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Satans trouble = God's triumph  Luke 22:35 - 38

     35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” And they said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now, let him who has a purse take it along, likewise also a bag, and let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one. 37 “For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” nasb

These words of Jesus are some of His final words to His disciples on the final evening they would be together.  It was a time of serious teaching.  Final prep. before His arrest.  They don't know it yet but their world is about to change drastically.  

We've been looking at all of the various forms of trouble that is getting hurled at Jesus.  Trouble from Judas who is going to sell Him out for a bit of silver.  30 pieces of silver, 30 days wages, the price of a common slave.

Trouble from Satan who is orchestrating His betrayal having entered into Judas and now requesting to sift the other disciples also like wheat. No doubt accusing them to Jesus of being worthless chaff like Judas turned out to be.  

Trouble from disciples who are blockheads, who are more interested in fighting over who's the greatest than listening to Jesus teaching on His final preparatory lessons and warnings.  They're doing their best in their proud flesh to prove Satan right.

All of this combined trouble and conflict coming at God's kingdom from every possible direction from inside the kingdom, and yet we have a sovereign God who is working through all of it to accomplish His good plan for our blessing and good.

In a fallen world where Satan is the ruler of this world, there is really nothing but trouble.  Nothing but rebellion against God's holy desires.  But God sovereignly works His plans for good using all of the evil and turning it into completing His plan for this world.  Like Joseph told his brothers who had sold him into slavery out of jealousy;

“And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.  Gen. 50:20

Satan hurls evil at this world and God uses it for good.  All of the different categories of trouble we see in this passage before us, will be turned into triumph by our awesome all powerful God.  Satans trouble = God's triumph

And there is one final trouble to consider, and Jesus works through that final trouble explaining to His beloved disciples that there has been a sea change, and from this moment on they can expect trouble to come against them from the world.  Trouble within the ranks, and trouble without.

It's at this exact juncture in John's account, at the very end of chapter 16 that Jesus says these words;

32 “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

The hour has come for trouble.  Trouble from without.  Our previous passages were about trouble from within.  Trouble from within their own ranks.  Now Jesus says something quite different, something quite new.  Trouble from without.  

Trouble from the world.  Conflict from your neighbors, your family, your loved ones, your countrymen.  In this world expect tribulation.  But remember, sovereign God wins.  take courage, I have overcome the world.

That's where we're at in our ongoing teaching as recorded by Luke.  Jesus is going to tell his disciples, everything has changed.  Expect conflict from people who never gave you any trouble in the past.

This little passage is especially potent for christians living today.  It defines exactly what we are beginning to see all around us in our land.  Listen closely this morning, these things were for the 11 disciples, and they are for us!

35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” And they said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now,

That was then, this is now; . . . There has been a sea change.  Something has happened.  On schedule, according to God's ultimate plan and for His purposes, there has been a complete mass change of sympathy and opinion regarding Jesus, and by association, also His disciples.  His men.

He's referring to the 2 different recorded mission ventures that He sent first the disciples out on, and then the 70.  They went from village to village, from house to house, proclaiming the good news of the gospel, and they were received everywhere they went . . . as friends.

They didn't need provisions.  Everywhere they went they were received and welcomed and considered valuable to their nation because of their work and cause.  

Jesus was popular.  Any village He entered the people were thrilled to have Jesus in their place.  He healed the sick and raised the dead.  He was a massive force for good.  He taught about the kingdom of God, as if, as if He were the author of the book.  No one ever taught with the authority and power of Jesus.  There was nothing like Him before or since.

And when Jesus came to town, it was huge.  He was welcomed and loved and His men were welcome everywhere they went.  Received with open arms and all of their needs met as if it was a privilege to have them.  They were popular.  They were considered by all as an asset, a positive.  They were of value.

But that mood has changed . . . almost overnight.  How?  How does the multitude that crushed onto the temple grounds in order to see and hear Jesus also become the same mob that cries out "Crucify Him Crucify Him."

How does public darling number one become public enemy number one, almost overnight.  Was it the curse of desolation that He stated as He exited the public stage?  Your house is left to you desolate.  Henceforth you shall not see me again until you cry out;  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord?

We don't know the full dynamics of this seemingly bizarre public sentiment shift.  Overnight He has gone from rockstar to enemy.  The leaders of Israel wanted Him dead.  They had spread the false rumor that He was doing His miracles because of a connection to Beelzebub, Satan.  Jesus is hooked up with Satan and wants to bring desolation to our nation.  

Did the leaders and the pharisees effectively comb the public sector with that message during the week of teaching in the temple?  He seems like a good guy but He's actually a really really bad guy.  He said it Himself, Behold your house is left unto you desolate.  He has connections to Satan and He wants to destroy Israel.  We need to eliminate Him.

I'm speculating from the limited revelation that we have.  But somehow, public opinion and sympathy has made a sea change.  Overnight.  Jesus isn't our friend, He's our enemy.  Jesus is a dangerous enemy who wants evil to overtake our nation.  He isn't a good guy.  He's a dangerous enemy who seeks our destruction.

Judas has already changed sides.  Judas believed the reports and has moved over to the "right side of history".  Sentiment has changed.  Sympathy has changed.  The mood has changed.  Get out and get on the right side of history.  The side that's winning.  Jesus is going to lose.  Jesus is going down.

That's Jesus message and warning to His disciples.  35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” And they said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now,

When I sent you out before, you were received as hero's.  You lacked nothing.  You were considered as valuable.  Assets.  Positive.  That's all shifted.  Look at those two little words in the first part of vs. 36;  “But now,

Before you went out as friends, “But now, you're going to find a different world surrounding you.  You're not friends anymore, because of Me, you've become enemies.

36 And He said to them, “But now, let him who has a purse take it along, likewise also a bag, and let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one.

The mood has changed.  You're not going to be welcomed and receive help from the world any longer.  The world isn't going to help you on your way, the world is going to hinder you.  You're not the world's friends any more, you're the world's enemies.

Let's look at 3 things Jesus tells them they will need in order to be self sufficient.  let him who has a purse take it along  Take a purse;  That was a smaller somewhat secure bag, perhaps with a drawstring, small enough to be tucked away perhaps, and it was for your coins.  Your money.  You'll have to pay your own way.  You'll need a purse.  Nobody's going to help you finance your travels.

likewise also a bag  This is a bigger travel bag to take along the other things you'll need.  Food provisions.  Extra clothing if you have some.  Nobody from this world is going to feed you or clothe you.  You'll have to take that stuff.

and let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one.   This is a machaira.  It's a long knife.  They were between 12 to 18 inches long including the handle.  

The world is a dangerous place.  It is inhabited by fallen sinners and it is cursed after the fall.  It's ruler is Satan.  If it were not for God given restraints of common grace it would be un-inhabitable.  As it is, there is danger on all sides.  
God doesn't send us into that mess completely defenseless.  Almost, but not completely.  

Matt. 10 was a pre-warning already given;  16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. 17 “But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Is it OK for christians to have self defense weapons.  Yes.  I believe Jesus here includes the machaira as a furtherance of common grace.  Walk softly but carry a big stick.  There is restraint that becomes a grace for everyone and part of that restraint is the individual threat of defense.

Does the church ever arm itself and go on the offense.  No.  We're going to see that in a few verses.  Jesus says better buy yourself a machaira.  Get a defense weapon.  But when the world's army comes and Peter goes on the warpath with his machaira, Jesus says, no, no, that isn't how it's going to be Peter, and He puts the guys ear back on.  

You could build a strong biblical case that the best restraint against violent evil, man against man, is for every man to have a deadly defense weapon.  Show of hands; how many household's represented here have deadly weapons that could be used if your household comes under attack?  Everybody.

How many here believe the best restraint in an evil world is for everyone to be armed with a deadly weapon?  Right.  Our nation was wisely, WISELY built upon that biblical premise.  A deadly weapon is the best restraint against evil mass chaos.  The folks who want to take the weapons away are actually legislating for increased anarchy and violence.

If you're looking for the biblical argument for the right and necessity to bear arms, here it is.  Buy a sword.  Don't use it offensively.  But in a fallen sinful world, a sword is a restraint against evil.  Devensive weapons restrain evil.

It's a foolish worldview to think that if there were no weapons there would be no evil.  It's a foolish worldview that says man is basically good but his environment has made him violent.  This book says, no, Adam made him violent.  That common birth trait of sin that each of us has inherited from our parents is why we are violent.  

We are born condemned sinners, violent evil men, in a sinful place, and restraint against evil, right down to the arms we should all bear, is a common grace that makes the world livable.  God gave us those restraints as common grace.

Buy a sword.  Bear it when necessary in an evil world.  Don't use it.  We are sheep in the midst of wolves.  We are to be as shrewd as the rest of the serpents.  Buy a sword.  But then be innocent as doves.  That defines christians.

I love the story I heard somewhere about a guy by himself, driving in a frighteningly scary neighborhood, and his car quits.  He is forced to proceed on foot in an environment that is very hostile to him.  It's like a dark alley.  No streetlights.  Suddenly he sees 4 big scary looking dudes coming in his direction and his skin crawls.  This might be it.

They get closer as he hovers in a shadow as best he can, and then he notices something.  All 4 of them have Bibles.  The fear drains out of him.  Why is that?  What is it about this book that transforms scary sinful men into docile friends?  Even if all 4 of them were wearing their machaira's in plain sight, the presence of the book alleviates fear.

It isn't laws that remove restraints that creates civilized safety.  It's the transforming power of this book that does that.  Buy a sword.  Read the book.

This is Jesus final words to His beloved disciples.  This hostile world is no longer your friend.  Buy what you'll need to be self sustaining.  Take your own money to pay your way.  Take the things and provisions you'll need.  Arm yourselves with the level of restraint that creates the common grace.  

That sword won't start any attacks but it may stop most of them from ever happening.  Restraint is a common grace given by God as a blessing in a fallen world.  I can't say that enough.

What changed?  Why is this discussion necessary?  Jesus is going to tell them;

37 “For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

Did you hear what He just said.  We are outlaws.  Numbered with the transgressors;  That means outlaws.  The world considers us as outsiders, lawbreakers, threats, people who need to be removed for the safety of the whole.

We are outlaws.  Jesus is an outlaw.  That happened almost overnight.  He isn't a friend of the world, He has become an enemy.  Public enemies.  Outlaws.  Jesus is an enemy, and anyone who is with Jesus is a public enemy.  His associates are also enemies.

This is a fascinating verse.  It's an old testament quote.  ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’;   Where does it say that?  It says it in the passage that is known as the rabbi's worst nightmare.  The passage that is never read in any jewish synagogue.  Isaiah 53

If you're speaking with jewish friends and you bring up Isaiah 53 and they tell you, no, that isn't about Jesus, that doesn't have anything to do with Jesus, you can bring them here and show them that none other than Jesus said that everything Isaiah 53 says;  Is about Him.  All of it.

Just in case there's any question;  He says the same thing twice.  This has it's fulfillment IN ME.  37 “For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

There's so much there that I can't help but feel incompetent to even begin to do it justice.  Jesus is numbered with the transgressors.  Jesus is a public enemy.  Numbered with the outlaws.  Considered to be a danger to society.  Jesus is a dangerous criminal. 

Overnight the mood has changed from friend to enemy.  From welcomed asset to feared liability.  Jesus is numbered with dangerous criminals.  Jesus is public enemy number one.  That's what Isaiah 53:12 says.  

Jesus tells his men, I'm public enemy number one, and you guys are my homies.  Not good.  Don't look for sympathy.  Don't look for help along your way.  Brandish a machaira.  Don't use it, but carry it, you're no longer a friend of the world, you are enemies because of your close association with me.

Was Jesus a transgressor?  Peter answers our question;  
1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” 23 When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.…

Isaiah 53:9 says the same thing just 3 verses before the one Jesus quotes.  In fact Peter quoted it word for word.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked but no sin was ever committed by Him.  How can these things be reconciled?  How can the only person who never committed any sin be numbered with the transgressors?  Paul sheds light on this exact phenomenon, described by Isaiah, fulfilled in Jesus 750 years later.

2 Corinthians 5:21  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The single perfect Son of God, the only non-transgressor who ever lived, was numbered with the transgressors so that I could be numbered with the righteous.  Jesus took my transgressions upon Himself and bore the penalty, the death I deserved came to Him, and then He gave to me His righteousness.

He became the transgressor at Calvary and I became the righteousness of God.  In Him.  Only in Him.  He takes my place.  I take His place.  That's the gospel, people.  That's the good news.  This world is condemned.  But we have been purchased out of this world, if we belong to Him.

Very well then.  Back to His final warning to His disciples.  I'm public enemy number one.  You guys are public enemy number 2 through 12.  But it didn't stop with them, beloved.  I don't know what my number is but because of Jesus, I am public enemy number ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands.  

Whatever that number is, if I belong to Jesus, I'm an outlaw in this world.  It was true for His disciples, and it's still true for us today.  In fact, overnight it seems, again, to be more true than ever.  Within the last decade and even within the past few months there has been a sea change in our nation.  

When I was growing up, the United States was user friendly to christians.  It was roughly the same environment as the disciples found on their first missionary journeys that Jesus sent them on.

They were user friendly to the jewish nation.  Fellow jews who were heralding a distinctly jewish message.  Good news!  The Kingdom of God is at hand.  The King is here and He's offering clemency to all sinners who will repent.  The jewish messiah has arrived.  

That was a friendly and welcome message that jews were taking to fellow jews.  Thus they did not need to take anything along.  All of their needs were being met by friends to friends.  That changed for them, and it's changing for us.

The United States is increasingly hostile to christians.  We are right on the cuspice, right at the threshold of a sea change where our nation that was once user friendly to christians will become the enemy of christians.  Or rather, the opposite.  Christians will increasingly be seen as the enemies of the United States.

In our Universities, and breaking out of those think tanks spreading like cancer spreads from cell to cell are ideas borne in Marxism.  Critical theory.  Critical Race Theory.  Critical Social Justice.  Black Lives Matter.  Feminism.  The LGBTQI+++ community.  

All of those groups and more are re-thinking christianity.  Once upon a time christians were on the leading edge of civilized gracious society.  No more.  All of the marxist groups that are now in the driver's seat see christians as oppressors and all of the other intersectional groups I just mentioned as the oppressed.

Suddenly we are the bad guys.  Christians are public enemies.  Christians are regressive people trying to restrain progressive people.  Christians have a book with black and white morality that our current culture sees as oppressive restraint.  

This is all just as brand new to us as it was to these disciples.  Last week we were the friends of the culture, they welcomed us into their homes and gave us provisions to send us on our mission.  This week we are transgressors and enemies.  Welcome to the world Jesus has just defined for His disciples.

Are you surprised by that?  Do you enjoy seeing yourselves as public enemies to the culture you live in?  It's coming at us like a tidal wave folks.

Do we as christians embrace the social justice movements our culture is embracing?  This is something we need to consider carefully, because it's coming at us like a tidal wave folks.  And most of it is Marxism.  Divisive marxism that labels every group and draws up lines of battle, the oppressed against the oppressors.  Christians are the oppressors.

Our first reflex is that God requires of christians justice above and beyond the world's justice.  Justice in this fallen world is commanded by God, and we read over and over that one of the reasons God was furious with Israel and punished Isreael was because of injustice.

Justice is important to God.  We could say justice is a trigger for God.  He gets furious when His little ones that he loves are trodden down by an unjust world.  So our first reflex is, this justice stuff is important to God and we need to be on the side of justice.  That's true and it's biblical.

But be careful, because the world's recipe for justice makes God's book and God's moral laws, and God's people the enemies.  The oppressors, not the oppressed.  Critical Social Justice says christians are the problem, not the solution.

The worlds recipe for social justice is to break down every law and every restraint given by God as common grace for our survival in a fallen world, to challenge every single thing God put in place for our safety in a sinful world.

Male and female made He them.  BAD
Leave father and mother and cleave to a wife.  BAD
You shall not commit adultery.  BAD
You shall not murder (your unborn or anyone else)  BAD
Be in submission to all authority.  BAD
But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he (the policeman) does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant,  BAD
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: BAD!  REALLY REALLY BAD.

All of the things that God's book commands as good and necessary for justice, the world's version of Critical Social Justice says are bad.  Critical Social Justice is NOT God's justice.

We need to think carefully beloved.  Our default is to love real justice.  Our other default is to love our neighbors and to desire foremost to live quietly and have no conflict with them.  

If we join the world in it's quest for what it has now defined as justice, we are joining the world in it's rebellion against God and even moreso, against God's common graces that make the world habitable.

The disciples were stunned that evening to learn that they were no longer friends of the world.  They by embracing Jesus and siding with Him in His kingdom, had become the worlds enemies.  They have just been informed that they are outlaws to this world and are by default, in conflict with this world.

That was a lot to digest.  A lot.  And most of these guys, Peter especially are visual hands on learners.  They heard what He said, but it's going to take some action to get it moved from their confused heads to the deep seated places in their hearts.  Stay tuned.

38 And they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

One of them belonged to Peter.  We'll find that out in a few weeks in just a few verses from here.  Same night.  Peter's going to go on the offense with his machaira.  He's going to go for the guys head but he's only going to get an ear.  The guy was quick on his feet.

They said to Jesus, we've got two swords, and Jesus says It's enough.  I take that as the same thing I've said to my kids when the discussion is over.  Enough.  Your heads are hard.  We'll move out into the night and you're going to begin to learn about swords and battle with the forces of this world.

They go out into the night and they begin a journey of discovery.  Machaira's may be useful as a restrainer in this world.  An equalizer.  A big stick.  But they're useless in spiritual warfare, and that's where the battle is at.  We are in a spiritual war and knives and guns are useless for that.  It'll take a while, but they'll get it.  

On Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, Peter goes out and slays about 2000 men, with words.  Mere words.  Satan's kingdom lost 2000 men on that single day, and God's kingdom gained them, by the power of the gospel.

It would be hard to find a better affirmation of what the disciples will learn about spiritual warfare with this condemned world than the words of Paul to the church at Corinth.  2 Corinthians10:4,5  Paul says;

4 The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

What is this weapon that ignores the flesh and blood of this world and goes much deeper, straight to the soul, the basis of ideas and thoughts and beliefs?

Whoever the writer of the book of Hebrews is, we will know in heaven, but whoever it is has learned this truth.  We don't mess around with machaira's and broad swords, things that can only go flesh deep.  We go for the heart, the inner places inside that flesh, the part of man that will live eternally somewhere.  And what is our weapon that attacks beyond the depths of mere flesh?

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

This book has all of the power of heaven behind it.  A machaira can slash away at flesh and damage the physical man.  This book goes inside the man and attacks sinful souls.  It lays open the inner man.  That's why Paul shouts to us;

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  Romans 1:16

The power to transform is in words from God.  The gospel is the message of salvation from condemnation revealed in this book.  A million times more powerful than swords that can only cut flesh.  God's word can pierce souls.

Finally, to end our thoughts this morning about warfare between two opposing kingdoms.  The kingdom of God which is the called out of this world people who belong to Jesus and to the Father, who live by the indwelling spirit.  

That kingdom of collective people is at war with this condemned world that is ruled by the ruler of this world, Satan.  Two opposing kingdoms at war.  We dwell within the kingdoms of this world.  We are massively outnumbered.  But we hold the power that defeats this world a thousand to one.  Paul defines the situations to the church at Ephesus;

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Put away the machaira's Peter.  Our battle is against spiritual strongholds and we have weapons of mass destruction in the spiritual realms.  2 swords for 11 guys is ample.  Let's move out into the real battle, and out they go, into the mount of Olives, where Satan's forces of evil will come to arrest Jesus in the first little volley of spiritual warfare of the church.

If you're curious about how it ends, you can read the end of the book ahead of time, it's all there.  We hold the weapons of mass spiritual warfare, in our hands.