Freshbrook Church Podcast | 12Apr26 | Passion | Graham Bennett

Well, a very good morning to you all.

It's a real pleasure and a privilege to be able to share with you this morning.

And to be honest, I'd just love to carry on praising and singing.

It's been such a fantastic morning.

Thank you, Tanya, and the worship team.

Everybody's done so well.

It's been such a beautiful morning.

And you stole most of my lines, actually, so but never mind.

We'll work through it.

Well, we've made it.

We've uh reached the end of the book, haven't we?

Today is the last in our series on Luke's gospel.

It's the finale, the end.

The main actors can come and take their bows.

It's the end of the gospel, the end of the story.

Or is it?

You know, when I first started to think about this passage, my mind automatically went to one of Churchill's greatest speeches.

This is not the end.

It's not even the beginning of the end.

But it is perhaps the end of the beginning.

But you know how it is.

These things get a bit muddled in time, don't they?

We get confused in our thinking, and often we misremember things.

I uh once heard someone misquote Shakespeare and it went something like to be or not to be.

So lead on, Macduff.

Or hang on.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.

Sorry, it's all just Greek to me.

Well, fortunately, uh John Cairns is not here this morning, but my sincerest apologies to him.

I am a bit of a philistine when it comes to literary matters.

Um, English, you can probably tell, isn't my best subject.

I can do sums, but not English very well.

And being a former emment, um, I was convinced and sure that everything uh of Churchill's greatest lines, Britain's finest hour never has so much been owed to uh by so many to so few.

These were all one speech in praise of those brave boys in blue, the real heroes that saved the country in Britain in the Battle of Britain.

And not just those pilots who'd won the fight in the air, but also those who worked tirelessly through the nights, those lads and lasses to repair and to prepare each aircraft ready for the next day's flight, and then who were literally bombed out of their beds as they try to rest and recover.

Truly Britain's finest hour.

Well, fortunately, I did think to go and check my facts before I completely got it wrong.

Um, and British Finest Hour actually was spoken by Churchill not as part of the Battle of Britain, but actually in June of 1940, following the collapse of France and the miraculous evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied soldiers from Dunkirk.

In reality, this didn't really seem like Britain's finest hour, did it?

Quite the opposite, almost the darkest hour.

And he's never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few, wasn't given to commemorate the Battle of Britain.

It was actually made in August 1940, right in the middle of the Battle of Britain, when the REF was actually on the verge of collapse.

You might notice there's a bit of bias here in this talk.

But what most disappointed me as a former airman was that this is not the end, it's not the beginning of the end, even.

That speech was given in 1942, not to celebrate those brave boys in blue, but in celebration of the British Eighth Army, who just won the battle, the second battle of El Alamein.

That had largely been a Commonwealth tank battle.

Montgomery had defeated Roman in North Africa.

Well, I certainly don't want to glorify war.

Having served, as I said, in the RAF, not least on a strategic bomber squadron in West Germany during the Cold War, I truly believe that war should always be the absolute last resort.

In all honesty, like many veterans and serving uh men of the forces, we probably lean more towards pacifism.

But sometimes, despite the great cost and the suffering that war brings, there does come a point when we have to stand strong and we have to fight a just war.

And please do hear me out on this.

I don't want to draw too many parallels between Churchill and Christ.

I don't want to make Churchill some kind of Messiah, he wasn't.

So far as we know, Churchill didn't even have a personal faith.

At best, he claimed to be an optimistic agnostic.

He said he was a buttress of the Church of England, not a pillar.

He supported it from the outside.

And I'm certainly not making any comments about the current conflicts or the justness or otherwise of that war.

But I do believe these speeches from Churchill do help to illustrate something of what we've read today.

The speech, the key speech, this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of the beginning, is a perfect summary, a beautiful illustration of where we stand today in Luke's gospel.

This is definitely not the end of Luke's story.

In fact, he goes on to write a sequel, the Book of Acts, which details the birth and the growth of the church as it spreads across the world.

So that today, according to Google, Christianity is the world's largest religion.

Approximately one-third of the world's population confess Jesus to be Lord.

To misquote Churchill again, never has so much been owed by so many to so few.

That many, 2.5 billion people, give or take worldwide, claim to be Christians.

And they owe it all to a few scared disciples who were assembled together, verse 33, possibly hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, John 20, verse 19, talking about the amazing events of Jesus' resurrection.

John 20:19

The disciples were very much confused and full of fear.

Verse 34, Jesus asked them, Why are you troubled?

Why do doubts rise in your mind?

Yet, when they were clothed with power from on high, verse 49, their witness and their faithfulness led to an exponential growth of the church to the point where we are today.

2.5 billion Christians worldwide, influencing 60% of the countries across the world.

Despite the progressive left agenda to counter our Christian heritage, there is still a quiet revival.

God's church is growing and thriving day by day, even if you don't feel it or see it.

We thank thee that thy church unsleeping, while earth rolls onwards into light, through all the world her watch is keeping, and rest not now by day or night.

The voice of prayer is never silent, nor dies the strain of praise away.

And hour by hour fresh lips are making thy wondrous doings heard on high.

But back to our reading.

Those few disciples were assembled together, discussing the report of Cleopas and his fellow travellers, along with the women's report and Peter's experience too.

We see that in verse 34.

And if you don't recognize any of this story, can I encourage you to maybe catch up?

Watch some of our previous YouTube recordings, particularly last Sunday, where David talked about the women and the experience of Clearpaths on the road to Humaeus.

Or if you want to know more about this amazing counter-cultural kingdom that Jesus founded, an everlasting kingdom founded on love, humility, and sacrifice, then check out all of the talks that are on YouTube about this series.

The whole of Luke's gospel we've now covered.

So that small group of fearful, confused, uncertain disciples were all assembled together discussing the story of a risen Jesus.

When?

When suddenly Jesus himself stands among them.

And the very first thing he says to them, peace be with you.

This was indeed their finest hour.

But just before we dive in to look at these things a little deeper, it's really important that through his promised Holy Spirit, Jesus opens our minds too, so that we can fully understand the scriptures, verse 46.

So let's pray as we come to consider these verses a little deeper.

Loving Father God, thank you for your word.

Thank you that you caused Luke to record it for our benefit and our good.

What an amazing gift this is.

You should choose to reveal yourself to us through your word.

Thank you for your great plan of salvation that is revealed in every page of your word.

Teach us to cherish and to value it.

And now, dear Father God, would you open our minds just like you did those first disciples so that we too may understand all of your scripture.

Speak to each one of us today by your Holy Spirit, as each of us has need.

Amen.

So let's just dig a little bit deeper into this chapter.

Starting at verse 36, while they were still speaking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you.

Now, when Jesus says, Peace be with you, he was referring to that Hebrew concept of shalom.

That is a much richer and deeper meaning than our English word peace.

It doesn't just convey that absence of conflict and turmoil, great as that would be.

Jesus' peace is a positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God and with each other.

It points to a state of being under God's full blessing or being under God's care, his full provision.

Just as God had commanded Moses to instruct Aaron and all the priests that followed how to bless the congregation when they met together.

Number six, the Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up his countenance, lift up his face, lift up his smile and give you peace.

So shall you put my name on my people Israel, and I will bless them.

And I can personally testify from my own recent experience, there is no peace like the peace of God.

The world can't give that peace.

No matter what comes across our way, relationship turmoil, medical health, all kinds of things, even death itself, nothing can separate us from the love of God and the peace that comes through that.

Jesus, the name that charms our fears, bids our sorrows cease.

It is music to the sinner's ear.

It is life and health and peace.

Jesus' blessing, his peace silences all of the disciples' fears.

And it silenced their fear of the supernatural too.

Verse 37.

They were startled and frightened thinking that they saw a ghost.

But the reason Jesus is no ghost, he's no phantom.

There's absolutely nothing spooky about Jesus' resurrected body.

So we get to the core of this passage.

I think Luke wants us to know three really important things from these concluding verses.

First of all, the actual physical reality of Jesus' resurrection body.

Secondly, the necessity of Jesus' death and resurrection to fulfill God's plans and purposes, his plan for salvation.

And to prepare the disciples for their part in also being part of God's plan.

So firstly, let's consider Jesus' physical resurrection.

First of all, the disciples recognized Jesus.

He looked just the same as he had done before his death.

But he also felt the same.

His body was physically intact.

Now it bore the scars of the crucifixion.

Verse 39, look at my hands and my feet.

It is I myself.

Touch me and see.

A ghost does not have flesh and bloods.

You see, I have.

And just to prove it, he even eats with them.

Verse 43, he took it and ate in their presence.

By revealing he is completely healed, his restored, his resurrected, his post-death body, his natural body.

The very same body that they'd walked with for three years.

That was the Jesus that they recognized, that they heard, that they touched, and now that they ate with.

And in so doing, Jesus takes away all of their fears.

And what's more, because of the empty tomb, he gives them the assurance of hope in a physical physical resurrection tomb.

And we too can have that same confidence.

Or can we?

Maybe you're sitting there thinking this is an old text.

Maybe you think it's all a bit far-fetched, and there's no way that we can collaborate it.

Well, in all honesty, I think you're wrong.

I think we can.

Luke, the author of this gospel, was a doctor.

He wouldn't have been Hudwinked.

He understand what was real.

He knew the difference between the living and the dead.

And just like I had to check out Churchill's speeches, Luke opens his gospel by saying that I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning.

I decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know.

That you may know the certainty of the things that you have been taught.

Because of who Luke was, we just like Theophilus can be completely confident that what Luke is writing is factual, it is true, it is worth our attention.

And if that's not enough for you, then we have the evidence of those other few because of their witness.

The willingness of them to follow the example of their suffering Saviour.

Others that have the certainty of what they were taught.

The church would never have survived or grown if Jesus' resurrection and God's sent power, the Holy Spirit, weren't dependable facts.

So when Jesus asks verse 38, what are you troubled by?

Why do doubts raise up in your mind?

We too can be confident.

Jesus is the antidote to all of our fears, too.

Firstly, he gives us a peace beyond anything the world can offer.

And because he rose, because he overcame death on a cross and walked out of an empty tomb with a glorious body that was fully healed, that is strong and is no longer subject to death and decay.

See 1 Corinthians 15 for more on that.

Because he now holds the keys of death and hell.

Revelation 1, verse 18, we too can be confident that we will share in his resurrection also.

Revelation 1:18

What troubles and doubts raise up in your mind?

Jesus is the antidote to all fears and questions.

He is the promise also of an eternal new body.

Because he is the firstborn from among the dead.

Colossians 1, verse 18 and Revelation 1, verse 5.

Colossians 1:18 Revelation 1:5

I truly do pray this morning that any remaining doubts that you may have will, like those first disciples, be changed to joy and amazement.

Verse 41.

Then secondly, verse 45 tells us that he opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures.

That is, so that they could fully understand the necessity of Jesus' death and his resurrection to fulfill God's plan of salvation.

God is just and holy.

Our sins do need to be dealt with.

Sin is your constant enemy.

He will always seek to usurp God from His throne and pretend that you can control your own life.

We can all have our own selfish desires.

We can seize the power and dominate whatever we want.

And because of our natural tendency to be like that, no matter how well we might try to hide or contain it, we were separated from God.

And all those blessings that you promised to give, we don't see his face smile down upon us.

Because all of us, like all treacherous, treasonous citizens, our only right punishment is death.

Separation from God and each other.

Yet Jesus, by his death on that cross, took our place.

He took our punishment.

And by freely giving himself up to death, he buys our pardon and restores our fellowship with his father and with each other.

Something we can never do on our own.

And yet none of this is new.

God had planned it all from the beginning before he created the universe.

And he'd revealed it all, his plans through the whole pages of the Old Testament.

So it is that Jesus opens.

Their minds so that they can understand what he'd been teaching them for the last three years.

Verse 44.

This is what I told you while I was still with you.

Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and the psalms.

The law of Moses, the prophets, the Psalms refers to the Jewish traditional three divisions of the Old Testament.

So it is for us too.

We can only understand the New Testament, Jesus' story, in the light of a proper understanding of the Old Testament, which is perfectly fulfilled in Jesus.

But note, there is a really important principle here at work.

We can only understand when Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, opens our minds.

I believe it's therefore always vital that we always pray before turning to the scriptures.

It's only when Jesus illuminates them that we truly see all his truth at work in every page.

And the simple summary that Jesus gives, the good news is this that verse 46, the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.

The tomb is empty.

And as I said, this was absolutely necessary to fulfill God's plan of salvation.

Jesus was the sacrifice for all our sins.

The fulfillment of all that was required under the law, the covenant that was given to Moses by God.

So that leads us on to the third point.

What is the role of the disciples?

And subsequently us too.

Well, verse 48, to be witnesses to these things.

And as Tanya started us off with, and isn't it great how God weaves these things together?

We hadn't even spoken to each other.

For all nations, verse 47.

And this had always been God's plan.

Isaiah 49, verse 6.

Isaiah 49:6

It is too small a thing for you, my servant.

He's talking about Jesus, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles.

That's us non-Jews.

And my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth, every nation.

But before the disciples could begin that work, they needed power.

And Jesus in verse 49 promises that I am going to send what my Father has promised: power from on high.

That is the promised Holy Spirit.

It had been announced by John the Baptist as a sign that the Messiah had come, right at the start of Luke's Gospel, Luke chapter 3, verse 15.

Luke 3:15

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John possibly might be the Messiah.

But John answered them, I baptize with water.

But one who is far more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I'm not worthy to untie.

He, Jesus, will baptize you with Holy Spirit and with fire.

It was only with the coming of the Holy Spirit that the disciples would be able to fulfill their commission to be the witnesses for Jesus.

And so they did.

To the point that 60% of the countries globally now in the world are under some kind of benefit of Jesus' kingdom here on earth.

No, it's not perfect.

We live in an in-between times.

But God's kingdom grows and grows.

Never, never have so many owed so much to so few, but only because of the power of the Holy Spirit and their transforming meeting with a risen Jesus.

And what was the natural outcome of all this?

Verse 52 to 53.

They worshipped him, they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

They literally were lost in wonder, love, and praise.

And so Luke's gospel ends where it began.

With God's people in God's temple, blessing God with great joy.

See Luke chapter 1, 5 to 17.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

Why?

Because he had come to his people to redeem them.

Verse 68, chapter 1.

So what about you?

Jesus still comes.

Jesus still says, peace to you.

Peace be with you.

If you have doubts and fears, then simply be honest about them.

Tell them to Jesus.

Ask him to open your mind so that you might fully understand all of the scriptures.

Jesus is calling.

Jesus is calling you now.

Whatever your circumstances, whatever your doubts or your fears, whatever your failures, Jesus wants you to know his peace, his power, and his purpose for your life.

He wants you to share eternity with him in a perfectly restored and resurrected body, too.

Will you respond to him today?

Will you bend your knee in worship with great joy because of what he has done?