Mistaken Identity (Luke 22:63-22:71)
A few years ago my sister, Amie Kiehn, was placed on
the “no fly” list for being a suspected terrorist. She was sitting on the plane
on the tarmac when the speaker came on saying, “Amal Kahn, please come to the
front of the plane.” My sister looked around and there was no movement. Again
the speaker came on, “Amal Kahn, you need to get off the plane immediately.”
Everyone could sense this was more serious than a routine problem. Everyone’s
heads were turning to see if Amal Kahn would respond to this command. The speaker came on a third time, “Amal Kahn,
sitting in 22 B you need to get off the plane now.” My sister looked up and
realized that she was sitting in 22 B. Before she could even process what was
happening, she was asked by airline personnel to leave the plane. Unfortunately for my sister, her name in the
computer was shortened so it no longer appeared as Amie Kiehn, but as
international terrorist Amal Kahn. An 18 year old college freshman was mistaken
as an international jihadist terrorist.
It was a simple case of mistaken identity. The airline
was extremely confident that my sister was a terrorist, but upon further
investigation it was clear that they had mistaken her true identity. Although
cases of mistaken identity are common, they are easily corrected with a little
bit of investigation. In a growing biblically illiterate world, more and more
people are misunderstanding the true identity of Jesus Christ. People may be
confident in their idea of Jesus Christ, but confidence does not equal truth.
We need to investigate the identity of Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus? It is one of
the most important questions any of us will ever ask. And the consequences for
mistaking his identity will be far worse than being place on a “no fly” list.
The consequences will be eternal. Is Jesus merely a good teacher? Is he merely
a prophet? Or is he the Son of God?
These questions have been asked for 2,000 years. The
true identity of Jesus Christ was the basis for his trial following his arrest
in the garden. As we investigate the Scriptures, I pray you will see four
distinctive roles that will help you identify the Jesus revealed of the Bible and trust him.
Trust in Jesus as our Prophet
To say that the basis of the trial was to
discover the true identity of Jesus is a little misleading, because the
decision had already been made about His identity. The main concern of the
people involved in the trial was not to discover who Jesus was, but to punish him
for who he claimed to be. We see this first in how the officers were taunting
Jesus to prove he was a prophet, verse 63,
Now
the men who were holding Jesus in 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. (Luke
22:63-65)
As they beat him, they called out to him to prove that he
was a prophet as they struck him. And
yet, they do not realize the simple fact that because they were striking him they
were proving that he was a prophet. Luke
18:31-33,
And
taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and
everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.
For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully
treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the
third day he will rise.”
Jesus was a prophet and was the One who the prophets
spoke about.
The three main
spiritual roles in the Old Testament were prophet, priest and the king. We see Jesus fulfilling the first of those
offices here. He was the Word made flesh who spoke the word to all flesh. Jesus Christ was the preeminent prophet of
God. These soldiers were mocking and
cursing Jesus, uttering all kinds of blasphemies against him. The language of
Luke connotes a disdain for the treatment of Christ. Luke was disgusted at the
treatment of Jesus. These soldiers meant to condemn Christ, but only brought
upon their own condemnation. Psalm 69 epitomizes the pain of Jesus along with
the retribution that will fall on those who do not repent,
You
know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you.
Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity,
but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison
for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. Let their own
table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a
trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins
tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning
anger overtake them. May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their
tents. For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the
pain of those you have wounded. Add to them punishment upon punishment; may
they have no acquittal from you. Let them be blotted out of the book of the
living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. (Psalm 69:19-28)
Jesus is the great prophet. These soldiers may mock
Christ now, but they will not mock him forever. One day they will have to pay
for how they treated the Son of God.
We do not have
the ability to beat the living Christ as these soldiers did, but that does not
mean we do not have the ability to mock the living Christ. We mock Christ Jesus
when we live according to the flesh. Paul writes to the Galatians, “Do not be
deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For
the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the
one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” We honor Christ as a prophet when we listen
to his words and obey his voice.
Mistaking
Jesus’s identity as a Prophet will impact our trust that His words will come to
pass. We need to trust in Jesus as the Prophet. His words will come to pass. We
show our trust by believing in his Words. We show our trust by obeying his
Words.
Trust in Jesus as our
King
The trial
continues as Jesus is brought before the chief priests and the scribes. It is
interesting to note that this trial scene differs slightly from the account in
Matthew and Mark. It appears that Luke combines the first and the second
meetings of the Sanhedrin into one account. We do not exactly know the why Luke
combines them, but we do know that the question of Jesus’ identity is at the
center of this accusation. Verse 66 says, “When day came, the assembly of the
elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes and
their council, and they said, ‘If you are the Christ tell us.’” Jesus as the
Christ, the Son of David, is a theme throughout Luke’s gospel and especially
brings back the birth narrative at the beginning.
It
was said to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)
It
was said of Simeon that, “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that
he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. (Luke 2:26)
It
was said of John the Baptist, “As the people were in expectation, and all were
questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ.
(Luke 3:15)
It
was said of the demons, “And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the
Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because
they knew that he was the Christ. (Luke 4:41)
It
was said by Peter that Jesus was, ““The Christ of God.” Luke 9:20
In many ways, Luke’s gospel was to prove that Jesus was
the Christ. Christ is a royal title for the Messianic King who was going to
come and rule over his people.
The leaders
were not investigating to see if he was the Christ, but only to prove that
Jesus believed he was the Christ. They
did not believe that Jesus was the Christ. They did not choose to submit to him
as the Messianic King. And Jesus knew what was in their heart for he replied,
“If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer.”
Jesus has already discovered from his interaction in Luke 20:1-8 in his
dialogue with them about John the Baptist that they were not going to answer
his questions. They were afraid of the people’s response so they would not
commit to one side or the other. I find it very interesting that Jesus begins
by saying, “If I tell you, you will not believe.” Jesus knows that their mind
is made up and there is nothing that he can say to convince them. They have
hardened their hearts and Jesus realizes there is nothing he can say to change
their mind.
We all have
been in conversations where people ask questions, not because they want to know
the answer, but they want to prove a point.
The elders wanted to prove a point regardless of the facts. They were blind to the true identity of Jesus
Christ. Jesus has already proclaimed throughout his ministry that he was the
Christ, but the people were blind to it.
2 Corinthians 4:3-5 says,
And
even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their
case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep
them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord,
with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
The elders did not want to see Jesus as the Christ
because they eyes had been blinded by the god of this world. 1 Corinthians
12:3, “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of
God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in
the Holy Spirit.”
Let me offer a
humbling, yet encouraging word for our evangelism. The Incarnate Christ, the
King of glory, said his evangelism or testimony would have been ineffective
because of the hardness of their hearts. There are some people who have already
made their mind up about Christ and there is nothing we can say to change their
minds. This happened to Jesus and it will happen with us. Now we are not Jesus
and we do not know beforehand that people are not going to respond, but we know
that some will not respond regardless of our words. Faith is a gift from God.
One can only say Jesus is the Christ by the help of the Holy Spirit of
God.
I find this
incredibly encouraging in my evangelism, because I do not have to depend
primarily on my delivery or my knowledge.
I trust in the Spirit of God to awaken hearts and give faith. If some people would not believe Jesus was
the Christ if the Christ spoke, we should not be discouraged if people do not
respond to us. We just keep sharing.
Mistaking
Jesus’s identity as the King will impact our trust His reign over our lives. If
we do not see Jesus as King, we will not submit to Him. A prophet tells of what
is going to happen, a King makes a declaration of how his people are called to
live. If we only see Jesus as a good teacher, we put ourselves in a position to
accept or reject his teaching, but if we see Jesus as our King, we have no
choice, but to submit to his teaching. This is particularly challenging for the
West that has an aversion to submission. Jesus is not only some teacher we
listen to, but a King we submit to.
This is one of
the reasons I teach so frequently about church membership. Jesus the King has
given the keys of His kingdom to the Church. Matthew 16,
Simon
Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus
answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:16-19)
Church Theologian Jonathan Leeman has said that we do not
join a church, as if it was a club, but rather we submit to church. The King
has established his kingdom. The kingdom is more than the church, but it is not
less than the church. Shepherds serve under the authority of the Chief
Shepherd.
One of the
ways you can diagnose if you are experiencing a case of mistaken identity of
Jesus as your King is to examine your views of the local church. I believe how
we view the local church will help us see if we are living for Jesus as our
King. Trust in Jesus as the Christ, the Messianic King of glory by submitting
to Him.
Trust in Jesus as our
Judge
Jesus does not
answer the leaders’ question directly, but goes even farther. They are trying
to judge him, but He reveals that he is going to be the judge of the world.
Verse 69-70,
It is clear that Jesus’s reference to the Son of Man is a
reference to himself. Jesus is saying that He is going to be seated at the
right hand of the power of God. And the elders interpreted his respond as His
claim that he was the Son of God because that is exactly what they asked him
the follow up question. Jesus not merely a good teacher, but he is the divine
Son of God who will judge of the living and the dead.
Jesus is
referencing the key Old Testament text in Daniel 7:13-14 and Psalm 110. Jesus
is referring to himself as the divine Son of Man in Daniel 7 who has dominion
and rule over all peoples, tribes and nations with a kingdom that will never be
destroyed. And he is also referring to
Himself as the Divine Messiah who will rule and judge in Psalm 110. Psalm 110
is an important Psalm throughout the New Testament as it is mentioned the
Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, the Pauline epistles and in Peter’s letters. That being
said, it would be wise to take a moment and read the entire psalm.
The
LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your
footstool.” The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the
midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of
your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your
youth will be yours. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are
a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right
hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment
among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the
wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up
his head. (Psalm 110)
The one who sits at the right hand of God is the one who
will judge the nations.
How should you
respond to Christ being our judge? We should repent and trust in Christ alone
for our salvation. Paul encourages the Athenians to repent in Acts 17:30-31 for
God has fixed a day for everyone to face judgement.
The
times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to
repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in
righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given
assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
Do you view Jesus as your judge? Many people do not think
of Jesus as their judge, but only a good teacher who spoke of peace. The Bible
does speak of Jesus as a good teacher who wants peace, but that peace comes at
a price. Everlasting peace only comes when blood is shed. Jesus reconciles all things to Himself by
making peace by the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20). Jesus publicly testifies
before the Sanhedrin that he is the One who will sit at the right hand of God
until it is time to make all his enemies his footstool. He is the One who will
come as described in Revelation 19:11-16,
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white
horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are
many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is
clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The
Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,
were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with
which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He
will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his
robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Beloved, Jesus is a good teacher, but he is much, much
more than that. Trust in Jesus as your
judge as revealed from his very own mouth.
The priests
thought his testimony was blasphemy, so they said in verse 71, “What further
testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his lips.” Jesus’ own
words condemn him and led him to fulfill his last role as priest.
Trust in Jesus as our
Priest
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus lived as a
prophet, testified he was the Christ and the Judge, but He came to be our high
priest. The reason Jesus stood before the council was so that he would be
condemned and die for sinners. He had to come and die because without a
shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Jesus had to come and
fulfill the high priest’s office by offering himself as a sacrifice for sins.
But when Christ had
offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand
of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for
his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are
being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:12-14)
Notice that Christ is now seated at the right hand of God, because he
offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins. We see what Christ has done
for us. Jesus offered his life as a ransom and became our merciful
and faithful high priest in the service of God, making the propitiation
for the sins of the people (meaning through laying down his life, he satisfied
the wrath of God on our behalf).
Jesus, our High Priest, offered a single sacrifice for
sins. Bryan Chappell gives a good picture of this sacrificial love from his
hometown of two brothers playing on the sandbanks by the river’s edge.
Few
things are more fun for children than playing on these mountainous sandpiles -
and few things are more dangerous. While the sand is still wet from the river’s
bottom, the dredges dump it on the shore. The piles of sand dry with rigid
crusts that often conceal cavernous internal voids, formed by the escaping
water. If a child climbs on a mound of sand that has such a hidden void, the
external surface easily collapses. Sand from higher on the mound then rushes
into the void, trapping the child in a sinkhole of loose sand. This is exactly
what happened to the two brothers as they raced up one of the larger mounds.
When the boys did not
return home at dinnertime, family and neighbors organized a search. They found
the younger brother. Only his head and shoulders protruded from the mound. He
was unconscious from the pressure of sand on his body. The searchers began
digging frantically. When they had cleared the sand to his waist, he roused to
consciousness.
“Where is your brother?” the rescuers shouted. “I’m standing on his shoulders,” replied the child.
With the sacrifice of his own life, the older brother had lifted the younger to safety. With similar selflessness the One who is not ashamed to call himself our brother saved us despite our waywardness (see Heb. 2:11).[1]
“Where is your brother?” the rescuers shouted. “I’m standing on his shoulders,” replied the child.
With the sacrifice of his own life, the older brother had lifted the younger to safety. With similar selflessness the One who is not ashamed to call himself our brother saved us despite our waywardness (see Heb. 2:11).[1]
Beloved, do not mistake the true identity of Christ. He will one day be
your Judge, but He came to be your priest. He chose to be condemned with his
own words so you could stand on His shoulders now and let him lift you to
safety. Trust Him as the Priest who died in your place.