Luke 12:1-13:5

This section of scripture appears to be one continuous dialogue and I will use Jesus’s comments in Luke 12:54-56 as a central pivot to this discourse. In Luke 12:54-56 Jesus rebukes the multitude for their failure to see the significance of the times they were living in. We know from Luke 10:13-16 that Jesus expected the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum to recognise the significance of the miracles He was performing. Along with His fulfilling messianic prophecies the quantity and quality of the miracles He was performing demonstrated He was the long awaited Messiah. The people of Israel were without excuse. Luke 12:57-13:5 tells us that the main priority for the multitude was repentance. This was particularly pertinent to the original hearers of this message because within 40 years (one generation) they would all be caught up in the great and terrible judgement of Israel predicted in Daniel 9:26 where it states the Messiah will be cut off and this will be followed by the destruction of Jerusalem. We know from history that this is what happened in history when the Romans crushed the Jewish rebellion and then destroyed Jerusalem in 70AD^[1].

Today we see the signs of the imminent return of the Lord - every nation has a church, there is world wide persecution of believers and Israel has returned to its ancient homeland. All the Biblical prophecies regarding the second coming imply the destruction of the old order of things and a great judgement. If we believe we are living in these days, because we are diligent observers of the times, then the message for the multitude is to make peace with God before it is too late (Luke 12:58); and that involves repentance (Luke 13:5). Now is not the time to be wasting energy in building barns (Luke 12:13-21). For His saints Jesus gives the following advice: avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Luke 12:1-3), fear God not man (Luke 12:4-12), trust God for everything (Luke 12:22-32), be faithful and expectant in serving God (Luke 12:35-48) and don’t be surprised by apparent disunity, unity, whilst desirable, may not be possible and in the last days may be a false objective (Luke 12:49-53).