Fear Jesus (the Son) – Luke 12:8-9

Huge crowds were gathering around Jesus but instead of appealing to the masses, Jesus specifically speaks to His disciples. The topic he wants to address is hypocrisy. As Christians, we practice a certain level of hypocrisy every day as we sin. We fail to apply God’s word to the fullest extent in every area of our lives. Just because we are all hypocrites does not mean hypocrisy is any less deadly. Hypocrisy is damning and deadly (Matthew 23:15). So Jesus warns his disciples to beware of the leaven of hypocrisy. Thankfully, Jesus has overcome the world which means he has also overcome hypocrisy (John 16:33; Hebrews 5:7). Jesus overcame hypocrisy by revering the Father. We must also fear God. True fear of God is trembling, adoration, and wonder at God’s goodness.

“Everyone who confesses me before men.” This is how we honor and fear Jesus the Son, by confession. To confess is to acknowledge. To confess is to receive Jesus as the only Lord and Savior. We are saved by this confession (Romans 10:9-10). To confess Jesus as Lord is to submit our wants, our will, and our life to Jesus. This means Jesus’ gospel becomes our greatest pursuit (Acts 20:24). To confess Jesus is to be like Him. We do not just serve Jesus but we are in Him and He is in us. If we are in Jesus then we are to be like Jesus, specifically in his suffering (Philippians 3:20-11). When we identify with Jesus, we follow His teaching, we practice His humility and we continue His work. We constantly acknowledge Jesus through the highs and the lows. The essence of confessing Jesus is self-denial (Luke 9:23).

“confess before men.” This means we confess openly and publicly. Public confession opens the door to persecution and tribulation. Do people know you are a Christian? Every choice is between the narrow versus the wide gate. Public confession is costly when your words match your actions. Your behavior will match your words when your head and heart align.

What is the result of our confession? The Son of Man will confess him before the angels of God. What an amazing reciprocation! The Son of Man is a messianic title. Jesus knows who He is and He will return just as He left. Daniel 7:13-14 explains that Jesus will establish his dominion and kingdom when He returns. At that moment He will stand with those who confessed Him and confess them before the Father. It is the most wondrous grace. Our judgment and punishment have already been fulfilled by Jesus on the cross. On the final day, we will avoid the final judgment when Jesus confesses us.

Jesus’ confession is not before men but before the angels. Imagine the scene, standing before God the Father and all the angels, with everything about us, revealed before all. That is the moment we need Jesus’ confession. We have no other hope but the confession of the Son of God. This is why Apostle Paul sincerely and faithfully endured all the sufferings of this life, putting his hope in the glory that is to be revealed. The suffering that comes with our confession before men is nothing compared to Christ’s glorious confession in heaven.

Therefore, it is our goal to show the world who Jesus is without hypocrisy. This is easier said than done. Tragically, many of us are like the Pharisees who Jesus wants to gather as a mother hen but reject Him. “He who denies Jesus before men will be denied before the angels of God.” Many will say “Lord, Lord” but Jesus will say to them I never knew you. When Jesus accuses them of denial it is not a one-time denial but a life of denial. Their denial is their hypocrisy. They have an outward appearance of holiness but an inward rejection. Like Judas the traitor, they have morality and hypocrisy. Peter though he also denied Jesus, his denial did not reflect his inner nature. Under morality, Judas was so racked with guilt he committed suicide. Peter, too, was racked with the same guilt but by God’s grace and love, he was able to repent. That is the difference between those who deny vs those who confess Jesus.

These are some signs of the absence of true self-denial.

• Jesus is Lord and He must be your Lord to be your Savior. Receiving Jesus as Savior but remaining as your own lord and doing everything according to your own will is not true salvation (Matthew 7:23).
• Practical Atheism. They deny Jesus as Lord in the areas of their life. Whether it is family, work, finances or hobbies, or whatever, think of the areas where you ignore Jesus or merely practice legalism. Being holy at church but pagan at home is not a true confession.
• Easy believism which produces nominal Christians. Remember Demas who loved the world and left Paul. The nominal Christians are compromising Christians who did not fully count the cost of following Christ.

Conclusion

“If some of you really believed that there is a hell, and that there is a heaven, as you believe other secular things, you would act very differently from what you now do. You know that you must be born again, but you are still strangers to the new birth. You are as religious as the seats you sit on, but no more; and you are as likely to get to heaven as those seats are, but not one whit more, for you are dead in sin, and death cannot enter heaven. You are like dunghills with snow upon them — while the snow lasts you look white and fair, but when the snow melts, the dunghill remains a dunghill still!” – Charles Spurgeon

To confess Christ does not require a skill or knowledge. It requires the gospel. Someone with a changed heart doesn’t make excuses. We sin every week so we are sad and remorseful. But we are reminded that God is merciful and gracious. He is waiting for our repentance and gives us faith so that our confession may be genuine.