Luke 12

The Almighty God is the only one we are to fear

1 During this, thousands of the crowd assembled, trampling one another. He began to say to his disciples first, You beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; or hidden, that will not be known. 3 Therefore, what you have said in darkness will be heard in the light; and what you have spoken in the ear in secret rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 And I say to you my friends, Stop being afraid of those that kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I warn you whom you are to fear: Fear him, who after he has killed has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, Fear him.

• Dr. Maurice Rawlins, in his book Beyond Death’s Door, records resuscitating patients from cardiac arrest. Some come back screaming ‘I am in hell.’
• When he interviewed them immediately afterward, they knew hell was real and literal. They were willing to do anything to stay out of there.

• Revelation 1:18 (Jesus Christ) I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

6  Are not five sparrows sold for two cents, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear: you are of more value than many sparrows. 8 Also I say to you, Whoever will confess me before men, the Son of man also will confess him before the angels of God: 9 But he that denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And whoever will speak a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him: but he that blasphemes against the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven.

• We are of so much value to Him that He redeemed us at the highest price paid for anything.
• Jesus purchased us back to God the Father with His very life.
• The Jews of Jesus day were saying that Jesus was doing His miracles by the power of the devil when it was by the Holy Spirit. Therefore they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit of God.

His Holy Spirit teaches what to say

11  And when they bring you to the synagogues, and to magistrates, and powers, take you no thought how or what you will answer, or what you will say: 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in the same hour what you must say. 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said to them, Take heed, and keep back from covetousness: for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses.

• Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry

16  And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man produced well: 17 And he reasoned within himself, saying, What can I do, because I have nowhere to store my fruits? 18 And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will gather all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years: take rest, eat, drink, and be glad. 20 But God said to him, You fool, this night they demand your soul from you: now who will own what you have prepared? 21 This is how it is to the one treasuring for himself, and is not rich toward God. 22 And he said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, Stop being anxious about your life, what you will eat; or for the body, what you will wear. 23 The life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.

• John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Our heavenly Father knows what we need and will provide it

24  Consider the ravens: for they do not sow or reap; who do not have storerooms or barns; and God feeds them: how much more valuable are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his height? 26 If you then are not able to do the least of these things, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they do not labor or spin; but I say to you, that Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one of these. 28 If God clothes the grass of the field like this, which is here today and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 And stop seeking what you eat, or what you drink, and stop being in anxiety. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But rather seek the kingdom of God; and all these things will be added to you. 32 Stop fearing little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

• Revelation 16 And has made us kings and priests to God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

• Revelation. 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

33  Sell what have, and give to the poor; provide yourselves money belts that do not grow old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 Let your loins be girded and your lights burning; 36 Be like to men waiting for their lord returning from the wedding; so that when he comes and knocks, they open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes will find watching: truly I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them to recline, and will come out and serve them.

• The second advent of Christ is this Lord returning from the wedding feast.

• Isaiah 25:6 And in this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

38  And if he comes in the second watch, or comes in the third watch, and finds them doing this, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the head of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Be prepared: for the Son of man comes at an hour that you do not expect. 41 Then Peter said to him, Lord, do you speak this parable to us or to all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will make ruler over his house servants, to give them their portion of food in season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, will find doing this.

• Jesus was speaking more of spiritual food for man’s heart than physical food in John 21 when He told Peter to feed His lambs and sheep.

• John 21:17 He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep.

• John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me will never hunger; and he that believes on me will never thirst.

The Lord will make His faithful servants rulers

44 Truly I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, My lord delays his coming; and begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to become drunk; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him apart and assign his place with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his lord’s will, and did not prepare himself, neither did according to his will, will be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that did not know and committed things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. For to whom much is given, much will be required of him: and to whom much was deposited, they will ask the more of him. 49 I have come to send fire on the earth; and what will I do if it is already lit? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am pained until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, No; but rather division: 52 For from now on there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father will be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 54 And he also said to the crowds, When you see a cloud rise out of the west, at once you say, A storm is coming; and so it is. 55 And when you see the south wind blow, you say, There will be heat; and it comes to pass. 56 Hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that you do not discern this time

• The baptism Jesus spoke of that was pressing him down was his death for the sins of mankind. No greater weight has ever been carried.
• We don’t have to carry the weight of our sins because Jesus carried it for us.
• Jesus came to divide between the proud and the humble, between those who will revere their Maker and those who will not bow to Him.
• Jesus also asked why they didn’t recognize that the long awaited Messiah had arrived. All the signs were being fulfilled. He was doing all that was foretold of the Messiah.

57  Yes, and why, even of yourselves you do not judge what is right? 58 When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, as you are in the way, give diligence that you may be freed from him; lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge delivers you to the officer, and the officer casts you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not leave there until you have paid the very last cent.

• Jesus advised them to do everything possible to settle their disputes out of court.
• The cent/ mite was a lepton, the smallest piece of money.

• John 5:22 For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son

• Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment on all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

                                                 Luke 13

The Lord corrects our wrong thinking

1 Now there were some present at that time reporting to him about the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And answering, Jesus said to them, Do you think those Galilaeans were sinners above all Galilaeans because they suffered such things? 3 No, I tell you, No: except you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think they were debtors above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 No! I say to you, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

• Repent means ‘to turn back to God.’ Man’s nature focuses on self and others rather than God.

• Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

6  He told this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. 7 Then he said to the vinedresser, 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? 8 And the vinedresser said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, until I will dig around it, and throw manure: 9 And see if it bears fruit: and if not, in the future cut it down.

• Digging around the tree gave air to the root system. The manure added nutrients to the soil.
• Israel was God’s nation that was to bring forth the fruit of love toward God.
• God deserves all our love. He has given us all our life, every breath, all the good things we enjoy everyday.
• God’s truth provides the nutrients needed to bear good fruit toward God.

• Romans 11:36 of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

He frees us from our infirmities

He does glorious things

10  And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbaths. 11 And behold, he saw a woman having a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years was bent together not able to be completely erect. 12 And seeing her, Jesus called her near to him and said to her, Woman, you have been freed from your infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made erect and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue, being angry that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, said to the crowd, There are six days in which it is right to work: so come during them and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Hypocrites, does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead him away to give drink? 16 And should not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

• Colossians 1:13 Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son

• Job 5:9 Who does great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number

18  Then he said, What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his garden; and it grew and became a great tree; and the birds of the heaven perched in its branches. 20 And again he said, To what will I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.

• God’s kingdom is entered by faith and built on faith.
  
• Cast into His garden,’ is the Lord on earth.
• The seed grew (resurrection) and became a great tree (worldwide salvation).
• The birds of heaven represent evil. False things perch in the churches branches.
• Leaven is the scriptures symbol of pride. The church today is full of leaders who esteem their own words more than God’s word.

• Mark 7:7 in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

He wants to know us

22  And he traveled throughout cities and villages, teaching, and making progress toward Jerusalem. 23 Then said one to him, Lord, are few being saved? And he said to them, 24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate: for I say to you, many will seek to enter in, and will not have strength. 25 For when the housemaster has risen up and shut to the door, and you stand outside knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; and he will answer and say to you, I do not know you where you are from: 26 Then you will say, We ate and drank before you, and you taught in our streets. 27 But he will say, I tell you, I do not know you or where you come from; Stand back from me, all you workers of unrighteousness.

• Christianity is a personal relationship with our Maker through the death of His Son for our sin.
• It is entered by trust in God and what He has said to us in His word.
• Good works that leave God out are the devil’s system of evil.

• Deuteronomy 6:5 And you will love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

28  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east, from the west, from the north, and from the south, and will recline in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, there are last who will be first, and there are first ones who will be last.

• Salvation is by faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
• Religion approaches God by works not faith.
• Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness (Galatians 3:6).
• This is personal. When we call out to Him, then He knows us.
• All who called out to God in faith no matter what scoundrels they were will be there sitting with the Lord while the seemingly upright do-gooders of earth who rejected Jesus’ payment for their sins will not be there.

• Acts 2:21 And it will come to pass, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

• Acts 10:43 To him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins.

He desires to gather us all together

31  The same day certain Pharisees came to him saying, Get out, and leave here: for Herod desires to kill you. 32 And he said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and finish cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I am perfected. 33 But I must travel on today, and tomorrow, and the day following: because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside Jerusalem.

34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those having been sent to you; how often I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you did not desire it! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and truly I say to you, You will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

• These were the last few days of Jesus ministry before He was crucified for our sins and entered into His glory.

• Matthew24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so will the coming of the Son of man be.

• Matthew 24:31 And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

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SUMMARY: Luke 12-13

• The Almighty God is the only one we are to fear
• His Holy Spirit teaches what to say
• Our heavenly Father knows what we need and will provide it
• The Lord will make His faithful servants rulers
• The Lord corrects our wrong thinking
• He frees us from our infirmities
• He does glorious things
• He wants to know us
• He desires to gather us all together