“BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM” – Charles Spurgeon

BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM

“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” — Luke 24:47

The servants of God were not left to originate a gospel for themselves, as certain modern teachers appear to do, nor were they even left to map out their mode of procedure in the spreading of the glad tidings. They were told by their great Master what to preach, and where to preach it, and how to preach it, and even where to begin to preach it. There is ample room for the exercise of our thought in obeying Christ’s commands, but the worldly wise in these days call no one a thoughtful person who is content to be a docile follower of Jesus. They call themselves “thoughtful and cultured” simply because they set up their own thoughts in opposition to the thoughts of God. It would be well if they would remember the old proverb—“Let another praise you, and not your own lips.” As a rule, those who call themselves “intellectual” are by no means persons of great intellect. Great minds seldom proclaim their own greatness. These boasters are not satisfied to be “followers of God, as dear children,” but must strike out a path for themselves, this reveals their folly rather than their culture. We shall find use for every faculty which we possess, even if we are endowed with ten talents, in doing just as we are bidden by our Lord. Implicit obedience is not thoughtless; on the contrary, it is necessary to its completeness that heart and mind should be active in it.

I. WHAT TO PREACH

You that would faithfully serve Christ note carefully how He taught His disciples what they were to preach. We find different descriptions of the subject of our preaching, but on this occasion it is comprised in two things—repentance and remission of sins. I am glad to find in this verse that old-fashioned virtue called repentance. It used to be preached, but is now out of fashion now. Indeed, we are told that we always misunderstood the meaning of the word, “repentance,” and it simply means a “change of mind” and nothing more. I wish that those who are so wise in their Greek knew a little more of that language, for then they would not be so ready with their infallible statements. True, the word does signify a change of mind, but in its Scriptural connection it indicates a change of mind of an unusual character. It is not such a fitful thing as men mean when they speak of changing their minds, as some people do fifty times a day, but it is a change of mind of a deeper kind. Gospel repentance is a change of mind of the most radical sort—such a change as never was worked in any man except by the Spirit of God. We mean to teach repentance, the old-fashioned repentance, too, and I do not know a better description of it than the child’s verse—

“Repentance is to leave
The things we loved before,
And show that we in earnest grieve
By doing so no more.”

Let every man understand that he will never have remission of sin while he is in love with sin, and that if he lives in sin he cannot obtain the pardon of sin. There must be a hatred of sin, a loathing of it, and a turning from it or it is not blotted out. We are to preach repentance as a duty. “The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now command all men everywhere to repent.” “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” He that has sinned is bound to repent of having sinned. It is the least that he can do. How can any man ask God for mercy while he lives in his sin? We are to preach the acceptableness of repentance. In itself considered, there is nothing in repentance deserving of the favor of God. But, the Lord Jesus Christ having come, we read, “He that confesses and forsakes his sin shall find mercy.” God accepts repentance for the sake of His dear Son. He smiles upon the penitent sinner, and puts away his iniquities. This we are to make known on all sides.

We are also to preach the motives of repentance—that men may not repent from mere fear of hell, but they must repent of sin itself. Every thief is sorry when he has to go to prison, every murderer is sorry when the noose is about his neck, the sinner must repent, not because of the punishment of sin, but because his sin is sin against a pardoning God, sin against a bleeding Savior, sin against a holy law, sin against a tender gospel. The true penitent repents of sin against God and he would do so even if there were no punishment. When he is forgiven, he repents of sin more than ever, for he sees more clearly than ever the wickedness of offending so gracious a God. We are to preach repentance in its perpetuity. Repentance is not a grace which is only to be exercised by us for a week or so at the beginning of our Christian career. It is to attend us all the way to heaven. Faith and repentance are to be inseparable companions throughout our pilgrimage to heaven. Repenting of our sin and trusting in the great Sin Bearer is to be the tenor of our lives, and we are to preach to men that it must be so.

We are to tell them of the source of repentance, namely, that the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted on high to give repentance and remission of sins. Repentance is a plant that never grows on nature’s dunghill. The nature must be changed, and repentance must be implanted by the Holy Spirit or it will never flourish in our hearts. We preach repentance as a fruit of the Spirit or else we greatly err.

Our second theme is to be remission of sins. What a blessed subject is this! To preach the full pardon of sin—that it is blotted out once and for all. The free pardon of sin—that God forgives voluntarily of His own grace, free forgiveness for the very chief of sinners for all their sins, however black they may be, is not this a grand subject? We are to preach a final and irreversible remission, not a pardon which is given and taken back again, so that a man may have his sins forgiven and yet be punished for them. I loathe such a gospel as that, and could not preach it. It would come with an ill grace from these lips. But the pardon of God, once given stands forever. If He has cast our sins into the depths of the sea, they will never be washed up again. If He has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west, how can they return to condemn us? Once washed in the blood of the Lamb, we are clean. The deed is done. The one offering has put away, forever, all the guilt of believers. Now this is what we are to preach—free, full, irreversible pardon for all that repent of sin, and lay hold on Christ by faith. O servants of the Lord, be not ashamed to declare it, for this is your message!

II. WHERE TO PREACH

Next to this, we are told where it is to be preached. The text says that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations. Here, then, we have the divine warrant for missions. They are no speculations, or enthusiastic dreams. They are matters of divine command. I daresay you have heard of what the Duke of Wellington said to a missionary in India who was questioning whether it was of any use to preach the gospel to the Hindus. “What are your marching orders?” said this man of discipline and obedience. “What are your marching orders?” That is the deciding question. Now the marching orders are, “Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” What a wonder it is that the church did not see this long before. After her first days she seems to have fallen asleep, and it is scarcely 100 years ago since, in the providence and grace of God, the church began to awaken to her high enterprise. We are to preach the gospel everywhere; missions are to be universal. All nations need the preaching of the word. The gospel is a remedy for every human ill among all the races that live upon the face of the earth. Some out of all nations shall receive it, for there shall be gathered before the eternal throne men out of every kindred, nation, and tongue. No nation will utterly refuse it. There will be found a remnant according to the election of grace even among the most perverse of the tribes of men. We ought to preach it to every creature, for it is written that it behooved to be so. Read the 46th verse, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day. . . and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations.” Brethren, there was a Divine necessity that Christ should die, and an equally imperative must that He should arise again from the dead. But there is an equally absolute necessity that Jesus should be preached to every creature under heaven.

It behooves to be so. Who, then, will linger? Let us each one, according to his ability and opportunity, tell to all around us the story of the forgiveness of sin through the Mediator’s sacrifice to as many as confess their sin and forsake it. We are bidden to preach repentance of sin and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, let us not be slow to do so.

III. HOW TO PREACH

But this is not all. We are actually told how to preach it. Repentance and remission are to be preached in Christ’s name. What does this mean? Ought we not to learn from this that we are to tell the gospel to others because Christ orders us to do so? In Christ’s name we must do it. Silence is sin when salvation is the theme. If these should hold their peace, the stones would cry out against them. My brethren, you must proclaim the gospel according to your ability. It is not a thing which you may do or may not do at your own discretion. But you must do it if you have any respect for your Savior’s name. If you dare pray in that name, if you dare hope in that name, if you hear the music of joy in that name, then in the name of Jesus Christ preach the gospel in every land. But it means more than that. Not only preach it under His orders, but preach it on His authority. The true servant of Christ has His Master to back Him up. The Lord Jesus will seal by threats or by grace, the word of His faithful messengers. If we threaten the ungodly, the threat shall be fulfilled. If we announce God’s promise to the penitent, that promise shall be surely kept. The Lord Jesus will not let the words of His own ambassadors fall to the ground. “Lo, I am with you always,” He says, “even to the end of the world. Go you, therefore and teach all nations.” You have Christ with you; teach the nations by His authority. But does it not mean, also, that the repentance and the remission which are so bound together come to men by virtue of His name? Oh, sinner, there would be no acceptance of your repentance if it were not for that dear name! Oh, guilty conscience, there would be no ease for you through the remission of sin if it were not that the blessed name of Jesus is sweet to the Lord God of hosts! We dare preach pardon to you in His name. The blood has been shed and sprinkled on the burning throne. The Christ has gone in within the veil, and stands there, “able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him, seeing He always lives to make intercession for them.” There is assuredly salvation in His name, and this is our glory, but, “there is none other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved.” That name has a fullness of saving efficacy, and if you will but rest in it, you shall find salvation, and find it now. Thus you see we are not bid to go forth and say—we preach you the gospel in the name of our own reason, or, we preach you the gospel in the name of the church to which we belong, or by the authority of a synod, or a bishop, or a creed, or a whole church. No, we declare the truth in the name of Christ. Christ has set His honor to guarantee the truth of the gospel. He will lose His glory if sinners that believe and repent are not saved. Dishonor will come to the Son of God if any man repenting of sin is not accepted before God. For His name’s sake, He will not cast away one that comes to Him. O chief of sinners! He will receive you if you will come. He cannot reject you; that were to be false to His own promise, untrue to His own nature. Be sure then that you preach in Christ’s name. If you preach in your own name, it is poor work.

IV. BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM

Now, I shall ask your attention to the principal topic of the present discourse, and that is, that He told His disciples where to begin. I have heard of a Puritan who had in his sermon 45 main divisions, and about 10 subdivisions under every head. He might be said largely to divide the word of truth, even if he did not rightly divide it. Now, I have nine subheads tonight, and yet I hope I shall not detain you beyond the usual time. I cannot make fewer of them and give the full meaning of this sentence—“Beginning at Jerusalem.” The apostles were not to pick and choose where they should start, but they were to begin at Jerusalem. Why?

First, because it was written in the Scriptures that they were to begin at Jerusalem, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooves, that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” It was so written; I will give you two or three proofs. Read in the second chapter of Isaiah, at the third verse, “Out of Zion shall come forth the law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Isaiah’s words would have fallen to the ground if the preaching had not begun at Jerusalem. But now, to the very letter, this prediction of the evangelical prophet is kept. In Joel, that famous Joel who prophesied the descent of the Spirit and the speaking of the servants and the handmaidens, we read in the second chapter, at the 32nd verse, “In mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance.” And again, in the 16th verse of the third chapter of the same prophet—“The Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem.” As if the Lord was as a strong lion in the midst of Jerusalem, and as if the sounding forth of the gospel was like the roaring of His voice, that the nations might hear and tremble. How could those promises have been kept if the gospel had begun to be preached in the deserts of Arabia, or if the first church of Christ had been set up at Damascus? Note another passage. Obadiah in his 21st verse says, “Saviors shall come up on mount Zion.” Who were these saviors but those who instrumentally became so by proclaiming the Savior Jesus Christ? And Zechariah, who is full of visions, but not visionary, says in his 14th chapter at the 8th verse, “Living waters shall flow out of Jerusalem,” and then he describes the course of those waters till they flowed even unto the Dead Sea, and made its waters sweet. Because the Bible said so, therefore they must begin at Jerusalem, and I call your attention to this, for our Lord Jesus was particular that every jot and tittle of the Old Testament should be fulfilled. Do you not think that this gives us a lesson that we should be very reverent towards every sentence of both the Old and the New Testaments? And if there is anything taught by our Lord, ought not His people to consider well, and act according to the divine ordinance? I am afraid that many take their religion from their parents, or from the church that is nearest to them, without weighing it. “I counsel you to keep the King’s commandment.” Oh, that we may be more faithful servants of the Lord. For if we are faithful, we shall be careful upon what men call small points, such as the doctrine of baptism, the manner of the Lord’s Supper, or this small point of where the gospel should be first preached. It must begin at Jerusalem and nowhere else, for the Scripture cannot be broken. See you to it, then, that you walk according to the Word of God, and that you test everything by it. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

So much on the first head. Secondly, I suppose that our Lord bade His disciples begin to preach the gospel at Jerusalem, because it was at Jerusalem that the facts which make up the gospel had occurred. It was there that Jesus Christ died, that He was buried, that He rose again, and that He ascended into heaven. All these things happened at Jerusalem, or not far from it. Therefore the witness-bearing of the apostles must be upon the spot where if they lie, they can be confuted, and where persons can come forward and say, “It was not so, you are deceivers.” If our Lord had said, “Do not say anything in Jerusalem. Go away to Rome and begin preaching there,” it would not have looked quite as straightforward as it now does when He says, “Preach this before the scribes and the priests. They know that it is so. They have bribed the soldiers to say otherwise, but they know that I have risen.” The disciples were to preach the gospel in the streets of Jerusalem. There were people in that city who were once lame, and who leaped like a hart when Jesus healed them. There were men and women there who ate of the fish and the bread that Jesus multiplied. There were people in Jerusalem who had seen their children and their friends healed of dreadful diseases. Jesus bids His disciples face the lion in his den, and declare the gospel on the spot where, if it had been untrue, it would have been contradicted with violence.

Charles Spurgeon