DIVINE GRACE PRESENTED IN CHRIST
G. C. McKay
Luke 4: 16–22; 6: 6–11; 7: 36–42; 23: 33, 34, 39–43
What Luke’s gospel has in mind is that divine grace has come near to man in Christ. At one place the Lord Jesus in Luke asked His disciples what they said about Him and Peter said,
“The Christ of God”, Luke 9: 20. That means Peter recognised that He was the anointed One of God, the anointed One to bring grace to men. Peter laid hold of this wondrous fact that God had raised up One as a vessel for His grace to express it to men, the Christ of God. In Luke 4 He read from Esaias, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”, the anointed One to bring grace to men. It is a very wonderful thing, and what I am seeking to convey is not simply the attractiveness of grace but (I trust this does not sound too harsh) the fact that in a sense in the glad tidings you are confronted with grace. God brings the whole force of the glad tidings as expressed in Christ to bear upon you. You are really confronted with it, you cannot pass it by.
It becomes a kind of test; How are you going to react? In a sense you cannot escape this and yet it is grace, wonderful grace presented to you, God’s disposition in Christ. In Luke’s gospel persons were confronted by divine grace. Some reacted in one way and some another.
That is why I read the section where the man with the withered hand was told to stand up by the Lord. He stood up in the midst of all these unsympathetic people, and the Lord asked if it were right to heal on the sabbath. He looked around on them all, and the man was standing there, a man with a withered hand, thus impaired. He stood there and the Lord was confronting them with the fact that divine grace was here to heal, and they were seeking to hinder, going to find an excuse, a religious reason even to hinder. That is what I have in mind; grace is not something that you can afford to
trifle with, something that you can just pass by. It is not just a casual matter on God’s part. He has invested all His grace and disposition in Christ; He is presenting to you a Saviour of such grace. One who has power to make that grace effective, power to forgive sins as this gospel brings out. By going into death He laid the basis for your salvation and mine. There is grace available in the way of power in Christ. So you see, you cannot afford to ignore it; to ignore the glad tidings is to slight it. God’s love is too great, the sacrifice of Christ is too great for you to be casual about it. To treat it casually is really just to neglect and to refuse it. Divine grace is a compelling matter. God brings it to bear upon you. If you are going to be saved, you will have to succumb to the offers of divine grace and bow in repentance, acknowledging your position and taking advantage of the grace of God; or you may harden yourself and turn aside. Do not harden yourself! Where there is an overture of divine grace, there might be a tendency to resist, to harden yourself. Pharaoh, in the Old Testament, hardened his heart, and after that it says God hardened him and the thing became fixed for ever.
Divine grace was presented to these persons in Nazareth where the Lord was brought up. How gracious these little touches are, the way Luke expresses things. “And he came to Nazareth, where he was brought up”, referring to the humanity of the Lord Jesus. In chapter 2 He went down to Nazareth and He was in subjection to His parents. That is very interesting, bringing out beautiful traits of perfection in Christ, even as a boy of twelve. He went down to Nazareth and He was in subjection to His mother and father who had misunderstood Him. He was brought up there, showing the perfect humanity of the Lord Jesus. Here in chapter 4 we are reading of the time when He was anointed, a wonderful time when God’s grace began to show itself in this way. It was accredited and official that there was a blessed Man here who was anointed from on high so that divine grace could be preached to men. Jesus was the vessel of divine grace. It says in chapter 3, “Jesus having been baptised and praying, that the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove upon him” (Luke 3: 21, 22). So here He speaks of Himself as anointed. God presents Christ to you so that in Him you might see His own love and grace, and that there might be power available to you as you accept Him.
And so He stood up to read and the details are all there; the simplicity and dignity of the way the Lord acted and served so that there was nothing to repel. I am speaking of being confronted with divine grace, but that does not mean to say that it challenges you in that sense; divine grace was there in Jesus in the simplest and most precious way. And so He stood up to read and He unrolled the book. The book was given to Him; you may say they are simple details but they are precious because they speak of the perfect humanity of Jesus, the way He did things. There was nothing in what He did or the way He did it that would prejudice people or turn them against Him. Everything He did was in dignity and in divine grace because He was the anointed One. It was visible, it was seen, it could not be denied, the way He was speaking, the way He was acting, the way He stood up, the way He read. The Spirit of God was upon Him. He found the place, the very place which spoke of the very moment in which He was, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”. This was the Christ of God speaking. He was now come, foretold in the Old Testament, but now there in the synagogue in Nazareth where He was brought up, where persons knew Him. He was speaking simply and preaching and so He brings out this beautiful scripture about being anointed to preach glad tidings to the poor. These expressions coming in from the Old Testament show what God had in mind for man, what He had in mind for the poor and for the captives and for the blind and for the crushed. These are the persons that are in mind in Luke’s gospel, the persons who need something, who need divine grace. I trust you have some sense of needing divine grace; if you feel your need of it it is there for you.
All these things are there in the acceptable year of the Lord, and He says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears”. So there it was, present there. What a day that was when this scripture was fulfilled in the ears of the people in the synagogue, and what a day this is!
It is still the day of the glad tidings. The scripture still applies, not that the Lord Jesus is here any more. He is on high, He has accomplished His work, but the divine grace that He expressed is still there, it is still available to you, and so what a day this is. We can read the Scriptures and they become living to us, “grace and truth subsists through Jesus Christ” (John 1: 17): that is not just that the thoughts or ideas of grace and truth subsist through Jesus Christ, but they substantially subsist through that Man; grace and truth are there in Him. That is where they exist, “grace and truth subsists through Jesus Christ”. It remains, therefore, for you and for me to lay hold of God’s grace and mercy to us at the present time. These persons were confronted with it and there was nothing to antagonise them, there was nothing but what would appeal. In fact the testimony of scripture is that they all bore witness to Him. Nobody could say anything else, there were words of grace coming out of His mouth. I would love to have heard these words coming out of His mouth, these wonderful words of the Lord Jesus, these words that were coming from His heart for men. He was the Christ of God, a blessed Man among men, and His heart filled with the love of God and grace towards men.
“And they said, Is not this the son of Joseph?” and everything changed at that point in the scripture. Up to that point they were bearing witness to the words of grace, there it was available to them in Christ and then something stumbled them. They knew that He was brought up in Nazareth and so they said, “Is not this the son of Joseph?” They were not going to accept Him. He had been there in the streets of Nazareth for He had lived there. He had been brought up there, and now they turn against Him. “And they said, Is not this the son of Joseph?” It does not sound very much, just a murmur, just a complaint, just a criticism, but it is in the face of all this grace. They had been confronted with divine grace; it was so great, so marvellous; everything was available for them, the crushed, the blind, everything was available for them, for God had come so near to man. I would say to everyone here, It is too wonderful to trifle with. You cannot murmur, you cannot criticise; it is all too wonderful and too great. God is presenting Christ to you, presenting Christ to men in that way so that they might respond and might answer to the overtures of divine grace. So they begin to carp, “Is not this the son of Joseph?”, and the Lord Jesus immediately takes them up.
He could not pass this by. You wonder that He turned from speaking so graciously to speaking so severely. You wonder at it that His grace was being refused there. He said, “Ye will surely say to me this parable, Physician, heal thyself”. They would look for wonders and signs, “whatsoever we have heard has taken place in Capernaum do here also in thine own country”.
Then He speaks about the widows in Israel in the days of Elias, to whom the prophet was not sent, but to Sarepta of Sidonia, somebody outside Israel. He was saying to them really, whether they would understand Him or not. If you do not want divine grace I will go somewhere else, and that is true too. If you do not want the gospel someone else will get it.
God’s grace is not going to be overcome; He is not going to be thwarted, and if you do not want it someone else will get it. That is the way God will work; there were persons in Israel who did not want it. God said, I will give it to the nations; I will send away to Sidonia and bring in the blessing. I will give it to Naaman the Syrian if the privileged persons who have heard the gospel do not want it. I will spread it out. And that is the way the gospel has come. God has extended it out to those who are willing to receive it, to the poor people of the nations. Then they sought to kill Jesus. I believe it would be a right thing to say, you are confronted with divine grace and it is too wonderful and too precious to trifle with. We have to give full way to it. If we are speaking to believers we would be free to say, Give full way to divine grace. You believe in the gospel but have you given full way to the gospel? It would be a dreadful thing to slight the gospel or just begin to criticise this wonderful grace that has come; but perhaps it would also be a poor thing to accept it just a little, as much as suits myself, and not be fully and deeply imbued with the sense of divine grace and mercy. We sang about mercy and we spoke in the reading about grace, the glory of God’s grace, and the riches of His grace, and here is the vessel of His grace, and it has a great end in mind. How much we ought to pay attention to what has come to us in the glad tidings!
Now this theme that I am speaking of really runs right through the gospel and I could have read a number of sections, but I thought of the one in chapter 6 because the Lord Jesus made this man stand up there in the midst of the synagogue. It is remarkable too that not only did the Lord Jesus get the man to stand up in the midst of the Pharisees and the others, but He looked round on them all. “I will ask you if it is lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And having looked around on them all”. I think in the glad tidings the Lord Jesus looks around. Heaven is watching, looking around, and divine grace is there to heal. He must have looked at every one of them. Think of the Lord Jesus Himself looking in an appealing way, what is the response going to be? What is the answer going to be in your heart and mine as the glad tidings comes? Then He speaks to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out thy hand. And he did so and his hand was restored as the other.
But they were filled with madness”. Things became worse; if we neglect the glad tidings things become worse. I am sure there has been many a gospel preaching like this one when persons were brought to a kind of crossroads, a point of decision whether they would submit to the glad tidings and come in repentance to the Saviour, or whether they would harden themselves. The point of crisis comes. Are you going to accept the gospel or are you not?
Persons turn away and then they go on a downward path. Well here it says, “they were filled with madness, and they spoke together among themselves what they should do to Jesus”. It was said prophetically by Simeon as to the Lord Jesus at the beginning of this gospel that “this child is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel”, Luke 2: 34. That was the Lord Jesus, He was set. The Jews could not avoid this great overture of God coming among them in Christ, and persons were going to be tested, “that the thoughts may be revealed from many hearts”. This is a testing point; divine grace is a most wonderful matter but it is the greatest test to man, as to how he will respond.
We often speak of this woman in Luke 7. I want to speak about how Simon was confronted with divine grace. He was given a wonderful privilege. I do not know how Simon ended up; there is nothing very hopeful said about him but we have to leave that. There is certainly no sign that he became deeply affected at all by what proceeds, but he is confronted by divine grace, and I am sure it is touching just to think about it. Even if Simon did not get the benefit there is still a wonderful picture of divine grace. What happens in this man’s house, by his own invitation, is that the Vessel of grace is there; Jesus is there. It is beautiful in Luke’s gospel how He comes into a person’s house and is available. We can say that in the glad tidings Christ is available. I know He has gone on high, He has accomplished His work, He has suffered and died, been into the grave and risen again, and He has ascended on high, but then He is still available. His name is preached in testimony here and He is still available; the power that is resident in Christ and in His work is still available. Here Simon had this special privilege, that in his house, at his table, the Saviour Himself was there.
Then divine grace did something else for him; it brought into his house an example of someone who loves Christ; a wonderful thing. He clearly had not invited the woman. He had invited the Lord for whatever motive but he had not invited the woman; but God saw to it that he had not only Jesus there speaking to him and available to him but he had an example there in his own house of what divine grace does with a person. It was grace that affected this woman, this woman who was a sinner, not repelled, not fleeing from the holiness of the Saviour, but attracted. She knew where He was and came and ministered to Him so beautifully, using an alabaster box of myrrh. I suppose it might speak of her appreciation that He was going a suffering way. She anointed His feet with the myrrh. It has often been spoken of, divine grace expressed in the movements of Jesus. Then the tears—how much she provided in herself, her tears and her hair used—for the wiping of His feet, and the kisses too; she kissed His feet. And so Simon saw this wonderful sight and he seemed to be quite unmoved by it. All he was taken up with was the kind of woman she was, she was a sinner, and he was perplexed that Jesus did not recoil from the touch of this woman. He allowed her to minister to Him, and there she was, an example.
God works in remarkable ways and gives persons opportunities, and one of the ways He works, I believe, is He gives you an example. He brings into your life someone who loves Jesus. That is one of the great supports of the gospel that there are persons who actually represent the gospel. In fact I suppose the full result of the gospel is brought about when you become the kind of person who is a picture of what the gospel does. With such persons you can see their lives, their demeanour, the tranquillity of their soul, you can see the way they speak about the Lord Jesus; they are examples. I am sure as children we were affected by that; I can speak for myself and others can speak about how when you are young you are affected by persons in whom the glad tidings have had their effect. So there are examples and grace gave this man an example.
Then look what the Lord Jesus says to Simon, carefully and graciously. He did not force it on him; “And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee”. I suppose if Simon had said, I do not want to hear it, that would have been the end. However he says, “Teacher, say it. There were two debtors of a certain creditor—one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty; but as they had nothing to pay, he forgave both of them their debt”. He forgave both of them, so there it is. It is for you, Simon, too; if you are only a fifty denarii debtor, if you do not think you owe much, you can be forgiven too. This woman, she is the five hundred denarii debtor and she loves the One who forgave her sins, but then what about the other one who owed fifty? He forgave both of them. That was an appeal to Simon.
Forgiveness was there for him if he wished, the opportunity to come into the situation of being a lover of Jesus. Simon was intelligent, he could see what the Lord meant and answered, “I suppose he to whom he forgave the most”. And He said to him, “Thou hast rightly judged”. Then He points to the woman.
That is very wonderful, the glad tidings have ever been supported by persons who love Christ and have evidences of what it is to have their sins forgiven. Are your sins forgiven? It is a wonderful thing, the forgiveness of sins, things are not held against you. That is the whole attitude of God at the present time, not imputing to men their offences. It is not the time of reckoning up your sins. There will be a time of reckoning up sins, there will be a time for that for those who do not believe. Sins will be reckoned up, and they will be reckoned up accurately and unerringly, but it is not the time for that. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their offences”, 2 Corinthians 5: 19. So that is the situation at the present time.
Not only is God not imputing offences but He is prepared to forgive them for those who understand the path that Jesus has taken. Divine grace made Him take that path, and it was for me. I suppose this woman was just laying claim to it, as it were saying, This Vessel of grace came for me. Have you ever said that, For me? You can say that too, Jesus died for me. In faith you can claim it and say, It was for me He came in wondrous grace.
I thought to finish with this wonderful scene on the cross when Jesus was crucified, and to speak about how the malefactors were confronted with divine grace. You can see from where we read that they were there when this wicked act took place, when men in their cruelty put the Vessel of grace on the cross. It says, “when they came to the place which is called Skull”; what a place I suppose it must refer to the human mind. The clever people of the world contain some of those who are most hostile. When they came to that place, “there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, the other on the left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. The malefactors must have heard Him say that for they were beside Him. Think of these malefactors being there and the Lord Jesus there on the cross, put there by men, and He speaking in divine grace and appealing to the Father, “Father, forgive them”, asking forgiveness for those who were crucifying Him.
The malefactors heard that. What are they going to do in the presence of such grace, that appeal for forgiveness in such a terrible circumstance? Verses 39–43 tell us the effect of it. One of the malefactors spoke insultingly, not affected by divine grace, “Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us”, speaking bitterly and sceptically against Him.
Then this other man must have been affected by what he heard, affected by the One who was beside him and what was expressed in Him at such a moment. It was the Person and the way He spoke, and no doubt the divine operation too in the soul of this poor man. Think of him, as it were seeking to protect Jesus, rebuking the other malefactor, taking Jesus’ part against him, “Dost thou too not fear God, thou that art under the same judgment? and we indeed justly”. I suppose in a sense he was preaching too, “and we indeed justly, for we receive the just recompense of what we have done; but this man has done nothing amiss”.
There was a kind of appeal in it too, “we indeed justly”. He was taking his place as a sinner, and he was pointing out to the other man that he was a sinner too. I suppose the preacher has to do that. The preacher cannot simply stand and say that the audience are all sinners, for he is one himself; but then divine grace is available for all. It was available for both malefactors, but one took advantage of it. He said to Jesus, “Remember me, Lord, when thou comest in thy kingdom”. It was wonderful that he had that thought. There was the inscription above the cross, “This is the King of the Jews”, but his light for this was indeed the King. I suppose he must have understood from the Person who was there that He must be the King. That is a thing about the Lord Jesus. He has been given the official place in heaven; He is crowned with glory and honour and He is worthy of it. It is an official position, but underlying the official glories of the Lord Jesus there is the wonder and beauty of His person and the grace of His manhood. And so, I think this malefactor had some thought of that, “Remember me, Lord, when thou comest in thy kingdom”.
Then that final word, “Verily I say to thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”. Not simply that, Today shalt thou be in paradise, but “with me”. What a volume is expressed in those simple words of scripture! That is what the Lord would comfort him with, not only that he would be in paradise, but he would be with Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself no doubt would rejoice in that. It has been said that the malefactor was given to the Lord Jesus at this point to be a companion for Him in paradise. Think of that, the Lord Jesus in paradise, but not alone, He had one of those redeemed by His precious
blood with Him. So it will be for every one who loves the Lord Jesus, he will be with Christ.
That is the great end in view, with Him for ever. Here is a poor malefactor who was going to be with Christ. It is very touching, and shows the magnitude of what is presented in the glad tidings. I think you can understand that you cannot neglect it. There is a compelling power in it. You bring terrible guilt on yourself if you reject the gospel and the supreme grace of it.
There is nothing more we can do if you are going to reject this wonderful gospel; there is nothing more God can give you, it is His best, His greatest, His most wonderful thoughts, and they are available for you. You are confronted with this. You must lay hold of this, you cannot reject this. If you do, there is nothing else that can be done, but thank God it is the day of grace; these things are available now as we speak. For His name’s sake.
Preaching at Grangemouth
14 April 2002