GOSPEL FILM CLUB THE GOSPEL OF LUKE LESSON 8 Watch: LUKE 13 - LUKE 13 (7 min).mp4 • 13:1-9 Repent or Perish Not really understanding the significance of Jesus’ words, there were some present at that time who raised an issue about a contemporary “breaking news” incident involving Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. (13:1) These self-righteous Jews, like Job’s friend Eliphaz (JOB 4:7; 22:5), assumed that God brought calamities like this upon those who were extremely sinful. Jesus disagrees (13:5) referencing a recent construction accident where 18 Jewish workers were killed while working on a Roman aqueduct in Siloam. He said they were no more guilty of sin than all the others living in Jerusalem. (13:4) Then He repeats the warning he gave in 13:3: But unless you repent, you too will all perish. (13:5) PERISH … when Jerusalem gets destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and PERISH for all eternity because they did not accept Jesus as their Messiah and personal Savior from sin. Jewish farmers knew it took 3 years for fig trees to bear fruit. (13:6) When this doesn’t happen to the tree in Jesus’ parable, the owner said, Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil? (13:7) Even though he did agree to give the tree one more year to bear fruit … based on His comment then cut it down (13:9), it doesn’t appear Jesus was optimistic that many were going to repent. This was especially true in light of: • the narrow door answer He gives to the question, Lord, are only a few people going to be saved? (13:24) Time was clearly running out for the Jews of Jesus’ day based on Jesus’ reply: Many … will try to enter and will not be able to. (13:24) Instead, from the other side of heaven’s closed door, these folks would hear the saddest words in all the Bible: I don’t know you or where you come from. (13:25, 27) • On the other hand, Jesus indicates that many Gentiles would be saved - people … coming from east and west and north and south … who will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. (13:29) Those who are last (these Gentiles) will be first and those who are first (unbelieving Jews) will be last. (13:30) This was not only a revolutionary teaching Jesus was sharing … it was a devastating one for the unbelieving Jews of His day. Despite numerous attempts to offer them the kingdom - like a hen who tries to gather her chicks under her wings (13:34) - these stubborn and impenitent people were not willing. Especially, the religious leaders. The die was cast. Jesus knew it. He was going to die in Jerusalem and a mere 40 years later (70 AD), the Romans would come and completely destroy the temple (including the holy of holies). At that point, Jesus’ words would prove to be true - your house is left to you desolate. (13:35) Despite the somber days ahead and His upcoming rejection in Jerusalem, Jesus tells two short parables in this chapter (13:18-21) that predict how big & influencial His kingdom will become after his resurrection & ascension. It would start out small and insignificant like a mustard seed … but then it would grow and become a tree with birds perched in its branches. (13:19) Jesus’ kingdom would spread throughout all the world and people from all nations would find rest in its branches. It would also be like yeast that a woman took and mixed into large amounts of flour until it worked all through the dough. (13:20) In fact, Jesus goes on in chapters 14 & 15 to describe (via parables) the kind of people who would be included in His kingdom. They would include Jewish outcasts and gentiles (14:1-24) along with people who the Jewish leaders considered to be hopeless sinners. (15:1-32) Watch: LUKE 14 - LUKE 14 (6 min).mp4 • 14:1-24 Jesus at a Pharisee’s House After seeing how Jesus had humiliated all his opponents (13:14-17) when he healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath … the men who Jesus went to eat with in the house of a prominent Pharisee (14:1) … now remained silent (14:4) when Jesus asked them, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? (14:3) Then, after healing the man suffering from dropsy (14:2) and asking very directly a second question, If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath Day, will you not immediately pull him our? (14:5) … they still had nothing to say. (14:6) It appears that Luke included this healing, not so much to reiterate Jesus’ theological point about the Sabbath, but to transition into warnings for the Jews (like the ones He was eating with): • One day, God would one day EXALT (by their attendance at the Great Banquet) HUMBLE penitent sinners into heaven including: the poor … the cripple … the lame … the blind. (14:13; 21) These are the people who cannot repay you (14:14), including GENTILES - those on the roads and country lanes (14:23) who are outside the covenant community. • On the other hand, those who make excuses (14:18) who are invited to the Great Banquet will be asked to take the least important place (14:9) - meaning HELL. Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet. (14:24) NOTE: Two invitations were made to large wedding banquets like this one. The initial one simply announced in advance the time and venue for the event. The second one informed the guests that everything was prepared and it was time to come in. GOSPEL FILM CLUB THE GOSPEL OF LUKE LESSON 8 • For years, God had been announcing through His prophets to that His kingdom was going to come for His chosen people. The religious leaders (by believing the prophets) had accepted this invitation and were anxiously waiting for it. But now when God sent Jesus with the second invitation, announcing repeatedly that the kingdom of God is at hand (everything is now ready - 4:17), they made a bunch of lame excuses and rejected the invitation. With what result? The owner of the house became angry. (14:21) Time was running out for the religious leaders to decide … as it was for the people to whom Jesus now turns to talk about the cost of discipleship. (14:25-35) • the crowds … traveling with Jesus (14:25) Jesus knew 2000 years in advance that there would be plenty of evangelists and preachers in the 21st century telling their respective “large crowds” that simply by accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, they could / would have the "abundant life" that included both material & spiritual blessings. The “prosperity gospel” in other words. In contrast to this blind and naive kind of commitment, Jesus tells his large crowd to consider carefully the cost (14:28) of being His disciple. In fact, you can’t be my disciple, He said, unless you: 1. hate father … mother … wife … children … brothers … sisters … yes, even your own life. (14:26) Jesus already taught in 12:52-53 that because of Him, families would be divided and things would not always be peaceful at home. Did you grow up in a family like this? Did I hate Pam’s family by dragging her and our kids off to the mission field? No. I simply loved Christ more and was convinced that this was HIs will for us. 2. you carry your cross and follow Him. (14:27) A cross is something that happens in our lives that God deems necessary but we wouldn’t have chosen for our ourselves. Examples? Cancer … an accident … the loss of a love one. From Jesus’ example in Gethsemane, it’s OK to be honest with God about how you feel about your cross. You can even ask Him repeatedly to remove it. If He doesn’t, then following Jesus’ example, disciples should say, Not my will, but thine be done. (22:42) When I resigned in the pulpit in June 1977 to become a missionary, this decision created a genuine cross for my wife, Pam. With 3 young children, she initially said No. I’m not going (like the first son in Jesus’ Parable of the Two Sons - MT 21:28-32) Less than 2 years later, however, she boarded the plane and in obedience to her Savior, flew to the Philippines where for the next 20 years, she loved raising our kids. 3. give up everything (14:33) I don’t think anyone can adequately explain this total surrendering to Christ and what it really means. Try, however, to share a personal testimony if you can. Mine would be giving up Sunday nights in Sheboygan (1976) to teach 55 Hmong refugees God’s Word. God certainly gives us many possessions to enjoy and share with others in this life. We need to hold onto to these possessions with loose fingers, however, so that when Christ asks up to give them up in order to serve Him, it will be easier for us to let go of them and to follow where the Lord leads. Jesus compares this spirit of commitment and obedience to salt which is good. (14:34) Like salt, committed Christians clearly flavor life and preserve it.