The Cost Of Discipleship

“THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP”

Matthew 8.19-22; Luke 9.57-62

You may recall from last Sunday morning’s message from God’s Word that I indicated some six months lapsed between John 6.71 and John 7.1, during which time some events took place that did not serve John’s purpose to record in his Gospel account. The Lord met with the Syrophenician woman and cast out a demon afflicting her daughter.[1] The Lord then took His apostles to Caesarea Philippi where Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.[2] Then there was our Lord’s transfiguration on the mountain that was witnessed by Peter, James, and John.[3] Those events are not found in John’s Gospel.

This morning’s message will once more call attention to events and exchanges not mentioned by the apostle in the fourth Gospel, events that took place between the record of John 7.10 and John 7.11. By way of introduction, I draw your attention to Luke 9.51-56, where we are told of our Lord Jesus Christ’s rejection by the Samaritans. From Luke 9.51 all the way to Luke 18.44 we are given by Luke a description of the Lord Jesus Christ’s journey from Galilee to Jerusalem that, with one exception, is contained in no other Gospel account. Not in Matthew, not in Mark, and not in John.

In actuality, the Lord Jesus Christ traveled back and forth from Galilee to Jerusalem three times during this short period. And John’s Gospel records events that occur in Jerusalem on all three occasions. But only Luke, except Matthew at one point, records details related to getting there and returning as the Lord Jesus Christ transitions the geographical focus of His ministry from Galilee to Jerusalem. Additionally, we are told in these chapters many of the Lord’s most beautiful parables, such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan,[4] the Parable of the Prodigal Son,[5] the Parable of the Lost Sheep,[6] and the Parable of the Lost Coin.[7]

Perhaps you remember me calling attention to our Lord’s remark to His siblings in John 7.8, where He said,

“I go not up yet unto this feast.”

I pointed out that His intention was not to avoid altogether the feast in Jerusalem but to avoid traveling to the feast with His family members. That understood, let us examine the Savior’s journey to Jerusalem by a different route than the one taken by His siblings. If you have arrived at Luke 9.51 I invite you to stand with me for the reading of God’s Word:

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

A few remarks associated with Luke 9.51:

“And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

Although Luke is recording the events that will culminate in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, his record of the events is, in fact, anticipating what will occur after the Lord’s passion. In referring to the Lord Jesus Christ being “received up” Luke is referring to the Son of God being received up into glory. Paul wrote about this to Timothy in First Timothy 3.16:

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Look now to Luke 9.52:

“And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.”

We mustn’t get the impression that messengers were sent because the Lord had a large entourage of followers with Him. The Gospel record suggests otherwise. Samaria, lying between Galilee to the North and Judea to the South, was less prepared for an influx of Jewish people making religious pilgrimages than were other regions. Jerusalem, and the towns and villages along routes Jewish people frequented when traveling to Jerusalem were used to religious pilgrims at certain times corresponding to Jewish holy days. In regions where there were few roadside inns, to have a place to sleep and to have a meal to eat, travelers had to put their orders in ahead of time. It would not be unusual for the Lord to send young John running ahead of the rest of them to get things ready for their arrival as they passed through Samaria.

Luke 9.53 reveals a practical consequence of racial and ethnic prejudice:

“And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.”

Remember the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans? It was both racial and religious. Whatever bitterness divided these two peoples during everyday life, you can be sure that the feelings were heightened just before a Jewish feast like the Jewish feast of tabernacles. It was expected for Samaritans to think to themselves, “Why should we help these Jews get to Jerusalem to practice their false religion?” Thus, even with notice of their arrival, we see yet another instance when there was no room for Jesus in the inn, but this time for a different reason.

Luke 9.54 records the reactions of James and his brother John:

“And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”

Surely the Lord Jesus Christ anticipated being rejected by the Samaritans in this way. Any Jewish person would have known this would happen. So, why did He choose to venture through this hostile region in the first place? Two possible reasons: First, to seize upon an opportunity to offer Himself to the Samaritans, which they sadly rejected before it materialized. Second, to give His disciples an opportunity to deal with some issues so He could advance their training. And it turned out that it was James and John who gave their Master such an opportunity for instruction. They wanted an opportunity to play the part of Elijah, in Second Kings 1.9-12:

9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Back to Luke 9.55-56:

55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

It was in Mark 3.17 that we read of the Lord Jesus Christ nicknaming John and James the “sons of thunder,” likely their joint nickname being related to their temperament. No surprise, then, that when they felt their Master was slighted by these Samaritans, they suggested a response that would have resulted in the deaths of perhaps hundreds of people, supposing the response to have been in line with the prophet Elijah. But there was nothing about Elijah’s Spirit-directed response in his circumstance that bore any resemblance to what these two zealous young men suggested. So the Lord Jesus Christ strongly rebuked them for failing along several lines:

First, these young men knew not what spirit they were of. In other words, they were suggesting something they thought was spiritual which was wicked. How easy it is for us to be self-deceived. James and John were taking up offense for the Lord Jesus Christ, but only satisfying their lust for revenge, trying to justify it as righteous indignation. However, they were wrong.

Second, they completely misread (and after all the time they had spent with Him) the thrust of the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry. His ministry wasn’t about destroying men’s lives. Had that been His goal He could have hurled lightning bolts from heaven. He could have rained down fire and brimstone. He could have opened up the earth to swallow mankind up. But He took upon Himself human flesh and became a man. He left heaven’s glory to come here. Why? Because He was on a mission of mercy. He came to save men’s souls. With His mission reestablished in their minds, He presumably led His men to another village for a night’s rest and food.

Having passed from Samaria to Judea, we now address an occurrence recorded in both Matthew and Luke in which the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with the important matter identified as the cost of discipleship. We will consider brief exchanges between the Lord Jesus Christ and three individuals, with only two of them being mentioned in Matthew’s account. Let’s look at each of these three exchanges:

First, THE LORD'S EXCHANGE WITH A SCRIBE

Matthew 8.19-20 and Luke 9.57-58:

19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Comparing Matthew 8.19 and Luke 9.57, we learn three things: First, Matthew informs us that the man who spoke to the Master was a scribe, something that was not mentioned to Luke’s Gentile readers, who would not know what a scribe was. But a scribe in the Gospels refers to someone who is an expert in the Law of Moses, a scholar. That being the case, you have to wonder about some things. Either we have a scribe who is not traveling to Jerusalem, something very unusual for a Bible scholar, or the Lord Jesus encounters this man in the vicinity of Jerusalem. I think our Lord is probably near Jerusalem at this point, although we are given no geographical references in this passage. Second, it seems that this scribe has been encountered along the way. Thus, he is not someone who is already a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is an important thing to remember. And third, he said to the Lord Jesus,

“Master, I will follow thee withersoever thou goest.”

“Master,” meaning teacher, was quite a compliment coming from a scribe. You might see in his declaration a high level of commitment, but you may also see in this man’s high level of commitment a decided lack of other things. For example, there may be a lack of humility here, overestimating his ability to follow through on his determination. There also may be a lack of foresight and wisdom, having little knowledge of what may lie ahead to hinder the fulfillment of his commitment to follow the Lord Jesus.

In Matthew 8.20 and Luke 9.58 we see the Lord Jesus Christ’s response to the scribe:

20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

In both verses is recorded a contrast drawn by the Lord between two species of animals and Himself. And among the Jews, the two species our Lord Jesus mentions were not well thought of. Both the foxes and the birds, you see, were animals that spoiled the vines. What was it about these two species of animals that the Lord drew attention to? They were animals that had fixed homes and places of rest and refuge. Foxes make dens in holes in the ground. Birds make their nests in trees and shrubs and the rocks. But the point is that those animals did not range so far that they couldn’t return to their place of refuge for rest at night. The Lord Jesus Christ, on the other hand, had no single place to lay His head at night. Why not? It wasn’t that He could not have such a place. There were many who would have provided such a place for Him, from the fishermen such as Peter and Andrew and James and John to the centurion whose servant He had healed,[8] to Jairus whose daughter He had raised from the dead.[9] But He must be about His Father’s business. There were the blind to give sight, and the lame to be made whole, and the lepers to cleanse, and the dead to raise up. There were demons to cast out, and disciples to train, and multitudes to feed, and the Gospel to preach everywhere. But most of all, there was a cross to hang from. So, He had no place to lay His head. Too much territory to cover. Too much to accomplish. But there was another reason for the Lord being on the move all the time. Opposition. My, how the religious establishment hated Him, and no doubt did their best to make Him unwelcome wherever He traveled among the Jews.

What was the point our Lord was trying to make to the scribe and for His disciples? We are not told in so many words, but I have two opinions that I would like for you to consider: First, the Lord Jesus Christ could have been drawing attention to one consequence of being at odds with the world. You see, the scribe held a position of great respect and admiration in the Jewish society of that day. But if he did become a disciple of Jesus Christ, he would be giving up all that admiration, all those accolades, all the respect, and all the standing. In other words, there were two sides of this spiritual conflict that would come to a head on Calvary. And if that scribe followed the Lord Jesus, he would find himself on the other side and in a position decidedly opposite everyone known to him. Was he really ready for that? The Lord wanted Him to count the cost and weigh the price. Second, and akin to my first opinion of what point the Savior might have been making with the scribe and for His disciples, has more to do with the self-denial, the utter self-denial, the homelessness to this world, and the entire self-surrender to Jesus Christ that is expected, that is required, and that is demanded of someone who would be His disciple. How much of this scribe did Jesus Christ insist upon should he desire to follow the Master? He insisted upon all of him, without reservation.

Next, WE SEE THE LORD'S EXCHANGE WITH A DISCIPLE

Matthew 8.21-22 and Luke 9.59-60:

21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

If the first encounter had to do with what was expected to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, this encounter gives us an idea of the price required to remain a disciple of Jesus Christ:

I say this because Matthew 8.21 indicates that this fellow is a disciple. But understand that a disciple is anyone who is a learner and a follower of the Master. Take two people who traveled with the Lord Jesus Christ. If one of them is known by God to be saved and the other is known by God to be unsaved, they could both still be referred to in the Bible as disciples. The word “disciple” is a description only of that which seems apparent by one’s outward behavior.

So, to this person who was apparently a disciple the Lord Jesus commanded: “Follow me.” And, by the way, that is His command to every human being. Anyone who does not follow Jesus Christ is in flagrant, open, and defiant rebellion against Him.

Notice the disciple’s response:

“Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.”

There are two possible mind sets revealed in the response of this disciple, that are reflected by the two possible scenarios in which such a statement as this might be made: First, it is possible that this man, already being a disciple now, has decided that he doesn’t want to be a disciple anymore, at least not at this time in his life. What he wants to do is go home and wait for his dad to die, settle his dad’s estate, and then perhaps later take up with Jesus Christ and His band of men again. If that is the case, then he is just using his father as an excuse to get out of his obligation to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and be His disciple. The second scenario is that this man is a disciple of Christ who has just been informed that his father has died and is pleading with the Lord Jesus Christ for permission to rush home and tend to his father’s burial. Such a scenario would be more urgent than many of us realize because of the Jewish practice of burying their dead on the day following their passing. So, that tradition, plus the difficulty of travel in that pre-industrial era, would make it all the more urgent for the disciple to move if he has intentions of attending his father’s funeral.

In light of these two possible scenarios, let’s try to understand the Lord Jesus Christ’s response to the man. Luke 9.60:

“Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”

If the man’s father is still alive, and the man simply wants to go home and wait for his father to die before he begins to fulfill his duty to follow the Lord Jesus, then the Lord’s response is very easy to understand. No smokescreen thrown up to evade one’s responsibilities toward the Lord Jesus Christ by some pretended desire to honor your father will work. You do not dishonor your father by honoring the Savior. What that disciple needed to do was let those who are unsaved tend to the family matters that he was unable to tend to because he was otherwise occupied with the profoundly more important task of preaching the kingdom of God. But what happens if the Lord’s response occurs against the backdrop of a disciple just having learned that his father has died? What if it is possible for him to get to the funeral quickly, tend to his duties as a son, and then rejoin the Lord Jesus Christ and His small band of disciples? With that scenario, it is sometimes more difficult to understand the Lord Jesus Christ’s orders to

“Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”

But if we remember both the conditions of the disciples and the context in which this encounter occurs some illuminating light is shed on the Lord’s response. In Matthew 16.24 we read,

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

These words had been said only a few weeks or at most a couple of months earlier. So, implicit in discipleship is self-denial, bearing up a burden, and following Jesus Christ. And circumstances do not alter the conditions of discipleship. Second, consider the context in which this exchange occurs. The Lord Jesus Christ is moving His ministry from Galilee into a new geographical location and a crucial phase of ministry not long before His arrest and crucifixion. Shortly, He will send out into the highways and byways, not the apostles two by two, but seventy disciples two by two. That had to be on His mind. So, it is when things are becoming crucial, it is when things are becoming climactic, it is when things are reaching a critical juncture, that this man’s father dies and he wants to bury his dad. And at such a time, if this scenario reflects such a situation, the Lord Jesus tells the man, “No, the time is not right. Let the lost members of your family take care of that. It is crucial right now for you to go and preach the kingdom of God.” Does this mean that there is never a time when a servant of God shouldn’t go and bury his dad? Of course not. But if revival broke out here at Calvary Road Baptist Church is it likely that I would travel to Portland to attend my dad’s Episcopalian and Masonic Lodge funeral? No, it is not likely that I would leave a scene in which heaven-sent revival was taking place.

As in the first scenario, it is never right to use family obligations and family ties to escape the holy obligations and duties of honoring God and serving Christ. But it should also be noted that there are situations that arise that even the otherwise faithful Christian will be tempted to shirk his duty, to abandon his duty post, to think it best to miss something crucial to the ministry. Let us understand that the ministry must come first. Whatever scenario the Lord is speaking to, the lesson is clear. The ministry must come first.

I know that some of you will think to yourselves, “But the family should come first.” Should it? Should the family come first? I read Matthew 12.46-50, First Corinthians 7.15, and Ephesians 2.10:

46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

7.15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

2.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

No servant of God does his family any harm by conducting himself in such a way that they are convinced Jesus Christ is worthy to be obeyed. And no one who uses religion as a means of covering up and masking over self-serving selfishness and pious hypocrisy should ever be considered a true disciple of Jesus Christ. If you truly love your family, encourage them to prepare for eternity the way you have prepared for eternity.

WE NOW EXAMINE THE FINAL EXCHANGE, WHICH IS RECORDED ONLY BY LUKE

I read Luke 9.61-62:

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Let’s look at this exchange a phrase at a time:

“And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee.”

So far we have seen the Lord Jesus Christ declare what price is paid to become His disciple, and what price is paid to remain His disciple. This exchange may involve the price you pay should you seek to interrupt your discipleship. The reason I say that is related to the Greek verb translated “I will follow.” Translating “akoloothaso,” the “-so” ending shows that this is a future tense verb. In other words, the man who is talking is engaging in some degree of speculation as to what his plans are in the future. I say speculation because no human being can be sure of what he will do in the future. Remember Simon Peter’s declaration that he would never betray the Lord Jesus Christ? He betrayed Him three times before the rooster crowed twice.[10] People plan big. And folks make all kinds of commitments. But what counts is what people do. Amen? This guy is going to follow Jesus Christ. He has great and wonderful plans to follow the Lord Jesus. Perhaps he needs to take time off to finish college first. Maybe he needs some specialized training for six months or a year. But for now, there are things he considers more important than following Jesus Christ.

“but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.”

Oh, so there is something that must be done first before he serves Christ. There is something more important than Jesus Christ. And what is more important than serving Jesus Christ? Is it an impending marriage? Is it the opportunity to kick off a long-awaited career? Is it the pursuit of a bride, or a groom? No. It is actually something that almost everyone recognizes as even more important than those pressing matters. This guy who plans to follow Jesus Christ wants to go home and bid farewell to his family. Sounds innocuous enough, doesn’t it? Seems reasonable, don’t you think? Until you consider very carefully what the man said. The word translated “go bid farewell” means to detach, to separate, to set yourself apart from.[11] Wait a second. If this guy is with the Lord Jesus Christ’s party, should he not already have detached from his family? Should he not already have separated from his relatives? Should he not already have set himself apart from his kinfolks? After all, such detachment and separation regularly and routinely takes place when two people get married, according to God’s Word.[12] It is incredible to think that when someone becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ that at least such a change in relationship to those you know takes place. When you are a mom or a dad or a son or a daughter you have a certain kind of relationship with the family. But just as soon as you become a disciple of Jesus Christ the relationship with the family changes in its relative importance and properly becomes secondary to your relationship with Jesus Christ, so that if God calls you to the Savior’s service as a missionary, off you go with no looking back. But this guy has just informed the Lord Jesus Christ, has just informed the Savior, that he plans on serving Him in the future, after he goes home and takes care of business that should have been taken care of when he joined the Lord’s party in the first place. So, there is something terribly wrong here. A cost has not yet been counted and a price has not yet been paid.

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

It is this phrase, “having put his hand to the plow” that convinces me that this person is already a disciple thinking of quitting for a while or taking a furlough, and not someone considering become a disciple. This describes someone already laboring for the Lord, not someone who is contemplating discipleship. Have any of you ever plowed in a field? Though he had a tractor, my grandfather loved plowing behind his two mules. When you plow a field, whether behind oxen, or mules, or riding a tractor, there are two things to keep in mind; the reason for plowing and the requirements for plowing. The reason to plow is to break up the ground so that the seed can be cast. Without plowing there will be no good ground for the seed to fall on to take root and grow to maturity and produce a crop. Understanding the reason for plowing, keep ever before you while you are plowing the requirements. It is absolutely critical that you plow in a straight line. If you do not plow in a straight line, if your furrows are not straight, then they will be too far apart in places and too close together in places. Too far apart means you can’t grow as much in the field as you might. Furrows too close means that plants can grow and crowd each other and strangle each other, or deprive each other of moisture needed to grow. The result in either case is catastrophe. But it is also critical that you plow at a constant speed. The speed of the plow actually determines how deep the blade digs into the soil. Too shallow and the seeds will be too close to the surface and can dry out too easily between rainfalls and die or stunt the growth. Too deep and the seeds may die before the shoot reaches the life-giving energy of the sunlight. Do you see what the Master is getting at here? If you are behind a plow, with your hands gripping it and guiding it and directing the animal pulling it, you can make sure the furrow is straight and of the proper depth. But if you look back you will either turn to one side or the other, or change speeds, or both. In any case the result is not good. The crop will not be properly planted and will produce less yield. I remember, as a little boy, watching the expression on my old grandfather’s face when he realized that a nearby farmer he had hired to come and plow his field had gone just a little bit too fast, resulting in cottonseed just a quarter inch too deep. Acres of my granddad’s field were bare because the cotton seedlings died before they reached the surface. It broke his heart. If it’s your privilege to serve Christ and be used of God to plow the ground on which the seed of the Word of God is cast so folks can hear and the Word take root in them and then be saved, what are you good if you get distracted and go off and do something else with every intention of coming back later? What if you decide to serve God after you graduate from college or trade school, or after you get married or have a kid, or after you get a promotion or work enough overtime to pay off those extra bills? What are you good for if you insist on your family time at the expense of serving Christ or if you are just too busy to visit kids who need to be visited? I don’t know what you are good for, but according to the King of the kingdom you are not fit for the kingdom of God. Amen?

In these three exchanges we have seen three vital conditions for following Jesus Christ: First, absolute self-denial and homelessness in the world. We are strangers and sojourners. Amen? Second, immediate and entire self-surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ and His work. And finally, we should have our hearts and affections set on Christ and His work.

We ought to be far more concerned about parting from Him and His work than anyone or anything else. To this end were we created, born, and saved. What a privilege. What an honor. What an opportunity.

We have no idea what ultimately happened to these three men. Did they count the cost and pay it? Or did they shrink back from the awesome privilege of serving the Son of God? We will not know until eternity is ushered in.

Three men. One contemplated becoming a disciple. Another contemplating ending his discipleship. A third contemplated interrupting his discipleship. My recommendation is that you decide not to be like any of these three men. My recommendation is that you start now and never cease in your determination to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

__________

[1] Matthew 15.21-28

[2] Matthew 16.13-19

[3] Matthew 17.1-9

[4] Luke 10.25-37

[5] Luke 15.11-32

[6] Luke 15.1-7

[7] Luke 15.8-10

[8] Matthew 8.5-13

[9] Mark 5.21-34

[10] Matthew 26.33-35

[11] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 168.

[12] Genesis 2.24

Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.

Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church