Key Truth: Luke
wrote Luke 13:22-35 to warn people that the opportunity to repent has a
strict deadline and that rejecting repentance has dire consequences.
Key Application: Today I
want to show you what God’s Word says about repentance.
Pray and Read:
Luke 13:22-35
Contextual Notes:
Since the beginning of his Gospel,
Luke has focused on the importance of walking in faith and not in unbelief. After
the major shift in the Gospel at Luke 9:51, Jesus leaves his ministry in
Galilee and turns with determination toward Jerusalem and His coming Suffering,
Death, and Resurrection. Luke’s message of trusting Christ sharpens, and his
warning against unbelief hones in on the very religious yet unbelieving Jewish
leadership.
We see Jesus’ rising determination
in his call to realign our priorities to those of our resolute Lord: the
priority of His Gospel to the nations (Luke 10:1-24); the priority of our love
for our neighbors (Luke 10:25-37); the priority of His Presence (Luke 10:38-42)
lived by the priority of prayer (Luke 11:1-13); the priority of Jesus’
authority (Luke 11:14-28) which calls us to the priority of repentance (Luke
11:29-36).
Luke
10:1-24 The Priority of His
Gospel (for the nations)
Luke 10:25-37 The Priority of Your Love (for your
neighbor)
Luke
10:38-42 The Priority of His
Presence
Luke 11:1-13 The
Priority of Your Prayer
Luke 11:14-28 The Priority of His Authority
Luke
11:29-36 The Priority of Your
Repentance
Then Luke’s Gospel points toward First,
Jesus condemns the wrong kind of religion – dead religion that is devoid of
relationship with Him (Luke 11:37-54). Then he warns his disciples of hypocrisy
and points away from the fear of man to the right kind of fear, the fear of God
(Luke 12:1-12). Jesus next warns against materialism but instead to focus on
being rich toward God (Luke 12:13-21), then warns against worry and encourages
his disciples to trust the Lord for provision (Luke 12:22-34). The right kind
of focus follows (Luke 12:35-59), then Luke’s outline calls us to the right
kind of religion, one of repentance and grace (Luke 13:1-19).
Luke
11:37-54 The Wrong Kind of Religion
(not ritual, but relationship)
Luke
12:1-12 The Right Kind of
Fear (not of men, but of God)
Luke
12:13-21 The Wrong Kind of
Focus (not greed, but God)
Luke
12:22-34 The Wrong Kind of Fear (not worry, but trust)
Luke 12:35-59 The Right
Kind of Focus (on
eternity, not this world)
Luke 13:1-9 The Right Kind of Religion (not pride, but
repentance)
With
a series of illustrations, Jesus reminds us that the world is rushing toward
Christ’s Second Coming. To be ready, believers must serve God actively (Luke
12:35-53) and unbelievers must make peace with God before it is too late (Luke
12:54-59) with the right kind of religion, one of repentance (Luke 13:1-5)
which bears the fruit of repentance (Luke 13:6-9). Jesus encourages us to
embrace the Gracious Kingdom (Luke 13:10-17) which though beginning humbly will
grow rapidly to embrace the nations (Luke 13:18-21), an end-time Kingdom
entered through a narrow door (Luke 13:22-30). But unfortunately, many, even in
Jerusalem, will reject that Door (Luke 13:31-35).
Sermon Points:
1. The
opportunity for repentance has a strict deadline (Luke 13:22-30)
2. The
rejection of repentance has dire consequences (Luke 11:31-35)
Exposition: Note
well,
1.
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REPENTANCE HAS A
STRICT DEADLINE (Luke 13:22-30)
a.
Since
our last passage we believe that Jesus left Perea for the Feast of Dedication
(today called Hanukah) in December A.D. 32 (John 10:40-42) and has now returned
to Perea until his final journey to Jerusalem in the spring of A.D. 33. With
just over three months to go in His earthly ministry, Jesus presses toward His
excruciating Passion, and therefore His rhetoric becomes more prioritized and
His call more shrill. After Luke reminds us that Jesus is headed to Jerusalem
where He will achieve salvation for all God’s people (Luke 13:22; 9:51), Luke
records a question from one of Jesus followers. Jesus responds with an
illustration of salvation as a narrow door to the home of a wealthy owner who
is having a banquet. Jesus
b.
Luke 13:23-24 – Narrow Door: Someone in the crowd shouts out a
question about how many would be saved. Jesus ignores that question and turns
the question to a more important one: Who
will be saved? The answer is those who choose personally and individually to
enter through the “narrow door.”[1]
It was a common belief among the Jews that all Israelites would be saved.[2]
Jesus explains to the people that salvation does not come to the nation as a
whole, but to individuals who make personal, sometimes difficult decisions to
follow Him.
c.
Luke 13:25 – Banquet: When the time for the banquet
arrives, the owner shuts the door and late arrivals are refused entrance. The
shutting of the door symbolizes the owner’s authority and the lost opportunity
for those shut out.[3]
I don’t know you: In the OT, knowing
God means that in His sovereignty, God has chosen to have a saving relationship
with a person. In Amos 3:2 God says, “You only have I chosen (literally
“known”) of all the families of the earth” (cf. Isaiah 63:16; Jer. 1:5). Here
the owner refuses to acknowledge a relationship (cf. Isaiah 63:16). Where you come from: One’s identity was
closely associated with place of origin. Refusing to acknowledge origin was to
refuse to acknowledge identity.
d.
Luke 13:27 – Away from me: Jesus alludes to Psalm 6:8, where a
righteous sufferer cries out to his persecutors to depart from him.
e.
Luke 13:28 – Weeping and gnashing of
teeth: This is a
symbol here of mourning and torment. It appears repeatedly in Matthew. In the
OT gnashing or grinding teeth is a sign of anger (Psalm 35:16; 37:12) and
perhaps, as here, rejection and judgment (Psalm 112:10). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: These men were the recipients of God’s
covenant, and they symbolize Israel’s national identity. In the Exodus, God
delivered the Israelites because of this covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Most Jews of Jesus’ day counted on their privileged position as
descendants of Abraham to gain them entrance to God’s Kingdom. Jesus teaches
that salvation is a matter of personal faith, not of being born into a nation,
a family, or even a church. Jesus is being very transparent about His Messianic
ministry. He is issuing an urgent call to Israel to respond in repentance and
enter the kingdom. Those who refuse will be shut out of the Messianic Banquet.
f.
Luke 13:29 – East, West, North, and South: A common OT image of the
establishment of the Kingdom is that the nations will stream to Jerusalem to
worship God (Isaiah 2:2; 55:5). In Isaiah 25:6-9, that image is combined with
the Messianic banquet. Jesus makes a shocking point that even if many
Israelites are excluded, the Gentile nations will be full participants in the
blessings of the Kingdom. Our God is a missionary God! Jesus’ image of the Messianic banquet is a
symbol of God’s end-time blessings for His people. The imagery has its roots in
the promise of Isaiah 25:6, “On this mountain (Mount Zion) the LORD Almighty
will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the
best of meats and the finest of wines.” Notice the emphasis on God’s eternal and
bountiful provision for his people (Psalm 22:26; 23:5).
g. APPLICATION: How stunned those who miss the
narrow gate will be, to see even Gentiles celebrating with Abraham and
themselves locked out.
2.
THE REJECTION OF REPENTANCE HAS DIRE
CONSEQUENCES (Luke 13:31-35)
a.
Luke 13:31 – Pharisees warn Jesus: Jesus receives a warning from some
Pharisees that Herod Antipas is seeking to kill him. Antipas was one of Herod
the Great’s sons and ruled over Galilee and Perea. Because Herod Antipas had
already executed John the Baptizer, it would be possible. Jesus takes the
opportunity to reaffirm his resolve to complete his God-ordained mission in
Jerusalem and to pronounce judgment against the nation.
b.
APPLICATION: When folks who hate you seem to be
watching out for your interests, beware!
c.
Luke 13:32 – Go tell that fox: Jesus is not giving Herod Antipas a
compliment. We view the fox as cunning and deceptive, and the Greeks and later
rabbis did as well. The fox was thought of as a destroyer. While Antipas preys on
the little chicks, Jesus is like the hen who desires to protect them. Third
day: Jesus here makes a prophetic reference to his coming resurrection by which
He will complete His Messianic task.
d.
Luke 13:33 – I must: The Greek word (dei) conveys a strong sense of
necessity. Jesus is required by His commitment to God and His love for us to go
to Jerusalem and the Cross. Throughout
his Gospel beginning with Jesus’ birth announcement and first sermon in Galilee
preaching from Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke has stressed Jesus’ role as a Prophet. Jesus
will suffer the fate of the prophets – rejection and martyrdom in Jerusalem. No prophet can die outside Jerusalem:
Luke’s theme comes from Luke 11:47-51. Jesus’ statement would have shocked His
listeners, but they could not argue with it. It was true.
e. Luke
13:34-35 – Stoning
was the prescribed capital punishment in OT law (Lev 20:2; Num 15:35), but here
Israel stones God’s messengers! The last prophet mentioned in the Hebrew OT in
which Chronicles is the last book, was stoned in the Temple. Zechariah son of
Jehoiada was murdered in the Temple courtyard (2 Chron 24:21; cf. Luke 11:51).
f. Luke
13:34-35 – As a hen gathers her chicks: As a prophet, Jesus speaks for God and expresses the
Father’s heart of compassion for the nation. The OT frequently speaks of the
protection found in the shelter of God’s wings (Deut 32:11; Psalm 17:8; 36:7;
57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4; Isaiah 34:15; ). The Cherubim on the Ark of the
Covenant spread their wings as a covering over the Ark (Exod 19:4; 25:20; 37:9;
1 Kings 8:6-7; 2 Chron 5:7-8). Ruth asked her Kinsman-Redeemer Boaz to spread
his wings over her in protection because of the covenant (Ruth 2:12). Though
Jerusalem (representing Israel) rejects God’s messengers, God still loves her. Looking
over the milling crowds of the city of Jerusalem, a city so sure of its own
righteousness, Jesus expresses deep anguish for the doomed city, whose people
utterly refuse to turn to the Lord. With great grief because of their
rejection, Jesus prophesies that Israel’s Temple will soon be destroyed (and it
would be in less than 40 years in A.D. 70) and that Israel’s people will remain
in unbelief until the Millennium.
g. Luke
13:35 – Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord: Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:26, one
of the Hallel or praise songs (Psalm 113-118) used in worship by pilgrims at
the feasts in Jerusalem, especially Tabernacles and Passover, plainly
Messianic.
Invitation:
[1] In Matt. 7:13, Jesus uses a narrow
gate and a narrow road as images of the way of life of Jer. 21:8; Deut 30:15.
[2] The Mishnah says in reference to
Isaiah 60:21, “All Israelites have a share in the world to come.” Certain
exceptions are those who deny the resurrection, who deniy the diving origin of
the Law, who read heretical books, who utter charms, who pronounce the divine
name YHWH, and Epicureans, i.e., Jews and Gentiles who opposed the rabbis’
teaching (m. Sanh. 10.1).
[3] In contrast to Noah, Gen 7:16: “Then
the Lord shut him in.”
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