Luke 13:1-9 - Call to Repent

Introduction

Human beings look for reason. We try to make sense of the world. We try to make sense of tragic situations. We’ve had plenty of tragic situations recently in our country and in everyone people try to find reason, sanity, something to make the unimaginable understandable.

[Illus] You probably heard the recent story of the five-year-old boy who was riding his bike outside with his two sisters. As they rode their bikes, a neighbor walked up to little boy, Cannon Hinnant, and shot him in the head.

Unimaginable.

Unthinkable.

And yet people immediately tried to make sense of it.

“The neighbor was mentally unstable.”

“The neighbor was probably on drugs.”

“Their had been a dispute about the little boy riding his bike in the neighbor’s yard.”

I don’t know if any of these things are true, but those were some of the ways that people tried to make sense of a senseless tragedy.

But what should we think when we hear of such things?

How should we respond?

Well, in Luke 13 Jesus is confronted with a senseless tragedy and then tells of another, but his response is not what we expect.

[Reading] Let’s take a look at Luke 13:1-9.

Luke 13:1–9 NASB95

1 Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” 6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”

[Context] In this section of Luke Jesus is headed toward the cross in Jerusalem, but along the way he of course teaches his followers about living as his followers.

Toward the end of chapter 12, he’s taught them to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven.

He’s taught them to be ready for his second coming.

He’s taught them that life until he comes will be divisive as people reject them for accepting Jesus.

He’s taught them that there will be signs which serve to remind them of his coming.

He’s taught them to settle with God before they stand before him on Judgment Day.

And in chapter 13 Jesus stays on that same theme—readiness for the day when we stand before God.

[Inter] Will you be ready for the day when you stand before God?

You never know when that day will come.

We’ve been talking about being ready for the second coming of Jesus, and we surely must be ready for that day at all times because we do not know what day it will be.

Well, likewise we must be ready for the day we will die—and we must be ready at all times because we do not know what day that’ll be.

The two senseless tragedies mentioned here at the beginning of Luke 13 were also sudden tragedies.

One that some people told Jesus about was the Roman Govern, Pilate’s, slaughtering of some Galileans as they slaughtered their sacrifices in the Jewish temple. Their blood was mixed, mingled, shed along with their sacrifices.

Those Galilean worshippers probably didn’t see death coming that day, but that was the day they died.

I wonder if they were ready?

The other sudden tragedy that Jesus himself brought was 18 who died when a tower in Siloam fell on them and killed them.

Those 18 probably didn’t see death coming that day, but that was they day they died.

I wonder if they were ready?

J. C. Ryle said that people like to talk about the deaths of others but not about their own.

This morning I want you to think about your death.

You don’t know when it’s coming, but I can promise you this: No matter your age, death is coming. Will you be ready?

[TS] If you are going to be ready for that day, they are some things you will be doing when death comes...

Major Ideas

#1: If you’re going to be ready, you will be repenting of sin (vv. 1-5)

Luke 13:1–5 NASB95

1 Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

[Exp] One way that people try to understand an unimaginable tragedy is to think, “Well, they must have had it coming.”

Based on what Jesus says, the folks that he spoke with thought they Galileans who had been slaughtered were worse sinners than they were, so... they must have had it coming.

And based on what Jesus says, the folks he spoke with thought those who had been crushed by the tower in Siloam where worse sinners than they were, so… they must have had it coming.

Jesus says, no.

They weren’t worse sinners than all the other Galileans.

They weren’t worse sinners than all the men who live in Jerusalem.

They were just sinners like you, and like them you will perish if you do not repent.

It’s important to understand that when Jesus talks about perishing in v. 3 and v. 5, he’s not just talking about perishing physically. He’s not just talking about the death of the body.

He’s talking about perishing spiritually.

He’s talking about the death of the entire person in hell—forever separated from the loving presence of God—forever under the just wrath of God.

A Roman Governor or falling tower may kill your body, but God is the one who can kill both body and soul in hell forever (Matt. 10:28).

People spend endless amounts of time, energy, and money trying to avoid physical death, but unless Christ comes before you die, there’s no way. A much more important pursuit is figuring out how to avoid spiritual death—how to avoid being cast into hell by Almighty God.

Jesus said it starts with repentance.

Luke 13:3 NASB95

3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Luke 13:5 NASB95

5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Without repentance, we perish. Without repentance we are cut off from the life-giving love of God. Without repentance, we die —body and soul in hell forever.

[Illus] My grandfather liked to smoke Prince Albert tobacco in cigarettes that he would roll himself.

One day, however, he went to the doctor and the doctor said, “Bone cancer.” Of course, if Papa could have turned away from the cigarettes and underwent some serious treatment, he might have lived a bit longer. But, as I remember it, he died not long after the diagnosis.

[App] We’ve all had family members of friends receive new like that. Perhaps we’ve received it ourselves. A doctor may say something like, “If you don’t stop smoking—if you don’t stop drinking—if you don’t stop overeating or eating too much sugar—you’re going to die.”

Well, physically there are many things we might need to turn away from if we want to live longer, but spiritually speaking there is only one thing we must turn away from if we want to live—sin.

You must turn away from the sin of disbelief and the sin of disobedience.

Repentance that will save you from the wrath of God on account of your sins begins with repenting of disbelief. Before you can behave, you must believe.

You must believe in your heart that God exists, that he is perfect in holiness, and that you are sinner who deserves eternal punishment in hell because you have sinned against God by breaking the law of God.

You’ve lied.

You’ve cheated.

You’ve held murder in your heart.

You’ve gossiped.

You’ve disrespected your parents.

You’ve lusted after other men besides your husband.

You’ve lusted after other women besides your wife.

You’ve stolen.

You’ve exalted yourself rather than God.

You’ve coveted.

You’ve not loved God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and you’ve not loved your neighbor as yourself.

You’ve sinned in so many other ways I can’t even imagine. I have too. And God knows them all.

So what else must we believe?

You must also believe that God in his great mercy sent his Son, Jesus, to be born of a virgin, to live a perfect life of obedience to God’s law, to die on the cross as the sacrifice for all our disobedience, and to rise on the third day as proof of his deity, as proof of his righteousness, and as proof of his exclusive status as the only way to God.

Do you believe these things?

If not, repent of disbelief and believe!

Repentance that will save you from the wrath of God on account of your sins continues with repenting of disobedience. Once you believe, you must behave.

The one who believes on Jesus Christ for salvation obeys the way of Jesus Christ in sanctification. In other words, if you have turned toward God through faith in Jesus, you will turn away from the practice of sin.

1 John 3:9 says...

1 John 3:9 ESV

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

So, are you repenting? Not only of disbelief, but of disobedience?

Are you repenting of lust, greed, covetousness, anger, gossip, laziness, worldliness, idolatry, and all other sins still lurking in your flesh?

I hope you are. Because if you’re not repenting when you die, you will perish.

And, who knows? You might die today.

[TS] ...

#2: If you are going to be ready, you will be bearing fruit (vv. 6-9)

Luke 13:6–9 NASB95

6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”

[Exp] The fig tree was a symbol for Israel, and some think that what Jesus has in mind with this parable is fruitlessness of Israel in his day.

Blessed as they were as the people of God with the oracles of God, they should have born good spiritual fruit. They should have obeyed God, worshipped God alone, and been a shining light to the nations of God’s grace and power.

Instead they were disobedient, idolatrous, and slave to the sins of the flesh.

Year after to year, God looked for good spiritual fruit from Israel, and year after year, there was none. If they didn’t bear fruit soon, they would be cut down.

Some people think that Israel was spiritually cut down in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple.

But this parable that Jesus tells is not just about Israel. It’s about every professing follower of Jesus—after all that’s who Jesus is talking to, his followers.

Every follower of Jesus is to produce good spiritual fruit.

The Father in his patience may allow us to go on for awhile so that we may produce good spiritual fruit.

Jesus in his mercy may intercede for us that the Father would be even more patient with us.

But if we do not bear spiritual fruit, we will eventually be cut down.

[Illus] Out on our back patio we have some plants. Most of them are growing now but every now and again, one bites the dust—or more literally, one becomes dust. When that happens you’ll see many pretty plants but then an old, dead, shriveled something in the crusted soil of an old pot.

It doesn’t stay that way for long, however. Cheryl will get another plant from Judy or Sue or Gail or another one of her dealers. The old dead plant will be uprooted, cast aside, and new plant with new soil will replace it.

There’s no point in keeping a dead plant in a pot. It’s just a waste of space.

[App] Understand that God is examining you. He’s examining me too. And he’s looking for fruit! He looking for proof of spiritual life!

He’s looking for devotion to him.

He’s looking for worship of him.

He’s looking for obedience to his commands.

He’s looking for love for him and love for his people.

He’s looking for joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22).

When’s he looking at you, will he find any fruit?

Perhaps the Father has already look at you and said, “Cut it down!” But perhaps Jesus has interceded; the soil of your hard heart has been tilled by a new recognition of God’s grace and power; and the cut down has been postponed.

Soon, however, your time will be up—again, and if no fruit is found, there will be no more reprieve. You will be cut down.

The secret to bearing fruit for Christ is abiding in Christ. To abide means to live with or dwell with. Turn with me to John 15:1-11…

John 15:1–11 NASB95

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

This text is plain enough.

Jesus is the source of our fruit bearing.

The Father prunes us, disciplines us so that we bear more fruit.

Jesus cleanses us with his word so that we can bear fruit.

We cannot bear fruit apart from abiding in Christ.

If we do not bear fruit, we will be cast into the fire and burned.

If we abide in Christ, our prayers will bear fruit.

If we abide in Christ and bear fruit, the Father will be glorified.

If we abide in Christ and bear fruit, we will prove to be disciples of Jesus.

It’s the love of Jesus that we must abide in.

If obey Jesus’ commands, we will abide in his love.

If obey Jesus and abide in Jesus, we will not be miserable, but our joy will be made full.

If you’re going to be ready for the day you die, you will be repenting of sin and bearing fruit for Christ—and you will do those things by abiding in Christ!

[TS] ...

Conclusion

Are you abiding in Christ?

Are you living with him or ignoring him?

Are you dwelling with him or trying to avoid him?

Are you abiding in prayer?

Are you abiding in the Bible?

Are you abiding in intentional obedience to his commands?

Are you abiding in intentional refusal to violate God’s commands?

Don’t be cut down.

Don’t be cast out.

Repent and bear fruit.

[Prayer]