I. The Illustrations (13:1–9, 18–30): Jesus offers various illustrations to emphasize certain topics.
A. First two illustrations (13:1–5)
1. First illustration (13:1–3): Jesus refers to some Jews who were murdered in the Jerusalem Temple.
2. Second illustration (13:4–5): Jesus refers to some Jews who were crushed by the Tower of Siloam.

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

B. Third illustration (13:6–9)
1. A man plans to cut down a fig tree that has no fruit during the three years after its planting (13:6–7).
2. The gardener suggests he wait one more year (13:8–9).

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree[5]
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And 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?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”[6]

C. Fourth and fifth illustrations (13:18–21)
1. Illustration of the mustard seed (13:18–19): A tiny mustard seed grows, becomes a tree, and birds rest in its branches.
2. Illustration of the yeast (13:20–21): A small amount of yeast permeates a large amount of dough.

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It 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.”[7] 20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”[8]

D. Sixth illustration (13:22–30)
1. Jews who depend on their physical births will not be allowed into heaven (13:22–28).
2. Gentiles who depend on their spiritual births will be allowed into heaven (13:29–30).

The Narrow Door
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”[9] 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.[10] 25 When 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.’[11] 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’[12] 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’[13] 28 In 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.[14] 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.[15] 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”[16]

II. The Confrontation (13:10–17)
A. The reason for this confrontation (13:10–13): Jesus heals a crippled woman in a synagogue on the Sabbath.
B. The responses during this confrontation (13:14–16)
1. The criticism of Jesus (13:14) : The synagogue ruler rebukes Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.
2. The condemnation by Jesus (13:15–16): The Savior points out the sheer hypocrisy of the ruler and his friends.
a. They would no doubt care for a needy animal on the Sabbath (13:15) .
b. How much more important to care for a needy person (13:16) !
C. The results of this confrontation (13:17) : Jesus’ foes are shamed, and his followers are joyful because of his wonderful works.

A Woman with a Disabling Spirit
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. (she needed a cane) 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.”[17] 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.[18] 14 But 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.”[19] 15 Then 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? [20]16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”[21] 17 As 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.

III. The Determination (13:31–33): In spite of Herod Antipas’s threats against him, Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem, that he might die there!

Lament over Jerusalem
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”[22] 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, [23] ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. [24]33 Nevertheless, 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.’ [25]

IV. The Lamentation (13:34–35): The Savior weeps over Jerusalem.
A. The pain he feels (13:34) : He desires to gather Israel under his wings of protection, but they will not allow this.
B. The prophecy he gives (13:35)
1. Israel’s Temple will soon be destroyed (13:35a).
2. Israel’s people will remain in unbelief until the Millennium (13:35b).

34 O 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![26] 35 Behold, 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!’”

ENDNOTES
[1] 13:1 on the same occasion: Jesus had just challenged his listeners to reconcile themselves with their opponent even without the immediate gratification of justice (12;57-59)
· Galileans: This massacre was probably at Passover (it’s the only time when people slaughtered there own meat). Josephus said, “this was when sedition broke out”. Pilate, who lived in cesarean, would go to Jerusalem during Passover and Feast of unleavened bread in order to maintain “peace”.
· Mingled: an idiom for two events happening together. Pilate had his soldiers rush in the temple and slaughter the people while they where offering their sacrifice.
[2] 13:2 ### human assumption. the book of Job. Those who escaped the massacre have only God’s grace to thank, although, as the following verse makes explicit, this delay of judgment was about to end. There is also a dark irony here: soon Jesus would be killed by Pilate at Passover.
[3] 13:3 Jesus call to repentance wasn’t just spiritual, but an appeal not to follow violence. The violence of a few led to the slaughter of thousands in AD 70 = terrorism.
[4] 13:5: 1. "All"
· A group of people come to Jesus and tell him about how Pilate had murdered some worshiping Galileans and taken their blood and mixed it with the blood of their sacrifices—their sheep and pigeons and doves. It's as though some anarchists should break into our church this morning during the Lord's supper, cut the necks of a few worshippers and pour their blood into the communion cups. It was a horrible thing that Pilate did.
· The people don't say it, but Jesus hears it in their voices—these slain Galileans must have done something horrible for God to allow something so horrible to happen to them. I
· What Jesus said was this. He said, "No, their sin was not extraordinarily horrible. It was ordinarily horrible, just like yours. And if you don't repent, you too will experience a horrible end, all of you."
· What Jesus teaches then is that all of us are extremely sinful. We are so sinful that calamities and disasters should not shock us as though something unwarranted were coming upon innocent human beings. There are no innocent human beings. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). There is none righteous, no not one" (Rom. 3:10).
· And what should amaze us in our sin is not that some are taken in calamity, but that we are spared and given another day to repent. The really amazing thing in this universe is not that guilty sinners perish, but that God is so slow to anger that you and I can sit here this morning and have one more chance to repent.
2. "Likewise"
· "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish." We can't all die just like the Galileans who were murdered and just like those on whom the tower of Siloam fell. "Likewise" must mean something else.
· It can't just mean die, since that's going to happen to those who repent too. But Jesus implies that if we repent we will not perish.
· So what does Jesus mean when he says that all unrepentant people will likewise perish. I think he means something like this: you see what a horrible end those people came to; they didn't think it was going to happen. The horror of their end took them by surprise.
· Well unless you repent that is the way it is going to be for you. Your end will be far more horrible than you think it is. You will not be ready for it. It will surprise you terribly. In that sense you will LIKEWISE perish. Only repentance can make you ready to meet God.
3. "Perish"
"Unless you repent you will all likewise PERISH." Now what does "perish" mean? Sometimes the word simply means die in the sense that we all will die physically. But that would not fit here since Jesus implies that if we repent we will not perish.
· If you DO repent, you won't perish. So perish is something more than simply die a physical death.
· Here's what I think it means. Since Jesus connects it directly to sin and since he says it can be escaped by repentance, I take it to mean final judgment.
· He is referring to something beyond death. Those Galileans who were taken experienced a horrible end. Unless you repent you too will be taken unaware and experience a horrible end—the judgment of God beyond the grave.
· All you can lose when you get a disease is your earthly life. And Jesus said "Do not fear what kills the body and after that can do nothing. Fear what can cast both soul and body into hell" (Luke 12:4-5). Sin is an infinitely more dangerous than any disease.
4. "Repent"
· repentance involves believing God (Jonah 3:5) rather than Satan's claim that more joy can be found in sin than in obedience.
· It involves grief over past sins and present sinful tendencies. And it involves turning from evil ways (Jonah 3:8).
· The turning of repentance is a turning from trusting in other things to a trusting in God.
· [5] fruit does not show in one’s life, judgment will come.
· A fig tree requires three years to bear figs, but since this one did not produce, the owner said, Cut it down.
· His vineyard keeper asked him to give it one more year.
· This parable illustrates the point made in verses 1-5 that judgment comes on those who do not repent. Here Jesus took the thought one step further and noted that fruit must be present (cf. Matt. 3:7-10; 7:15-21; Luke 8:15). A visible change must be seen in the life of one who claims to trust the Messiah. If there is no visible change that person, like the figless fig tree, is judged.
[6] 13:9 Next year cut it down: Jesus generation is living on borrowed time. He knew the Romans where coming and that Gods season of grace to respond to his gospel was keeping the destruction away. When Jesus is removed, a voice of peace is lost, and the agents of violence persuade the masses.
· Vineyard owner is God the father, The vineyard keeper is Jesus. The Fig tree is Israel. God continues to wait for Israel to produce fruit. Eventually he decides to have the tree removed.
· God offered His covenant to Israel so that they could be a blessing to other people. Israel blows it. They keep their faith to themselves. Inside the church. This wasn’t Gods purpose and he punished them.
· They where punished by the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions and subsequent exile
· He also redeemed a remnant (few0 to carry out the original purpose of the Covenant. But they too screw it up.
· At the time of Jesus, most Jews had little interest in making their faith public. They liked it private. They where in self preservation mode.
· Jesus takes on Moses role, as being an advocate for the people before God. He hoped that his ministry would have caused a national repentance. Instead, like the prophets before him, he was rejected.
· Upon his entry to Jerusalem, Jesus weeps because this part of his ministry failed. Once he was crucified who would be their advocate?
[7] 13:19 A mustard Seed: The growth of the kingdom is like a little seed, which becomes a big tree, and provides for many birds shelter.
[8] 13:21: leaven: most of the time its bad, but here the image is good. This is a 50 pound bag of flour that the leaven permeates and makes rise. The kingdom will start small, but will grow and eventually permeate the whole earth.
[9] 13:23 who are saved? The question is about others, but Jesus turns the question how each person should respond.
[10] 13:24 The Narrow Way: This is Gods terms, we don’t enter heaven on our own terms. Those who seek to enter but do not are those who try to enter heaven own their own terms. Many will perish thinking they’re in based own their own merit or piety, rather than in faith in Christ alone.
[11] 13:25 The door: this describes the fact that once life has passed and the door of opportunity to respond to Jesus is shut, eternal access into God’s presence cannot be accessed.
· I do not know you: The issue is being related to God thru Jesus. Luke 13:26 says Jesus is the Lord at the door.
[12] 13:26 We ate and drank/ you taught: Here is the appeal. They shared in Jesus presence. They went to church. Some will think they deserve to get in because they observed Jesus. Jesus says that not enough, one must come to embrace Him, come to know Him. One can associate them with Jesus or religious things, but never personally trust Jesus. It’s utterly about the relationship.
· Faith, not observation, is what belongs to the “narrow way”.
[13] 13:27 I do not know you/ depart from me!: Here is Jesus rejection. The question about salvation in v. 23 has become a question about knowing Jesus in v 27. Failure to connect the two and respond to forgiveness means that sin remains, so Jesus calls them workers of evil!
[14] 13:28 weeping and gnashing: this is a reaction to traumatic news, here referring to your one way ticket to hell. It’s a figure of pain, frustration, and remorse. This is the reaction to being excluded from salvation.
[15] 13:29 East/ West: People will come from all the corners of the world and enter the Kingdom. This alludes to gentile inclusion.
[16] 13:30 Last/ First: Eschatological reversal. Those who seem the closest (many Jews, including the Jewish leadership) ended up last (out of the kingdom). Those who where last (many gentiles) ended up first (in the kingdom).
· These remarks were revolutionary to Jesus’ hearers. Most of them assumed that because they were physically related to Abraham they would naturally enter into the promised kingdom.
· However, His next words were even more revolutionary—in fact devastating—to those who assumed that only the Jewish nation would be involved in the kingdom. Jesus explained that Gentiles would be added to the kingdom in place of Jewish people
· [16] Jews in Jesus’ day believed that Gentiles were inferior to them. When Jesus had begun His ministry in Nazareth, His teaching of Gentile inclusion had so maddened the crowd that they tried to kill Him (4:13-30). The Jewish people considered themselves to be first in every way, but they would be last, that is, they would be left out of the kingdom. In contrast, some Gentiles, considered last, would be in the kingdom and would really be first in importance (13:30).
[17] 13:12: Loosed from your infirmity: This was a declaration she was freed from the power of Satan.
[18] 13: 13: It was Jesus’ mission among the people of the nation to loose them from crippling influences and bring them to uprightness.
[19] 13:14 With indignation: The synagogue ruler is not happy with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. It should have waited until after Sunset, since God should be honored.
[20] 13:15 Hypocrite: Jesus replies saying, “you show such compassion to animals, how much more should you show compassion towards humans!”
[21] 13:16 daughter of Abraham: not a donkey! Jesus point is, “what a better day to defeat Satan than on the Lord’s day!”
[22] 13:31 Herod wants to Kill you: This warning from the Pharisees appears to be an effort to get him out of the region and out of their hair.
[23] 13:32 Jesus… a name caller?: A fox was a figure for someone cunning.
[24] 13:32 Perfected: Jesus predicts his resurrection in Jerusalem. PREFECTeD means to complete something, which is why it alludes to Jesus’ resurrection, the decisive moment of his ministry.
[25] 13:33 It cannot be: Jesus has to fulfill the call of the prophet who is rejected and perishes in the Nations capitol.
[26] 13:34 I wanted to gather: He compares God’s desire to gather the nation to a hen sheltering and protecting her young. But the nation is not willing.