power—and they themselves were made strong by that presence. He had been everything to them, and provided for them in whatever task He gave them to perform, He was their constant resource. Even when the unbelieving Jewish leaders opposed Him, He handled it all in such a way as to receive their animosity Himself—and stand as the protector of His followers.

But things were about to change. The kind of bodily presence that they had enjoyed with Him was about to end. In the words of this morning’s passage, He let His disciples know that this would be so—and that they must be prepared for the difference. He even used those two strong words “But now …” to emphasize that difference. Luke 22:35-38 tells us;

And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.” Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough” (Luke 22:35-38).

Now; our Lord—when He was raised and ascended to the Father—sent a Helper in His place. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence in all who believe on Jesus. He is the divine Helper of the church on earth. But while the Lord Jesus is bodily at the right hand of the Father, and while we are left upon the earth, the hatred that had been directed at Him is now been aimed at us. As this passage shows us, the world’s hatred for Jesus is now directed at us as His followers—and as His followers, we must respond to that fact rightly.

* * * * * * * * * *

But is that really true? Is the hatred of this world now directed at us as Jesus’ followers? Yes, it is; and the Lord Himself told us so. In John 15—on the very night that our Lord spoke these words—we’re told that He warned His disciples:

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause’” (John 15:18-25).

Jesus told them that the Holy Spirit would come and bear witness of Him in this world; and that they also would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to also bear witness of Him. The Spirit would minister strength and power to His people. But they nevertheless needed to know what was ahead. He went on to say;

“These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you” (John 16:1-4).

Up until that time, the followers of Jesus had not suffered persecution. They would begin to do so as soon as He left them, and the Holy Spirit would empower them, and they began to proclaim Him to the world. In the Book of Acts, the persecution began after Peter preached his second great sermon in Chapter 3. Now; the ultimate victory of our Lord Jesus is sure and certain. And when He returns to reign upon this earth, we who trusted Him and obeyed Him and bore witness of Him will reign with Him. But until that glorious day, we are living as resident representatives of our Lord in a world that is hostile to Him. And because He is not now physically on this earth, that hatred has been aimed at us as His followers.

The unbelieving world’s animosity toward us, by the way, is ultimately inspired by the devil. He had sought to prevent the Son of God from being born into humanity as our Redeemer. He had sought to attack ‘the woman with Child’—which, in Romans 12, was a picture of Israel. And when the devil’s murderous plan was thwarted—and the woman protected—we’re told,

… he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17).

That’s why, in His great prayer for us in John 17, our Lord prayed to the Father and said;

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:14-15).

In the passage before us, then, our Lord lets His disciples know in advance that this would now be the situation.

* * * * * * * * * *

Look at verse 35 and see …

1. HOW THINGS HAD BEEN UP TO THEN (v. 35).

He asked them to think back to the experience they’d had with Him over the past three-and-a-half years, and consider how they had been protected and provided for. He, in fact, asked them to think of a specific event that would have been a key example. “And He said to them, ‘When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?’”

The event that He spoke of was the one we find recorded for us in Luke 9. It was the ‘sending-out’ of the twelve:

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere (Luke 9:1-6).

He sent them forth as His representatives in this world. But He was still bodily in this world as He sent them forth. He sent them forth without anything for their journey—no staff, no bag, no bread nor money, no extra garments. And when He asked them to think back on that event and asked them if they lacked anything, they answered, “Nothing.” His presence in this hostile world was all they needed. They were safe—just as when they were in the boat out in the storm. So long as our Lord was in the boat with them, no harm could come to them.

But look at those important words that we find in verse 36. “But now …” Those words show us …

2. HOW THINGS WERE ABOUT TO BECOME (v. 36).

Luke tells us, “Then He said to them, ‘But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.’” The situation was about to change—because His bodily presence was about to be taken from them.

It would be important for us to understand that His protective care has not been taken away from us completely. Maybe the best way to put it is that our situation on this earth has only ‘relatively’ changed. Even while He is not physically upon this earth, we are still under His protective care, and under the immediate protection of the Holy Spirit. No harm will come to us that is outside of His permissive will and control. And even during this time of our awaiting His return, though we will be the objects of this world’s hatred for Him, He will use that hatred for His glory. In Luke 21—in His description of the times that would precede His return—He told His followers;

… they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls (Luke 21:12-19).

Whereas, before then, His followers didn’t have to concern themselves with such matters, now they would have to make provision for the times. If they had a money bag, they needed to put something in it and take it with them. If they had a knapsack, they needed to carry it and keep it well-supplied. If they had a garment but had no sword, they needed to sell their garment and buy a sword.

That last word of instruction has been somewhat controversial. Was Jesus telling His followers that they must now arm themselves and be ready to defend themselves with lethal force against this world? It may be that, under certain societal conditions, it would be prudent to arm ourselves for safety’s sake. But in no way should we think that our Lord was saying that His kingdom would now be advanced by force of arms. Later on in this very night, Peter would take our Lord’s words literally; and would pull out a sword and attack one of those who sought to arrest Him. But Jesus rebuked Peter; saying,

“Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” (Matthew 26:52-54).

Our Lord’s kingdom is advanced by spiritual weapons—not physical ones. His counsel to grab our money bag, fill up our knapsack, and sell our garments and buy a sword, was probably meant as an illustration of the way that the situation would change when He was not present on this earth—and not necessarily as a literal command. It was a call to be on the alert and make provisions for ourselves during hard times—a bit like when a parent leaves a child at home for a while and lovingly says, “Keep the door locked; and don’t answer the phone unless you know who it is.”

And notice …

3. WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN (v. 37).

Jesus explained in verse 37, “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” Our Lord was quoting from Isaiah 53, which prophetically speaks of His sacrifice for us. It says in Isaiah 53:12, “And He was numbered with the transgressors …” Jesus indeed was literally numbered with the transgressors as He hung on the cross next to two thieves. But it wasn’t a defeat that this happened. It was a great victory; because Isaiah 53:12 goes on to say,

And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).

All of Scripture points to Jesus Christ. It is all about Him. And the promises made about Him in the Scriptures must have a fulfillment. He must be betrayed, arrested, crucified, and raised the third day according to the Scriptures. That was why things were about to change.

* * * * * * * * * *

Now; the apostles didn’t understand this at the time. In verse 38, we’re told, “So they said, ‘Lord, look, here are two swords’”; thinking that He meant that they needed to gather up arms. Perhaps they thought that He was about to commence His reign as Messiah then and there. It may be that they were concerned that they only had two swords, and our Lord said “It is enough” as if to say they would need no more than that—because He wasn’t going to do what they expected Him to do. Or it may be that they thought that two swords were a good enough start to begin a militant establishment of the kingdom; and our Lord was saying “It is enough” as a way of saying, “No more of that kind of talk.”

But however it may have been that they had misunderstood at that time, it’s clear that Peter understood fully later on. In 1 Peter 4, he wrote to his fellow followers of Jesus who were suffering persecution; and told them words that truly bring this morning’s passage to light:

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now

“If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:12-19).

That’s how we are to rightly respond to this new situation we are in as we await our Lord’s bodily return.

AE