Sunday School Lessons: Luke 13

Luke Chapter 13

13:1There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

RE: Pontius Pilate: The Roman Procurator

Tiberius Caesar, who succeeded Augustus in AD 14, appointed Pontius Pilate as governor of Judea in 26 AD. Pilate arrived and made his official residence in Caesarea Maritima, the Roman capital of Judea. Pilate was the 5th procurator of Judea. The province of Judea, formerly the kingdom of Archelaus, was formed in 6 AD when Archelaus was exiled and his territory transformed into a Roman province. Although it included Samaria and Idumaea, the new province was known simply as Judea or Judaea. It generally covered the S. half of Palestine, including Samaria. Judea was an imperial province (i.e. under the direct control of the emperor), and wasgoverned by a procurator.

The procurator was devoted to the emperor and directly responsible to him. His primary responsibility was financial. The authority of the Roman procurators varied according to the appointment of the emperor. Pilate was a procurator cum porestate, (possessed civil, military, and criminal jurisdiction). The procurator of Judea was somehow under the authority of the legate of Syria. Usually a procurator had to be of equestrian rank and experienced in military affairs.

Under the rule of a procurator cum porestate like Pontius Pilate, the Jews were allowed as much self-government as possible under imperial authority. The Jewish judicial system was run by the Sanhedrin and court met in the "hall of hewn stone", but if they desired to inflict the death penalty, the sentence had to be given and executed by the Roman procurator.

Pilate had mingled the blood of the Galileans with their sacrifices. The Galileans had come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and were murdered there by Pilate, the Roman Governor. This was a particularly shocking event to the Jews because it had taken place at the altar—a place of safety and refuge. Apparently, the people who asked the question were thinking that God had judged those people as if they had brought a sacrifice in an unworthy manner. Sinners brought sacrifices to appease God, therefore, since God had apparently rejected these Galileans, the people thought it must’ve been because they were worse than the normal sinners. READ Jesus’ answer in vs. 3. Jesus reminds them that they are sinners, too—no different and no better than the Galileans. He tells them that unless they repent, they too will perish. Then he follows up with his own story about the18 men of Jerusalem who died when the tower of Siloam fell and repeats, ‘unless you repent, you will likewise perish.’ Whether person is from Galilee or Jerusalem, all must repent or perish. This teaches us that we all deserve to perish, that we must repent and stories such as this should call us to repentance, that if we repent, we will not perish, and if we don’t repent we will surely perish.

6And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

The man is God. The fig tree is Israel. Notice that the fig tree is planted in the garden. It was planted in a garden and cultivated and given everything it needed to thrive. But when the man came seeking fruit, there was none. The man had been patient for three years, but now he says, “Cut it down.” What are the reasons he gave for deciding to cut the tree down? Christ is the vinedresser. He intercedes for the tree, asking for another year and offering to give some extra care. If the tree doesn’t bear fruit, then it can be cut down. This parable teaches us about the longsuffering and patience of God, but it also tells us that the day is coming when His patience runs out. Even Christ, who intercedes and cares for those who have heard the gospel, does not intercede forever. Just like the tree, a person who has heard the Gospel and had every advantage must also bear fruit of faith. There is both encouragement and justice in this; even the person who has been unfruitful for a long time can still repent and be forgiven and all will be well and good, but there is judgment that awaits the tree and the person that never does bear fruit.

10Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and the ruler and leaders of the synagogue were there, as usual, watching and waiting for him to do something of which they could accuse him. The woman had been crippled and unable to straighten up for 18 years, but she did not let that keep her from coming to the synagogue to worship and learn. She did not ask Jesus to heal her; he saw her and he ‘freed’ her from her disability. She responded by glorifying God, but the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. Notice what he said to the people: ‘There are 6 days to be healed—come on those days to be healed.’ He was treating the healing as something that was common and routine instead of the miracle that it was. Notice that Jesus answered ‘him’ but calls ‘them’ hypocrites. (plural) The ruler wasn’t the only one who was thinking such things. Why do you think Jesus doesn’t defend himself or explain what was proper about what he had done? Instead he points out that they take care of their animals on the Sabbath, even though that is a form of work. They do it because it is more merciful to feed and water the animals on the Sabbath than refrain from all work and allow the animals to go hungry and thirsty. Jesus points out that this woman was more important than the animals, she was a daughter of Abraham and had suffered more than just being hungry for one day. She had suffered for 18years. He was pointing out that it was merciful to heal her on the Sabbath. Notice the different reactions this brought about. The religious leaders were put to shame (which angered them even more) but the people rejoiced!

18He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

20And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

The therefore in verse 18 shows us that he began teaching about the Kingdom of God in response to what had just happened. Jesus teaches that the Kingdom was not what they expected. It started small, but once it was planted, it would grow and provide shelter, just like the mustard seed. He also compared it to leaven, or yeast. Yeast, when mixed with flour causes the bread to rise and grow. He is teaching that, just like you can’t see the yeast working, eventually it will cause great growth. In this, Jesus continues to teach about patience, fruit, and growth.

22He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Remember back in chapter nine, we learned that from that point on, Jesus is journeying to Jerusalem, where he would be denied, betrayed, arrested, beaten and crucified for our sins. With the cross before him, he was still teaching and preaching and healing and working.

23And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28In that place 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 but you yourselves cast out. 29And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

This chapter is full of warnings to repent and believe, to bear fruit or be cut down. In this passage, Jesus is talking directly and openly about salvation. He refers to salvation as a narrow gate and tells the people they must strive to enter. Can we work and earn our way into salvation? No, only the perfect work of Christ can make us fit for salvation--we cannot earn salvation by our own works. Jesus is warning against presuming that we are saved, but our lives are no different. There are people who know the gospel and go to church their whole lives who assume they are saved but never really believe. They think all is well with them but their lives are not changed. Notice, when they give their reasons for why they should be allowed in, they don’t mention faith, trust, belief, service to God, a changed life. They say that they ate and drank in his presence (were part of the crowd, church goers) and heard his teaching. It is not enough to go to church and listen to teaching. Our lives must be changed by the Gospel. Our works will never save us, but if we are truly saved, we will love and serve God. There will be evidence. They thought they knew Christ. It is not simply that we know Christ, but that he knows us!

Jesus calls them workers of evil and sends them away from him. This is a picture of damnation. There will be people from all over the world in the kingdom and they will have the privilege of reclining at the table with him. Some who think they are first will be last and some that think they are last will be first.

31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 35Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and was the Jewish ruler of Judea, where Jerusalem was located. He was the one who had had John the Baptist beheaded and he will have a part to play in the execution of Jesus.

There is no doubt that Herod wanted to get rid of Jesus and Jesus knew it. Notice his response. He calls Herod a fox and tells him what he intends to do—cast out demons and heal ‘today and tomorrow’ and the third day finish his course. He is letting them all know that he knows what his destiny is and it is not to die there, but in Jerusalem. He also lets them know that he will finish his course in the way ordained by God.

Then he grieves over Jerusalem, a place of so many murders of prophets that had been sent by God. God had been patient, but soon their time was up and their house would be forsaken, just like the fig tree that would be cut down.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.