My name is Derrick.
It's great to see everybody.
Welcome to One Hope Church.
If you're visiting this morning, uh,
uh, I don't speak every Sunday if
you're new here, but I do get the
opportunity to speak a few times a year.
I'm excited about this morning and our
opportunity to look into the word and
see what the Lord has for us today.
We're going to be continuing our
study through the book of Luke.
Luke chapter 13, as Jesus is traveling
and teaching and he's slowly making
his way towards Jerusalem as he's
teaching people in Israel along the way,
before we get into reading the
word, let's pray and prepare our
hearts for what the Lord would
like to speak to us this morning.
As we look into Jesus and his teachings
and what he has for us this morning.
Lord, we thank you so much for this
morning that we have to come before you.
We thank you so much for the written
word of scripture that we have.
We thank you so much for the
living word of Jesus that we have.
Your one unique son that you sent
to this earth to teach us the
way, to show us what you're like.
Lord, thank you for how you've
worked through all of history.
Thank you for how you're
continuing to work.
And Lord, just as people came
to listen to Jesus, his words
were to puzzle over the meaning.
To try to understand what he was
teaching and seeking after him and
listening to what he has to say.
Lord, we are the same way this morning.
We're coming to the words of
Jesus to see what you have to say
to us through your living word,
what you would have to teach us.
Pray that we would have ears to hear
from you, what you would have for us,
that you would give us the grace, Lord,
to live out whatever we learned today.
Uh, we need you, Lord.
We need your strength.
We need your guidance.
Pray that you would lead us
this morning in Jesus name.
Amen.
Amen.
So this morning, we're
continuing our study.
We're in Luke chapter 13.
We're going to be looking
at verses 10 through 35.
Now, if we remember from last week from
Eduardo teaching, Jesus was walking
around and teaching crowds and multitudes
and he's teaching some tough stuff.
Um, you know, the teachings of
Jesus, a lot of times they're
really encouraging because they
talk about caring for the lowly.
They talk about all these things
that feel warm and fuzzy, but he's
also talking about, in verse 5
of 13, I tell you, but unless you
repent, you will likewise perish.
Talking about, uh, terrible things
that have happened to other people.
Why did these things happen?
And he says, don't worry about them.
What about you?
Um, he, and he's teaching, uh,
multiple difficult things, uh, about
repentance and about bearing fruit
and, uh, and, So people are coming to
listen to him to see what he's about.
What are you about?
What are you teaching us?
What, uh, what is this?
Some people are hearing his words,
accepting what he has to say.
They're seeing the miracles he's doing
and saying, there's something different.
There's something here to listen to.
And then there's some people that aren't
listening and they're turning away.
So we come to this.
It's kind of neat because there's
some things in here that Jesus says
that are difficult to understand.
And people at the time were sitting
there puzzling on what he was teaching.
There's people today looking at some of
these verses saying, was he saying this?
Was he saying that?
There's some very deep things in here.
We want the Lord to teach us.
Um, so let's, uh, look to
the spirit in those things.
But we're going to look, um, here
in, uh, verse, uh, chapter 13.
We're going to start here in verse 10.
I'm going to read the first three verses.
Chapter 13, verse 10.
On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in the
synagogues, and a woman was there who had
been crippled by a spirit for 18 years.
She was bent over and could
not straighten up at all.
When Jesus saw her, he called her
forward and said to her, Woman, you
are set free from your infirmity.
Then he put his hands on
her, and immediately she
straightened up and praised God.
So, this incredible,
incredible situation here.
If you've ever known somebody with
a severe illness or disability that
has changed the course of their life.
Maybe that's you.
Maybe that's somebody
you know and love deeply.
You know how, you know how
weighty and heavy this is.
And this lady is here listening to Jesus
and he goes and touches her physically
and she's healed in her physical body.
There's something very different
about this person, Jesus, other than
just the things that he's teaching.
He has a different authority and it's
here on earth with people working
and active and people are trying
to figure out what to make of it.
Um, and what is the response?
Obviously this woman is super excited,
but there was, we have a response here
in verse 14, indignant because Jesus
had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue
leaders said to the people, there are
six days for work, so come and be healed
on those days, not on the Sabbath.
So here, Jesus is teaching.
Uh, he's teaching in a synagogue.
That's okay on the Sabbath
to listen to the teachings.
You're not working.
We're not, there's certain
things in the Jewish culture.
Um, through the commandments in the
Old Testament that they were not to do.
Remembering the Lord, gathering
and worshipping was one of the
things they were supposed to do.
This lady has come to worship the
Lord, to hear teaching, um, and, and
she's being rebuked for being healed.
And likewise, Jesus is being
rebuked by the synagogue leaders.
So they're at the place.
of particular synagogue and there's
people that are in charge of it.
So I think of, uh, the leaders of
that local organization and people
are coming to that organization.
This Jesus person is
getting up and teaching.
He heals somebody and the
people that are in charge.
Like this is not good.
We can't be having this.
Um, why are they saying this?
Well, yes, there are
restrictions for work.
Obviously the, Fourth commandment,
Exodus 20 verses eight is to remember
the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
And it talks about there's six
days for work, but then this other
day is to be holy to the Lord.
And so they're saying that you shouldn't
be coming to be healed at this time.
This is not proper.
Um, but what Jesus is doing here is
obviously not work in the type of way
that the old Testament is talking about.
And he is doing something
that is very important.
And he's doing something that
obviously is not offending the Lord.
He's obviously the son of God,
so he's doing what is right.
He's also demonstrating the kingdom of
God and the power of God right here on
Earth in the synagogue at this time.
So, they make this complaint, these
leaders do, and in verse 15, Jesus
answers and says, You hypocrites!
Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath
untie your ox or donkey from the
stall and lead it to give it water?
Then should not this woman, a daughter
of Abraham, Whom Satan has kept bound
for 18 long years, be set free on
the Sabbath day from what bound her.
So, Jesus's reply, and he doesn't
even just say, hey, you're wrong.
He doesn't say, that's a thought,
but let me give you another one.
He says, actors, phonies, like pretending
to be one thing, but you're another.
That's, you know, that's quite
an accusation when you call
somebody that, a hypocrite.
And Jesus is really the first
person that we see in, uh, in,
Uh, in written word that regularly
calls people hypocrites or actors.
You hear that all the time now, um, but
if you're looking, if you're looking
back in history of people using that
literal in different literary contexts,
Jesus is the first one that uses it.
Um, so he's calling these
people actors, phonies.
And he also makes the point that
this lady's a daughter of Abraham.
She is a Jewish person here to worship
on the Sabbath, here for a good thing.
And also, yes, you're not supposed to
work, but you're not supposed to be cruel.
If you have an animal and it
needs water, of course you
untie it and take it to water.
And nobody, nobody says,
no, you shouldn't do that.
Let the animal, you know, suffer.
Well, this here's somebody here
that is suffering and she's
worth much more than an animal.
She's made in the very image of God.
And this is obvious to everybody around.
Uh, but the Jewish leaders do not,
or are against Jesus because of
his influence and, uh, and the
people that are listening to him.
Um, So in verse 17, when he said this,
all his opponents were humiliated,
but the people were delighted with
the wonderful things he was doing.
And it just makes obvious common sense to
anybody around us not being ridiculous,
that this is the right thing to do, and
it's not violation of God's law, even
as it is written in the Old Testament.
So Jesus points out this obvious
fact that this woman has more
value and more importance than
an animal in God's economy.
And Jesus is here talking and going
through these different towns, and he's
gonna start teaching from this point
forward very heavily about the kingdom
of God and talking about how God's
economy is different than man's economy.
Not that in the Old Testament was right
in its commandments, but also God's
economy is different than even people
that are following this commandments
are looking, uh, that with that they
have their views distorted here, um,
for their own, especially these leaders
for their, for their own reasons.
So they were rightly humiliated.
Uh, and that's a powerful section
too, just knowing, you know, that
our God is a God that heals, that
wholeness is something that He desires.
He's going to talk about salvation.
The word for healing and salvation
are used interchangeably in scripture.
Um, it's a demonstration too of
His saving power even physically.
That's for a time we know, but
there's something even more than
that and we're going to get to that.
Uh, but our God is a God of love
and healing and also, as we have
read, You know, a God that requires
holiness and repentance, but also
freely gives of love and wholeness.
But this leads us to another section
with a couple of really interesting
parables, very short parables.
These are interesting to read because
there are a couple of sentences
and you're like, there they are.
You're like, okay, what does that mean?
So we have two, we have two short,
uh, uh, parables that are coming
up here, verses 18, uh, through 21.
And it's interesting because people
still even argue that our believers
today, what exactly is the main
point that Jesus is getting across?
These are very deep things.
And I love when Jesus gives
something to chew on and you
have to struggle with it a bit.
It's like, okay, I read that.
What does it mean?
And you can go back a year later.
What does it mean?
Two years later, what does it mean?
And there's, uh, and there is a
meaning that he's trying to convey
a real meaning, a literal meaning,
uh, and we want to understand it.
But it's also something that we get to
chew on, um, as Jesus, as some of Jesus's
teachings are very clear and easy.
And some of them are, some
of them are more difficult.
Um, the, these two, um, parables that
he gives are really a hinge between
the general teaching to the multitudes.
And then he's going to be teaching
very, very consistently on the,
about the kingdom here from
chapter 13 through chapter 17.
And we have two parables here
about mustard seed and a yeast.
So, verse 28.
Then Jesus asked, What is
the kingdom of God like?
This is a great question, because, you
know, What is the kingdom of God like?
Now, mind you, He's teaching
Jewish people that live in Israel.
They know, they know that, they know what
a kingdom is, because they live in Israel.
In a kingdom that's right
now dominated by the Romans.
They know who their ancestors were.
They can trace lines of kings.
God has called them to be a chosen
people, uh, and, uh, kingdom and
his own, you know, his own people.
The chosen one, the elect.
These are God's chosen people.
So they know, they know what a kingdom is.
What's different between God's kingdom
and Israel is another question.
You know, but they're asking, uh, but
this is, this is a great question Jesus
asked to get their brains thinking.
What is the kingdom of God like?
Not the kingdom of this world,
not the kingdom you've seen, but
what is the kingdom of God like?
What shall I compare it to?
Verse 19.
It is like a mustard seed, which a
man took and planted in his garden.
It grew and became a tree, and
the birds perched in its branches.
Now, this is an interesting,
interesting thing.
He talks about a mustard seed where
you might be familiar with another
verse in scripture that talks
about a mustard seed in Matthew
chapter 17 verses 20 through 21.
In that verse, he's, uh, Jesus is
comparing, uh, he's saying if you have
faith as a mustard seed, so it's talking
about faith and mustard seed, you can
move a mountain and it seems to be
like this little bit of mustard seed.
What does that mean?
Is he talking about size and mustard seed?
Is that your faith?
Is it growing faith?
We can talk about those things,
but That's not even what he's
talking about in this scripture.
Here, in this verse, he's saying that the
kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.
And what it is, it's planted in a
garden, it grows and becomes a tree,
and birds perch on its branches.
Now, in my house we have a
few crepe myrtles out front.
We've got a couple that we never
chop back, and we have a few that
every winter we crepe murder them.
You know what that is?
Crepe murder?
That's what people call it when you take
your crape myrtles and you just chop
every last branch off so it's just like a
straight stick hanging out of the ground.
And it looks funny when you first
do that, but we do that every
winter right before the spring.
And by the end of every summer, the
branches that have grown are well
over ten, I mean ten feet at least.
I mean it grows ten feet.
And this isn't a weed, this
is a solid wooden branch.
And every year we chop it all the
way back to just like knuckles.
And then a few months later, I
mean, every day you're driving out,
like a few weeks, you're like, man,
they're taller and taller and taller.
It grows very quickly.
And here, uh, this is something
that mustard seeds were known for
because this is a very small seed.
It gets planted, but they
also grow very quickly.
It's also a woody tree, like
a, like, like, like that.
It's not a weed.
And it's a woody tree with
enough strength that a bird can
come and perch on its branches.
It's very well known, if he'd have
said, uh, because I've never seen a
mustard seed tree, I've never planted
one, I don't know what that's like.
Very common in this, in
this, uh, this culture.
So when he says, uh, like a mustard seed,
they would be like, oh, like, I knew
how crape myrtle branches grow quick.
They would have known the same thing.
Oh, it grows quickly.
So this is something that's expanding.
It's growing quickly now.
And there's a couple of
different takes on here.
I'll tell you which one, which one I take.
There's a couple of people that look,
uh, some people that study the Bible,
look at these verses and think that
the Lord is talking rather negatively.
Not that the kingdom of God is
negative, but that man's influence on
the kingdom of God can be negative.
Not that it's thwarting it,
but you have to see clearly.
So some people would look at these and
say, That, uh, that, you know, this
grows, but then you have, you have these
birds that come and nest in the branches.
They would say, um, because we're coming
off of these verses before that were
negative, they would say that, yes,
you know, the kingdom of God is growing
and it's at, it's active at this time,
but there's going to be people involved
that are not of the kingdom of God.
And you have to, you have
to, you have to be wary.
And likewise, they would say
the same thing with the yeast.
We'll talk about that.
I don't take it that way.
I think what the Lord
is, uh, this is, this is.
Where I'm at chewing on this right now.
I think in the context, the Jesus is
saying the kingdom is emerging now here
before your eyes on earth, it's growing.
Jesus is going and telling what
people must know to be saved.
He's telling them what the
kingdom of God is like.
Uh, he's telling them what
they need to know to be saved,
and this truth is growing.
Not everybody's receiving it,
but it is expanding, uh, and
it will continue to expand.
Um, and we have, and that's,
and that's the main point here.
This, this little thing expands, but
then also others will be involved.
We have people from the outside coming in.
It's going to expand even beyond
the borders here of Israel.
Um, and I think that the next
verse, uh, points to that too.
So we look at verse 20.
Again, he asks, What shall we
compare the kingdom of God to?
It's like yeast that a woman took and
mixed into, depending on your, uh,
translation, it might say 60 pounds
of flour or three measures of meal, a
large, uh, a large, uh, portion of flour
until it worked through the whole dough.
Now, interesting, yeast or
leaven in the context of a lot of
teaching in the Old Testament, New
Testament is very often negative.
You know, Jesus in Matthew 16 teaches, it
warns against the leaven of the Pharisees.
Um, and also we, you know, we've
studied through the Old Testament
this year talking about the Passover.
And how at that particular feast,
they were not to have leaven in
their bread and the reasons for that.
So, uh, leaven has, and you were
being, and that's, in that context
of the Passover, if you were putting
leaven in your bread, you were, you
were sinning quite, quite literally.
But for the rest of the year,
they were using leaven too.
So this is something that
they were familiar with.
They were using yeast.
I know there's people in here that bake
bread, they like yeast, makes it rise.
Otherwise you're eating crackers,
not quite as good as Miss Bonnie's
bread, not by a long shot.
So, um, But, uh, so, so, uh, some
people say that this is another
warning saying you've got to, the
kingdom of God is expanding, but not
everybody that's purporting to be
involved is going to be of the Lord.
Now certainly that's the case.
I don't think that's what the Lord
is, is talking about here though.
Also there's, there's a big wide
world and the kingdom of God
is being spread throughout it.
Uh, as it's, as it's being
worked in these, that's what
the kingdom of God is like.
It's kind of, not everybody might
see it and they might not look at it
and tell what's going on, but it's at
work and it's expanding and it's going
through all these different areas.
It's not going to stay in Jerusalem.
It's going to work through and, and,
and be, uh, be all over the place.
Um, and it's much bigger even than that.
So it's interesting.
Jesus gives these two, uh, there's,
gives these two quick parables.
That's, that I'm sure.
Uh, I hope that you go home and
you read these like 15 times
and be like, was he right?
Was he thinking the right thing?
Go home and go home
and struggle with them.
Read about and think about them.
The words of Jesus are important.
Uh, I'm sure at this time when Jesus
said these things, people were looking
at what was happening at that time,
politically, what was happening at
that time with the teachers and going
home and saying, what did Jesus mean?
Let's do the same thing today.
Uh, and, and search for Jesus to teach us.
What he wants us to know.
It's good to wrestle with these things.
But the, but the good news is Jesus is
teaching, uh, about the kingdom of God.
He's teaching what people
need to know to be saved.
And, um, and the people that
are believing are increasing
in number in different areas.
But that takes us to the next section.
Verses 20, let's read
verse 22 and verse 23.
Then Jesus went through the
towns and villages, teaching as
he made his way to Jerusalem.
Again, he's on his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him, Lord, are
only a few going to be saved?
Man, what a question, right?
I'm sure all of us have
thought that from time to time.
And then also, just to
think of the context.
We have people here, Jesus
is teaching in the synagogue.
People are coming that
are children of Abraham.
They know who their ancestors were.
They know that God had saved them.
They're long ago ancestors from Egypt.
He had saved their more recent
ancestors from the Babylonian
captivity and brought them back.
And now they're under Roman rule.
And a lot of times in Jewish culture,
when they're talking about salvation,
they're also thinking that the kingdom of
God would be here on this earth now, and
that we would be saved from all of these.
Uh, foreign entanglements and from
being put upon, are they thinking
that I don't think so with everything
that Jesus has been teaching.
If we look through all these
things that he's teaching, he's
not saying, um, this is what your
nation must be due to be saved.
He says, this is what you
must repent to be saved.
And obviously that, that, uh, and
he's telling this to people that
are already children of Abraham.
He's talking to the
elect, we're God's chosen.
He said, Oh, you're God's chosen.
You need to repent and do these
things and believe to be saved.
which is, which is wild.
Um, so they're, they're, they're
listening to these things.
And also what Jesus is saying
has been proven true through the
prophets and other things in the old
Testament that are pointing to him.
Um, so he's not telling anything
new, but to the Jewish mind, these
must be difficult things to imagine.
So I even wonder what this person
was asking with this question.
Will only a few be saved?
It's a, it's a great question, but
also I think he knows that Jesus is
looking into the hearts of people when
he's talking, he's healing people.
He's talking against The religious rulers.
And he's telling people that unless
you repent, you're not going to live.
You're not going to have life.
Um, so this is, this is, this is a great
question and it's a tough question too,
to think, because we can stop and think
that today, look, look around the world
and be like, a lot of people getting sick.
How's this working?
It's a sad question to consider too.
Lord, are a lot of people going to
be saved and then also saved from
what, you know, saved from the Romans?
No, no.
The inherent here in this question,
too, is I think there's acknowledgement
of what Jesus is teaching.
Jesus is going around teaching
that judgment is coming.
Um, and he's also he's also sounds
a whole lot, you know, in a lot of
this teaching about judgment coming.
It sounds, you know, almost like
the days of Noah, like this.
This judgment is coming.
Are you going to be saved?
Are you going to be spared?
Are you going to be ready?
Um, and, um, and so when he's asking,
are you, are you going to be saved?
I really think that he has
the eternal questions in mind.
Um, again, that raises questions for us.
I was reading a little bit of R.
C.
Sproul and he, he, he, he
raises the question, why would
the Lord save anybody now?
I mean, that's not scriptural,
but you know, we look at the old
Testament and people keep messing
up and messing up and messing up.
I look at my own life, Lord has saved me.
I'm so grateful for it.
I keep messing up and
messing up and messing up.
We look at judgments in the old Testament.
And even talking about Noah's
time, the world was so terrible.
The Lord was almost starting
over, but even the people
that he rescued miraculously,
what did they do immediately?
I mean, they're messing up, messing up.
Why does the Lord save anybody?
Well, cause he's a loving God and he
cares for us and he made us for himself.
He has made a way.
Um, but also we have to
put our faith in him.
But, so, I'm not listening necessarily
to the ideas of man, but we want to
listen to the ideas of Jesus here.
And so Jesus answers, uh, is
going to answer the question.
Um, Jesus says to them in verse 24,
Make every effort to enter through
the narrow gate, or the narrow door.
Because many, I tell you, will try
to enter and will not be able to.
Once the owner of the house
gets up and closes the door, you
will stand outside knocking and
pleading, Sir, open the door for us.
But he will answer, I do not
know you or where you come from.
Then you will say, we ate and drank
with you and you taught in our streets.
And I mean, that's obviously a direct
point to Jesus there, walking through
towns and preaching and teaching.
For more information visit www.
FEMA.
gov Uh, verse 27, but he will
reply, I do not know you or
where you come from away from me.
All you evil doers, there will be weeping
there and gnashing of teeth and you will
see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all
the prophets in the kingdom of God, but
yourselves, but you yourselves thrown out.
People will come from the east and
west and north and south and take their
places at the feast in the kingdom
of God indeed there are those who are
last who will be first and First who
will be last What a what a statement so
when somebody asked Jesus are a lot of
people gonna be saved he said his reply
is The doors narrow The way is narrow.
It's a small door.
There is a feast inside.
There is salvation.
There is life.
Lord has made a feast in a
way, but the way is narrow.
You know, and that's something I
think, especially in our culture today.
I mean, I think it's true in probably all
times, even in this time, but especially
today, but also you see, especially today,
people want to say there's, you know,
there's many ways to be right with God.
What does that even mean?
There's many ways to be okay.
There's many ways for salvation.
And that's not what Jesus says at all.
He says there's a, he doesn't
say there's a back door.
He doesn't say, well, if you know, there's
a side door and you'll get weighed.
And if, if your good deeds outweigh
your bad deeds and get in kind
of through the side door, there's
not like a door you can kick down.
There's a narrow gate
and there's only one way.
There's only one way.
Um, And that's what,
that's what Jesus teaches.
And then, this is very interesting too.
So, in this Jesus says there will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth for
the people that want to get inside.
They're going to be, you know,
there's going to be a time when
people are going to want in.
And say, oh, I meant to be in there.
I wasn't supposed to be, you
know, come to the party late.
I was supposed to be in there.
And say, I don't know who you are.
Um, how, how terrible.
And then these people.
Again, these people that are God's chosen
people that Jesus is talking to, they're
going to see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
the prophets are going to be in there.
The people that are like, I came
from those people, they're in there.
They're also going to see people
from the north, west, south,
east, from all directions.
That means outside of Israel.
There's going to be people
from other nations in here
with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
that are in here with the Lord at
this feast that the Lord has prepared.
And people are going to be knocking
on the door and said, me too.
I was here.
I heard you teaching.
I ate with you in, you know,
you taught in our streets.
You remember me?
Name's Jim.
You know, they're going to remember me.
He's going to say, I don't know you.
I don't know you.
How sad, how sad.
And this is very, this is similar to,
uh, it reminds me of another passage,
uh, in chapter four, 18 through 30, that
we already looked through weeks back.
Uh, some of the Jewish leaders attempted
kill Jesus because Jesus is preaching
the good news, and he's condemning a
lot of the religious believers, uh, the
religious folks because talking about
how their ancestors rejected the Lord
so frequently and then gave examples
of, uh, Zarephath of Sidon, Naaman of
the Syrian, different people in the
Old Testament that were not Jewish that
believed in the Lord had mercy on them.
And Jesus points this out and
says, judgment is coming, but.
But the people don't want the
Jewish leaders do not want to hear
that it's that what the Lord is
saying It's not for the nation.
It's for the individual.
It's for the heart for each and every
person What Jesus is teaching is true
eternally true, but also new to a lot
of the minds of the people that are
listening But what is that what a two
sides of that Wonderful that anybody
saves But so sad that some people aren't
going to be, but also the way is clear
and we need to tell people the way.
Jesus is going, you know, the
funny, Jesus is going through and
telling people about the door.
He's not going through
saying, not giving the news.
He's telling people there is a door.
There's only one way.
That's what he is going.
He is going and telling the good news.
That's what our savior did.
And he himself is the door.
We should be doing likewise.
Let's continue reading.
You said to them, verse 24, make
every effort to enter through the
narrow door because I tell you, uh,
We'll try to enter and not be able to.
Once under, uh, I'm sorry,
let me get back to verse 31.
Sorry.
I lost my place there.
Verse 31.
At this time, some of the Pharisees
came to Jesus and said, Well, actually,
before we go forward, I want to pick up
one last point here before we continue.
The last interesting thing that didn't
really strike me as much as it has
in the past, I mean, it didn't strike
me in the past as much as it did this
time, was the last verses here from
the sad and exciting section about
the feast that the Lord has prepared.
And he talks about the, there's
many who are last who will be
first means first will be last.
And I've always thought about that
through my own lens, because it's
like, hey, you go through the world
and some people are popular, Some
people have a lot of things, but the
Lord's economy doesn't work this way.
This is the first time I really looked at
it through somebody that's sitting in the
synagogue, listening to Jesus talk and him
giving the business to the synagogue, uh,
rulers, and also saying that, you know,
he's not downing the Old Testament because
he's talking about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
He's talking about these
forefathers that are going to
be there that God has his plans.
Um, But he says the last will be
first and the first will be last.
He's talking also about
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
People that are going to be coming
from the north, south, west and east.
There's people that were, uh, that
God had called from generations back.
I mean, they were first, right?
I mean, Abraham was
the first to be called.
There's people that are going to
be coming in that have never heard
of the God of Abraham before.
There's going to be people from other
cultures that worship strange gods
that hear, uh, the good news of what
Jesus taught and they're going to fall
on their faces and cry and believe and
they're going to be in the same place.
Last shall be first and
first shall be last.
First time I really was really thinking
about that through the Jewish mind of
how, how backwards that would be, you
know, just how, how, how immense that is.
So you're saying that at this table,
we're going to have, you know, one of
the sons of Abraham from one of the
patriarchs and maybe at the same table,
some person that was worshiping some
other God, like how does that work?
God's economy doesn't
work like our economy.
And, um, and that's, uh, this is,
uh, this must have been difficult.
I can understand, too, thinking of
people that are also selfish and
worldly minded, uh, that are, that
are Jewish leaders hearing those
things and getting absolutely furious.
Like, are you kidding me?
Are you kidding me?
But what Jesus is teaching is true.
Um, let's continue here in verse 31.
At that time, some Pharisees came
to Jesus and said to him, leave
this place and go somewhere else.
Herod wants to kill you.
So Jesus is making his way towards
Jerusalem, getting himself closer
and closer to where Herod is.
And, uh, these, uh, Pharisees say, you
leave this place and go somewhere else.
'cause Herod wants to kill you.
Uh, so there's a question here.
Are the Pharisees looking out for Jesus?
I mean, this could, there
are some Pharisees that are.
This could be kind Pharisees
that are actually being like,
Hey, I've got connections with
leadership, you know, leaders there.
You don't want to be doing this.
Or it could be people that just want
Jesus gone, um, uh, depending on
where he's at and what's going on.
It could be either one, but it
might be, uh, uh, might be, uh,
somebody that just wants Jesus gone.
But apparently whoever these Pharisees
are, um, have some access to Herod
because Jesus replies to them in verse 32.
Go tell that fox, I will keep on
driving out demons and healing
people today and tomorrow.
And on the third day,
I will reach my goal.
In any case, I must press
on today and tomorrow.
And the next day, for surely no
prophet can die outside Jerusalem.
So Jesus is even telling here
to the people around that he's
going to Jerusalem to die.
And this goes right in line with
what he said about the Jewish leaders
of old, uh, killing the prophets.
Um, and the, the, you know, Jesus
rebukes the leaders of old that have
gone on before, for those things
that they've done in the past.
Um, but this goes right in line with that.
Jesus knows what he's coming to do and
he's hinting at those things as well.
And he also talks about, now he's not
going to be in Jerusalem in three days.
He's making a point here too, by saying,
I'll keep driving out demons today,
healing people today and tomorrow on
the third day I will reach my goal.
Um, he's also, he's, he's
got a, he's got a path.
He's got things that he's going to
do and what, what people in power
want to do with him is not going
to dissuade him or change him.
Uh, the, the, his plans for what he's
going to teach, but also he's going to,
this also kind of mirrors a little bit
too, of him being in the ground three,
three days on the third day, reach
his goal with the resurrection too.
It's a little bit of a nod to that as
well, but also Herod is not going to be
able to, even though ultimately Jesus
will die at the hands of leaders, um,
that they're not controlling his destiny.
He's controlling his destiny.
He's doing what he's
been called today to do.
Uh, but Jesus reveals very clearly here
that he will go to Jerusalem and die.
Uh, and he will continue that thought.
Prophet plus Jerusalem.
Not a good, not a good match.
As we've been studying through the
Old Testament, looking at different
prophets, you know, it doesn't all,
you know, telling the truth doesn't
go well for them a lot of times.
We have Jesus here, the
prophet, priest, and king.
That brings us here to verse 34.
These verses, man, these
verses are just incredible.
So here we have the Son of
God coming to the people that
God has called for His own.
God's own elect, chosen people.
His one and only Son brought here to be
the Messiah, to tell them the good news.
They are rejecting Him.
In mass, He's being
rejected as the Messiah.
Now, there are those that are believing.
And the kingdom is expanding,
even though in mass Israel is
not putting their faith in him.
We do see, uh, even as we look, uh, looked
in the parables that the kingdom of God
is, is here and is, is, it is expanding.
But Jesus says in verse 34, Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets
and stone those sent to you.
Also talking of what's going
to happen to himself too.
How often I've longed to gather your
children together as a hen gathers.
Her chicks under her wings
and you were not willing.
The Lord Jesus and the Lord that's our
Lord God has wanted to gather Israel.
Um, but they were not willing.
His own chosen people.
I chose you.
I've selected you for myself
and you weren't willing.
How, how wild is that?
Verse 34, look, your house, the,
your house is left to you desolate.
I tell you, you will not see me
again until you say, Blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Your house is left to you desolate.
This land that you were given, these
promises that were given to you, this
inheritance that you have, he was the,
Jesus is the fulfillment here to come.
Jesus was, has come, he's
going to go to Jerusalem.
Amen.
The Jewish leaders in Israel and mass
could have had welcomed the Messiah,
but they're in mass going to reject
him and he will be ultimately killed.
Um, and then he will raise again.
And he, all these things that are
here teaching are coming true and
that this kingdom is expanding.
But it's so, it's just, man, just to think
of, just to think of Jesus there crying
out saying these things from his heart.
There's another verse, um, um, later
that we'll get to that I want to
read, where Jesus, as He actually
approaches Jerusalem, He weeps.
Think of that.
Jesus, who created Jerusalem, created the
people in Jerusalem, had these plans from
the beginning, all these things pointing
forward to Christ, is actually here, He's
walking into Jerusalem, and He weeps.
This is Luke 19, verse 41.
As He approached Jerusalem and
saw the city, He wept over it.
And he said, If you, even you,
had only known on this day what
would bring you peace, himself, but
now it is hidden from your eyes.
The days will come upon you
when your enemies will build an
embankment against you and encircle
you and hem you in on every side.
They will dash you to the ground
and your children within your walls.
They will not leave one stone on another.
Because you did not recognize
the time of God's coming to you.
Wow.
I mean, wow.
Wow.
That's what Jesus is working towards.
And, you know, Jesus's ultimate
victory is even so much bigger.
I mean, for Jerusalem, it
could have been amazing.
Throwing off the Romans, having
the Messiah here on earth, if
they would have accepted him,
that would have been amazing.
And it would have been great.
And God's, and that was, that's,
God's plans were even bigger for all
the world, for people of all nations,
of all tongues, of all places.
Um, and the salvation was not
just a physical salvation for a
kingdom, which they could have
had, but it was even deeper.
It even greater than that.
But there is still a salvation,
but it's a narrow door.
It's a narrow door.
It's a small, it's a narrow gate.
Um, wow.
So what to do with these verses?
You know, I, I put myself in the shoes a
little bit of, of somebody that's, that
would have been, um, a Jewish person that
believed in God, heard of God from the
time they grew up, prayed to the Lord.
Um, looked at, looked at
old, old Testament teachings,
went to the synagogue.
Jesus comes and teaches
and they said, nah.
I, that doesn't sound like what I, how
I was raised or what I've been taught.
You know, they, they might would
say, I already believe in God.
Well, great.
Jesus says, I mean, we, we, we know
from elsewhere in scripture that
even the demons believe in tremble.
Knowing that God is real doesn't save you.
Knowing that God loves
you does not save you.
Um.
You know, some of these people might
be like, well, I go to the synagogue.
I do, I do, uh, the sacrifices
that are commanded by the law.
Great.
Doesn't, that's not going to save you.
Um, and I mean today maybe you're
thinking to yourself, well, I
go to church pretty good bit.
Great.
What do you do?
You might be like, I'm
a pretty good person.
You know, uh, I could be worse.
I know some people have
done some pretty bad things.
I'm trying to do good
to the people around me.
I'm trying to be good to my family.
I'm trying to do things that are good.
Man, so are a whole lot of these
people that Jesus is condemning.
That Jesus is saying, Jesus
says salvation is not something
that you're going to work to.
He's not saying, if you try hard enough,
you follow the commandments hard enough.
No, if you do these sacrifices,
maybe a few extra, you know, when
judge, when the time of judgment
comes, you're going to be fine.
That's not what he says.
He says there's a door.
That's it.
There's a door and it's a narrow door.
You're either going to be in
or you're going to be out.
And there's not, there's not
a way to kick down the door.
There's not a back entrance.
There's not something that you can do.
You can't hop that fence.
There is a door.
So what does Jesus say?
What does Jesus hold teaching?
As we've seen, uh, verses past that we
will see in the, in the, in the future.
He doesn't say, he
doesn't say, Hey, great.
You've been taught all these things
about God and you know these things.
So you're okay.
No, he says, repent, repent, put your
full trust in Christ for your forgiveness.
That is the door.
Put your faith in Christ.
The door is open.
There's a door open for
you even this morning.
There's light on the other side.
There is a God who loves you that
says, Come in, come in, come in.
There are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
are going to be at that feast.
The greatest believers in all of
history are going to be at that feast.
The lowliest, poorest person that
you've ever come across that's
unsophisticated but has their faith
in Jesus is going to be at that feast.
The door is open for everybody.
There's nothing keeping you from going in.
There's an invitation.
Don't think that you're too
good to go through the door.
You're not.
Jesus talks to people here.
He says, You know, you
might know a lot of things.
You might have a lot of
people that look to you.
You might do a lot of good
things with your life.
You're not good enough to walk
through the door on your own.
That's not how this works.
You have to come and repent.
Come and repent.