His Face Was Set

 This is a sermon that was based on Luke 9:51, 53 which describes Jesus' determination to go to Jerusalem in spite of all the opposition and eventual crucifixion He would be facing at Jerusalem. The message was accompanied with the sacrament of communion. 

Written Excerpts:

Luke 9:51, 53 ^(NKJV) Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem… But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

Isaiah 50:7 ^(NKJV) "For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.

Introduction:

Have you ever seen or known anyone that was resolutely determined to go someplace or accomplish some feat that it seemed like it took priority over every other matter in their life? How about a child that has made up his/her mind to do something that is just a little above their ability? We could take a few lessons from them, couldn’t we?

I hesitate to even mention this personal example because someone might get the mistaken idea that I’m really intelligent, but I remember my first day of NT Greek class in college. The professor flat-out stated, “This class will divide the men from the boys.” I made up my mind that first day that I was going to finish the semester, and the entire year, standing with the “Men!” (Please don’t ask me too many Greek vocab words now!)

“As Abraham Lincoln prepared to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, he took his pen, moved it to the signature line, paused for a moment, and then dropped the pen. When asked why, the president replied, "If my name goes into history, it will be for this act, and if my hand trembles when I sign it, there will be some who will say, 'he hesitated.'" Lincoln then turned to the table, took up the pen, and boldly signed his name.” Today in the Word, July, 1990, p. 8. (sermonillustrations.com/a-z/d/determination) It sounds like President Lincoln had experience with the media of his day also. i.e., Those who would focus on such a minor detail as a trembling hand rather than the significance of the document.

These are just a few examples of situations in which various people felt compelled to go forward and felt committed or determined to achieve a desired goal. The message I want to bring to you today is based on a text in the Gospels about Jesus that gives us some insight into the mind and life of our Lord. Luke, a physician, gives us a description of the Lord that none of the other Gospels record. There are portions of these last verses of Luke chapter 9 that appear in other Gospels, but this particular story doesn’t.

The title of my sermon today is, “His Face Was Set,” which is taken from verse 51 in Lk. 9. It is another way of saying he was determined, or he was committed. Let us examine these closing verses of Luke 9 in order to understand more fully what is involved in our Lord’s commitment and what that means for His followers.

I.          Jesus was committed to the Father’s will.

Luke 9:51 (NKJV) Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

The Father’s will for the Son, while he was on earth, ultimately concluded with the return of the Son to be with Him in glory.

“time… to be received up” – (Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) The expression “to be received up” is unusual. It is actually a noun (‘the days of his receiving up’), which occurs here only in the New Testament. The corresponding verb is used a number of times in Acts, sometimes of Jesus’ ascension. … Luke will have in mind the consummation of Jesus’ work in the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and session at God’s right hand (cf. 22:69). But first in this sequence is the cross, and there is courage accordingly in the fact that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

Luke is explaining that it is important to understand the setting and context in which these events take place. The context is this: Jesus knows that soon he will be put to death (v. 44), rise again, and ascend into heaven. There is some debate among Bible scholars whether this present journey takes him directly to Jerusalem or if there are other stops and events leading him on a much longer and indirect route before reaching the final destination. In any case, it is implied by Luke’s words that the real motivation behind His determination and commitment is the “receiving up” at the end of His earthly ministry.

(R.C.H. Lenski, New Testament Commentary) "He set his face firmly," therefore, does not mean that he faced death with brave resolve, but that he looked forward to his return to the Father with full comprehension…

However, Jesus understood that the “receiving up” cannot happen until the death, burial, and resurrection have occurred.

What is the motivation for you following Jesus? Isn’t it ultimately to go be with Him? As His disciple, we certainly want to accomplish His will in our lives here on earth, but the ultimate goal and motivation for us is the hope of getting to be united face-to-face with our Lord for all of eternity. If we lose sight of that, we will lose our commitment to be true and faithful. On the other hand, we cannot lose sight of our responsibilities in Kingdom work here because we’re longing to leave this mess and go be with Him.

II.        Commitment sometimes results in rejection.

Luke 9:52-53 (NKJV) ⁵² and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. ⁵³ But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

We are not told how many “disciples” were with Jesus at this time. It could have been just the 12, or it could have been a much larger group. In either case, we are told that some kind of advanced preparation would have been necessary in order to feed and house them overnight. But… the Samaritans “did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

What does this mean? What is it all about?

(R.C.H. Lenski, New Testament Commentary) It is not the size of the party that led to the refusal of the Samaritans of the village to receive Jesus, nor the fact that this party was headed for Jerusalem. [cf. Josephus, et.al.] Even larger parties that were going and coming to and from the festivals found entertainment among the Samaritans enroute even as Jesus and his party now thought feasible. It is Jesus to whom these Samaritans object. They have heard of his miracles and know all about him. He is now proceeding to Jerusalem, there to display his powers, is passing right through their land, right past their sanctuary on Mt. Gerizim, and acting as if their worship amounted to nothing.

Their rejection did not deter Him from His journey.

What about us? Can people see that our “face is set?” Can they see our determination?

You can easily tell what some people have “their faces set” for. I’m talking about those things for which everything else gets shoved aside. If you want to know my opinion, I’ll tell you why so many child and youth sports are held on Sundays these days. It’s because “sports” is what their parents have their “faces set for.” Let me offer another illustration. My parents and Kris’ parents had their “faces set” for going to church every Sunday. If we ever got company on Sunday, our parents’ words to the company went something like this, “We’re going to church. You’re welcome to go with us, but if you don’t wish to go, we’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

III.       Commitment does not include revenge.

Luke 9:54 (NKJV)  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"

The disciples were truly committed. They had been following Him for over two years now and they were “all in.” Luke had just reported earlier in the chapter about the meeting with Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration, so apparently James and John thought it would be okay to call down judgment on these people just like Elijah had done in his day.

Luke 9:55 (NKJV)  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

Being a disciple entails much more than defending the Lord’s reputation. It demands imitating His spirit, His motivation, and His conduct to carry out the Father’s plan of redemption, rather than condemnation. Unsanctified zeal can cause disciples to stray outside of God’s will and divine purposes.

IV.       Commitment outweighs all competing interests.

We do not have enough time to thoroughly discuss these three examples that Luke provides in verses 57-62, but I’ll try to summarize them.

A. Glamorous Participation

Luke 9:57 (NKJV) Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."

This man pledges to follow Christ wherever He goes without really counting the cost of such a pledge.

Luke 14:28 (NKJV) For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--

B. Family Crisis or affection

Luke 9:59, 61 (NKJV) Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." ⁶¹ And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."

Next two examples relate to family responsibilities. In both cases, the Lord’s answer seems harsh and unrealistic, even contrary to other biblical passages requiring loving care for our families.

The first man’s father either wasn’t dead yet and he wanted to wait until he passes, or some think it might relate to a practice called “secondary burial” in which the corpse was buried first in a cave, then after 1 year the bones would be placed with other ancestors. (Liefeld and Pao, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised)

Luke 9:62 (NKJV) But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

“looking back” – “… not an occasional glance, but a constant looking to the rear.” (Lenski)

There is always the potential for legitimate duties and pursuits to distract us and deter us from following God’s will and keep us from being a true disciple. We can’t keep looking back.

Conclusion:

•      The disciple must be like the Master.

•      If the Master is so committed, disciples should be also.

•      How committed are you? What is your face set toward?

As we share communion this morning, let us meditate on the example of our Lord who “set His face to go to Jerusalem” so He could complete the mission for which He was sent.

Our closing song leads us into the sacrament of communion:

The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power