Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20091104.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part LII: Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Teaching On People Excluded From The Kingdom
(Luke 13:22-35)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus is truly a righteous and holy God's Savior of the world, we should expect Him to be unbiased in claiming who would have to be excluded from His Messianic Kingdom for their lack of God's salvation!
    2. Luke 13:22-35 reveals Jesus publicly asserted that most of Israel and Jerusalem of His day would be kept out of the Messianic Kingdom due to their rejection of the truth, a remarkable stand in view of the great nationalism of His earthly heritage! This supplies evidence of how unbiased and true our Lord really is!
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Teaching On People Excluded From The Kingdom.
    1. Christ taught that many Hebrews He had known would be excluded from the Kingdom, Luke 13:22-30:
      1. Luke 13:22-23 reports that as Jesus was headed for the city of Jerusalem and teaching about the Kingdom of God, someone asked Him if only a few people would be saved.
      2. This request apparently arose out of disappointment that the nation of Israel as a whole was not flocking after Jesus as the Messiah, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 241.
      3. Christ's response surprised them, for He claimed they should strive to enter in at the narrow gate (by faith in Him), for many will try to enter the Kingdom, but will not be able to do so, Luke 13:24.
      4. Through means of a parable, Jesus revealed that many of the people who had heard Him teach them in their city streets would one day call unto Him, "Lord, Lord," in an effort to get Him to let them into His Kingdom, but that He would respond, "I know you not," and to leave Him as workers of evil, 13:25-27!
      5. Indeed, these folk would agonize in deep regret at seeing Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the respected Old Testament prophets in the Kingdom while they themselves would be thrust away from it, Luke 13:28!
      6. Even Gentiles from the east, west, north and south would come and sit down in the Kingdom with these patriarchs while many Hebrew people themselves would surprisingly be left out, Luke 13:29-30!
    2. Christ taught that many of Israel's leaders would be excluded from the Kingdom, Luke 13:31-35:
      1. Later that day, Jesus was confronted by some religious leaders, the Pharisees, who warned Him to flee because Herod Antipas wanted to kill Him, Lk. 13:31; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to 13:31.
      2. Since the Pharisees are presented throughout Luke's Gospel in a negative way, it appears that this was a false threat, that the Pharisees really had not wanted to protect Jesus, but to give Him cause to leave so they could be rid of Him, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T.
      3. Apparently knowing the Pharisees and Herod were involved in a plot to be rid of Him, Jesus directed the Pharisees to tell to Herod, whom Jesus called a dangerous "fox," that He Himself would continue with the schedule the Father had set for Him; God did not want Jesus to perish outside the city of Jerusalem, but, like any other prophet, to die at Jerusalem where He was headed, Luke 13:32-33.
      4. The wickedness of Herod and his helpers, the Pharisees, were then addressed by Jesus Who showed through His condemnation of Jerusalem that they too would miss the Kingdom, Luke 13:34-35:
        1. Jesus addressed Jerusalem, Israel's religious capital, as a city that had long rejected God's prophets, and who had consistently resisted His efforts to nurture them, Luke 13:34a,b.
        2. Nevertheless, since they had kept rejecting Christ (Luke 13:34c), Jesus predicted the "house" of Jerusalem would be left desolate, a reference to the destruction of the temple by the Romans in A. D. 70, Luke 13:35a; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Luke 13:35.
        3. Jesus added that the inhabitants of Jerusalem, composed of many of Israel's leaders, would thus not accept Him until they recognized and accepted Him in faith at His Second Coming after the Great Tribulation Period, Luke 13:35c!
Lesson: Jesus taught that most of His countrymen and leaders to whom He had ministered would be excluded from the Kingdom, but that many Gentiles would be included due to their faith in Him!

Application: (1) May we trust in Jesus as God's Messiah for His objectivity on who would be kept out of His Kingdom. (2) May we trust in Him to enter His reign that we not agonize in hell for missing it!