UK 13{Verses 1-5. Those present telling the Lord of what Pilate did wickedly to the Galileans, brings out with fresh force, that there is no escape from the judgment of God for Israel, or for any sinner, but by repentance. The tower of Siloam did not fall without God allowing it. Now was Israel's time to give diligence to be delivered from the Judge, (Luke 12:58,58When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. (Luke 12:58)) or they would all likewise perish. Many thousands of them perished at the destruction of Jerusalem, and the rest were scattered because they did not repent. (Matt. 22:77But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. (Matthew 22:7); Luke 19:42-44; 21:2842Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. (Luke 19:42‑44)
28And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28).) There they remain till their deliverance as a nation comes. (Isa. 40:22Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:2); Ezek. 37:2121And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: (Ezekiel 37:21).) These scriptures also suggest, that not only in this world do men reap what they sow, (Gal. 6:7, 87Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7‑8)) in the government of God, but that wrath from heaven will fall on every sinner out of Christ. (Rom. 1:18; 2:8, 918For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18)
8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; (Romans 2:8‑9); Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27).)
Verses 6-9. Israel was this fig tree. Everything had been done for it that could be done in the past, and yet it had borne no fruit. At last its judgment is pronounced, but the dresser begs for it another year. So we find Israel spared as a nation till Stephen's murder. The last national offer of pardon is in Acts 3, which they did not accept, but cast the messengers into prison and then stoned Stephen, sending him after his Master. (Luke 19:1414But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:14).) They rejected their Messiah, smote the Judge of Israel upon the cheek, therefore He gave them up. (Mic. 5:1, 31Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. (Micah 5:1)
3Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. (Micah 5:3).) They will not be restored till the church is completed and taken to glory. Individuals out of all nations and out of Israel compose the Church-the body and bride of Christ. And all, both Jew and Gentile, who have died out of Christ are lost forever.
Verses 10-17. The Lord is teaching, going on with His gracious work, despite the sad condition of the Jews. It was the sabbath and here is a woman bowed together for eighteen years with a spirit of infirmity, and could in no wise lift up herself. When Jesus saw her, He called to her, and laid His hands on her, and said, "Woman, thou are loosed from thine infirmity," and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the synagogue was ruled by a hypocrite, who pretended to care for the sabbath-the seal of a conversant (Ex. 31:13-1713Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. 14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:13‑17)) that was long since broken, and the Lord Jesus did not once tell them to keep it. He thought of the poor woman, one of Israel's flock, a daughter of Abraham, and set her free, but this hypocrite thought more of his ox, or his ass on the sabbath day. What a scathing rebuke the Lord gives him, and all His adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. Why did they not recognize and own their King?
Verses 18-21. Since the King has been rejected and is going away, the kingdom of God on earth must necessarily take a different form from the kingdom set up in power and glory. It is compared to a grain of mustard seed, sown in a man's garden and grows to a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodge in its branches. It thus pictures a great powerful system, but evil is sheltered under its branches. It is also like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Here we get its teaching laying hold of the people as a great influence: in neither are we to think they are all converted. It is the nominal profession of the name of Christ, which is often called Christendom. It describes its appearance as seen in this world. What is for God, as in Matt. 13.-the wheat, the treasure, the pearl, and the good fish-are' not mentioned here.
Verse 22. He is still journeying towards Jerusalem, teaching as He goes. Moses and Elias talked with Him on the mount, of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem; (Chapter 9:30, 31, 51,) and in the same chapter, He steadfastly set His face to go there.
Verses 23-30. One asked Him, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" It may have “been curiosity that led to it, but the Lord speaks an earnest word of exhortation and warning, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the Master of the house is risen, up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, 'I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity.'" This has its direct application to the unsaved of Israel, but it has a strong voice to those now who have not yet trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Savior. As in Matt. 25. "When the Bridegroom come, they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut." Just think if it should shut today! Which side of the door would you be on? And as here, many from the distant parts of the earth shall be seen associated with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in glory, and the professing Israel cast out with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Likewise, many professing Christians, without a personal Savior, will see the converted heathen with Christ in heavenly glory, and they themselves cast out to eternal darkness, eternal disappointment. "Behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.”
Verses 31-35. "The same day." We can think how these Pharisees hated to hear such teaching, and professing to be interested in His safety, try to get rid of Him, saying, "Get Thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill Thee." His answer reveals Israel's state more fully, and also His personal glory. He cares nothing for their hypocritical warning, nor for Herod. "Go ye and tell that fox," a usurper on the throne of Israel as king, a hypocrite ruling the synagogue. Yet He falls back on the counsels of God. The Father's will shall be done, "Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected." Israel's guilt, Jerusalem's guilt for ages past is manifested. "Nevertheless I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." And now, as the great Jehovah, He pours out His heart over the beloved though guilty Jerusalem, on which His heart was set. (Psa. 132:1313For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. (Psalm 132:13).) And even now it is not judged forever, but it is set aside till its chastening is fulfilled. And what prophet, but He who is a Prophet and Jehovah Himself, could say, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen Both gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not." Their rejection of the truth was persistent, and now nothing remains but to pronounce the sentence, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
The nearer the people are to God, if they reject Him, the worse is the sin, and the more dreadful the judgment. Israel was a nation who had God nigh unto them, (Deut. 4:77For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? (Deuteronomy 4:7)), and they came near unto Him, (Psa. 148:14,14He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 148:14)) but now they are cast off till the Lord shall claim His kingdom.
What grace is seen in all this, and how it reminds us of grace now to the Church of God on earth, outwardly ruined as His witness here; ruined by man's interference, and arrangements, and inventions. Yet God, in His sovereign grace, is carrying out His purpose, to have companions in heavenly glory for His Son, as His body and His bride, and nothing can hinder its accomplishment.