Luke 22-24
The True Servant and the Fiery Trial(s)
Our study begins with Jesus sending Peter and John to meet with a servant carrying a jar of water and asking the servant to take them to the owner of the house where Jesus and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. There are several things we need to observe in Chapter 22 regarding the characteristics of a true servant. First, servants are to do what they were called to do. That was what we see Peter, John, and the un-named servant doing. Second, Peter and John who were sent by Jesus, asked the servant to lead them to the owner of the house and present the request of their master, Jesus. Third, they made the necessary preparations for Jesus. Fourth, they ended up reclining at the table with Jesus where He could instruct them and prepare them for what was coming. Peter, although warned by Jesus, decides to go rogue and fails miserably when he takes matters into his own hands and finds himself denying that he even knew Jesus. The fifth thing a true servant goes through is fiery trials. Fiery trials burn away the wood, hay, and straw, which describe one’s attempt to be the master and exalt oneself, rather than be the servant that represents and serves the master. Paul describes this process in 1 Corinthians 3.
The end result of the fiery trial is to reveal that which is pure and able to withstand the heat which Paul described as gold, silver, and precious stones. Gold symbolizes deity, silver redemption, and precious stones the redeemed and valuable servants. Jesus saw a precious stone in Peter. Jesus changed Peter’s name from Simon to Peter which means “rock.” He is one of the precious stones which will be a foundation stone in the New Jerusalem spoken of in Revelation 21:14, 19&20. Jesus also warned Peter of the trial to come yet told Peter He had prayed for him and he would get through it. Peter did go through the fiery trial and warns us that we will as well in 1 Peter 4:12-19.
In the latter part of Luke 22 and on into Chapter 23 we read that our Lord and Master went through the fiery trial, of all fiery trials, yet there was nothing to burn away. He was proven to be pure, precious, and sinless. Paul tells us that death is the result of sin in Romans 6:23. The fiery trial Jesus went through by the hands of men caused Him to be crucified on the cross. When He died He was buried in a tomb but death and the tomb could not hold Him for He was found to be without sin. This is the good news of Chapter 24, the resurrection of Jesus from death to life. Jesus was raised to life because He was sinless. So, why then, did He have to die?
Death in the Bible is separation. When we die our soul or breath is separated from the body and we are declared dead. The soul however, does not die. Rather, the soul goes to be either with the Lord in the case of a believer or the soul of an unbeliever will go to await condemnation. John 5:28&29
Jesus, the True Servant, died our death, the death that separates us from God. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” NIV
This was all according to the plan of the Father, Jesus explains in Chapter 24:44-49. The goal was to provide a way of repentance and forgiveness of sin which clearly demonstrates God’s love for mankind. In our sin nature we were born to die. Jesus was also born to die. He was born to die for our sins so that we might be able to become new creations, born again, born from above by His Spirit, so that we might live. That is the good news of the Gospel we are to live out in our lives and proclaim to the world. In Philippians 2:1-11 Paul encourages us to follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the True Servant who is now exalted and seated with the Father on the throne in Heaven.
Peter did it and so can you and I because those who are born again have God as their Father, and His Holy Spirit with them always.
One day each of the true servants will be with the Lord for eternity!
Pastor Dave