"Expectations" 3-10-24

Overview

Expectations

When Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas in Luke 23:7-8, Herod was glad—not out of reverence, but because he had been hoping to see Jesus perform a sign. Herod had heard rumors about this Galilean teacher (see Luke 9:7-9) and had even been warned that this "fox" was after him Luke 13:31-32. Now, with Jesus standing before him, Herod expected a spectacle. Instead, he received silence. Jesus answered him nothing, fulfilling the prophetic word: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth" Isaiah 53:7. Disappointed that Jesus would not perform on demand, Herod mocked him, dressed him in an elegant robe, and sent him back to Pilate.

The uncomfortable question is whether we resemble Herod. Are we tempted to dismiss Jesus when he fails to live up to our expectations? At the same time, Jesus has expectations of those who follow him—expectations laid out plainly in the Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-9. He calls us to be poor in spirit, to mourn over sin, to be meek, to hunger for righteousness, to be merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers. Yet we often celebrate sin rather than mourn it, nurse grudges rather than extend mercy, and retreat to our corners rather than pursue peace. Even Jesus' own disciples, after three years of his teaching, argued about who was greatest Luke 9:46, deserted him at his arrest Mark 14:50, and dismissed the resurrection news as an idle tale Luke 24:11.

The gospel itself is the great subversion of expectation. We might expect God-in-the-flesh to arrive in grandeur; instead, we find a feeding trough, a servant's towel, a crown of thorns, and a cross. The story looks finished at the tomb—and then comes the resurrection. Plain water becomes life-giving water joined to God's Word. Bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ given for us. We deserve eternal banishment from God's presence; the reality is that Jesus bore our sin, the wrath has been satisfied, the debt paid in full, the tomb stands empty, and we are marked as God's own in baptism. What lies ahead for the Christian is beyond our wildest dreams.

So how do we resemble this Christ in the week ahead? When someone fails to meet our expectations, instead of a Herod-like dismissal, we extend grace. When our own expectations are dashed and we are tempted to feel low, we lift up and serve the very people who disappointed us. We show mercy because mercy has been shown to us. By God's grace, lived out in ordinary moments, God is glorified—and the world around us looks just a little different.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible's please with me to the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Luke if you're using a 3s

Pew edition of Holy Scripture in the Pew rack in front of you, you will find that page 76 in the New Testament. 9s

Luke the 23rd chapter. 16s

Expectations. 22s

Expectations. 24s

We all have them. 24s

Don't we? 26s

Perhaps it's the expectation of a trip you're about ready to take and expecting what you might see or the people that you might meet. 27s

Maybe it's an expectation of an important meeting that is coming up this week. 39s

Perhaps it's the expectation of what you will do the rest of the day today or what you might not do the rest of the day today. 46s

We all have expectations. 54s

I want to focus with you today on that reality and look at the expectations embedded in the text. 60s

The expectations that Jesus would have had and expectations for us in the world. 70s

So let's study as we continue the sermon series on resemblance. 83s

He had the dynastic title of Herod. 91s

When you look at the Gospels and into Acts in Holy Scripture, there are four different 95s

Herods. 102s

The Herod that was during the time of Jesus' ministry and life outside of the birth narrative, 104s

Herod. 111s

But the Herod that you read about during Jesus' life was a fellow by the name of Antipus. 113s

Herod Antipus. 120s

And he was the ruler over one of the regions of was Gellily. 123s

And Herod Antipus had some expectations. 130s

Look when they place at verse 7 of our text. 136s

And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, 142s

he sent him off to Herod who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 147s

Well, who the people involved in his verse? Well, the one being sent away is Jesus and the one 153s

sending him learning that Jesus was an Herod's jurisdiction is a person by the name of Pile. 159s

Pile was the ruler of Gellily and Herod and Pile it hated each other. 168s

Hated each. They clashed. They were enemies. 180s

Pile had slaughtered some of Herods' subjects, 188s

according to Luke 13th chapter. 192s

And Herod went over Pile's head when it right to Caesar, 196s

so that Pile would have to remove some of the Roman shields that he had hanging in his palace. 202s

Herod and Pile it, they eased each other. 209s

And when Pile had found out that Jesus was a Herod's jurisdiction, well, 218s

off Jesus went to Herod. 224s

There are a few references with regard to Herod and Jesus that we see in Scripture. 230s

For example, one is in Luke 9th chapter. 236s

It says there now, Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place and he was perplexed 240s

because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead. 246s

By some that Elijah had appeared and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. 252s

Herods had, John I beheaded and who is this about who my here such things and he tried to 258s

see him while the person he was wondering about was Jesus. 265s

And you've got another picture in Luke 13th chapter. 269s

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, 275s

get away from here for Herod wants to kill you. 278s

He that being Jesus said to them, go and tell that fox for me. Listen, I am casting out demons 282s

and performing cures today and tomorrow and on the third day I finish my word. 290s

When we come now to this third episode that we see in Scripture, now comes the meeting. 299s

Look please, verse 8 of our text. 308s

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. 313s

For he had been wanting to see him for a long time because he had heard about him. 316s

And here's the expectation. 323s

And was hoping to see him perform some sun. 326s

That was the expectation that Herod had, he wanted Jesus, 334s

do him eracle, do a healing. He wanted to see what he had been hearing about. 339s

He wanted Jesus to do something fancy right in front of him. 343s

Verse 9, 351s

he questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. 354s

That would have been an insult to the ruler. 360s

That would have angered Herod. 363s

Because when a ruler asked you a question, you better answer that question. 366s

So Herod would have been angered at this silence. 372s

While here is Jesus standing before Herod, 377s

and he silent. 384s

Silent. 387s

Do hear the echoes of the prophetic word from Isaiah 53. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. 390s

Yet he did not open his mouth. 397s

In situations like this, 401s

when people would have to go before the ruler, 404s

when they were being accused of something, they would plead for themselves. 406s

Or they would ask for mercy, but here is Jesus standing now before the ruler, 412s

absolutely silent. 418s

Herod would the expectation of signs and what he's greeted with. 421s

Silence. 426s

You see, this isn't the Jesus that Herod was expecting. 427s

And Mark tells us in the 14th chapter, 435s

some began to spit on him to blindfold him and to strike him, 437s

saying to him, prophesy, the guards also took him over and beat him. 443s

There's no signs. 451s

There's just silence. 454s

And the Jesus he sings is disfigured from the beatings. 460s

Versten. 473s

The chief priests and the scribes stood by the vehemently accusing him. 476s

Even Herod, with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him, 480s

then he put an elegant robe on him and sent him back to pilot. 484s

Herod disappointed, his expectations were just dashed. 492s

So he mocks him and sends him back to pilot. 500s

Do we see it resemblance here perhaps with us and Herod? 510s

Are we ever tempted to dismiss Jesus when he doesn't live up to our expectations? 518s

We ever tempted to do that? 529s

Do we do that? 535s

Here it had expectations. 541s

Did Jesus? 546s

Jesus for three years had poured himself into the lives of these 12. 549s

poured his life into them. 555s

He had chosen them, called them by name. 558s

And for three years he thought they saw them. 563s

The miracles, they saw the healings. 569s

They heard his teachings. 573s

They saw how he related to others. 575s

This was the spotless lamb of God, the second member of the Trinity. 579s

That was before them that they could touch in their very present for three years. 584s

He had poured his life into them. 593s

And yet Luke the ninth chapter says, 596s

an argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. 599s

This was right after Jesus had said he's going to go to the cross. 607s

He's going to be mopped and scourge and crucified. 610s

And on the third day rise again, and this group in which he had poured his life into them for three 612s

years were arguing among themselves, which one of them was the greatest? 618s

Mark the 14th chapter says, all of them deserted him and fled. 629s

Luke 24 tells us that when the women came back from the tomb, 643s

the tomb is empty, they come back to witness to the disciples when they come back from the tomb. 649s

The reaction here from them was, but these words seem to them an idle tale and they did not 656s

be leased them. 665s

Jesus preaches blessed us at our the poor and spirit. 672s

But we can have a hard time acknowledging the poverty of our spirit. 678s

Can't we? 682s

Jesus preached blesser of those who mourn. 686s

But we can struggle mourning over our sin. In fact, instead of mourning over sin, 691s

it can be celebrated. 696s

Jesus preached blessed are those who are weak. 700s

Who are personified by the meaning of that word, 704s

weakness, which is controlled strength. But so often we can just simply exemplify the opposite of that. 707s

Jesus said, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and yet we can have an 716s

incisibal desire for that which is unrighteous. 722s

Jesus said, blessed are the merciful and yet we can struggle for giving even the slightest of 728s

slights that someone may have slightly perturbed us with. 734s

Jesus preached and said, blessed are the pure and heart and yet the impurity of our heart. 741s

Beats and expresses every single day. 748s

Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers and yet we can have the tendency to simply go to our own corners 751s

and wait for the bill to ring because we'd rather fight. 758s

Then pursue. 764s

When it comes to the expectations that Jesus hands on and on goes our sin, 770s

do we see ourselves in the light of His expectations? 787s

It's something that composers do authors do it too. 803s

It's when you're listening to a piece of music or you're singing a piece of music and you expect the music 810s

to go a certain direction but it doesn't. And the composer startles you and 817s

surprises you. You weren't expecting it. When you're reading along and the author seems to 828s

be leading you into a certain direction. You can say, I can see why where this is going. 838s

I can see how the two here, how they fit into the plot line. I can see where this is going. 843s

Then all of a sudden the author just just leads you in a whole different direction. 849s

There's a term for that. It's a technique actually. It's a technique that 855s

composers will use. It's a technique that authors will use. It's called this. It's called the 862s

subversion of expectation. The subversion of expectation. 870s

If someone were to tell you, and you were, you were totally had no biblical framework. 882s

If someone were to tell you that God in the flesh is going to come to earth, 887s

what might be the expectation that you would have? God is going to come to earth. What might be 894s

the expectation that you would have? The expectation of some grand arrival here. 902s

Be it what do we see as first coming? But we see Jesus placed in a feeding trough 915s

because there's no room for him in the end. Well, I'd be the expectation of how he would act. 923s

Yet what the reality is is the reality when Christ comes, we see him girding the servants, 933s

towel, and washing the stinking feet of the disciples. The expectation of his coming, 939s

but the reality of what we receive is a crown of thorns and a cross. They placed the crucified 949s

Christ dead into the tomb. What would be the expectation that the story is over? But what is the reality? 960s

The reality is the resurrection. Water and bread and wine. What is the expectation? Water and bread 969s

and wine. But when God's word is combined with that water as Luther says it becomes a life-giving 981s

water. When we come forward in a few minutes and we receive the sacrament of Christ's body and 989s

blood we receive Christ. For when Jesus instituted the sacrament, He said, this is my body. This is my blood. 996s

And Luther said, what does it mean? It means is. And so when we receive the body and blood, 1008s

we'll receive the bread and the wine we are receiving Christ. Christ so truly present in with and 1016s

under the bread and the wine. What is it that we would expect to receive from God? Because of our 1024s

sinfulness. What do we deserve? But the eternal condemnation of God, what we deserve, 1039s

is eternal banishment from His presence. What we deserve is hell itself for all of eternity. 1051s

But what's the reality? 1060s

The reality is Christ very much. All of our sin on the cross and reconciling us unto God. 1066s

The reality is that the wrath has been taken by Jesus. The reality is that the sin has been paid for. 1074s

The reality is been paid in full. The reality that the tomb is empty, that the sacrifice for sin 1083s

has been accepted. The reality that we've been washed in our baptism. And God says to each of us, 1090s

mine in the waters of baptism. The reality is life eternal. When these few years the sight of heaven 1099s

ends eternity where there is no ending in the very presence of God where there is no more crying 1110s

in no more mourning and no more tears. Why the expectation here? It's beyond our wealthiest 1118s

dream. After reality of what lies ahead for the Christian beyond our wildest day. 1134s

And in the here and now, as we follow this one of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1160s

As God by His grace has given us faith, as God by His grace sustains that faith, 1172s

word and sacrament in these days that He has given us this side of heaven. 1178s

How might we resemble Him? How can we show grace to the person this week? 1189s

It's not going to live up to your expectations. How can we show grace? 1208s

When we're feeling low because our expectations have been dashed and just out of the blue. 1223s

Someone or a group here has just just not met our expectations and we are just feeling so low. 1231s

How is it that we can lift up the very person or people that have made us feel that way? 1239s

How can we lift them up and serve them? Instead of a hered dismissal because the expectations haven't been met, 1249s

how can we show mercy? Like the one whom we follow? 1268s

Wouldn't it be fair to say that by God's grace living that out this week? 1285s

By God's grace that would glorify Him and would it be fair to say that the world might be 1293s

a little different would it be fair to say that the world might be 1310s

just a little different. 1322s