God's Plan through Resurrection

As we begin this sermon today, I wanted to point you to a character that you all know well: Inigo Montoya. You can probably finish his well-known line from The Princess Bride: My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. The explanation between him and the Man in Black on the Cliffs of Insanity gave us much insight into his character: Inigo: I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand? Man in Black: (baffled) Do you always begin conversations this way? Inigo: My father was slaughtered by a six-fingered man. He was a great sword maker, my father. When the six-fingered man appeared and requested a special sword, my father took the job. He slaved for a year before he was done. The six-fingered man returned and demanded it, but at 1/10 his promised price. My father refused. Without a word, the six-fingered man slashed him through the heart. I loved my father. So naturally, I challenged his murderer to a duel. I failed. The six-fingered man left me alive, but he gave me this scar. Man in Black: How old were you? Inigo: I was eleven years old. When I was strong enough… I dedicated my life to the study of fencing. So the next time we meet, I will not fail. I will go up to the six-fingered man and say..."Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Inigo spent 20 years with one destination in his mind — and when he finally stood in front of Count Rugen at the end of the movie, every bit of that preparation was for that moment. He always knew where he was going.

This is what makes this story so helpful for us today. This is pointing to a story that is infinitely better and more life-changing. To help us celebrate Easter today, I want to point you to God’s plan at work in Jesus’s life. And we see this unpacked for us in the Gospel of Luke. Luke’s Gospel is part 1 of a 2-volume history (Volume 2 is the book of Acts). Luke’s intent in writing these volumes is telling: He was writing to stabilize Paul’s empire-wide network of Gentile churches, giving them the entire context of both the Gospel message and the teaching handed down to them by the Apostles, especially by Paul, that they might think clearly about the continuation of the spontaneous progress of the gospel worldwide.

In Luke’s Gospel, we focus in and see that Jesus identified Himself as the one sent by God with worldwide purposes: to suffer and die for the sins of the world and to inaugurate an unfolding plan that would bring salvation to every nation. This is beautifully pictured at the very end of Luke, in the passage we’ll explore today, where we see Jesus laying out the framework of His plan very clearly.

According to one scholar writing about Luke and God’s plan, we see many phrases in Luke’s writings that fill out this plan of God theme:

• 35 times the phrases “it is necessary” and “it is about to” are used to refer to Christ’s plan.

• 18 times the phrase “fulfilling the scriptures” refers to fulfilling the plan of God.

• Finally, a cluster of 19 specific word arrangements indicates God is planning something. 

Putting all of this together brings us to our focus for Easter. How does Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection relate to God’s plan? So, join me today as we see 3 views of how Jesus's resurrection connects to God's plan...

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49) – This is God’s Word; thanks be to God.

Here [in this passage] we have a summary of what Jesus accomplished. Notice that Jesus summarizes it in one statement. He does not separate His work on the cross from His plan. His death and resurrection are part of the bigger plan. They are situated in the plan as the foundational and inaugurating event.

3 views of how Jesus's resurrection connects to God's plan...

First off, we begin seeing that I. The groundwork [of God’s plan] was laid in the Old Testament. (44) 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

We’re joining Jesus with His closest followers after He appeared to some on the road to Emmaus. He reminds them of the words He spoke before He died. He has referred directly to this purpose–plan when He says, for instance, that by rejecting John’s baptism, the Pharisees and lawyers were rejecting God’s purpose for their lives (Luke 7:29–30). In the account of the experience on the mount when Jesus was transfigured and talked with Moses and Elijah, they spoke of what Jesus was about to accomplish in Jerusalem before He departed (Luke 9:30–32), referring to His death and resurrection. This locates a major part of the unfolding plan Jesus had to accomplish in Jerusalem. So, Jesus’s words indicated that a plan was in the works. Moses and Elijah indicated this, as well. At the end of v.44, Jesus said all this was so that everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled. This is Jesus speaking of His life, death, and resurrection, as fulfilling what the Old Testament spoke of. The groundwork for the plan was laid in the Old Testament. Our students and women have been working through a curriculum called the Story this past year and have seen how God's promised plan was at work in these things. Jesus’s resurrection fulfills a plan laid out in the Old Testament.

Secondly, another view on this connection between Jesus’s resurrection and God’s plan is that II. Jesus accomplished the plan. (45-47) 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

If we were reading through Luke’s Gospel, we would notice the change that comes in chapter 9. A focus is revealed in verses 51–53.

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way, they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

So twice (v.51 and v.53), we were told that Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem; that is, He became completely focused on this part of His mission. Luke continues to point to this as we move to Jesus’s death and resurrection. Listen to how he finishes recording Jesus’ activities from here on out: “as he made his way to Jerusalem” (13:22); “on the way to Jerusalem” (17:22); “See, we are going up to Jerusalem” (18:31); “going up to Jerusalem” (19:28), etc. Jesus was laser-focused on fulfilling His role in the purpose–plan of God.

In what He says in these verses, He opened their minds to understand. He said that the plan involves Him suffering, rising from the dead, with repentance and the forgiveness of sins being proclaimed everywhere, beginning in Jerusalem. So, in Jesus’ summary of what He just accomplished, we see His death and resurrection as part of the plan He is unfolding. We don’t want to miss this, because if we do, we can miss what it means to follow Jesus. We can separate our adoration of Jesus from the mission He’s given us as His people. There was a purpose unfolding, not just a person in a vacuum. To separate the worship of the person of Christ from what He accomplished in the inauguration of the kingdom is to create a sort of idol to put on a shelf to build a mystical relationship with. I hope that who Jesus is and what He did connects to God’s plan in your mind and heart. In his way, Luke is rooting and establishing us as God’s people, so we don’t lose sight of the mission. Jesus accomplished God’s plan in His life, death, and resurrection.

This leads us to see third, and finally, this connection: that, III. Jesus continues to expand the Gospel through the church. (48-49) 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

We are reminded of the high purposes God has in His plan. And, this is how Jesus’s fulfillment of God’s plan expands into our lives. Our relationship with God through Jesus is rooted in an overwhelming awe of God’s sweeping plan to bring forgiveness and hope to every corner of the world. Jesus isn’t creating followers who do Jesus-type things disassociated from God’s overall plan. He’s inviting us in to be His witnesses, so that we experience the promise of His Father and are given the full power of purpose for our lives and the full power of our effect in the world. 

One NT writer, connecting God’s plan to us as God’s people, says that “Luke writes to assure his readers that these events were part of the plan of God and to provide them with the means of witnessing to the divine plan in such a way that it might be understood and appreciated in the Hellenistic world. At times, another purpose comes into view. While the primary audience for whom Luke writes is the Christian community, his apologetic methods also invite others to accept Christian beliefs and adopt Christian practices. Luke offers this missionary tool to his Christian readers with the intention that they might use the story that he tells to further the Christian cause and make converts to Christianity.”

Because Jesus is Risen, the plan is NOT done. He’s still working through His people – specifically through the church – to expand the reach of the Gospel in this community and into the entire world. At Christmas, we famously quote the angelic announcement to the shepherds in Luke’s Gospel as good news of great joy for all people. And, today, on Easter, that purpose hasn’t budged. Jesus came, fulfilling all that the Old Testament foretold, so that we might proclaim good news of great joy for all people. We are witnesses of what He’s done. Let’s take this news to heart for those around us. 

As we wrap this morning, can I point you to Jesus and what He’s inaugurated for us? He’s given us the forgiveness of our sins through His life, death, and resurrection. Will you repent or turn from your sins and trust in Him today? It was an Easter Sunday when Jesus opened my mind to understand these things. And, today, I’m hoping He does the same for you.

And, if you know Him, God’s plan continues through us, the church. So, let’s keep pressing in to know Him and make Him known, as His witnesses, so that we might be a people who glorify and enjoy Him forever.