"It is Enough" 11-26-23
Overview
It Is Enough
When Jesus first sent out the Twelve Luke 9:1-6 and later the seventy-two Luke 10:1-12, He instructed them to take nothing—no purse, no bag, no extra sandals, not even an extra tunic. They went in obedience and returned with joy, having lacked nothing. Everything they needed for ministry had been provided. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus called them to remember this: "When I sent you out without a purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" Their answer was simple: "Nothing" Luke 22:35.
But then Jesus signaled a shift. "Now the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one" Luke 22:36. The mission ahead would not be smooth reception in welcoming villages; it would be hardship, opposition, and spiritual warfare. Jesus tied this directly to the prophecy of Isaiah 53:12—"He was numbered with the transgressors"—pointing to His own impending suffering as the suffering servant who bears our sin. When the disciples produced two swords and Jesus replied, "It is enough" Luke 22:38, He was not arming them for a military skirmish. Two literal swords would never be enough for what lay ahead.
The sword Christ equips His people with is the Word of God itself—"living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" Hebrews 4:12—"the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:17. Our true struggle is "not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness" Ephesians 6:12. This sword cuts two ways: it pierces the heart with the truth of our sin, and it heals with the announcement of grace—that Jesus was numbered among transgressors to bear our transgressions and win our salvation. He is unlike any earthly king. He reigns not by wielding force but by pouring Himself out in love.
You may not feel prepared for the trials of daily life, for the spiritual battles that meet you at home, at work, in your own heart. But hear this: you have been claimed in the waters of Baptism, fed at Christ's Table with His body and blood, and indwelt by His Spirit so that, as Paul writes, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" Galatians 2:20. The living Word goes with you—and within you. Like the disciples who returned saying they lacked nothing, you go out today equipped by the King who provides everything His servants need. It is enough.
Transcript
I love traveling. 3s
I love traveling and I love anticipating what I'm going to see, what I'm going to do. 5s
And in order to travel any time you go anywhere, you have to pack. 12s
You pack, you pack a bag. 18s
Now there are different types of packers in my household. 19s
We have one of us adults who packs a month in advance and has everything just wanting 23s
to be set and ready to go prepared for everything. 31s
And then you have another adult in our household who about an hour before leaving puts 33s
everything that he or she can think of into a bag and just hopes that everything is there. 39s
Do I have enough shampoo? 48s
Should I pack some extra shampoo? 49s
Do I have enough shoes? 51s
We always need enough shoes. 52s
Do I have them for every occasion? 54s
And we think through the list of what we need to pack and we want to make sure that we are 56s
prepared for anything on that trip. 62s
Anything that could come up. 68s
Jesus, Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, he sent his disciples on a couple of trips. 72s
In Luke chapter 9, he sends his 12 apostles on a mission. 79s
It says that Jesus called the 12 together and gave them power and authority over all demons 84s
and to cure diseases and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 90s
And he said to them, take nothing for your journey. 98s
No staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money, not even an extra tunic. 103s
Whatever house you enter stay there and leave from there. 110s
Wherever they do not welcome you as you are leaving that town, shake the dust off your feet 114s
as a testimony against them. 119s
They departed and went through the villages bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere. 121s
Take nothing, not even an extra tunic he says. 130s
Then a short time later, he sends out 70. 135s
He sends out 70 of his disciples. 139s
In chapter 10, we read that after this, the Lord appointed 70 others and sent them on ahead of him 142s
in pairs to every town in place where he himself intended to go. 150s
He said to them, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 154s
Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 160s
Go on your way. 166s
See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 167s
Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 173s
Whatever house you enter first say peace to this house and if anyone is there who shares in peace, 180s
your peace will rest on that person. 188s
But if not, it will return to you. 191s
The 70 returned with joy saying, Lord, in your name, even the demons submit to us. 195s
He said to them, I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 203s
See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy 208s
and nothing will hurt you. 215s
Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this that the spirits submit to you but rejoice that your names 217s
are written in heaven. 223s
He sent 70 people out. 226s
With nothing. 231s
No money, no extra shoes, no extra clothes, absolutely nothing. 232s
Do you think they felt prepared? 243s
And yet they went. 249s
They were obedient and they went and they were so excited upon their return because 252s
everything went well. 261s
They had everything they needed. 265s
Jesus in our text for today. 268s
Jesus asks them to think back. 271s
On that time, he says, he says for them to think back. 274s
In verse 35 of our text in Luke chapter 22, 279s
if you would open to the gospel of Luke chapter 22, this is on page 75 283s
in the New Testament, if you're using a Pew edition of the Bible. 288s
Page 75 in Luke chapter 22. 295s
So remember, he had sent out the 12 without anything and everything went well. 298s
He had sent out 70 without anything and everything went well. 305s
They came back excited and in our text in verse 35, he's asking them to reflect on that time. 310s
He said to them, when I sent you out without a purse bag or sandals, did you lack anything? 318s
Did you lack anything? 328s
And they said, no, not a thing. 330s
They remembered that everything they needed was provided. 336s
They had absolutely no problems when they went out. 343s
Any sort of ruffs, return or ruff receipt that they would get from people, 348s
they were told to just turn around. 356s
Shake the dust off their feet. 359s
They didn't need to deal with anyone who was not going to receive them in peace. 361s
But that everything would be taken care of. 367s
All their needs would be provided for when I go on a trip. 370s
But I reflect on that trip. 377s
I often reflect on, did I pack enough? 380s
Did I pack too much? 383s
Did I have just what I needed? 385s
And I consider my packing list for the next time that I'll go. 388s
Or if I'm going to take a trip and it's to a place I've been before, 394s
I will think over what I needed and what I didn't need. 398s
But I'm still concerned and worried and thinking about my packing list. 403s
Jesus is going to send his disciples again. 412s
He's going to send them again. 417s
But Jesus says, this time it's going to be different. 420s
There's a shift coming and we know this from what he tells them next. 425s
In verse 36, he said to them, 430s
But now the one who has a purse must take it and likewise a bag. 433s
And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 439s
They're going to be sent. 447s
But this time they're going to need provisions. 449s
This time they're going to be prepared or need to be prepared. 452s
He says, take your money. 457s
Take your extra clothes. 460s
Take your sword. 461s
Sell your cloak and buy a sword. 465s
It sounds like he's gearing them up for a fight. 469s
Now he very well could be speaking figuratively here just warning them 476s
that the time is coming where when they go out, 482s
it's not going to be easy because this, 485s
this when he tells them this, this is right after he has instituted his own holy 489s
supper. 495s
This is when they're in the upper room. 496s
He is about to be betrayed. 498s
He is telling Peter that Peter will deny him. 500s
He knows that as he sends his disciples out this time, 505s
it's going to be difficult. 511s
But they will be sent. 515s
They will be sent. 518s
And with what? 521s
With what? He tells them to take a sword. 523s
What sword? 530s
What sword as Christians? 532s
What sword as disciples of Christ is needed? 535s
In Hebrews, the fourth chapter, we read the word of God 541s
is living an active sharper than any two-edged sword, 547s
piercing until it divides soul from spirit, 554s
joints from marrow. 558s
It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 560s
In Ephesians, we're told to take the helmet of salvation and the sword 567s
of the spirit, which is the word of God. 573s
We are told to pick up the sword, the word of God. 581s
And we are told to do this because there's a time coming for the disciples. 589s
When as they go out, it will not be simple. 596s
It will not be easy, and they will need the weapon of the Lord 602s
to stand firm in the trials that they will face. 610s
In verse 37, Jesus says, I tell you this scripture must be fulfilled in me, 616s
and he was counted among the lawless, and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled. 623s
Remember, they are right on the eve of his crucifixion. 631s
And the text that he quotes is from the prophet Isaiah. 637s
The prophet Isaiah, or chapter 53, verse 12, where he says, he poured himself out. 641s
He poured out himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors yet he bore the sin of many 649s
and made intercession for the transgressors. 655s
He is telling his disciples that this very prophecy is being fulfilled in this time and moment 659s
that he himself is about to take all transgressions upon himself that he will be counted with 669s
this sinners, the lawless, and that he is bearing the weight and the punishment of the lawless 678s
of you and of me, of all transgressors. 689s
He is telling them that this is being fulfilled. 695s
This is the word. This is the sword that he is going to send the disciples with. 704s
The sword, the word of God that cuts to the heart, cuts to the heart telling us of our sin 714s
through the law proclaimed, telling us that we are those transgressors for whom Jesus will die. 722s
We are being sent with the word, the sword of God because as it cuts it also delivers with it, 733s
the healing sounds, the healing word of salvation, because as it cuts our heart and tells us and let 746s
us know that we are the ones who sends Jesus to the cross to die for our sin. It also tells us that 756s
Jesus went to the cross to die for our sins and we receive that healing word of God's grace, 764s
because Jesus went to the cross bearing your sin, bearing my sin out of his own grace, love and mercy. 780s
He counted it, his joy, because he knew that it was the victory over your sin. It was the victory 791s
over my sin. Today is Christ the King. Sunday we celebrate Christ being the sovereign 802s
Lord. The disciples, the disciples wanted a King, they expected a King, they knew that Jesus was 811s
the Messiah which meant that he was the anointed one of God which means that he would have to be the King. 820s
But a King is one who wields power, who says go and his army goes, who goes forth and overthrows 826s
worldly powers, this is who the disciples are expecting their expecting and wanting the military 839s
reign and rule of the anointed King. But Jesus is unlike any, any other King. 846s
When an army is told to go, they go under the authority of the King. An amuletary, a military 860s
serviceman or woman is ready to go at any order and they are prepared and they are packed. 871s
They are prepared and packed, they may pack light, but they pack prepared for every single 881s
situation that they could possibly face. They are prepared for battle. 887s
Jesus is telling the disciples in the upper room at this time, prepare for battle. 896s
Because battle is coming. He tells them to take their purse, to take their cloak, to sell their 906s
cloak and buy a sword. In verse 38 they said, Lord, look here are two swords and he replies, 915s
it is enough. If you are going into battle and you have two weapons, are you going to feel prepared 926s
two weapons for a dozen of you? You're not going to feel prepared, but Jesus hears says, 936s
it is enough. Because as we read in Ephesians, in Ephesians the sixth chapter we read that our 944s
struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, 957s
against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the 964s
heavenly places. This is the battle into which Jesus our king sends his disciples. It's not a 971s
battle that is one with the earthly sword because it is not the battle of flesh and blood, 986s
but it is one through the sword, the word of God that we carry. Because the word of God 995s
cuts through the word of God is active and living and it is enough. As we enter daily into spiritual 1005s
battle we enter with His word, the sword of God, the sword of truth and just just as the 1018s
disciples lack nothing we lack nothing because in this world as Jesus sends us out to go forth. 1029s
He sends us out to go forth, bearing Him, bearing the seal that we have as His own chosen, 1041s
sealed in the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, and we don't go into battle alone. 1054s
In Galatians, Paul writes that it is no longer Ilyuliv, but Christ who lives in me. That means that we have 1063s
the active living, word of God, the sword of God, living inside of us. 1071s
Do we always feel prepared to go into battle of our daily lives? Do we feel prepared to face the 1083s
trials and the tribulations of the battle that we absolutely know? Is there? 1092s
That we absolutely know awaits us on a daily basis. We may not feel prepared, 1100s
but my brothers and sisters you are prepared, because you have been claimed 1112s
through the waters of baptism. You are fed weekly with Christ's own body and blood. 1119s
You are fed daily with His holy, active, and living, 1128s
word, the sword of God. And so we, just as the disciples, when we are sent out, 1135s
we will lack nothing, because we have the sword of God, the living and active word, 1147s
and it is enough. 1159s