THE LATER JUDEAN MINISTRY

-Jesus Teaches Regarding Repentance

-Luke 13:1-9

-During this time, some of the people made reference to an occasion when Pilate had some

 Galileans killed.  We’re not provided with any details pertaining to why Pilate had these actions

 carried out.  It seems that these Galileans had traveled to Jerusalem to worship.  It was while

 offering their sacrifices that they were killed by the Romans.

-The people considered such an event as retribution toward sinfulness on the part of the

 Galileans - a common belief that goes all the way back to the times of Job and probably before.

-It seems that the people felt somewhat comfortable and perhaps self-righteous on the grounds

 that they hadn’t suffered such things.  Therefore, they felt that they had no need of repentance. 

 Jesus clearly taught otherwise.

            -Jesus made it very evident that the Galileans had not died due to their own personal sins.

            -Jesus then applied this same principle to eighteen people who had died when a tower in

              Siloam fell.

            -With each example, Jesus spoke these words, “...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise

             perish.”

-Jesus was emphasizing the fact that, in order to have hope, one must repent.

            -Coffman noted, “...[J]ustification is based upon nothing that a sinner either believes or does,

             but upon the merit of Christ alone.  Repentance, however, stands between every man and the

             merit which is in Christ Jesus” (1974, pg 290).  Unfortunately, there are those who are

             willing to serve Jesus as long as they can do it without repentance. 

-Jesus then presented the parable of the barren fig tree to illustrate that the nation of Israel had

 been given opportunity after opportunity to repent and bear proper fruit.  They were now being

 given their final opportunity.  In a short time, the physical nation of Israel would no longer be

 God’s chosen people.  Instead, God’s chosen people would be a spiritual body - the church.

            -“If ever there was a people that had been spared for a long time and patiently instructed and

             warned, and had such opportunities to be fruitful, that was the Jewish people” (Boles, 1940

             pg 270).