WHAT IS DESERVED AND NOT DESERVED
Luke 23:13-16, 21-23, 32-34, 39-43; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 18:9-14; 2 Samuel 9:3-8, 13
I have been considering frequent references made recently by people thinking that they deserve something better, or expressing discontent with circumstances and thinking perhaps they deserved more attention than they were getting, or greater provisions in regard of their needs in these difficult times. Others complain that they did not deserve what has come upon society. The matter of what is deserved has been in my mind quite a bit, but I have been thinking about it firstly with regard to the Lord Jesus, and I want to speak about Him.
Pilate said to these persons that he had examined the Lord Jesus, and had “found nothing criminal in this man as to the things of which ye accuse him” and “nothing worthy of death”, and then he said, “Having chastised him therefore, I will release him”. Do you think the Lord Jesus deserved that? Why say in a public court that there was nothing criminal found as to this Person and nothing worthy of death, and then for no given reason proclaim that he would chastise Him? Further down we read of the response of the people; they said “Crucify, crucify him”. Did the Lord deserve that? Crucifixion was such an evil and wicked death. Pilate says again, “What evil then has this man done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will chastise him therefore and release him”. I cannot help but think of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus from the hands of men and of this dreadful injustice. Did He deserve that? But I will add this; did He complain? Think of the Lord meekly bearing these sufferings. We read in the earlier meeting, “for I am meek and lowly”, Matt.11:29. That shone out even in the midst of these awful injustices against the Lord Jesus, the wickedness of men being fully expressed against Him, calling for His crucifixion without the least evidence to justify that it was warranted. Did the Lord deserve that?
However, He went on and finally was taken and placed on a cross. Two others also, malefactors, were led with Him to be put to death. What a cruel death! The apostle Paul speaks of the death of the Lord Jesus, “and that the death of the cross” (Phil.2:8), as if to emphasise such a death. The unwarranted and extreme sufferings of the Lord Jesus came firstly from the hands of men. What a spirit of grace marked the Lord Jesus. Think of Him hanging there at this juncture upon the cross and that was at the very moment when He said “Father, forgive them”. Now I ask, did they deserve forgiveness? Nevertheless, this was where the love of God came out into blessed and full expression: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
We read of the taunting of one of the malefactors and the other one even having to rebuke his fellow malefactor. He said to him “Dost thou too not fear God, thou that art under the same judgment? and we indeed justly, for we receive the just recompense of what we have done; but this man has done nothing amiss”. Here is a man who in effect was saying, ‘We deserve to be here, what we did brought us under this just condemnation and we deserve to be put on a cross’. But he then bears testimony again, “but this man” – that is Jesus – “has done nothing amiss”. How wonderful the grace of the Lord Jesus that He would go all the way, as we often say, to the cross. He did that, but then to endure what He did when on the cross, and finally to be forsaken by God – the most extreme circumstance of all in the three hours of darkness when He was there upon the cross. How affecting these things are!
Luke’s record brings out a very feeling presentation of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. There were four gospels written and Luke is the only gospel writer who gives a brief introduction concerning himself. The others do not say anything about themselves at the beginning of the gospel but Luke takes the opportunity to mention a little of himself to confirm that he had fully consulted with eye-witnesses in order that what he said should be accurate and clear. All of the gospels are truthful, but Luke serves in a very particular way in bringing out a full and feeling account of the detail of the Lord’s sufferings. But our blessed Saviour never turned aside; He went all the way, even to the final shedding of His precious blood. Therein we learn of the love of God; it was expressed there at the cross in that God’s just judgment was fully met by His own beloved Son, the holy Victim, the One who was forsaken by God. By the shedding of His precious blood, redemption’s price has been paid so that the love of God should shine out and that provision be made for the forgiveness of undeserving sinners who might turn to the Saviour to put their trust in Him.
I read in Philippians and particularly wanted to speak of the verse where it says “Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and granted him a name, that which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow”. Does the Lord deserve to have that place? I say, He fully does. Worthy Saviour! How worthy He is of the place of highest exaltation. I have been rejoicing and pondering over that today. Let us all feelingly join in the great refrain, “Worthy is the Lamb”, Rev.5:12 It will yet be sung in wider scope. There will not be any restrictions or silence in that time yet to come; it will be entered into by those redeemed “out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation”, Rev.5:9. There will be an outstanding chorus of song expressing worthy praise; “To him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb” (v.13). But here we have an indication of Jesus exalted in highest glory; how worthy He is to be in the place of honour and glory!
Now I must ask another question. Have we all given Him the place that He deserves in our hearts? God has given Him honour; God has given Him a place of glory. Men crucified Him, but the challenge today is – what place does the Saviour have in my heart? Has He gained and won the place of full trust and affection that He deserves?
How undeserving we are! The parable that we read in Luke 18 was spoken by the Lord and brings out how the first man thought he was deserving of quite a good hearing, as it were, from God. Many, sadly, have fallen into that trap through the deceptive ways of Satan, thinking that they have led, in their judgment, a commendable and useful life, and that they deserve some recognition. Although the truth is that we are all sinners and deserve nothing other than the judgment of God, the blessed fact of the gospel is that all of us who trust in the Saviour are able to say that the judgment has been borne by Jesus and forgiveness has been granted to us on account of the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus. But the second man says, “O God, have compassion on me, the sinner”. That is the language of a man who, as it were, admits that he deserves nothing. Nothing. He did not deserve mercy either and we do not deserve mercy: we plead for mercy but we do not even deserve it. It is God who grants it in His own sovereign blessing. This man was appealing to God; “O God, have compassion on me, the sinner. I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than that other”. Well that is the blessed truth of the glad tidings. We do not even deserve mercy but “God hath shut up together all in unbelief, in order that he might shew mercy to all”, Rom.11:32. How blessed is the heart of God, set free through the wonderful work of the Lord Jesus, He who was crucified. He did not deserve that place which He took. He took the sinner’s place, He took the place that was due to me under the judgment of God that I might become the recipient of the blessing of God and go free and enter in to the enjoyment of the undeserved love and favour of God.
That is why I read lastly about Mephibosheth. He was a man who clearly valued the wondrous expression of the kindness of God. That is what David was seeking to show, “that I may shew the kindness of God”. His language brings out that Mephibosheth appreciated that. He said, “What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?”. He said, as it were, I deserve nothing. A dead dog deserves nothing, it is dead; nothing can be done to help. Mephibosheth was in effect saying, I am just a dead dog. David said, by contrast, “I will certainly shew thee kindness”. How beautiful that is. I think Mephibosheth was, in effect, coming before God able to appeal only for mercy, which we do not even deserve, and God was coming out with the blessed answer, ‘I will show you kindness’. He would show His love towards us as He does in the grace of the glad tidings, giving opportunity for forgiveness and blessing. But that is not all, because Mephibosheth was then brought in to have a place amongst the king’s sons and to be at the king’s table. He was not only shown mercy there, but granted favour and unsurpassed blessing, a place amongst the sons in the king’s realm. “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king’s table”.
How blessed the gospel is! It is God coming out in the grace of His heart toward us to grant us mercy and forgiveness and to bring us into blessing. There is blessing too in the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we would not only be in a position of being able to say, ‘Well, I understand that these things are proposed for me and are true’, but God would in effect say, ‘I will give you the gift of the Holy Spirit so that His love might be shed abroad in your heart’. The love of God being shed abroad in our hearts is real and enjoyable and perfectly understandable. Think of the Spirit of God so graciously serving us that we might truly know the heart of God and learn of His love as it would be shed abroad in our own hearts, and we are brought into the favour of sonship’s liberty.
Well, I just close with these thoughts, that it is good for us to remember that we deserve nothing, but we have been granted everything by way of blessing through the wondrous love of God in Christ Jesus towards us.
Preaching of the word of God, Brechin
25 October 2020
J Laurie
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