Luke 13

Jesus continues to teach repentance verse 1- 5

There were present at that season

some that told HIM of the Galileans

whose blood Pilate had mingled

with their sacrifices

AND Jesus

answering said to them

Suppose you that these Galileans

were sinners above all the Galileans

BECAUSE they suffered such things?

I tell you – NAY – but except you repent

you shall all likewise perish

OR those eighteen – on whom the tower of Siloam fell

and slew them – think you that they were sinners

above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you – NAY – but except you repent

you shall all likewise perish

Parable on fruit bearing and salvation verse 6- 9

HE spoke also this parable

A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard

and he came and sought fruit thereon

and found none

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 cumber it the ground?

AND he answering said to him – Lord

let it alone this year also

till I shall dig about it – and dung it

AND IF it bear fruit

WELL – and IF not – then after that you shall cut it down

Jesus heals woman on Sabbath verse 10- 13

And HE was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath

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

AND when Jesus saw her – HE called her to HIM

and said unto her

Woman – you are loosed from thine infirmity

and HE laid HIS hands on her

and immediately she was made straight

and GLORIFIED God

Rulers of synagogue angry at Jesus verse 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

Jesus calls rulers hypocrites verse 15- 17

The Lord then answered him

and said

You hypocrite does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose

his ox or his ass from the stall

and lead him away to watering?

And ought not this woman – being a daughter of Abraham

whom Satan has bound – lo – eighteen years

be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?

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

Parable of mustard seed verse 18- 19

Then said HE

Unto what is the kingdom of God like?

and whereunto shall I resemble it?

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

Parable of leaven verse 20- 21

And again HE said

Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

It is like leaven

which a woman took and hid in three

measures of meal

till the whole was leavened

Teaching ministry of Jesus verse 22

And HE went through the cities and villages – teaching

and journeying toward Jerusalem

Jesus gives instruction regarding salvation verse 23- 30

Then said one unto HIM – Lord – are there few that be saved?

and HE said to them –

Strive to enter in at the strait gate

FOR many – I say to you – will seek to enter in

and shall NOT BE ABLE

When once the master of the house is risen up

and has shut to the door

and you begin to stand without

and to knock at the door – saying

Lord – Lord – open to us and HE shall answer and say to you

I know you not whence ye are

Then shall you begin to say

We have eaten and drunk in YOUR presence

and YOU hast taught in our streets

But HE shall say – I tell you – I know you not whence you are

Depart from ME – all you workers of iniquity

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth

when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob

and all the prophets – in the kingdom of God

and you yourselves thrust out

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

And BEHOLD – there are last which shall be first

and there are first which shall be last

Pharisees warned Jesus regarding Herod verse 31

The same day there came certain of the Pharisees

saying unto HIM

Get YOU out – and depart hence

for Herod will kill YOU

Jesus responses to their warning verse 32- 33

And HE said to them – Go you – and tell that fox

BEHOLD – I cast out devils

and I do cure today and tomorrow

and the third day I shall be perfected

Nevertheless I must walk today – and tomorrow

and the day following

FOR it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem

Jesus comments regarding Jerusalem verse 34- 35

O Jerusalem – Jerusalem – which kills the prophets

and stones them that are sent unto you

how often would I have gathered your children together

as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings

and you would not

BEHOLD

your house is left unto you desolate

and verily I say to you

You shall not see ME

until the time come when you shall say

Blessed is HE that comes

in the name of the Lord

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. (3340 “repent” [metanoeo] means to change one’s mind, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins, to have a change of self, to change one’s way, new behavior, or regret over former behavior and dispositions.)

DEVOTION: We like to judge people who we think are worse sinners than us. We look around and see what other people are doing and look at our life and think that we are not so bad.

Jesus was dealing with people who were looking around. The religious leaders taught that tax collectors and those who were not obeying their rules were so bad that they shouldn’t have any dealings with them. They didn’t want to eat any meals with them. They wouldn’t go to their parties if they were invited. They would only go to the homes of those who they thought were just as good as them or maybe a little better than them.

They thought that as long as they could look down on certain groups of people they were in good standing with God. Jesus came to tell them something different. HE stated that everyone has to repent of sin. HE made it clear that everyone sinned on a regular basis. HE made it clear that the giving of their money or sacrifices at the temple was not enough. There had to be a change of heart.

Repentance is changing direction in your life. It is turning from religious righteousness to Biblical righteousness. It was turning from sin and heading in a different direction.

HE used the illustration of fruit bearing as an example of what the Christian life is all about. If we produce fruit that is acceptable to the LORD we will be saved. We can only do this if the Holy Spirit helps us. Our good works are not the same a God’s good works. HE looks at our motive and attitude. We do many things for show. God isn’t interested in show. HE is interested in internal change.
CHALLENGE: If there is no internal change there is no eternity in heaven with HIM.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 12 And when Jesus saw her, HE called her to HIM, and said to her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. (630 “loosed” [apoluo] means release, put away, send away, let go, set at liberty, dismiss, to leave a certain state or condition, to be set free, or conceived of as becoming liberated from the constraint or oppression of a condition)

DEVOTION: We can get to the point in our religious life where we pick and choose what we want to believe and what we don’t want to believe of the teaching of Jesus.

We have many people before us who have done just this same thing. The Old Testament children of Israel formed a code of beliefs based on the teachings of the Pharisees and the other religious groups of the Jewish people. They would take a verse of the Old Testament and write a commentary on it to teach what they thought it was teaching.

They came to believe that if an animal was in need of something on the Sabbath it was good to take care of an animal. Here we find Jesus telling them that humans are just as important as or even more important to God than animals.
The rulers of the synagogue were angry that Jesus healed a sick woman on the Sabbath than the fact that HE cared for her. They were called “hypocrite” by Jesus. They believed a false belief instead of believing the teachings of God the Father. Human religious doctrine or teaching was more important than what God the Son was teaching them.

Change is hard. We have to change our beliefs to fit the Word of God not our culture. If we are changing for the culture it will water down the truth of the Word of God. Society is changing and we have to examine what they want to change before we agree with them.

Sin is still sin today just like the Bible tells us. There is only one sexual relation that the Bible teaches regarding marriage. It is between one woman and one man for life. All other thinking is outside of the teachings of the Word of God.

Moses gave a bill of divorcement because of hardness of heart. Don’t harden your heart if you are married. If you are not married make sure you enter marriage with a person you want to spend the rest of your life. That was God’s original plan and HE has not changed. CHALLENGE: Make sure the church you attend isn’t thinking of changing to fit the culture.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 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 (75 “strive” [agonizomai] means to enter a contest, compete, make effort, contend in gymnastic games, labor fervently, to content with an adversary, fight, struggle, or to endeavor with strenuous zeal)

DEVOTION: The Christian life is not an easy life. It is work. Christ died on the cross for our salvation. HE is the only way that we can be saved.

Once we have established a relationship with the LORD, there is work involved. Are we earning our salvation by works? NO!!

Once we become a follower of Christ, HE expects us to produce fruit. HE gives an illustration of a fig tree that had not produced fruit for a land owner. He wanted to cut the tree down and not waste the ground on a tree that would not produce. The gardener asked him to wait another year. If the tree produced then keep it, and if it did not cut it down. God is looking at our life. HE expects the fruit of the Spirit to be manifested in us.

The religious leaders of the day were not producing fruit that was pleasing to HIM. They thought that their good works were going to get them into heaven. They were wrong!!

This chapter informs us that repentance is necessary. Once there is repentance we are headed in the right direction. However, in going in the right direction there is work. It is not an easy road. Jesus likes it to the Olympic Games. Someone who wanted to compete in the games had to prepare himself by working hard. There was always someone who was better in the game. Only the one who worked hard was going to be the winner.

The LORD wanted the people around HIM to know that just saying that they were followers, didn’t make them followers. They could do religious acts and still not be part of the kingdom.

Remember we have been saying that people can be baptized, a member of a church, give money to the church, preach, visit, and do many other things and still not be a child of the King. The problem is that some churches teach that if you just obey the external rules you will be going to heaven. The Bible teaches that there must be an internal change in order to go to heaven.

There are many churches and religions that are teaching different ways to get into heaven. There are many churches that are teaching that there is no hell after death. There are many who believe that God is such a loving God, no one will go to hell but all will go to heaven. The Bible makes it plain that many are going to go to a place that is called the lake of fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for eternity.

The Bible makes it plain that there are few that will go to heaven. Here we find that the Christian life is a struggle. It is not easy. It is not a bed of roses. It is not problem free. Some teach that it is. They are wrong. We are to work out our salvation. We can’t work for our salvation – Christ did it all. Praise the LORD.

This work carries the idea of entering into a sporting event as a participant and not a spectator. Many people think that the Christ life is a spectator sport. It is not. We have to be involved. It is a daily taking up of a cross and following Jesus. The cross is not light but the LORD is there to help us carry it. Do we realize that we are in a worldview that requires strenuous zeal???? Do we realize that we can’t sit, soak and sour in the pews of churches until Christ returns? We are to be busy serving HIM!!!

CHALLENGE: Don’t fake a relationship with Christ. Examine what you are doing to grow in your faith toward HIM. There is no status quo with the LORD. You are either growing or not!

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: 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kills the prophets, and stones them that are sent unto you; how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen does gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! (3555 “brood” [nossia] means nest of birds, young birds, or chicks)

DEVOTION: Jesus is concerned with those who reject HIM. HE came to die on the cross for the sins of the world. HE came to reach the children of Israel with the message of truth.

They had been living with false teachings for many years. The religious leaders were more concerned with keeping their status with the Roman Empire than in finding out the truth of the teachings of Jesus. They didn’t want to rock the boat. It was easier to kill Jesus and all the prophets than listen to the truth of God.

We sometimes think that it is easier to just go along with the false teachers or let them teach and believe the lies of Satan rather than deal with them and teach them the truth.

There are many false beliefs that have entered the church of Jesus Christ. There is the false belief that it is good to not confront people in love with things they are doing wrong or believing wrong. Even from the pulpit there are times that pastors avoid hard teachings because the people might want to tell him that he has it all wrong.

One of the beliefs that is being challenged today is the belief that the Bible is inerrant. There are no errors in the original writing of the Bible. Jesus taught the truth and helped us understand what was being taught from Genesis to Malachi. HE wanted them to know that the prophets were confronting sin in the nation of Israel when they came as a voice of God. The people would rather kill than change.

The same was true when Jesus confronted them with their false beliefs. HE wanted to gather them together under HIS teaching to help them live their lives in a way that was pleasing to the Father.

The final words of the verse should hit us in the heart, “you would not.” Many people are fighting against the teachings of the Bible. We would like to gather them in but they just don’t want to have anything to do with God and HIS Son Jesus Christ. They would rather be blind to the truth.

CHALLENGE: Even with the truth that most of the people we talk to want to remain blind we have to try to give them sight. The Holy Spirit can cause it to happen. HE uses us to spread the message.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Synagogues verse 10, 14

Sabbath verse 10, 14- 16

Ruler of the Synagogue verse 14

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Abraham verse 16, 28

Isaac verse 28

Jacob verse 28

Prophets verse 28

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

God verse 13

Lord verse 35

Comes in the name of the LORD verse 35

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

Jesus verse 2, 12, 14

Parable of fig tree verse 6- 9

Teaching verse 10, 22, 26

Healing of woman in Sabbath verse 11- 17

Parable of mustard seed and leaven verse 18- 21

Lord verse 15, 23

Cast of devils verse 32

Cure verse 32

Third day perfected verse 32

Prophet verse 33

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Kingdom of God verse 18, 20, 28- 30

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Spirit of infirmity verse 11

Satan – hath bound a woman verse 16

Devils (demons) verse 32

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Pilate verse 1

Herod (fox) verse 31

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Sinners verse 2, 4

Indignation verse 14

Hypocrite verse 15

Adversaries of Jesus verse 17

Workers of iniquity verse 27

Thrust out of kingdom of God verse 28

Kill the prophets verse 34

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Repent verse 3, 5

Fruit verse 9

Glorified God verse 13

Rejoice verse 17

Teaching verse 22

Saved verse 23

Sent ones verse 34

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Galilaeans verse 1, 2

Tower of Siloam verse 4

Jerusalem verse 4, 22, 33, 34

Abraham verse 16, 28

Isaac verse 28

Jacob verse 28

Prophets verse 28

Pharisees verse 31

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Perish verse 3, 5, 33

Weeping and gnashing of teeth verse 28

Kingdom of God verse 18, 20, 28, 29

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QUOTES regarding passage

32–33 In Luke’s last mention of him, Herod was troubled at the reports of Jesus’ miracles. By having John the Baptist beheaded, Herod thought he had done away with prophetic opposition. But Jesus, far from being threatened by Herod, called him “that fox” (v. 32). Today foxes connote cleverness; in Jesus’ day they also connoted insignificance (cf. Neh 4:3; Song of Songs 2:15). Either or both connotations may apply here. Jesus’ intent was to continue his ministry and manifest the power of the kingdom—“drive out demons and heal people”—but not to do this indefinitely. “Today and tomorrow” (sēmeron kai aurion) signifies the time of present opportunity in Jesus’ ministry. That time, however, was short. Since “today and tomorrow” are not literal days, so with the “third day,” which must have reminded Luke’s readers of the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Perhaps it was intended to do so. Verses 32 and 33 are parallel, with the idea of “three days” implicit in each. In v. 32 “the third day” is followed by “I will reach my goal” (teleioumai, “be completed,” “be perfected”). In v. 33 it is followed by a reference to Jesus’ death. Clearly the expressions are equivalent, and there may well be an anticipation of the profound phrase in Hebrews 2:9: “perfect through suffering.” In one sense v. 33 marks the completion of Jesus mission, especially in Luke’s theology (cf. 9:31). Ellis (Gospel of Luke, p. 190) suggests that it refers to consecration to the high priestly work, since the Greek word for “perfected” is used in the LXX of Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8.

The programmatic statement of Jesus’ purpose and progress continues in v. 33 with two additions: the specific reference to suffering (“die”) and the word “must” (dei). Luke conveys Jesus’ sense of purpose and necessity more strongly than the other Synoptics do. Well over two-thirds of the synoptic uses of dei are in Luke (cf. comment on 4:43). Another key word that reappears here is the verb poreuomai (“keep going”; cf. comment on “went” at v. 22). Luke emphasizes the “way” of Jesus, which led to the cross and on to glory (of John 7:35; 14:12, 28; 16:7, 28). Jesus expected to suffer as a prophet. Jeremias (TDNT, 5:714) says that to a great extent “martyrdom was considered an integral part of the prophetic office” in those days (cf. TDNT, 6:834–35). Stephen’s speech (Acts 7:52) accords with this. (Leifeld, W. L. (1984). Luke. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, pp. 974–975). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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When Jesus said, Today and tomorrow and the next day, He was not saying that He would arrive in Jerusalem in three days. The point was that He had a mission in mind and that He would continue on the schedule He had set for Himself. The goal was Jerusalem where He would die. He must present Himself publicly to the religious authorities and then be put to death.

It was at this point that Luke recorded the rejection of Jerusalem (representing the nation) by Jesus (13:34–35). Jesus lamented for the city and longed to protect it as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, that is, tenderly and lovingly, even though the people were not willing. His entire ministry up to this point had been to offer the kingdom to the nation. But since the nation, which had even killed the prophets, had rejected His words, He would now reject them. Jesus stated, Your house is left to you desolate (aphietai, “abandoned”). “House” probably refers not to the temple, but to the whole city. Though He would continue to offer Himself as the Messiah, the die was now cast. The city was abandoned by the Messiah.

Jesus noted (quoting Ps. 118:26) that the people of the city would not see Him again till they said that He was the Messiah. The crowd did quote this verse when Jesus entered the city in His Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:38), but their religious leaders disapproved. Ultimately this truth will be proclaimed when Jesus comes again and enters the city as the millennial Ruler. (Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 242). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Jesus was in Perea, which was ruled by Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. The Pharisees wanted to get Jesus back into Judea where the religious leaders could watch Him and ultimately trap Him, so they tried to frighten Him away.

Herod had been perplexed by our Lord’s ministry and was afraid that John the Baptist, whom he murdered, had come back from the dead (Luke 9:7–9). In fact, at one point, Herod wanted to meet Jesus so he could see Him perform a miracle! (Luke 23:8) But it appears that Herod’s heart was getting harder, for now he threatened to kill Jesus. The warning the Pharisees gave (Luke 13:31) was undoubtedly true or Jesus would not have answered as He did.

Our Lord was not afraid of danger. He followed a “divine timetable” and nothing could harm Him. He was doing the will of God according to the Father’s schedule (see John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 13:1; 17:1). It had been decreed from eternity that the Son of God would be crucified in Jerusalem at the Passover (1 Peter 1:20; Rev. 13:8), and even Herod Antipas could not hinder the purposes of God. Quite the contrary, our Lord’s enemies only helped fulfill the will of God (Acts 2:23; 3:13–18).

Jesus used a bit of “holy sarcasm” in His reply. He compared Herod to a fox, an animal that was not held in high esteem by the Jews (Neh. 4:3). Known for its cunning, the fox was an apt illustration of the crafty Herod. Jesus had work to do and He would accomplish it. After all, Jesus walked in the light (John 9:4; 11:9–10), and foxes went hunting in the darkness!

But Jesus also had a word to say about His nation: “It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33). This parallels what He had said to the scribes and Pharisees in Luke 11:47–51. The nation not only rejected God’s loving invitation to His feast, but they even killed the servants who brought them the invitation! (see Acts 13:27)

Our Lord’s heart was grieved as He saw the unbelief and rebellion around Him, and He broke out in a lamentation over the sad plight of the Jewish nation. It was a sob of anguish, not an expression of anger. His compassionate heart was broken.

The image of the hen and her chicks would be a familiar one to an agricultural people like the Jews (see Ps. 91:4). Some of the Old Testament references to “wings” refer to the wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies in the tabernacle or temple (see Ex. 25:20; Ruth 2:12; Pss. 36:7–8; 61:4). The hen gathers her chicks when she sees danger is coming. The Pharisees told Jesus that He was in danger, when in reality they were in danger!

In this lament, Jesus was addressing the whole nation and not just the Pharisees who had tried to provoke Him. The people had been given many opportunities to repent and be saved, but they had refused to heed His call. “House” refers both to the “family” of Jacob (“the house of Israel”) and to the temple (“the house of God”), both of which would be “left desolate.” The city and temple were destroyed and the people were scattered.

But there is a future for Israel. The time will come when their Messiah will return and be recognized and received by the people. They will say, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35; also see Ps. 118:26). Some of the people would use these words at His “triumphal entry” (Luke 19:38), but they will not have their fulfillment until His coming in glory (see Zech. 12:10; 14:4ff; Matt. 24:30–31).

Israel’s house has been left desolate. The nation has no king or priest, no temple or sacrifice (Hosea 3:4–5). But the nation has God’s promise that she has not been forsaken (Rom. 11:1ff). There can be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6) is seated on David’s throne (Isa. 11:1ff).

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Ps. 122:6)

Strive to enter in at the narrow gate! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 227–228). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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13:32 perfected: Jesus predicts His resurrection in Jerusalem. He cannot avoid ministering in the region. It is His call. The reference to today, tomorrow and the third day are figurative, since Jesus is speaking of more than three remaining days of total ministry. The verb translated perfected means “to complete something,” which is why it alludes to Jesus’ resurrection—the decisive moment of His ministry. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Lk 13:32). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)

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13:32 that fox. Some have suggested that Jesus’ use of this expression is hard to reconcile with Ex 22:28; Ecc 10:20; and Ac 23:5. However, those verses apply to everyday discourse. Prophets, speaking as mouthpieces of God, and with divine authority, were often commissioned to rebuke leaders publicly (cf. Is 1:23; Eze 22:27; Hos 7:3–7; Zep 3:3). Since Jesus spoke with perfect divine authority, He had every right to speak of Herod in such terms. Rabbinical writings often used “the fox” to signify someone who was both crafty and worthless. The Pharisees, who trembled at Herod’s power, must have been astonished at Christ’s boldness. today and tomorrow, and the third day. This expression signified only that Christ was on His own divine timetable; it was not meant to lay out a literal 3-day schedule. Expressions like this were common in Semitic usage, and seldom were employed in a literal sense to specify precise intervals of time. See note on Mt 12:40. reach My goal. I.e., by death, in the finishing of His work. Cf. Jn 17:4, 5; 19:30; Heb 2:10. Herod was threatening to kill Him, but no one could kill Christ before His time (Jn 10:17, 18). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Lk 13:32). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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The Lord was speaking particularly to those of Israel who had heard His message, who had been told He was the promised Messiah and King; yet the great majority had refused to believe in Him. He says, “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.” Notice the evidence of full recognition of those who had entered into the other world—they will know Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets. They will behold them even though they are on the other side of the great gulf; they will see beyond into the heavenly aspect of the kingdom, the fathers of Israel, and the prophets whose Scriptures they had professed to cherish; but they, themselves, who had failed to recognize the Redeemer when He came to deliver them, will be shut out in the darkness. Oh, be warned lest the day come for you when you shall see in yonder glory, father, mother, friends, and dear ones who knew and loved Christ; yet you, yourself, be shut out because you did not receive the Saviour. Receive Him now if you have never received Him before, even as these words ring in your ears. You need His blood to wash away your sins. Receive Him now in faith. The moment you do so He receives you, and you pass through the strait gate. Israel had that opportunity but they lost it. They forfeited their privileges; therefore, the day drew near when they would be cast out and others would take their place. “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.” There are millions from the Gentile world who have come in to appropriate and enjoy that which Israel despised. So we are told, “And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.” Israel was first in God’s plan for blessing and now she is last.

“The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto Him, Get Thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill Thee.” They pretended to be interested in saving the life of our Lord, but they did not understand that no one could take it until He Himself laid it down. Knowing all that was before Him and perceiving their deceitful attitude, “He said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” That is, perfected as to salvation. We read in the second chapter of Hebrews that He who was ever perfect as to His character; was made perfect as the Captain of our salvation by His death on the cross. (Ironside, H. A. (1947). Addresses on the Gospel of Luke. (pp. 461–463). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)

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Ver. 32. And he said unto them, go ye and tell that fox, &c.] Herod, who it may be sent them, of which Christ was not ignorant, nor of his design in it; and who, as Nero, for his cruelty, is compared to a lion, so he for his subtlety in this instance, as well as in the whole of his conduct, to a fox; though some think Christ has a regard to the Pharisees, and their craftiness, in forming this story, pretending good will to him, by acquainting him of Herod’s malicious designs, when their view was only to scare him out of their country; so the false prophets and teachers, are for their cunning, subtlety, and flattery, compared to foxes, Cant. 2:15; Ezek. 13:4 as well as for their greediness and voraciousness: the word is used with the Jews, for a vain and empty man, in opposition to a good man; as in that saying of R. Jannai, “be thou the tail of lions, and not the head of “foxes;” or rain men, as the gloss explains it: behold, I cast out devils; or I will cast out devils, as the Ethiopic version reads, in spite of him, let him do his worst: and I do cures to-day and to-morrow; and so for some time to come; and which was doing good, and was what Herod and the Pharisees, had they any humanity in them, would have rejoiced at, and have chose that he should have continued with them, and not have threatened him with his life, or have took any methods to send him from them: and the third day I shall be perfected; that is, in a little time after, I shall be made perfect by sufferings, my course will be finished, and I shall have done all the work completely, I came about; and till that time come, it is not in his power, nor yours, nor all the men on earth, or devils in hell, to take away my life, or hinder me doing what I am about. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 628–629). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING:

Jesus was not in the business of offering human advice which you could take or leave according to the way you felt about it. Instead, He always spoke with absolute and final authority. (p. 370)

I believe in Christian charity, but I do not believe in the weak tolerance that we hear preached so often now – the idea that Jesus must tolerate everybody and that the Christian must tolerate every kind of doctrine. (p.371)

When we become so tolerant that we lead people into mental fog and spiritual darkness, we are not acting like Christians – we are acting like cowards. (p. 371)

We who are evangelicals and conservative in theology are often accused of being ‘bigoted.’ I can only reply that science and philosophy are more arrogant and bigoted than religion could ever possibly be. (p. 372, TozerSpeaks vol. 1 by A. W. Tozer)

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Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe

Each of us needs to watch and pray (Neh.4:9; Mark 14: 38) and stay alert, not only for the return of the Lord but also for the coming of Satan and his agents who want to “secretly bring in destructive heresies” that defile the church (2 Pet.2:1) (p. 176)

How important it is that we end well and can say with Paul,” I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (v.7). Jesus Christ is the Commander of the army of the Lord (Josh. 5: 13-15) and he is looking for “gap people” to make up the wall and defeat the enemy. (p. 177)

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Treasures from the Greek New Testament by Kenneth S. Wuest

We have found that the life God give the believer is described by two words, aion and aionios, both meaning ‘eternal.” We notice now the statement of our Lord in Matthew 25: 46, “There shall go away into (aionios) everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life (aionios) eternal.” Aionios means ‘eternal” when used with the word “punishment”?

But now we will let Dr. E. B. Pusey speak, as he quotes Augustine on this passage, and then adds his own comment. Augustine said of this text, “What a thing it is, to account eternal punishment to be a fire of long duration, and eternal life to be without end, since Christ comprised both in the very same place, in one and the same sentence, saying, “These shall go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.’ If both are eternal, either both must be understood to be lasting with an end, or both perpetual without end. For like is related to like; on the one side, eternal punishment; on the other side, eternal life. But to say in one and the same sentence, like eternal shall be without end, punishment eternal shall have an end, were to absurd: whence, since the eternal life of the saints shall be without end, punishment eternal too shall doubtless have no end to those whose it shall be.” (p. 38-9)

We will look first at those passages which contain aionios. In Matthew 18:8 the phase “everlasting fire” is in the Greek “the fire which is everlasting.” The use of the definite article shows that this passage does not refer to fire in general but to a particular fire (Rev. 20:10), This fire will burn forever and is unquenchable (Mark 9:43). Matthew 25:41 tells us that this everlasting fire is prepared for the devil and his angels. The word “prepared” in the Greek is in the perfect tense, which tense speaks of a past complete action that has present results. The Lake of Fire has been prepared before our Lord spoke these words, and is now in existence. The fires of this lake are not purifying but punitive. That is, their purpose is not to purify the wicked dead in order that they might be brought to repentance and faith with the result that they will all be finally saved, as those teach who advocate the universal restoration of the entire human race. They are for the punishment of Satan and his fallen angels, and for those of the human race who enter eternity in a lost condition. Matthew 25:46 has been dealt with above. (p. 40)

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2 Thessalonians 3
We are to hold other Christians accountable for the integrity of their lifestyles.
INSIGHT

Past generations of Christians have been guilty of excess in judging other people. The Inquisition and the Salem witch trials are glaring examples, but other examples abound throughout history. Today we live in an age of greater understanding and acceptance, which is certainly preferable – unless it degenerates into careless acceptance of things which are clearly wrong – in which case the pendulum swings too far the other way. We are to be tolerant of debatable things, but clear sin is to be dealt with. “Withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly” (v. 6). (Quiet Walk)

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THE APOSTOLIC TEACHING ABOUT JESUS

…Jesus Christ is come in the flesh… 1 John 4:2
What is the apostolic teaching concerning Christ? Now in a phrase in our text John gives us the perfect answer. John does not use words like this haphazardly. Listen to the way in which he puts it: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:2). Now here is the statement: “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” Jesus Christ arrived in the world “in the flesh.” What does this mean? Let me try to show you how John in putting it like this was countering and answering some of those grievous heresies that had already arisen even in his day in the church, before the end of the first century.
Take the expression “Jesus Christ.” Why does John say, “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”? Why did he not say that Jesus or Christ has come in the flesh? Ah, that is most important; that is his way of emphasizing the unity of the blessed person. The Lord Jesus Christ has two natures—the divine and the human—and yet there is only one person. The earlier chapters of 1 John make it plain that there were false prophets, antichrists, in the early church, and some of them said something like this: “Jesus of Nazareth was just a man like every other man; but when He was baptized by John in the Jordan, the eternal Christ came upon Him and began to use Him; and the eternal Christ continued with the man Jesus until He came to the cross. But on the cross the eternal Christ went away, back to heaven, and it was only the man Jesus who died. There were two persons—the man Jesus and the eternal Christ.” No! says John; “Jesus Christ,” one person but two natures—the two natures in one person.
A Thought to Ponder: The Lord Jesus Christ has two natures—the divine and the human—and yet there is only one person.

(From The Love of God, pp. 31-32, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Messages from the Messiah’s Life: Gifts from Fools and Blind Leaders
“Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?. . . whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?” (Matthew 23:17, 19)
The temple was the center of the Old Covenant. The Levite’s income and temple’s upkeep were derived from an elaborate system of tithes and other offerings defined in Leviticus.
By the time the Lord Jesus entered His ministry on Earth, the regulations God initiated had been turned into an intricate web of demands designed to coerce people to give. Jesus confronted the leaders and exposed their wickedness. Matthew 23:23: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”Matthew 23:27: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”

Luke 11:43: “Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.”
Luke 11:46: “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.”

This kind of hypocrite seeks his name in a bulletin, a plaque on a wall, a brick in a walkway, or a wing in a hospital or museum, and is indifferent to the quiet background work of ministry that embraces judgment, mercy, and faith. The Lord regards the condition of the heart far more than the deed.

(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)

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DAILY HOPE

Today’s Scripture

Numbers 31-32

Wars must be fought so that peace might reign. Ulysses S. Grant stated, “I have never advocated war except as a means of peace.” This is spoken by one that had experienced all the trauma and agony of leading good men to death and killing other good men to regain peace in a land fractured by hate and misunderstanding.

Israel is now commanded to go to war against the Midianites and to destroy them for the wickedness they had committed in tempting Israel to worship false idols and commit immorality. This was a religious war with Phinehas the priest leading the army instead of Joshua. They were to take the holy articles and the trumpets that the priests used and the lead the troops into battle against those who opposed the Lord (31:6).

After destroying the Midianites, the Israelite army brought the spoils of victory to Moses and the people encamped in the plains by the Jordan (31:12). As the spoils were brought from the battle, Moses met them and was angered they had brought the women of Midian to the camp. His anger was due to the Midianite women having tempted Israel at Baal Peor. Moses commanded all nonvirgin women and males to be killed (31:17).

The Israelite men who had done battle were declared unclean and cleansing was needed before they could enter the camp. They were to wash and purify their garments and themselves. After that purification process was accomplished, the division of the plunder was undertaken by Moses. Shortly thereafter, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh approached Moses for permission to claim land east of the Jordan so these tribes could raise their cattle and sheep.

God pronounced judgment on the enemies of His chosen people. Simultaneously, He took the horror of warfare and used it to strengthen and encourage the people of Israel before they entered the land which had been promised. At times, God uses extremely bad circumstances to bring good to His people.Persecution and suffering have been inflicted upon the church at different times to purge, cleanse, and declare her as a bride to Christ. Instead of looking at pain and difficulty as judgment, examine the situation and see if it might be God’s way of drawing someone closer to Himself.

In Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller

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