A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS

BBB. Christ’s Consistent Commitment To God’s Will

(Luke 9:51-56; John 7:10)

I. Introduction

A. In Jesus’ initial ministry in Samaria that was begun with His discipling the Samaritan woman at the well, He told His disciples, “My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:36 NIV)

B. Christ’s great commitment to the Father’s will was later evidenced by Jesus at a later event in Samaria that was recorded in Luke 9:51-56 (with John 7:10), so we view that passage for our application and edification:

II. Christ’s Consistent Commitment To God’s Will, Luke 9:51-56; John 7:10.

A. Christ’s first contact with the Samaritans resulted in their great and positive reception of Him, John 4:1-42:

1. The first time Jesus is recorded as having passed through Samaria in John 4:1-42, He presented Himself as the Messiah to the Samaritans, and many of them believed on Him, John 4:39-42.

2. That evangelistic ministry was greatly loved by Christ, for He told His disciples on that occasion that His very food was to do the will of the Father Who had sent Him, John 4:34-38.

3. At that time, the Samaritans urged Jesus to stay with them, so He had stayed for two days, residing in their homes and accepting their warm hospitality, John 4:40.

B. However, the next time Jesus was recorded as having passed through Samaria, the Samaritans resolutely refused even to prepare for Him to stay with them, Luke 9:51-53:

1. When the time came for Jesus to get into conflict with Jerusalem’s religious leaders and later be crucified, die, be buried, rise from the dead and ascend to heaven, He resolutely headed toward Jerusalem, Lk. 9:51.

2. “Christ sent messengers on ahead to prepare food and lodging for Himself and the disciples who were to follow. Since there were many pilgrims traveling the roads at this time” of the Feast of Tabernacles, “it was necessary to make provision ahead of time.” (Luke 9:52; J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, 1991, p. 274)

3. However, the Samaritans who had previously believed on Jesus as the “Savior of the world” (John 4:42) to where they had warmly “urged him to stay with them” (John 4:40 NIV) this time “did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem,” Luke 9:53 NIV.

C. The great disrespect of the Samaritans for Christ exhibited in refusing Him hospitality though they had previously trusted in Him as the “Savior of the world” so upset disciples James and John that they asked Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down from heaven to destroy the Samaritans, Luke 9:54 NIV. The phrase rendered “fire down from heaven and destroy” cites part of the Greek Septuagint at 2 Kings 1:10, 12 where the prophet Elijah called fire down from heaven to destroy the military company Israel’s wicked king had sent to take Elijah captive and disrespectfully drag him before their king. (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 248, ftn.)

D. Jesus refused to punish the Samaritans for their great disrespect for Him: He rebuked the disciples for their intent to take vengeance on the Samaritans and led His men to stay at another village:

1. The King James Version adds the words, “and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” of Luke 9:55b-56a, but these words are omitted in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts. (Ibid.; Bruce M. Metzger, A Text. Com. on the Grk. N. T., 1971, p. 148-149) The preferred reading for Luke 9:55-56 (NIV) is as follows: “But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village.” (Ibid.)

2. Accordingly, in keeping with the plan of God not to exercise judgment at this time, but to obey the Father in meekly heading to the cross, Jesus rebuked James and John for desiring to take vengeance for the way He had been mistreated and He instead led them to stay at another village, Luke 9:55-56 NIV.

Lesson: Though Jesus was deeply committed to doing the Father’s will when it involved the positive blessing of seeing the Samaritans put their trust in Him and urge Him to stay with them, Christ was just as committed to doing the Father’s will when it involved the hardships of heading resolutely to Jerusalem to suffer on the cross, being mistreated for doing so by being refused hospitality by the very Samaritans who had earlier warmly believed in Him and being misunderstood by His disciples whom He rebuked for wanting to take vengeance in Jesus’ behalf.

Application: Since performing the assignment God has for us takes priority over all other agendas we may have, may we like Jesus be consistently deeply committed to doing the Father’s will whether God’s calling for us involves uplifting events that are a blessing to experience or emotionally difficult events that are hard to handle.