Book of Luke

Luke Chapter 13

• Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 
• 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 
• 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 

Sometimes religious people have a tendency to assume bad things happen to people because they are evil people and judgment has befallen them in some way. Jesus points out that unless we repent of sin, we will all perish. No matter how death comes, it comes to all.

Jesus made a way to escape the fear of death by repenting of sin and receiving His Holy Spirit into our lives. We then inherit eternal life. Our natural bodies still die but our souls live in eternity. The soul of man never dies. It will live in one place or another. If the soul of man repents before the body dies it will be saved and not enter into the place of eternal torment.

Jesus came to save the soul. Sin has to be stopped eventually. Hell receives souls that still have sin at the time of the physical death of the body. This is because the wages of sin is death in hell. Jesus came to make a way for all who believe in Him to be saved and avoid hell. Instead He offers our souls eternal life and comfort in Heaven. To be absent from the body is then to be present with the Lord. There is no death to the soul but when a soul enters hell, it will be as a second death which there is no return.

We don't have to go there though. If we acknowledge our sin and repent, God will save us from that fate and grant us eternal life. This is why Jesus came, to grant eternal life to all that trust in Him. There is no other way. Had there been another way, Jesus would not have had to become a man, live a sinless life and then die for sins that He did not commit. 

• Luke 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 
• 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 

Repent means to turn away from sin and turn to God for salvation. We can't live a godly life without the spirit of God living within our souls. When we believe and repent, the Spirit of God comes to abide within us. We become "born again" by the spirit of God. This is salvation. This is the way to Heaven and eternal life. 

Notice that at this time the gospel is being preached to Jewish people who had the law of God, were taught what sin was but ignored the very one Moses spoke of who came to be the final sacrifice for sin. We know some Jews believed, that marked the beginning of what we now call the church or those that become followers and believers in Jesus the Messiah which means Christ; the one that is the promised deliverer.

Many of these same Jewish people did indeed perish at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD when the Romans came to destroy the city. They rejected and crucified the one that had come to save them from such a fate. 

• Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 
• 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why encumbereth it the ground? 
• 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 
• 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. 

Those that do not bring forth fruit unto repentance will not be saved. God is longsuffering and waits on us sometimes. But eventually the day closes upon us and the day of grace ends for those who keep rejecting Jesus Christ. 

Think about this for a moment: God sees us as sinners bound for an eternal hell. God sees that we can't stop sinning by our own will power. The soul that sins dies according to the law. The law says if we sin, we die. Death means eternal separation from God in a place where the soul cannot escape to spread sin again.

God sees we are lost and can't save ourselves. He sends His own Son, to become one of us. He lived among us yet without sin. He didn't deserve the penalty of death because He did no sin. His death then can count on our behalf if we believe in Him and trust Him to wash away our sins and save us. Our body will still die but our souls will be saved and live in eternity with God. 

After such a sacrifice. The very Son of God allowing sin to come upon Him on the cross. The suffering, the beatings, the death, the torment that God suffered on our behalf was horrible for anyone to suffer. After all that and we reject it, we then harm those that tell us of the gospel that saves, and even then, many refuse to repent. After all God has done to save mankind and they still refuse, there is nothing more that can be done. If we reject God's salvation, we will not be saved. 

• Luke 13:10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 
• 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 
• 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 
• 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 
• 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 

This shows the heart of men here. They were more concerned at finding fault because of their jealousy of Jesus then seeing a poor woman bound, then set free from bondage. 

When we are more concern with the exactness and letter of what we believe and lose our compassion for those lost or suffering in some way, then we need to examine our walk with God. This is not to say that we become social justice warriors and forget the moral laws of God and overlook sin that is stealing, killing and destroying people's lives, but we are to not get so dogmatic about our traditions and pet theories that we add to God's word through the years and judge people because they don't worship exactly how we have traditionally done for years. Make sure everything is backed up by the word of God taken in context and teach with love and with the goal of bringing them to Jesus.

Jesus said to go into the entire world and teach whatsoever He commanded us, not to go and teach our own human traditions. Some may be good traditions and values but the gospel that saves the soul from being lost for eternity should always be a priority.

• Luke 13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 
• 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? 

It is not breaking the Sabbath when we help someone in dire need. 

• Luke 13:17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. 
• 18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 
• 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. 
• 20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 
• 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 

What starts out small grows to a large size almost out of no where. Some believe the fowls of the air lodging in the branches represent those that are evil who come and lodge among the true believers. As we see in the verses below, this could very well be the meaning. 

• Luke 13:22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 
• 23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 
• 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 

Because they did not come God's way. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. We trust, we seek and rest in God's grace that comes through our faith in Jesus the only way of salvation and eternal life. No other way.

• Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 
• 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 
• 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 
• 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 

The people who walked with Jesus, heard Him speak and saw the miracles later rejected Him and had Him put to death. 

• Luke 13:29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 
• 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. 
• 31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 
• 32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 

If we tell some people the truth, they will despise us and want to kill us. No one wants to hear that they have sinned and need to repent. That is why it is easier to save little children because they are humble and know that they need a savior. Self made, self sufficient people are the hardest to save because they do not see themselves as in need of a savior. 

• Luke 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 
• 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 
• 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

This prophecy could possibly have a double meaning. We see a small glimpse of this when Jesus later enters Jerusalem on a colt and people praise Him. This will be fulfilled completely at the Second return of Jesus Christ when Israel discovers that the Messiah their ancestors rejected is indeed the Christ who has come to save them. AMEN. 

• Mark 11:7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 
• 8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way. 
• 9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 
• 10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. 

We see later that these same people that were praising Jesus, later mocked Him and led Him to be crucified. 

Let us not just live for God in times when it is popular to do so but also in times when the gospel is rejected. They praised Him when it was a popular thing to do and the people were rejoicing because of the miracles they saw. This changed when the Pharisees stirred up the people against Him and Jesus became very unpopular fast. If we forsake Him to please men, we are unworthy of Him.

DC