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REPENTANCE AND RESTORATION LUKE 13:1-13 Just like forgiveness, REPENTANCE is not an elective for Christians, and is an absolute essential especially with regards to RESTORATION. We have all blown it, and we all need our junk fixed after we break it! 1. Our NEED FOR REPENTANCE Luke 13:1-5 Most of us have a tendency to think we are more holy than we really are! Even very religious people like those in our passage; some people in the crowd told Jesus about some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Luke 13:1 2
HOW IS YOUR HEART TOWARD THE BROKEN? Are you in the crowd that thinks God is out to “ get ” those rotten vile sinners? Finish off the rebellious riff raff . . . deal with the heathens once and for all . . . give ’em what they deserve for their rotten living? Those real sinners? Aqueduct builders, child molesters? But not super nice sinners like you and me? After all, what would you expect where Galileans were involved? Of course they should die some horrible death—serves them right those pagan heathens—they are not holy like me! 3
LOSE THE ’TUDE, DUDE Funny how we can all be a tad bit Pharisaical and forget that we ourselves need forgiveness, grace, and mercy. After all, what would you expect where Galileans or maybe child molesters were involved? Look how Jesus quickly punctured their balloon of hot air. They were thinking to themselves, of course they deserve to die some horrible death! Oops, so do I, now that I think of it. Here is the problem: Any time you point the finger at someone else, you might want to check to see how many fingers are pointing at you! 4
TIME TO FLIP A U-TURN We all need to repent—frequently and often—so don’t judge others who miss the boat or crash land! For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10 NOTICE JESUS BRUSHED ASIDE THIS SELF-RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE. Far from being a singular act of well-deserved judgment on a bunch of really vile people that “ deserved to be killed ,” it was quite the contrary. HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS: God is not looking to fry you—or anybody for that matter—but as we repent, to forgive and restore, TO BLOT OUT YOUR SIN AND REFRESH YOU! Acts 3:17-21 5
2. TIME FOR SOME NATIONAL REPENTANCE LUKE 13:6-9 Now Jesus concludes His warning about repentance. And He uses the FIG TREE (ISRAEL) as His chief example. He had sent them patriarchs, prophets, princes, and priests. WHAT THANKS DID HE GET FOR ALL OF THIS? NOT A BIT! God had directly dealt with the nation of Israel in contrast to the Gentile nations, which were in many ways left to find God for themselves, as Paul wrote. Rom. 9:1-5 No other nation or people got the care and attention that Israel received; even though they failed to see it, God still loves them and is going to keep His covenants with them. 6
NICE TOPIARY! Lots of leaves, but not fruit to show for the care of the Owner. The Owner was . . . God. The Vinedresser was . . . Jesus. God had been tending this vineyard from day one. What happened? Basically, He was saying Israel was wasted farmland. Far from being useful, it was actually spoiling the good land around it. Israel was a beautiful bush with zero fruit; on the outside they looked holy, on the inside they were rotten apples. 7
TIME IS ABOUT UP! Our attention is drawn to the borrowed time the nation Israel was on; God is longsuffering, but He does not suffer long indefinitely. The nation of Israel was to be given a second chance. God sovereignly moved to accomplish His plans in spite of the failures of national Israel. The day of Pentecost came, and the Holy Spirit came down. In its very earliest period, the church was composed solely of Jews. The remnant of Israel became the nucleus of the church . 8
3. THE ONLY ANSWER: THE SYMPATHY OF THE SAVIOR v. 10-13 Jesus has come to restore! RESTORATION is what He desires, it is also what He delivers if we will ask Him! As Jesus Himself said, “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” Matt. 18:11 Jesus was not bringing some form of Hebraic Karma on this poor woman nor the Galilean workers; He wants to loose that which is bound, set captives free! REPENTANCE LEADS TO RESTORATION . . . NOT RIDICULE. 9
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