THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapter 24)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Kevin Pendergrass.
Welcome to our study of the Book of Luke. This is the last lesson in this series. Today we are going to be looking at the Great Commission, and what it consisted of. In Luke 23 we see the death of Jesus Christ. He was crucified on the cruel cross for us, where His blood was shed. Then in Luke 24 we read of the wonderful event that we recognize as the resurrection. On the first day of the week, Jesus was raised from the dead. But what came next? Many in the religious world do not know what happened next because they are consumed with the death and resurrection of Christ. While both of those are very important to Christianity, we also need to ask, “What happened next? I know what Jesus did for me. But what am I to do for Him?” Some years ago the movie, The Passion of Christ, came out. People talked about the cruel death that Jesus suffered for us. But what about our responsibility to Christ? What did He command us to do? What happened after the resurrection?
At that time, Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples. What is the Great Commission? Let’s read what Jesus said in Luke 24:46-47.
“Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
There are three points that I will be examining in this lesson. The first one is repentance. The second one is remission of sins. And the third point has to do with the reference “to all nations.” The first thing Jesus taught in the Great Commission was repentance. What is repentance? To begin with, let’s rid ourselves of some misconceptions. Repentance is not just saying, “I’m sorry.” Perhaps when you were a child, you did something you should not have done. Perhaps your parents or grandparents caught you. You really weren’t sorry for what you did, but if you did not say you were sorry, your punishment was going to be really bad. So you went ahead and said, “I’m sorry.” But is that really repentance? Were you really wanting to change your life? Of course not! You were simply sorry that you got caught. Think about some people who are robbing a bank. Everything was going great—until the alarm sounded and the police officers showed up and caught the criminals. One of the robbers says, “I’m so sorry.” Is he really sorry for what he did? Or is he simply sorry that he got caught? He’s not sorry that he attempted to rob a bank. But he is sorry that he got caught. Must we say that we’re sorry if we want to repent? Yes. Luke 17:3-4 explains that if we do something wrong, then we must repent—and a part of that repentance is genuine sorrow. But just saying, “I’m sorry,” is not what repentance is all about. It is easy to say, “I’m sorry,” and then turn right around and start doing the same thing all over again. That is not what repentance is all about.
Another misconception about repentance is that it is “feeling bad” about having done something. In Matthew 14:1-9 we will see Herod, who was sorry that he felt forced to have to kill John the Baptist. But he did not do anything about it. Yes, we should feel shame for our sins. But feeling bad is not repentance. Notice how Herod was sorry for what he did, and felt ashamed, but did not repent.
“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.’ For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Because John had said to him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.’ And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.”
On the king’s birthday, Herodias was dancing for him. He is so carried away that he offers her whatever she wants. She asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. Herod then regretted what he had said, and felt sorrowful. But his sorrow did not equal repentance because he did not act upon his sorrow. He felt bad and guilty. But he went on and did it anyway. A person may feel guilty about his sin. Perhaps the person is in an unscriptural marriage. In Matthew 19:9 the Bible teaches that there is only one authorized reason to divorce a spouse—fornication. Maybe that was not the case with your previous marriage, but you went ahead and married someone else anyway. So now, according to Matthew 19:9, you are living in adultery. You might say to yourself, “I know it’s wrong, and I feel bad about it.” But are you going to get out of the marriage, or continue in it? That can happen with any sin. A person might say, “I feel bad,” but then continues doing the same thing. People who drink alcohol and use tobacco say, “I know I should quit, and I feel bad.” But they do not stop. Feeling bad about a sin does not equal repentance. Should a person feel bad about sin? Sure! Sin is a shameful thing. But “just feeling bad” is not repentance.
What is repentance? It is a decision that is preceded by sorrow and then followed by a changed life. A single word that might be a good synonym for repentance would be “change.” A person decides to change his life and actions so that he no longer commits the sins he used to commit. In 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 we see how godly sorrow produces repentance.
“I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
There are two types of sorrow. There is “sorrow of the world,” as we learned earlier from Matthew 14:1-9. This is where a person feels bad, but does not change his actions. Then there is a godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Paul told the Corinthians that he was not writing to say that he was glad they felt badly, but he was glad that their sorrow led to repentance so that they changed their lives. When we repent, we do it because we realize that we have sinned against God. People sometimes change for the wrong reasons. For example, a member of the Lord’s church might be dating a non-Christian. After many Bible studies, the Christian says, “I’m not going to marry you until you are baptized and become a Christian.” The other person then says, “OK. Then I’ll go ahead and be baptized.” The person changed, but did not change for the Lord or because the Bible told him to. The person did it for another person. Others might change for wealth, fame, or other selfish reasons. But when we repent, we need to realize that we are repenting because we have sinned against God. David said to God in Psalm 51:4, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.” David realized that he had sinned against God, and that he needed to repent in order to be right before God. If a person wants to be forgiven of his sins, he must repent. A person cannot be forgiven of his sins until he repents. People might say, “Well, I forgive that person anyway.” But no one has the authority to forgive a person of his sins if he has not forgiven. Luke 17:3-4 teaches us that if a person sins, before he can be forgiven, he must repent.
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, say, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Jesus taught that if someone sins against us, are we to simply “unconditionally forgive him”? No. We are to rebuke him. We have abandoned the idea of rebuking. People say, “Just accept people as they are.” If we are “walking in the light,” we cannot do that. As God’s faithful, we have scriptural fellowship with others who are faithful and have fellowship with God. If someone sins, we are to rebuke him, correct him, and show him the error of his way. If that person repents, then we are to forgive him. This shows us the importance of repentance. A person first must change if he wants to gain forgiveness of sins from the Lord. Consider the example of church camps, where people sometimes use emotional types of argumentation. They may sing verse after verse of a song, waiting for someone to walk forward. If no one does, then more verses will follow—seemingly with the hope that if emotions can reach an elevated level, then someone will want to respond to the Lord’s invitation. But that is not genuine repentance. A person can scare another person into doing something once or twice. A person might be excited for a day or two, but then go back to doing exactly what he was doing earlier. Doing that, and then returning to the same sin, is not repentance. Jesus taught that we must teach and preach repentance and change. I was talking to a person once who said, “You’re just trying to change me.” I said, “You’re right! That’s exactly what I’m trying to get you to—change!” But it is not by my opinion or authority that I try to change a person. Rather, I am trying to change a person based upon the teaching found in the Scriptures. People sometimes do not like change. They do not like the idea that someone wants to change them. People like to be comfortable. But if we want to be faithful, we must repent, and we must teach others to repent as well. We are not to be like the world, but are to be transformed so that we can be the people would have us to be. Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2,
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Yes, we are trying to change people. Absolutely! If a person is living an ungodly life, we cannot suggest that he continue doing such a thing. He must leave that life and change. He must be “transformed by the renewing of his mind” so that he may “prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” We must make sure that we are making God happy rather than saying, “God, You make me happy!” We are to teach people to change so that they can live a life that is pleasing to God. A person’s repentance will be evident to all those around him because of the change that has occurred in the person’s life. In Matthew 3:8 John told the Pharisees to bring forth “fruits worthy of repentance.” What does that mean? How can we know if someone has changed? We can know it based upon his fruits. How do we as humans “bear fruit?” We do it through our actions. When we see a tree with apples, will you think that it is an orange tree? No—because you know when you see an apple that it is an apple tree. In the same way, the fruits that we bear as Christians will tell others how we are living our lives. We must show forth works befitting repentance. In Acts 26:20 we read how Paul “declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” If we produce change in our lives upon our repentance, it will be apparent to all of those around us. I’ve heard people say, “I became a Christian, and my life did not change at all because I really didn’t have to change anything.” Then those people did not truly repent, because if they had repented, change would have taken place. When people are in unscriptural marriages, what do they have to do? They have to get out of those marriages. It is not enough “just to be sorry.” In Ezra 10 we read of the people of Israel who were condemned because they had married pagan wives. They had been commanded not to intermarry with such people. But they broke God’s law—just as we sometimes do today when we do things that God has told not to do. That has occurred ever since the beginning of time. When God told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they went ahead and did it anyway. We see that type of attitude in Ezra 10. God told the people not to marry pagan people, but they did it anyway. What was the solution? Could they continue in their sin so that “grace might abound” (Rom. 6:1-2)? Certainly not! In Ezra 10:11 we read, “Therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.” Repentance is change. We must change, and we must teach others to change so they can live lives in accordance with God’s will.
Now I want to move on to discuss the next phrase in the Great Commission—remission of sins. What is remission? It is a dismissal, release, or forgiveness of sins. There are other terms that are used in the Bible to describe the remission of sins. In John 1:29 and Romans 11:27 we read of how sins are “taken away.” That is another way of saying “remitted.” In Acts 3:19 the phrase “blotted out” is used to refer to remission. In Acts 22:16, Ananias told Saul in Damascus, “Arise, be baptized, and have your sins washed away.” That meant that Saul’s sins were remitted as they were washed away in the watery grave of baptism (Rom. 6:3-4). In Romans 4:7 we see that another word for “remission” is “covered.” Our sins are covered. Romans 4:8 says that are sins are “not imputed unto us.” We no longer are accountable for those sins because they have been taken away. In Hebrews 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:9 the Bible teaches that our sins are “purged.” In Hebrews 8:12 we see that our sins are “remembered no more.” This is not an exhaustive list, but shows us just a few of the terms that are used in the Bible to refer to the fact that our sins are remitted. This is what we are to preach to people.
But how does a person have his sins covered, washed away, remembered no more, or purged? The only reason that remission of sins is possible is because of the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. He came to this Earth because, as Hebrews 10:4 tells us, the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. But the Bible teaches that Christ’s blood cleanses us of our sins. In Matthew 26:28 when Jesus was talking about the Lord’s Supper, He said, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Jesus came to Earth so that our sins could be remitted and taken away. His blood had to be shed. How and when does remission occur? Some people teach that it “just happens automatically.” They suggest that when Jesus Christ died upon the cross and shed His blood, everyone was automatically forgiven. If that is the case, then everyone is now saved. But the Bible teaches that only a few will be saved (Mt. 7:13-14). We therefore know that forgiveness does not happen automatically. We must come in contact with the blood of Jesus Christ, spiritually speaking. If a person is an alien sinner (that is, a person who is outside the body of Christ), a person must believe in Jesus (Acts 10:42-43), and believe that He is Who He said He is (Jn. 8). Then that person must repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). A person cannot simply “say a sinner’s prayer,” and hope that will remit his sins. Did you know that in the New Testament we find absolutely nothing about the so-called “sinner’s prayer”? There is nothing about an alien sinner saying a prayer that will put him into the body of Christ. Isn’t it interesting to see how so many denominations talk about “the sinner’s prayer,” yet it is not even in the Bible? In 1 Peter 4:11 we are told, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.” The oracles of God teach us that we must repent and be baptized “for the forgiveness of sins.” Is water baptism necessary for salvation? Absolutely! It is not something we do because we are already saved. Rather, it something we do to be saved. In Mark 16:16 Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” If you have not been baptized for the purpose of having your sins forgiven, then you must do so if you want to have those sins taken away.
But what if you have already done that, but erred and fell back into sin? If that is the case, then you must repent, and then pray to ask God to forgive you. In Acts 8:22 we read of Simon the sorcerer who had been baptized for the forgiveness of his sins. But then he erred and fell away. This meant that he had to repent and pray to ask God to forgive him of his wicked heart as he confessed his sins to God (1 Jn. 1:9). In both of these cases, forgiveness of sins is tied to repentance. A person cannot have his sins remitted unless change occurs in his life. Change is what the Bible is all about. It is not changing to do what we want, but changing to do what God’s will is for us. This is what remission of sins is all about.
The last point has to do with the people to whom these things are to be preached. Under the Old Law, the Jews had the Law (Deut. 5:1-5), which was between God and the nation of Israel. But after Jesus’ death, the Gospel is for all nations (Mt. 28:19-20). Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” The Gospel is for all people. How can this be the case? Ephesians 2:14-18 tells us how this can be the case. In that passage, Paul talked about how the Old Law separate Israel from the rest of the world.
“He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace….”
What is that “one new man”? It refers to the fact that Jew and Gentile alike can be one in Jesus Christ. The text continues:
“…and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”
The Gospel is for all. It does not matter what color a person is. It does not matter if a person is poor or rich. It does not matter if he has no friends or a million friends. What matters is obedience to the Lord, and the knowledge that Jesus died for all people. In Galatians 3:27-28 Paul was talking about the promise that had come 430 years before the Law. The Jews liked to hold onto the fact that the Law had been given to them. But Paul told them that the promise had been made 430 years earlier. That promise was that eventually all people would be one in Jesus Christ. In Galatians 3:27-28 we read,
“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Here we see that the Gospel (repentance and remission of sins) must be taught to all nations. If you are not a Christian, you need to realize the importance of your soul. Right now, you are lost. If the Lord was to come back or if you died, you would be lost in Hell for all eternity. That is an important thing about which you need to be thinking. In fact, it should be the most important thing in your mind right now. Nothing else should matter until you get your life right with God. If you are not a Christian, you need to become one. The Bible teaches in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Do not listen to what your preacher says. Do not listen just to what I say. Instead, listen to what the Bible says. It is not about what I say or what someone else says. Rather, it is about what God’s Word has to say. You must go to the right source for information on salvation. You must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. You must be willing to repent of your sins. Then you must continue to transform yourself into a faithful Christian (Rom. 12:1-2). You must confess Jesus as Lord. And you must repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. The purpose of these things is to have your sins remitted (Acts 2:38). If you have yet to obey the truth, we pray today that you will obey the Gospel of Christ.
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST is brought to you by loving, caring members of the church of Christ. The McLish Avenue church of Christ in Ardmore, Oklahoma, oversees this evangelistic effort. For a free CD or DVD of today’s broadcast, please write to:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
607 McLish Ave.
Ardmore, OK 73401
You may call 580-223-3289. Please visit us on the web at www.thegospelofchrist.com. We encourage you to attend the church of Christ, where “the Bible is loved and the Gospel is preached.”
1. What is the main topic of discussion in this lesson taken from Luke 24?
2. How many main points does this lesson discuss that are taken from Luke 24:46-47?
3. This lesson discusses some things that repentance is not. What are some of those?
4. According to Luke 17:3, if someone sins against us and then repents, what action on our part is required?
5. In Matthew 14:1-9 we find a story about Herod’s murdering of John the Baptist. The text tells us that Herod regretted having to kill John. Why was Herod’s regret not the same thing as repentance?
6. According to the material presented in this lesson, what is a good definition of repentance?
7. According to the apostle Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 7:9, to what should godly sorrow lead?
8. In Matthew 3:8, what did John the Baptist tell the Pharisees they needed to do to be right before God?
9. In Romans 12:2, what did the apostle Paul tell Christians?
10. In Acts 26:20, what did Paul have to say to those people in Damascus, Jerusalem, and throughout Judea?
11. In Ezra 10:11 we find a specific example of God’s requiring repentance of the Israelites. What had they done that required repentance? And what did that repentance involve?
12. According to the material presented in this lesson, what is the meaning of the word “remission”?
13. According to passages such as John 1:29, Romans 4:7, Acts 3:19, and Acts 22:16, what other words or phrases can be used to refer to “remission”?
14. According to Hebrews 8:12, when God remits our sins, what blessing do we receive as a result?
15. According to Matthew 26:28, what does God use to remit a person’s sins?
16. According to Acts 2:38 and Acts 22:16, how does a non-Christian receive remission of sins?
17. According to 1 John 1:9, how does a person who is already a Christian receive forgiveness of sins if he or she sins after becoming a Christian?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, 607 McLish Ave., Ardmore, OK 73401; (580) 223-3289; www.thegospelofchrist.com