Luke 13:1-5
The Lost Message
12/20/2017 Wed.
Luke 13:1 There were present at that season….
In the last chapter, we noticed that Jesus had a large crowd but was
teaching "first" His disciples \\#Luke 12:1, 22, 32\\. He spoke to
the people as well \\#Luke 12:54\\, but His first goal was to teach
the disciples. I also shared my view that Jesus was teaching the
disciples some truths that were primarily to help them in dealing
with the Jews and their being set aside as the servants of God
\\#Luke 12:43-48\\.
I believe chapter 13 starts with Jesus having the same purposes in
mind. This phrase connects this chapter with the thoughts of the
last. It means that "about the same time period." Luke was forming
a connection to the events of the last chapter.
Two truths tonight:
I. \\#Luke 13:1-5\\ There is a required response.
A. The required response is REPENTANCE.
B. \\#1\\ This teaching started with an event.
1. As far as I know, we have no historical record of this
event.
2. From the text we see that the same Pilate who will judge
Jesus, for some reason, killed some Galileans and used
their blood to make sacrifices to some false god.
a. That is without doubt, a terrible and sinful act.
b. It is sad that something like that was apparently so
common, that man’s history made no permanent record
of it.
c. Yet, God has not forgotten and Pilate has many evil
works for which to answer.
C. \\#2\\ But Jesus did not speak to rebuke Pilate. He spoke to
rebuke the arrogance of the people.
Luke 13:2 …Suppose ye that these Galilaeans
were sinners above all….
1. The people assumed the event meant that those Galileans
were somehow more sinful than others and deserved what
they got as a judgment from God.
a. I have to say, I fall into that snare sometimes.
b. When something bad happens to a region that is
particularly liberal, I often think, "Maybe God is
trying to tell them something."
c. And maybe God is.
2. But Jesus was telling the people that whenever something
like that happens, it is God telling EVERYONE the SAME
message.
3. We ALL need to repent.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
D. \\#4\\ Jesus gave another historical event that we have no
record concerning.
1. This one does not appear to be caused by sinful man but
would be what we might call a tragedy or an accident.
a. A tower collapsed and fell, killing 18.
b. Some might call this an "accident."
2. What we term an "accident" might still be the fault of a
person.
a. The word accident does not mean that the event could
not have been prevented. Most accidents can.
b. The word accident is used to describe that no one
meant for it to happen.
c. Perhaps the "accident" happened because of
carelessness, neglect, forgetfulness, personal
inability, or whatever, but no one planned for it to
happen.
d. Life is full of "accidents."
e. God often gets blamed for man’s "accidents."
(1) It may be that the "accident" is obviously the
fault of man’s sinfulness or inattention, but
somehow God still gets blamed.
(2) And I understand that because God could always
make us aware of an event BEFORE it happened.
(3) To that end, some have said that there are no
accidents just the will of God.
3. That is what Jesus was addressing here.
a. The tower fell, 18 were killed, God could have stopped
it, but He did not, so this was God judging those
people and that city.
b. It is the same basic thought some were expressing over
what Pilate had done.
c. In both cases, the supposition is that bad things only
happen to bad people and it is God judging the
people.
4. Jesus again taught the people that such events are God’s
way of telling us that EVERYONE needs to repent.
Luke 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
E. Don’t let the references to the unknown historical events
cause you to miss the central truths.
1. Everyone must repent.
a. It does not matter if you are Jew or Gentile, Old or
New Testaments, lived long ago or are living now.
b. You must repent.
c. Certainly, this message was directed to the Jews.
(1) Sadly, many misunderstand the Old Testament and
believe that offering sacrifice produced
salvation.
(2) It did not! Faith in God sending the Messiah and
repentance from sin did.
Is 1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who
hath required this at your hand, to tread my
courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an
abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths,
the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with;
it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my
soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am
weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will
hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many
prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full
of blood.
Pr 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an
abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the
upright is his delight.
Pr 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is
abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it
with a wicked mind?
1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as
great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to
obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams.
(3) The problem with the generation of Jews that
Jesus preached to was the same problem all
generations of Jews had had.
(4) They would not repent!
d. Many today have likewise misunderstood to believe that
going to church is all that is necessary to be saved.
(1) It is not.
(2) You must have faith that God has sent the Messiah
(Jesus Christ) and repent from sin.
e. Those two conditions are and have always been the
conditions for salvation.
f. Most can understand the concept of faith.
(1) Faith is to believe what you cannot see, feel, or
prove.
(2) I cannot prove that Jesus lived, died, and rose
again, but I believe it by faith.
(3) I cannot prove that the Bible is true, but I
believe it by faith.
(4) I cannot prove that if I believe, I will be saved
but I believe it by faith.
g. The concept of repentance is more difficult to
comprehend.
(1) It means to change your mind, your attitude,
your direction.
(2) I like to say that repentance occurs when you,
the best you know how to do, surrender yourself
to Jesus Christ.
2. If you do not repent, you will perish.
a. Again, it does not matter whether you live in the Old
or New Testament time periods, law or grace.
b. Without repentance, surrendering yourself to the
authority and control of God, you will be perish in
the Lake of Fire and Brimstone.
II. \\#Luke 13:6-9\\ There is allotted opportunity.
A. This truth was revealed through a parable.
1. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
2. The master had a fruit tree that would not produce fruit
and was ready to cut it down, but the gardener asked
that he be given more time to see if he could get the
tree to produce.
3. Certainly, this is what Jesus has sought to do in the
life of every human being that is alive!
4. Jesus desires to produce the fruit of
a. Salvation
b. Surrender
c. Service
5. No one knows how long God will give him to accomplish the
goals but I will tell you that all of the years of our
lives are not enough to give to Him!
B. The parable applies to all generations but I think the details
of it applied specifically to the Jews of Jesus’ day.
1. Notice the kind of tree it was.
Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain
man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard….
a. Jesus could have picked any kind of tree but He picked
a fig tree.
b. Some think the fig tree is a picture of Israel.
2. Notice also the timing.
Luke 13:7 …Behold, these three years I come
seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none….
a. Jesus could have picked any number of years but He
picked three.
b. Three years are the number of years that Jesus had
been ministering to Israel.
3. Notice the allotted opportunity.
Luke 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord,
let it alone this year also….
a. Jesus could have had the servant asking for any
amount of time but even the servant acknowledged
that it should be the fig tree’s last opportunity to
produce.
b. Jesus was on His way to the cross as He spoke the
parable.
c. That very year was the Jews last opportunity to turn
to Christ before God "cut down the fig tree" and
grafted it with the church.
C. Like \\#Luke 12:1\\, these truths were being given to the
disciples "first" because the Jews were incapable of
understanding them.
1. They still are but the Apostles and the church were to
to help them understand.
2. And so we do. We preach these truths to the Jews, the
Gentiles, and the church.
May God bless us with understanding concerning them.
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