Luke Chapter 13
Repentance, False Religion, and the True Way
A. The Importance of Repentance
1. (Luke 13:1-5) Jesus uses two recent disasters to explain the urgency of repentance
“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’” (Luke 13:1-5, NKJV)
a. The Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices
Luke records a violent atrocity in which Pilate mingled the blood of Galilean worshipers with their sacrifices. Though this specific event is not recorded in secular history, it fits the established character of Pilate. For example, on one occasion, Pilate raided the temple treasury to build an aqueduct. When the Jews protested, he planted soldiers disguised as civilians who suddenly attacked the crowd with daggers. This demonstrates how Pilate’s cruelty and disregard for Jewish life were well known.
It is consistent, then, that he might have ordered Galileans to be slaughtered while offering sacrifices. The horror of such an act would have shocked the people, but Jesus was not as concerned with the political outrage as with the spiritual lesson.
b. Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners?
Jesus also mentioned another tragedy: “those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them.” One event was the result of human cruelty, the other an apparent natural disaster. Jesus confronted the common mindset that personal tragedy meant greater guilt before God.
We are prone to think in categories of “good people” who deserve blessings and “bad people” who deserve punishment. Yet the truth is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, NKJV). Jesus declared that those who perished were not greater sinners than the rest. Their deaths were not a measure of their sinfulness, but they were a warning to all of the urgency of repentance.
Charles Spurgeon illustrated this by saying: “It is true, the wicked man sometimes falls dead in the street; but has not the minister fallen dead in the pulpit? It is true that a pleasure-boat, in which men were seeking their own pleasure on the Sunday, has suddenly gone down; but is it not equally true that a ship which contained none but godly men, who were bound upon an excursion to preach the gospel, has gone down too?” Tragedy is not the measure of guilt, but mortality is the reminder of judgment.
c. Unless you repent you will all likewise perish
Jesus turned the discussion away from “Why did this happen?” to “What does this mean for you?” The lesson was not about the guilt of the victims but about the universal need for repentance. Death can come suddenly and without warning. Those Galileans did not expect to die that day at the altar, and those crushed under the tower of Siloam did not foresee their end either. The sobering truth is that we also may die unexpectedly, and unless we repent, eternal judgment awaits.
d. The double emphasis on repentance
Jesus repeated His warning twice: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” The Greek verbs in verses 3 and 5 show two dimensions of repentance. In verse 3, the verb points to an ongoing, habitual repentance—a continual turning from sin. In verse 5, the verb indicates a decisive, once-for-all repentance—a turning to God in faith. Both are essential. A man must repent once for salvation, but he must also live a life of repentance, continually confessing sin and walking humbly before God.
e. The immediate historical fulfillment
Jesus’ words carried prophetic weight. Within a generation, Jerusalem faced catastrophic judgment when the Romans destroyed the city in AD 70. Those who had not repented and turned to Christ perished, both physically under Rome’s sword and spiritually under God’s judgment.
f. The principle of national sin and judgment
Though individual suffering cannot always be traced to individual sin, Scripture consistently shows that national rebellion brings national destruction. As Barclay observed: “We cannot say that individual suffering and sin are inevitably connected but we can say that national sin and suffering are so connected. The nation which chooses the wrong ways will in the end suffer for it.”
America, like Israel of old, must heed this warning. Sin corrodes the foundations of a nation, and unrepentant societies reap inevitable judgment. Just as Jerusalem fell, so too every nation that rejects God’s truth will find His hand of judgment upon it.
2. (Luke 13:6-9) Jesus illustrates some principles regarding God’s judgment
“He also spoke this parable: ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?” But he answered and said to him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.”’” (Luke 13:6-9, NKJV)
a. He came seeking fruit
After warning that “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5), Jesus reinforced His point with a parable. A fig tree was planted in a vineyard, but after three years of growth, it produced no fruit. The landowner rightly expected fruit.
This illustrates the first principle of God’s judgment: God looks for fruit. Just as a fig tree should bear figs, so the life that belongs to God should bear spiritual fruit. Jesus said, “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17, NKJV). The evidence of a true believer is not profession alone but fruit that reflects a transformed heart.
The apostle Paul described this fruit in Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” A man may claim faith, but without this fruit, his claim is empty.
b. Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit…let it alone this year
The owner of the vineyard was patient. He had come for three years seeking fruit, and he granted yet another year with special care. This represents the longsuffering of God, who delays judgment and gives opportunity for repentance.
Peter affirmed this truth: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV). God’s patience is not permission to continue in sin, but rather mercy to bring us to repentance.
The keeper of the vineyard promised to dig around it and fertilize it. This imagery reminds us that God sometimes surrounds us with trials and difficulties that feel unpleasant, even humiliating, much like being surrounded by manure. Yet these things may be the very means by which He is cultivating growth and bringing us to repentance and fruitfulness.
c. If not, after that you can cut it down
Patience has a limit. God is merciful, but He is also just. If the tree remained barren after all of this care, it would be cut down. The principle is clear: uselessness invites disaster.
Spurgeon commented: “There is a time for felling fruitless trees, and there is an appointed season for hewing down and casting into the fire the useless sinner.” A life that only takes and never gives back, that consumes without producing, cannot remain forever.
Barclay also observed several lessons in this parable:
Uselessness invites disaster. A tree that only occupies soil and bears nothing will not remain.
If something only takes, it cannot survive. Life without fruit is self-centered and destined for removal.
God gives second chances. The vineyard owner’s delay represents divine mercy.
There is a final chance. Patience does not last indefinitely. When the final opportunity is exhausted, judgment comes.
This parable, therefore, is both a warning and a call to grace. God looks for fruit, He provides opportunity and care for repentance, but if rejected, His judgment will come.
B. The Healing of a Woman in a Synagogue
1. (Luke 13:10-13) The healing of a woman in a synagogue
“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” (Luke 13:10-13, NKJV)
a. He was teaching in one of the synagogues
Even though opposition to Jesus was increasing, He was still welcomed in some synagogues at this stage of His ministry. This demonstrates both His perseverance in proclaiming the truth and His commitment to reach people where they were gathered for worship.
b. A spirit of infirmity
This woman’s condition was caused, at least in part, by a spiritual affliction. She was “bent over and could in no way raise herself up.” This was not merely a physical ailment but had a deeper spiritual root. We must avoid two extremes: assuming all sickness is caused by spiritual oppression, or denying that any sickness could be spiritually influenced. Scripture allows for both realities.
Adam Clarke observed that this condition was “equally painful and humiliating; the violence of which she could not support, and the shame of which she could not conceal.”
Medical scholars have suggested she may have suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, a degenerative condition that fuses the spinal vertebrae. Whatever the precise cause, her suffering lasted eighteen years.
Charles Spurgeon painted the pathos of her condition: “For eighteen years she had not gazed upon the sun; for eighteen years no star of night had gladdened her eye; her face was drawn downward towards the dust, and all the light of her life was dim: she walked about as if she were searching for a grave, and I do not doubt she often felt that it would have been gladness to have found one.”
This woman’s case is sometimes wrongly used to argue that believers can be demon possessed. But she lived before the finished work of Christ on the cross and the indwelling of the Spirit. Today, Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14, NKJV) and cannot be possessed by demons. They may be oppressed, tempted, or attacked, but not indwelt.
Spurgeon insightfully noted that Satan’s work in this case was more like binding an animal than possession: “He must have bound her very cunningly to make the knot hold all that time, for he does not appear to have possessed her. You notice in reading the evangelists that our Lord never laid his hand on a person possessed with a devil. Satan had not possessed her, but he had fallen upon her once upon a time eighteen years before, and bound her up as men tie a beast in its stable, and she had not been able to get free all that while.”
c. Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity
Jesus addressed her with compassion and authority: “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” His words proclaimed freedom, and His hands provided a tender touch of healing. After eighteen years of suffering, she was instantly delivered.
How striking that she had attended synagogue faithfully for years but remained bound until she encountered Christ Himself. Religious routine could not free her, but the word of Jesus and His power did.
d. He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God
Her healing was immediate, complete, and unmistakable. What medicine could not do in nearly two decades, Jesus accomplished in a moment. Her first response was to glorify God, which is always the true evidence of divine work.
Spurgeon commented: “He might have called to her from a distance, and said, ‘Be healed,’ but He did not, for He wished to show His special sympathy with such a sad case of suffering.” His personal touch revealed not only His power but His compassion.
2. (Luke 13:14) The indignation of the synagogue ruler
“But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.’” (Luke 13:14, NKJV)
a. The ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation
Instead of rejoicing over a miraculous deliverance, the synagogue ruler responded with anger. His indignation reflected the legalism that had twisted the purpose of the Sabbath. To him, Jesus’ act of mercy was a violation of man-made tradition. Clarke remarked: “It would seem as if the demon who had left the woman's body had got into his heart.”
b. There are six days on which men ought to work…
The ruler hypocritically rebuked the crowd rather than confronting Jesus directly. Barclay notes: “He had not even the courage to speak directly to Jesus. He addressed his protest to the waiting people, although it was meant for Jesus.” His argument was hollow. He himself had no power to heal on any day, yet he objected to the Lord of the Sabbath healing on that day.
This reveals the blindness of legalism: it cares more about rules than people, more about tradition than truth, and more about ritual than the glory of God.
3. (Luke 13:15-17) Jesus responds to the angry ruler of the synagogue
“The Lord then answered him and said, ‘Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound; think of it; for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?’ And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.” (Luke 13:15-17, NKJV)
a. Hypocrite!
Jesus did not address the synagogue ruler with mildness but with righteous authority. By calling him a “Hypocrite!” He exposed the man’s pretense of zeal for God while harboring hardness of heart. The ruler claimed to protect the sanctity of the Sabbath, yet his objection revealed a malicious spirit that cared more about rules than about people.
Adam Clarke captures the tone: “Thou hypocrite to pretend zeal for God's glory, when it is only the workings of thy malicious, unfeeling, and uncharitable heart.” Jesus’ words stripped away the mask of religiosity and laid bare the cruelty of legalism.
b. Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?
Jesus’ argument was irrefutable. Every one of them, even the ruler himself, cared for their animals on the Sabbath. They untied them and led them to water. If such care for animals was permissible, how much more was it fitting to care for a suffering woman bound by Satan?
This reply not only exposed their inconsistency but also used a deliberate play on words. The word “loose” referred to the untying of animals in verse 15, and in verse 16 Jesus said the woman “be loosed” from her infirmity. What they did for an ox or a donkey, the Lord had done for a daughter of Abraham.
c. So ought not this woman
Jesus then laid out several compelling reasons why mercy was not only appropriate but necessary:
She was a woman. Created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27, NKJV), she bore infinite worth and dignity. If an animal deserved compassion, how much more one who reflected God’s image?
She was a daughter of Abraham. As a Jewish woman, she was part of the covenant people. Her attendance at the synagogue suggests that she was also a woman of faith. To care for her was to honor the covenant God made with Abraham.
She was one whom Satan had bound. Jesus described her condition as bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Every day is a good day to resist the devil’s work and to set free his captives. This echoes 1 John 3:8 (NKJV): “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
She had suffered long. For eighteen years she bore this burden. Such prolonged affliction called forth the compassion of Jesus, who declared in Matthew 12:7 (NKJV): “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
d. So ought not this woman… be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?
Jesus used a word that carried a sense of moral necessity: she must be loosed. The Sabbath, which was intended to be a day of rest and blessing, was the perfect day for her release. This was not a violation of the Sabbath but its true fulfillment.
Spurgeon noted the Lord’s intimate knowledge of her plight: “Nobody had told him that she had been eighteen years bound, but he knew all about it,—how she came to be bound, what she had suffered during the time, how she had prayed for healing, and how the infirmity still pressed upon her. In one minute he had read her history and understood her case.”
e. All His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced
The undeniable miracle silenced His critics. Their objections were shown to be hollow, while the power and compassion of Christ were undeniable. The crowd rejoiced, not only because the woman was healed, but because the truth of God had triumphed over the hypocrisy of man-made religion.
In this exchange, Jesus revealed both the cruelty of false religion and the liberating power of the gospel. Legalism binds, but Christ sets free. Ritual without mercy shames, but grace restores and causes the people of God to rejoice.
C. Two Parables Warn of Corruption in God’s Kingdom
1. (Luke 13:18-19) The parable of the mustard seed tree
“Then He said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’” (Luke 13:18-19, NKJV)
a. What is the kingdom of God like?
At first glance, this parable appears to illustrate the expansive and positive growth of God’s kingdom. The traditional interpretation sees the mustard seed as a symbol of the small beginnings of the church that would eventually grow into a worldwide body of believers. Yet when placed in context with the parables surrounding it, and when considering the symbolic language used, this parable carries a warning rather than a commendation. It highlights the corruption that can develop within the visible expression of God’s kingdom on earth.
Jesus often used agricultural imagery to illustrate spiritual truths, but here the growth described is abnormal. The emphasis falls not on healthy expansion but on unnatural size and the presence of unwelcome intruders.
b. It grew and became a large tree
Jesus described the mustard seed, normally a small plant or shrub, becoming a large tree. A mustard plant typically does not grow into a tree-sized structure capable of housing birds. This unnatural growth suggests something distorted and contrary to God’s original design.
i. Became a large tree. Mustard plants in the Middle East were typically shrubs three to six feet tall. To describe one as becoming a “large tree” portrays unnatural expansion. What should have been a humble, fruitful shrub became something distorted in scale.
ii. Trees as symbols of governments. In Scripture, trees sometimes symbolize powerful kingdoms or governments, often ungodly ones. Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in Daniel 4:10-16 pictured a great tree that provided shelter to all the earth but was later cut down in judgment. Jesus may be drawing on this imagery to indicate that the abnormal growth of the kingdom community would resemble worldly empires more than God’s true design.
iii. Birds in the branches. In the parable of the sower, Jesus identified birds as the agents of Satan who snatched away the seed of the word of God (Matthew 13:4, 19, NKJV: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”). Therefore, the nesting of birds in this large tree likely symbolizes corrupting influences, demonic activity, or false teachers who find refuge within a distorted kingdom community.
iv. Jewish and later rabbinic writings often associated birds with evil powers. One commentator notes, “Close study of birds as symbols in the Old Testament and especially in the literature of later Judaism shows that birds regularly symbolize evil and even demons or Satan (cf. b. Sanhedrin, 107a; cf. Revelation 18:2).”
c. Historical fulfillment
This parable found fulfillment in the centuries following the Christianization of the Roman Empire. The church, once persecuted and humble, became vast in size and political influence. Yet with that influence came compromise, corruption, and false teaching. As one commentator observed: “Birds lodging in the branches most probably refers to elements of corruption which take refuge in the very shadow of Christianity.”
The warning is sobering. Outward success, size, and influence are not the true measures of the kingdom of God. Instead, faithfulness, purity, and spiritual fruit are the signs of God’s work. The church must guard itself against becoming abnormally inflated by worldly power, lest it provide shelter for corruption instead of refuge for the faithful.
2. (Luke 13:20-21) The parable of the leaven in the measures of meal
“And again He said, ‘To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’” (Luke 13:20-21, NKJV)
a. It is like leaven
Jesus’ comparison here would have startled His listeners. Throughout the Old Testament, and especially in the Passover narrative, leaven consistently symbolized sin, corruption, and impurity. The Israelites were commanded to remove all leaven from their houses during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15, NKJV: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”).
Because leaven was a symbol of corruption, the idea of likening God’s kingdom to leaven was shocking. Barclay observed: “There would be a certain shock in hearing the Kingdom of God compared to leaven.” This parable, especially in its context following the mustard seed tree, is best understood as another warning of corruption within the visible kingdom community, not as a positive picture of growth.
b. Leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened
Jesus described the woman hiding leaven in three measures of meal. This quantity, about forty liters, would produce bread enough to feed around one hundred people. Such an enormous amount was far beyond the needs of a typical household. The image again suggests something unnatural in scale, pointing not to purity but to infiltration and corruption spreading through the whole.
France notes: “Three measures of meal would be about forty litres, which would make enough bread for a meal for one hundred people, a remarkable baking for an ordinary woman.”
c. Hid in it
The word “hid” emphasizes deliberate concealment. To a Jewish audience, the thought of secretly hiding leaven in an offering of meal would have been offensive and unclean. It recalls the warnings of Paul: “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5:6, NKJV). Leaven works silently, gradually, and pervasively until all is affected.
This parable cannot rightly be interpreted as a picture of the church gradually influencing the world for good. Rather, it describes the infiltration of corruption into the kingdom community. Just as the synagogue ruler’s hypocrisy in the previous passage revealed religious corruption, so Jesus warned that the church would face corruption from within.
G. Campbell Morgan explains: “The parable of the tree teaches the growth of the Kingdom into a great power; and the second, the parable of the leaven, its corruption. The leaven represents paganizing influences brought into the church.”
d. Application
Together, the parables of the mustard seed tree and the leaven form a pair of warnings. The first shows external corruption—abnormal growth and worldly power allowing evil to take refuge. The second shows internal corruption—hidden influences that spread through the whole body until the kingdom community is compromised.
The lesson is timeless: God’s people must be discerning and vigilant. Outward size and influence are not the true measure of success, for corruption often grows alongside growth. The true test of the kingdom is faithfulness, holiness, and fruit that honors God.
D. The First and the Last
1. (Luke 13:22-24a) Jesus responds to a question about salvation
“And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate.’” (Luke 13:22-24a, NKJV)
a. He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem
Luke reminded his readers that Jesus was steadily moving toward His ultimate purpose: the cross. His journey to Jerusalem was not simply geographical, but theological and redemptive. Every city and village He passed through was part of His mission to proclaim the kingdom of God before His appointed sacrifice.
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus does not arrive in Jerusalem until chapter 19, but the shadow of the cross looms ever closer. His teaching on salvation here must be understood in light of His approaching work of redemption.
b. Lord, are there few who are saved?
This question, posed by someone in the crowd, reveals the curiosity of many about the fate of others. The rabbis of Jesus’ time debated this very issue. Some taught that all Israel would be saved, while others insisted that only a righteous remnant would enter eternal life. But Jesus refused to enter this debate. Instead, He turned the question back to the heart of the one asking.
The real issue was not how many would be saved but whether the hearer himself would be saved. Adam Clarke wrote: “A question either of impertinence or curiosity, the answer to which can profit no man. The grand question is, Can I be saved?”
Jesus shifted the focus from speculation about others to self-examination. It is far too easy to wonder about the eternal destiny of others while neglecting one’s own soul. The most urgent matter for every individual is personal repentance and faith in Christ.
c. Strive to enter through the narrow gate
Jesus answered with a command: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” The word translated “strive” is the Greek agonizomai, from which we derive the English word “agonize.” It describes intense struggle, like that of an athlete competing for a prize in the Olympic games or a soldier exerting all his strength in battle.
The narrow gate is not entered casually or accidentally. It requires deliberate effort, wholehearted pursuit, and personal surrender. It is narrow because it demands that we leave behind sin, pride, self-righteousness, and worldly attachments. We cannot carry excess baggage through the narrow way.
i. Many come to the gate but hesitate to enter because it does not suit their expectations. Some think it too narrow, others too plain, still others too demanding. But to reject the gate is to forfeit life.
ii. As John Trapp noted, “Strive even to an agony; or as they did for the garland in the Olympic games, to which the word agonizomai, here used, seemeth to allude.” The effort is not self-salvation by works but the determined laying aside of all that hinders faith in Christ.
iii. Jesus Himself is the narrow gate. In John 10:9 (NKJV) He declared: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” The call to strive is not a call to works-righteousness but to wholehearted faith in Him alone.
iv. Obstacles abound: the allurements of the world, the temptations of the devil, and most of all, the resistance of our own sinful flesh. These enemies must be resisted with determined faith.
The way is narrow, but it leads to life. The way is difficult, but it is worth every struggle. Better to agonize now in pursuit of the kingdom than to perish later through neglect and indifference.
2. (Luke 13:24b-27) The reason why it is important to strive in entering
“For many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’” (Luke 13:24b-27, NKJV)
a. Will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door
The warning is clear: there will come a time when the opportunity for salvation is past. The language suggests not simply an inability to enter at any time, but an inability to enter once the Master has shut the door. In other words, when the time of grace is over, it is over forever.
Spurgeon distinguished between half-hearted interest and real commitment: “You will see a considerable difference between seeking and striving. You are not merely advised to seek; you are urgently bidden to strive.” Mere curiosity or occasional desire is not enough. Urgency is required because the day will come when the invitation is withdrawn.
Morgan added: “Our Lord showed that there are limits to the divine mercy, that there will be those who will not be able to enter in.” God’s mercy is abundant and freely offered now, but it must not be presumed upon. The very certainty of judgment compels us to respond today (2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”).
b. You begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, “Lord, Lord, open for us”
Those who delayed repentance will eventually find themselves outside the door, knocking and pleading. But the time of entrance has passed. The imagery recalls Noah’s ark. When the door of the ark was shut by God, it did not matter how desperately people outside may have knocked; the time of grace was over (Genesis 7:16).
Jesus warned that many will seek in the sense of wishing to enter, but they will not strive, repent, and submit while the door is open. A casual wish to be saved is not enough. The obstacles of sin, the devil, and the world require a determined striving that half-hearted desire cannot overcome.
c. Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets”
Those left outside will protest that they had some association with Jesus. They will say, in effect, “We knew You. We listened to You. We were in Your company.” But proximity to Jesus is not salvation. Hearing His teaching, sitting under His word, even enjoying His fellowship in outward ways, is not the same as being born again.
This is a sobering reminder for churchgoers today. Merely attending services, hearing sermons, or participating in religious activities does not guarantee salvation. One must be personally known by Christ through faith and repentance.
d. I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity
Jesus’ verdict is final and devastating. Twice He said, “I do not know you, where you are from.” Knowledge here is relational, not informational. Of course, Jesus knew who they were in terms of identity and history. What He did not know was their personal relationship to Him.
His words underscore that salvation is not about intellectual knowledge of Christ but relational knowledge of Christ. Paul described it in Philippians 3:8 (NKJV): “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” The relational knowledge of Christ transforms life, producing holiness, not the continued practice of iniquity.
By calling them “workers of iniquity,” Jesus revealed the evidence of their false profession. Their lives bore the marks of rebellion, not repentance. Their claim to association with Him was contradicted by their actions. True salvation unites us to Christ, and that union always bears the fruit of holiness (Romans 6:22, NKJV: “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”).
3. (Luke 13:28-30) The destiny of those who don’t strive to enter
“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:28-30, NKJV)
a. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
Jesus did not shy away from describing the eternal destiny of those who reject Him. He spoke plainly of hell as a place of torment, marked by “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” These are not mere figures of speech but solemn warnings of real anguish.
One evangelist once told of a woman who objected that the phrase could not apply to those who had no teeth. He answered soberly, “Teeth will be provided!” The point is not physical condition but eternal anguish.
D.A. Carson notes: “The definite articles with ‘weeping’ and ‘gnashing’ (cf. Greek) emphasize the horror of the scene: the weeping and the gnashing… Weeping suggests suffering and gnashing of teeth despair.”
Charles Spurgeon rebuked ministers who refuse to preach about hell: “There are some ministers who never mention anything about hell. I heard of a minister who once said to his congregation — ‘If you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ you will be sent to that place which it is not polite to mention.’ He ought not to have been allowed to preach again, I am sure, if he could not use plain words.”
Jesus spoke more about hell than any other in the Bible, not because He delighted in the subject but because He loved souls enough to warn them.
b. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God
To His Jewish listeners, this was a shocking reversal. Jesus declared that Gentiles from all nations would enter the kingdom, sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets, while many Jews who presumed themselves secure would be excluded.
This contradicted the common belief of the time that the Messianic banquet was exclusively for Jews and that Gentiles were unworthy of a place. Jesus showed that salvation is by faith, not by ethnicity or heritage.
This statement also gives us a glimpse of heaven:
It is a place of rest—Jesus said they will sit down in the kingdom.
It is a place of fellowship—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets will be there, and we will enjoy their company.
It is a place of diversity—people will come from every direction on earth, showing that God’s salvation reaches across all nations and cultures.
It is a place of certainty—Jesus declared “they will come,” and His word is sure.
Spurgeon encouraged believers with these words: “But ye shall hear those loved voices again; ye shall hear those sweet voices once more, ye shall yet know that those whom ye loved have been loved by God. Would not that be a dreary heaven for us to inhabit, where we should be alike unknowing and unknown? I would not care to go to such a heaven as that. I believe that heaven is a fellowship of the saints, and that we shall know one another there.”
c. And you yourselves thrust out
The warning was personal. To the Jews who heard Him, Jesus declared that Jewish heritage was no guarantee of salvation. Just as Gentile background was no barrier to entering the kingdom, Jewish identity was no guarantee of being included.
France observes: “There could hardly be a more radical statement of the change in God’s plan of salvation inaugurated by the mission of Jesus.” The gospel breaks down barriers of race, culture, and tradition, declaring that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.
d. Indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last
Jesus concluded with a paradox meant to humble human pride. The order of God’s kingdom will surprise many. The “first”—those who seemed most privileged or prominent—may find themselves last. The “last”—those overlooked, despised, or considered outsiders—may find themselves first.
Barclay commented: “There will be surprises in the kingdom of God. Those who are very prominent in this world may have to be very humble in the next; those whom no one notices here may be the princes of the world to come.”
Spurgeon said that the last who are first is a wonder of grace, and the first who are last is a wonder of sin. The order of eternity will reveal the true measure of God’s grace and man’s response to it.
This is both a warning and a comfort: a warning that privilege without repentance is worthless, and a comfort that God exalts the humble and brings in the least likely by His grace.
4. (Luke 13:31-33) Jesus continues His work despite a threat from Herod
“On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, ‘Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.’ And He said to them, ‘Go, tell that fox, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.’” (Luke 13:31-33, NKJV)
a. Some Pharisees came… “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You”
This statement reveals that not all Pharisees were hostile to Jesus. While many opposed Him, some warned Him of Herod’s threat, showing at least concern for His safety. It may have been genuine compassion, or possibly an attempt to intimidate Him into leaving Galilee.
William Barclay noted that rabbinic writings describe seven types of Pharisees:
The Shoulder Pharisee, who displayed all his good deeds on his shoulder for public recognition.
The Wait-a-Little Pharisee, who always postponed obedience, finding excuses to delay doing good.
The Bruised or Bleeding Pharisee, who avoided looking at women in public and so constantly injured himself by stumbling into things.
The Hump-Backed Pharisee, who exaggerated humility by walking bent over so that others would see how “humble” he was.
The Always-Counting Pharisee, who tallied his good deeds as though God owed him salvation.
The Fearful Pharisee, who served God only out of dread of divine punishment.
The God-Fearing Pharisee, who genuinely loved God and obeyed Him out of devotion.
The reminder is that even among the Pharisees, whose system was so often corrupt, there were individuals who truly feared God.
Pate insightfully observed: “But Jesus, in fact, would leave Galilee, not because He was afraid of Herod but because He was moving according to a divine schedule.” Jesus’ steps were ordered by His Father’s plan, not by the threats of rulers.
b. Go, tell that fox
Jesus responded by calling Herod “that fox.” In Jewish thought, this insult carried layered meaning:
The fox was considered sly and cunning.
The fox was destructive, preying on vineyards and fields.
The fox symbolized worthlessness and insignificance, the opposite of nobility or majesty.
As Barclay put it: “To the Jew the fox was a symbol of three things. First it was regarded as the slyest of animals. Second, it was regarded as the most destructive of animals. Third, it was the symbol of a worthless and insignificant man.”
Herod Antipas, despite his political power, was insignificant before God. He was one of the “first” who would later be last (Luke 13:30). His reign was fleeting, and his schemes could not thwart the plan of God.
c. Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected
Jesus declared that He would continue His ministry undeterred. He would press on with casting out demons and healing the sick until His mission was completed.
The phrase “be perfected” carries the meaning “to reach the goal.” Jesus was not referring merely to completion of His miracles but to the fulfillment of His mission at the cross and resurrection.
Adam Clarke explained: “I shall then have accomplished the purpose for which I came into the world, leaving nothing undone which the counsel of God designed me to complete.”
Morgan added: “Looking back, as we are able to do, we know that the ‘third day’ was the way of the Cross and all that issued from it.”
His words display calm determination. Herod could not intimidate Him, for His path was fixed by the Father’s will.
d. It cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem
Here Jesus spoke with irony and sorrow. While prophets had sometimes been killed outside Jerusalem, the city had a long and bloody history of rejecting and murdering God’s messengers. Tragically, it was fitting that the ultimate Prophet—the Messiah Himself—would be rejected and crucified there.
Spurgeon remarked: “Probably this was a proverb amongst the Jews, which our Savior used and endorsed. For many years Jerusalem had been stained with the blood of prophets.”
Morgan summarized: “They reveal His own undisturbed outlook upon His work, and the quiet intrepidity of His devotion.” Jesus was undeterred. He would finish His mission in the very city that had become infamous for killing God’s prophets.
5. (Luke 13:34-35) Jesus laments over the city that will reject Him
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Luke 13:34-35, NKJV)
a. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem
The repetition of the city’s name expresses deep sorrow and affection. When God repeats a name twice in Scripture, it reflects profound emotion, not necessarily anger (for example, “Martha, Martha” in Luke 10:41; “Saul, Saul” in Acts 9:4). Here, Jesus spoke with deep compassion, knowing full well Jerusalem’s sins: “the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her.”
Despite their rejection and bloodshed against God’s messengers, Jesus still longed for their repentance. His lament demonstrates divine love for Israel, even in the face of their rebellion.
b. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings
The image is one of tender protection, nourishment, and love. Just as a mother bird shelters her chicks under her wings from danger, so Christ desired to protect His people from judgment and destruction.
In the Old Testament, the imagery of shelter under God’s wings is a frequent metaphor for His care: “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings” (Psalm 17:8, NKJV); “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge” (Psalm 91:4, NKJV); “Like birds flying about, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it” (Isaiah 31:5, NKJV).
Clarke applied this vividly to Jerusalem’s coming judgment: “When the hen sees a beast of prey coming, she makes a noise to assemble her chickens, that she may cover them with her wings from the danger. The Roman eagle is about to fall upon the Jewish state — nothing can prevent this but their conversion to God through Christ — Jesus cries throughout the land, publishing the gospel of reconciliation — they would not assemble, and the Roman eagle came and destroyed them.”
This maternal image highlights several things Jesus longed to do for Israel:
He wanted to make them safe.
He wanted to make them happy.
He wanted to bring them into a blessed community.
He wanted to promote their growth.
He wanted them to experience His love.
But all of this was contingent on their willingness to come to Him. G. Campbell Morgan described it as a revelation of “the Mother heart of God.”
Luke’s wording, “How often I wanted,” suggests Jesus’ repeated ministry in Jerusalem throughout His life, affirming what the Gospel of John records—He visited the city many times before this final journey.
c. But you were not willing!
The tragedy lay not in Christ’s unwillingness but in Israel’s rejection. Salvation was offered, but they would not receive it. As a result, judgment was certain.
Jesus declared: “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” This pointed prophetically to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70 at the hands of Rome. The city that rejected its Messiah would face devastation. Pate remarks: “These words seem to predict the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army in A.D. 70.”
d. You shall see Me no more till you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”
Even in His lament, Jesus looked ahead to His Second Coming. The day is coming when Israel will repent, recognize Him as Messiah, and welcome Him with the words of Psalm 118:26: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”
Clarke explained: “Till after the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, when the word of life shall again be sent unto you; then will ye rejoice, and bless, and praise him that cometh in the name of the Lord, with full and final salvation for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Paul confirmed this in Romans 11:26 (NKJV): “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.’”
Though Israel’s house was left desolate, God’s plan for His chosen people is not abandoned. In the future, Israel will look upon Him whom they pierced (Zechariah 12:10, NKJV) and acknowledge Him as Lord and Messiah.
