Lesson 43L Signs of the Times 12:54- 59

How to Interpret What Goes on 12:54- 56

54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 12:54–56.

Most people who are trying to get the word out about their cause would relish the opportunity to speak to a crowd. Their words are carefully weighed so as to not disappoint in any way. This crowd in front of Jesus gets called “Hypocrites” by the Supreme Commander in Chief Himself. He is the originator of our language and the language of the Bible. This does not say if Jesus was talking to the same people He addressed in last weeks lesson. Nonetheless, He did not spare in getting right to the point. Hypocrites. He is not moved if anyone is offended! Let’s just say it again for the record “hypocrites!” If you need an official perspective on the word, here’s this:

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition (Hypocrite)

In English a hypocrite is one who deliberately and as a habit professes to be good when he is aware that he is not. But the word itself is a transliteration of Gk. hypokritēs, which mostly meant play-actor. Though it was soon in ecclesiastical Greek to take on its modern meaning, it seems impossible to prove that it bore this meaning in the 1st century AD. In LXX it is twice used to translate Heb. ḥānēp̱, ‘godless’

For us, it would also mean a hypocrite is someone who is a great pretender, insincere person, or a two faced, low down, no good outright liar. This may have alienated some ears, heads and hearts while they listened, but chances are, they were not on board with Jesus in the first place. The word was not lost to eternity. We transliterated it into English and it is sitting here in Luke for us to read and hear Jesus speak.

The weather forecast

The weather small talk is just that. It is something you can view in real time. The signs of the times are not small talk though through small talk, it takes up greats gobs of our life. The signs of the times are deadly serious, but the spiritual discussion can easily be dismissed like a conversation of weather forecasting. Looks cloudy today- Uh huh- Think Jesus is coming soon? Boom the air gets cool and still if you are not in a church. (Of course most churches are freezing anyway:)The response, even, even in a spiritual setting can be shooed away rather quickly like this: “Why would you even bring that up when there are millions who need to hear the gospel? Why even think about it when so many need Jesus” They may even say “We need a world wide revival before any kind of return is possible. So let’s not even talk about it.” But let’s not cast it aside. Let’s talk about it. Both are good and both have their place. It all depends on the time perspective.

The real discussion is: what does our place in time say to us about the Lord’s return? Can you discern the voice of the Holy Spirit? What should we know about what is happening? We should be knowledgeable on many fronts! If we can discuss the weather, surely we can discuss present events in the light of Jesus and His plan for you and I.

For instance, in discerning about what is happening today in God’s plan, you could mention today, that in this past week an online satellite researcher has found images of what he believes could be Noah’s Ark, frozen on the slopes of Mount Ararat. But the Genesis flood is frequently made fun of because of it’s proximity to the Creation story. People have not taken either one seriously. Yet we even find Christians afraid to even speak of this, Noah’s Ark, and Jesus Christ’s coming for His church. Are not all three discussion centered around the New Testament passage of II Peter 3:3-7? I have given double stars to our three main indicators of the times and seasons in which we live.

English Standard Version (Chapter 3)

3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, **“Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and **the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was **deluged with water and perished.

7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

The three areas that will be ridiculed, or scoffed at in the last days are:

The Return of Jesus - “ where is the promise of His coming?- vs. 4”

The Biblical creation of Earth, man, and everything else. “verse 5 says the Earth was formed out of water and through water by the Word of God.”

The Biblical Flood. “…(the world) was deluged with water and perished. vs. 6”

Those three truths alone need to be recognized and pin-pointed when we hear them marginalized. Those are three mighty tools that you will hear on a regular basis to be the objects of scoffing and ridicule. They are plain to see and much better conversation keepers than our illustrious weather. And, they are truth!

Get It Settled Quickly 12:57- 59

English Standard Version (Chapter 12)

57 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

I found this from Leon Morris on this interesting situation Jesus brings up: doing the right thing.

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (14. The Signs of the Times (12:54–59))

57–59. Jesus encourages his followers to make their peace with God. In earthly matters people get the best settlement they can out of court instead of insisting on seeing a hopeless case through. Or, in a land like Judea where there were two jurisdictions, the Roman and the Jewish, someone who was likely to be in trouble in one jurisdiction might appeal successfully to the other. But sinners should not be lulled into a sense of false security, thinking that, though their case against God is hopeless, they have a good one in earth’s jurisdictions. If they rely on this they will finally lose everything before the one tribunal that matters, that of God, for ultimately they cannot avoid his jurisdiction. They should spare no effort accordingly to get right with God.

The Bible scenario seems harsh but paying right down to your last penny could very easily be done today as a situation in the courts. It is never too late for believers to get other believers together to work a plan to avoid trouble. Can we work a plan with non-believers? Yes we can. We keep things Biblical and so as not to put ourselves in a snare. If we can avoid a court action that will rob us of everything we have, then work the plan so as to solve the problem in Jesus name. Do the right thing as long as you have breath.