Luke 22:35-38

Luke 22:35-38

35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. 37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” 38 They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

The time for Christ to face the cross is drawing near.  This is not only the most challenging moment in His life; but it is also the moment of truth in the lives of His disciples.  Their lives will never be the same after the events that will soon unfold.  Jesus wants to make sure that they are ready to fact the new reality that will soon be theirs.  Change is always difficult for us to face, but it is a necessary aspect of each of our lives.  It is nice to know that God never changes in the midst of our ever-shifting world.  Jesus has some last-minute words of instruction that should also help us as we look to what the Lord has in store for our future. 

REMEMBER THE PROVISION OF THE PAST: As we look to serve the Lord, there are important things we must not forget.  One of those things is the Lord’s provision for us in the past.  He is always faithful, an we can all look back and see how even difficult things in our lives were, in reality, provisions from God or preparations used by God to make us more effective.  The disciples had been sent out on a mission in their training period with Jesus.  Jesus commissioned them to go from village to village and preach the Gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons.  However, when they went, Jesus told them not to take any money, provisions or even a change of clothing.  They were to go to the villages and find a home where they would be provided for.  Now, He asks them to remember that experience and see if they ever lacked for anything.  They all agreed that they had been amply provided for in that time.  God provision for us in the past should always be and assurance to us as we move forward.  He is willing and able to provide for us in amazing ways.  We can trust Him as we seek to serve Him.

PREPARE FOR THE PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE: Jesus lets His disciples know that things are going to be very different in the days ahead.  Now they are to take money, a bag and especially a sword.  When someone tells you that you are going to need a sword, you know that things are about to ramp up.  The level of hostility Jesus knew His disciples would face required that they prepare for this reality.  In their first missionary effort, Jesus wanted them to experience the care of other people and learn to depend on the Lord for all of their provision.  However, in this phase of their ministry, Jesus lets them know that there will be times where they will need to be prepared to face their circumstances without the assistance of others.  In fact, they would experience clear resistance from others.  This does not mean that they were no longer to be dependent on the Lord.  It simply meant that they be prepared to face more problems on different levels then they had experienced in the past.  God knows all about the problems we are facing and they problems we will face in the future.  He is always faithful to provide for us and to prepare us adequately for those realities.  It is a comfort to know that our futures are in His hands.

TRUST IN GOD’S PROTECTION IN THE PRESENT: Jesus tells His disciples that the prophecy that Messiah would be numbered with transgressors was about to be fulfilled in Him.  Jesus was NUMBERED with transgressors, but He was not a transgressor.  He never sinned and yet He died the death of a sinner as our substitute so that we could live.  He offered Himself in our place.  He took the death that we deserved and was counted as a transgressor on our behalf.  He was about to confront a group of Roman soldiers and an angry mob of Jews who would insist on His death.  The disciples are able to come up with two swords and Jesus tells them it is enough.  Two swords were not enough.  Twenty swords would not have been enough.  On the other hand, in the presence of Jesus, a pocketknife would have been more than enough.  God does not require our equipment or skill to protect us.  There was no army in heaven or on earth strong enough to capture Jesus apart from His will.  With one word, Jesus could have vanquished all His captors.  Soldiers did not take Jesus’s life, He laid it down as a sacrifice to protect us from the eternal consequences of sin.  We are called to trust in that protection for our eternal life.  We can also rest assured in that protection as we face any dangers on this earth as we seek to proclaim the message of Christ to the nations of the world.  In His protection we always have more than enough.

APPLICATION: Don’t forget the ways that the Lord has taken care of us in the past.  Be sure to tells others about those things, especially our children so they will understand how God has provided for us.  Recognize that there will likely be more challenges in the future that are different and often more difficult than we have faced in the past.  Rest in the truth that God knows all about those problems and has been faithful to prepare you to face them just like in the past.  Out current circumstances are often not what we would choose.  God’s paths and plans are often very different than we would imagine or even desire.  However, they are perfect and under His sovereign protection will be used for His ultimate glory and our eternal good.