Scripture Reading:

Luke 18:28-34

Key Verse:

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-8)

What does this passage teach us?

Let us observe, firstly, in these verses—what a glorious and satisfying promise our Lord holds out to all believers who make sacrifices for His sake. He says, “There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

The promise before us is a very particular one. It does not refer to the believer’s reward in the eternal world, and the unfading crown of glory. It refers distinctly to the life that now is. It is spoken of “this present time.”

The “many times as much” of the promise must evidently be taken in a spiritual sense. The meaning is, that the believer shall find in Christ a full equivalent for anything that he is required to give up for Christ’s sake. He shall find such peace, and hope, and joy, and comfort, and rest—in communion with the Father and the Son—that his earthly losses shall be more than counter-balanced by his spiritual gains. In short, the Lord Jesus Christ shall be more to him than property, or relatives, or friends.

The complete fulfillment of this wonderful promise has been often seen in the experience of God’s saints. Hundreds could testify in every age of the church, that when they were obliged to give up everything for the kingdom of God’s sake—their earthly losses were amply supplied by Christ’s grace. They were kept in perfect peace, staying their souls on Jesus. They were enabled to glory in tribulation, and to take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in distresses—for Christ’s sake (Rom. 5:3; 2 Cor. 12:10) They were enabled in the darkest hour—to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and to count it an honor to suffer shame for their Master’s name. (1 Pet. 1:8; Acts 5:41).

The last day will show that in poverty and in exile—in prisons and before tribunals—in the fire and under the sword—the words of Christ before us have repeatedly been made good. Friends have often proved faithless. Great promises have often been broken. Riches have made themselves wings. But Christ’s engagements have never been known to fail.

Let us grasp this promise firmly. Let us go forward in the way of life, with a firm conviction that it is a promise which is the property of all God’s people. Let us not give way to doubts and fears—because of difficulties which cross our path. Let us press onward with a strong persuasion, that if we lose anything for Christ’s sake—Christ will make it up to us even in this present world.

Let us observe, secondly, in these verses—the clear and plain prediction which our Lord makes about His own death. We see Him telling the disciples that He would be “delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death.”

The importance of our Lord’s death appears in the frequency with which He foretold it, and referred to it during His life. He well knew that it was the principal end for which He came into the world. He was to give His life as a ransom for many. He was to make His soul an offering for sin, and to bear our transgressions in His own body on the tree. He was to give His body and blood for the life of the world.

Let us seek to be of the same mind with Christ, in our estimate of His death. Let our principal thoughts about Jesus be inseparably bound up with His crucifixion. The cornerstone of all truth concerning Christ is this verse, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

The love of our Lord Jesus Christ towards sinners is strikingly shown in His steady purpose of heart to die for them. All through His life, He knew that He was about to be crucified. There was nothing in His sufferings and crucifixion—which He did not foresee distinctly, even to the minutest particular—long before it came upon Him. He tasted all the well-known bitterness of anticipated suffering. Yet He never swerved from His path for a moment. He was constrained in spirit until He had finished the work He came to do. (Luke 12:50).

Such love surpasses knowledge. It is unspeakable love—unsearchable love! We may rest on that love without fear. If Christ so loved us before we thought of Him—then He will surely not cease to love us after we have believed.

The calmness of our Lord Jesus Christ in the prospect of certain death—ought to be a pattern to all His people. Like Him, let us drink the bitter cup which our Father gives us, without a murmur, and say, “Not my will—but may Your will be done.”

The man who has faith in the Lord Jesus—has no reason to be afraid of the grave. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:56-57). The grave is no longer what it once was. It is the place where the Lord lay. If the great Head of the body looked forward to the grave with calmness—then much more may all His believing members. For them, He has overcome death. The king of terrors at the worst, is a conquered foe.

Let us observe, lastly, in these verses—the slowness of the disciples to understand Christ’s death. We find that when our Lord described His coming sufferings, the disciples “did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.”

We read such passages as these, perhaps, with a mixture of pity and surprise. We wonder at the darkness and blindness of these disciples. We marvel that in the face of plain teaching, and in the light of plain types of the Mosaic law—the sufferings of Messiah should have been lost sight of, in His glory—and His cross, hidden behind His crown.

But we are forgetting that the vicarious death of Christ has always been a stumbling-block and an offence to proud human nature! We know that even now after Christ has arisen from the dead and ascended into glory—the doctrine of the cross is still foolishness to many, and that Christ’s substitution for us on the cross is a truth which is often denied, rejected and refused.

Before we wonder at these first weak disciples for not understanding our Lord’s words about His death—we would do well to look around us. It may humble us to remember that thousands of so-called Christians neither understand nor value Christ’s death at the present day.

Let us look well to our own hearts. We live in a day when false doctrines about Christ’s death abound on every side. Let us see that Christ crucified is really the foundation of our own hopes, and that Christ’s atoning death for sin, is indeed the whole life of our souls.

Let us beware of adding to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, as the Roman Catholic does. Its value was infinite. It admits of no addition. Let us beware of taking away from Christ’s sacrifice, as many do. To suppose that the Son of God died only to leave us an example of self-denial—is to contradict a hundred plain texts of Scripture.

Let us walk in the old paths. Let us say with Paul, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Gal. 6:14).

Questions:

1. What are the themes of chapters 1-18?
2. What does Jesus promise to His disciples in this present life?
3. What does Jesus predict in this passage?

Family Application Questions:

1. What are some common misunderstandings of Jesus’ death on the cross we encounter today?
2. What blessings have we experienced in following Jesus?