December 31, 2024
Pastor John Hering
Luke 13:1–9
Luke 13:1–9
At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”
Parable of the Fig Tree
6 He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ 8 But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9 If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”
“Get a grip!” “Get your act together!” “Shape up or ship out!” If you haven’t used phrases like this, you’ve probably heard them. These aren’t Bible verses you memorized, but they certainly are phrases we hear in everyday speech, hopefully, not too often. If you were to guess where these phrases came from, what would you guess? “Get a grip!” or “Get a grip on reality” probably came from someone who was emotionally upset or not able to realize what was really happening. “Get your act together!” Maybe from a theater director. “Shape up of ship out!” Probably the Navy. All these phrases boil down to the same point: If change doesn’t happen the outcome won’t be pleasant.
The Bible can relate to this. When Jesus calmed the storm he easily could have said the disciples, “Get a grip on reality!” “King David, you better shape up or ship out.” “Adam and Eve, get your act together!” The Bible uses another word to describe all these accounts—Repent! This word fits well for us as we observe the end of another year and begin a new year. It is the central truth Jesus speaks to us through Luke’s Gospel account.
“Repent! For the Kingdom of God Is Near!
Bow to God’s Ways
It was an interesting situation that the people brought to Jesus.
“At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.”
Here’s the back story. Evidently some people from Galilee visited Jerusalem and got into big trouble with Pontus Pilate. Maybe they went to the temple under the disguise of wanting to offer sacrifices but were sowing seeds of rebellion against the Roman government. Or maybe they were drawing mustaches on the posters of Pontius Pilate. We’re not sure why they got into trouble, but we know Pilate killed them around the altar and mixed their blood with the animal sacrifices. But this we do know. The people who brought this case to Jesus had an agenda. They had sinful pride in their hearts and thought they were better than anybody else. They looked down their noses at the Galileans and thought they must have been terrible sinners to have God do such a horrible thing to them. Jesus’ answer was to the point:
“2 He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 I tell you, no.”
Then Jesus brought up another example of a famous construction accident which everyone then knew about,
“4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no.”
Jesus knew what they were up to. They didn’t want to Bow To God’s Ways, but follow their own way. The human way goes like this, “Do good and good things will happen to you. Do bad things and bad things will happen to you”—some call it Karma (which we don’t believe in). Or in the words we often hear, “People who get a grip on reality will settle down.” “People who get their act together can remain on stage.” “People who shape up, don’t have to ship out.” But, Jesus said, “I tell you, no.” The problem is sin, and sin infects us all.
As we review 2024, we will see both good and bad events. Tonight, we want to follow Jesus’ command to Repent! For the Kingdom of God Is Nearer now than it was a year ago. Therefore, rather than following our ways, we Bow To God’s Ways and we let God be God as he sends rain on good and bad people. That’s his grace. He sends disasters on good people and bad people—that’s a consequence of living in a sin infected world. When disasters strike it is not God favorite way to deal with sinful people. God took no pleasure in banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden, in sending the Flood, or allowing Satan to ruin Job’s life, or the plagues in Egypt, or allowing the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem, it is our All-Wise, All-knowing God working on his people. Think of a teacher slamming her hand on the desk to get the student’s attention to stop their bad behavior. We Repent! Because WE Know The Kingdom of God is at Work. It is God’s Word working with people.
Don’t fall for it when people say, “They must be really bad people because something really bad happened to them.” God takes no pleasure in Hurricane Helene, the Hamas/Israel war, earthquakes, tornadoes or the tower of Siloam falling on people. The question Jesus wants us to think about is not, “Why did our loving God allow these things to happen?” but, “What if it happened to me? Would I be ready to meet my maker?” So, this evening let us heed Jesus’ Words and Repent! For the Kingdom of God Is Near! 1) Bow to God’s Ways and
Bear In Mind God’s Will
The Bible records many disasters in order to teach us a clear message. God is not playing a game of chess making divine moves with disasters and destruction. No! While we recognize that these events to grab our attention, it is always by design so we would Bear In Mind God’s Will! It is God’s will for us to recognize his unfailing mercy. That is the point of Jesus’ parable.
“6 He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ 8 But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9 If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”
God is the merciful caretaker! While God is being patient with us, we may not like the little irritations dug around our lives, or the little pruning of our branches. Yet, our merciful God does this so we don’t get caught putting our hope in the things of this world. God has something much better in mind! It’s called heaven! God also knows how easy it is for us to forget about our eternal goal and so he brings sicknesses, hard times, and unpleasant experiences. God is working on us to Bear in Mind God’s Will for us. And what is God’s will for us? To Repent! For the Kingdom of God Is Near! As we 1) Bow to God’s Ways 2) Bear in Mind God’s Will and
Believe in God’s Word
Believing God’s Word is the focus of our being here this evening at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. And what Word of God does the Holy Spirit bring to us? Listen:
““Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”
Repentance begins with believing what says about us in His Word. He says we are rotten sinners and deserve his eternal punishment in hell for the sins of 2024. He says that’s why he sent his Son to live a perfect life of Bowing to God’s Ways, Bearing in Mind God’s Will, and Believing in God’s Word perfectly for you. Jesus made himself the target of God’s anger on the cross, so we would all be the target of God’s love. This Gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Repentance! We confess our sins. We trust in Jesus’ forgiveness, and from thankful hearts we begin 2025 with a New Year’s Resolution to 1) Bow to God’s Ways 2) Bear in Mind God’s Will and 3) Believe in God’s Word. That is exactly what Jesus meant and to make sure we get it, he said it twice!
Let’s get back to our sayings. “Get a grip!” “Get your act together!” “Shape up or ship out!” While these sayings might grab our attention for a little bit, they won’t save us. Nope! We’re all going to still die. It doesn’t appear it will happen for anyone here this year, but maybe next year. That’s why God will continue to use all events in your life to remind you of the most important thing. Life isn’t about us making it through another year. Life is all about Jesus. So, God bless your new year in Christ as your Repent! For the Kingdom Is God Is Near! 1) Bow to God’s Ways 2) Bear in Mind God’s Will and 3) Believe in God’s Word. Amen!
