Monthly Archives: February 2026

LUKE’S GOSPEL…ENTER THE KINGDOM – 38b

Bible Study, ,

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭

On the strength of Jesus’ death and resurrection, He is the entry point, and the way by which people access God’s rule and live in it according to its constitution. He is also the model of the life lived under God’s authority. 

Jesus had to smash the misunderstanding that the Jews were automatically citizens of God’s kingdom because they were born into the Jewish nation. 

Jesus came from heaven as the God-man, not only to announce the restoration of God’s rule on earth but to be the way into God’s realm, not by natural birth or inclusion in the covenant by being a member of the Jewish nation. Only by faith in Him and union with Him in His death and resurrection and God’s work of grace by His Spirit, can anyone become a citizen of the heavenly kingdom. 

If Jesus’ hearers leant on their natural birth as the reason for their inclusion in God’s kingdom, Jesus had to utter the warning…

“Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭25‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As Paul explained, their forefather, Abraham, had to make this transition by his deliberate choice to believe God. 

“What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” …It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith…Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham…He is the father of us all. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬, ‭13‬, ‭16‬, ‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So too, they, the people who heard Him, and we who read the message, must make the same decision to believe the message about Jesus, who he is and what He did. 

What did God do through Jesus?

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So…

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved…Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬, ‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God responds and intervenes by a supernatural act of grace. 

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 The consequences of not responding to what God has done through Jesus, are clear and horrific…

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…ENTER THE KINGDOM -38a

Bible Study, ,

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭24‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wow! Jesus packed so much into a few sentences! Let’s try to unpack some of the great themes He mentioned in these few paragraphs. 

To whom was He speaking?

“Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them,”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The context suggests that Jesus was teaching the ordinary people who gathered around to listen to Him. This group was made up mostly of Jews with similar ideas and persuasions. His message to them was, “Don’t take for granted that, because you are a Jew, you are okay. God’s kingdom is for everyone but not everyone is in the kingdom.”

As always, Jesus focused on the kingdom of God. Israel was His chosen nation. They were His people, in a covenant relationship with Him, armed with His law, and called to show the nations what life under His rule was supposed to look like. 

Unfortunately, Israel failed to keep the covenant and eventually forfeited God’s presence among them because of their rejection of His rule over them. The glory of God which had come powerfully and visibly at the inauguration of the tabernacle worship and later the temple of Solomon, had also visibly departed (Ezekiel 8 to 10). 

However, God promised, in His last words to His people in 400 years…

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Before the coming of “the messenger of the covenant”, God  would also send a forerunner to announce His coming, in the spirit of Elijah…

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The angel Gabriel prophesied the birth of this forerunner to Zechariah…

“But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God…And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬, ‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and Jesus identified John the Baptist as that forerunner…

“For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

With the arrival of Jesus on the public scene came His announcement…

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Finally, God was back to restore His rule over the people, but not only over Israel but over all the nations. John announced the arrival of the king and Jesus confirmed His own identity as king by preaching and doing the works that illustrated the nature of God’s rule. His intention was to rejoin heaven and earth as His realm and His dwelling place with His people forever. 

This, then, was Jesus’ focus…always His place in God’s kingdom and how it worked. He called people to become a part of God’s rule by repentance, returning to God’s way, so…

The first step is how to enter this kingdom. Although humans are born into the earthly realm naturally, it takes a supernatural event to enter God’s realm where He rules as king. Sin is the great barrier. The focal point of Jesus presence on earth as the God-man was to remove the barrier of sin by His death and resurrection. 

Jesus made it clear that He is the “narrow door” through whom people can enter God’s kingdom, come under His authority and rule and participate in the benefits, blessings, and promises of that realm. 

To change the metaphor, Jesus declared…

“Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Since entry into God’s kingdom is neither natural nor automatic, it takes something from God’s side and something from our side, and then something from God’s side again, to make this transition possible

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…GLIMPSES OF THE KINGDOM – 37

Bible Study, ,

“Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For Jesus, trying to describe the nature of God’s kingdom was like trying to describe the colours of a rainbow or the facets of a diamond to a blind man. He could only take one colour, one facet at a time and paint a word picture by using a simple illustration… like trees or dough. 

Everyone understands the origin of a tree. Trees, like most other plants, start small… a tiny seed lodges in the soil wherever it falls, and begins to germinate. It has power within itself to multiply its cells, to send down roots into the ground in search of water and to anchor the plant, and a stem and eventually leaves to nourish it from the atmosphere. For years it grows until it is big enough to shelter birds in its branches. 

So, too, God’s kingdom. Jesus announced that God had returned to set up His rule in human hearts once again, after His glory had departed from His temple, His earthly dwelling place, (Ezekiel 8-10), and left His people to self-rule. However, this time, His rule was not only for His own people but for all people everywhere. 

Like a tree which started small but grew into a mighty plant that provided shelter for many birds, so God’s rule would begin small but grow and spread out to receive anyone who chose to perch in its branches. 

To emphasise the nature of God’s kingdom…starting small but spreading everywhere…Jesus told another parable about a small amount of yeast in a measure of flour. 

“The Parable of the Yeast (or Leaven), found in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20–21, illustrates that the Kingdom of God starts small and hidden—like yeast in a large amount of flour—but persistently works from within to transform the entire world. It symbolizes the pervasive, often unseen influence of the gospel in hearts and society, resulting in ultimate, comprehensive transformation.” (Source; Google AI)

Anyone who has worked with yeast will know that it takes only a small amount to infiltrate a large amount of dough. Not only that but the yeast influences every part of the dough. So too, God’s kingdom. So powerful is its influence that it takes only one person, fully committed to submission and obedience to the lordship of Jesus, to spread this influence into a family, a community, and into the wider society as each transformed life touches another. 

Jesus even showed His disciples that He would grow His church, the visible representation of His kingdom on earth, in a place like Caesarea Philippi, a hotbed of idolatry. Like yeast in dough, God’s transforming rule in people’s hearts has the power to spread into every corner of society, bringing with it the nature of that kingdom…righteousness, peace, and joy. 

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wherever the kingdom of God is established, although not fully until Jesus arrives to finish what He began, there is a taste of the final victory, when evil is eradicated forever, when God’s original purpose is fulfilled, to have a family of replicas of Jesus,  when heaven and earth become a unified place where God lives with His people.  

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Hallelujah! What a hope!

If this is our anticipation…so said Peter…

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭11-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…FRUIT! – 36

Bible Study, ,

“Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus spoke this parable in the context of the report about Pilate’s heinous cruelty to the worshippers he had killed. What did a fruitless fruit tree have to do with their report about Pilate’s behaviour? Was He addressing the wrong attitude of those who told Him about the incident? What was it in their hearts that He was exposing?

Fruit! God is looking for fruit… but…Why did Jesus specify, in His story, that the fruitless tree was a fig tree? Did it really matter what kind of tree was about to be cut down because it bore no figs?

Yes, it does! The Holy Spirit, the author of God’s Word, sometimes used trees as symbols of Israel, for example, the vine and the fig tree. Jesus’ examples were never random. Is it not significant that the first mention of the fig tree is in Genesis 3? 

The guilty pair tried to hide their nakedness from God by using fig leaves as covering! On one occasion, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree which immediately died, to the surprise of His disciples. Was He illustrating that His people, Israel, the fig tree, were fruitless in their pursuit of acceptance with God by their futile self-efforts, and in danger of judgment?

Israel’s leaders, the learned ones, were equally fruitless because of their hypocrisy. Their outward “holiness” hid their wicked and greedy hearts. The Father searched in vain for fruit that would reveal the nature of the tree but there was nothing on them but leaves, the useless outer covering that hid nothing. 

So, in Jesus’ parable, a fruitless fig tree was of no value in His garden. It was occupying space, using up water and nutrients, and giving nothing back in return. Even in these circumstances, there was a touch of mercy. The gardener requested one more season. “Let’s give the tree another year. I’ll do my best to see that it bears fruit.” 

Isn’t that just like the Lord! In His mercy, He provides every opportunity for fruitless, guilty people to repent, to reign to Him and His way! Note that Jesus was speaking to His own people…the fig tree…Israel. However, even for them, there was a cut-off point when God’s mercy towards these unrepentant people would come to an end. His justice, like His mercy, must be fully met since He is God. 

israel’s guilt was at its greatest because they had failed to recognise that God had come in person to rescue them from their self-imposed doom, and to re- establish His reign on earth. 

They had refused to acknowledge that Jesus was God or to submit to His authority. They stood on the brink of being cut down. His compassion for His people led Him to lament their fate, recorded in this very same chapter…

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The tragedy of Israel was that they refused to heed Jesus’ warning. Despite His words, despite the delay in His judgment, they killed Him for telling them the truth. The old “fig tree” was indeed cut down but…from the stump came another tree, a new tree, a race of Jew and Gentile, supernaturally born of God and blended together to become God’s true “fig tree”. 

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ…He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit…And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬, ‭17‬-‭18‬, ‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The old fig tree, with its fruitless efforts at self-righteousness, had to give way to a new “tree”, a race made up of Jew and Gentile who would bear the fruit that He desired through its union with Jesus. 

In John 15, Jesus changed the metaphor. The vine, another symbol of Israel, depicts a union between vine and branches so intimate that the life of the vine, flowing into the branches, produces the fruit of the vine. 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, we must ask ourselves…”Am I a fruitless fig tree ready to be cut down, or a branch in the vine that bears the fruit of the vine?” Am I an active part of the fig tree, made up of Jew and Gentile, that bears witness to the nature of the tree?

Jesus said…

“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS – 35

Bible Study, ,

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What kind of reaction did the people who told Jesus about Pilate’s cruelty expect from Him? Disgust? Outrage? Condemnation? 

These people were in for a shock! Jesus didn’t condemn Pilate. He didn’t commiserate with the victims. He didn’t express condolences to the families. He turned on those who reported to Him! Why?

The reporters could do nothing about Pilate’s actions but they could do something about their own attitude! What was their attitude? Was it judgment? “How terrible of Pilate! I would never to something like that!” Was it gloating? “They must have deserved what they got.” 

Instead, Jesus warned…”Watch out that you don’t find yourself in the same boat!” Isn’t it strange…interesting…amazing…that we naturally turn our attention to the sufferer or the perpetrator and judge…blame…condemn…rather than scrutinise ourselves for our own attitudes! We are quick to look at ourselves when we need to exonerate our attitudes or behaviour but quick to look at others to blame or condemn when things go wrong for them. 

Our land is, at present, uncovering a plethora of evil behaviour, especially in our leaders. I find myself alongside all those who self-righteously judge and condemn the wicked. I stand with those who gloat over the downfall of wrongdoers, happy that they have been found out and desperately hoping that they will get their day in court. 

Is this Jesus’ way? 

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Wow! That is shocking! Jesus shot straight from the hip! “With an attitude like that (and Jesus read their hearts), you are as guilty as those who perished!”

What was Jesus saying? How true that we are quick to judge others for their sin and slow to take responsibility for our own. More than that, our sin is of the heart, unseen, when we are glad when those who oppose us, or those we don’t like, suffer. 

God’s Word is clear…

“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ NIV

God’s way digs deep into our own hearts and uncovers the rot that still lurks inside us. Jesus’ response to the suffering of others, especially those we consider enemies, is to repent of the thoughts of our callous hearts. “Return!” He says.  “Come back to God’s way of viewing your enemies!”

The only acceptable attitude of a redeemed heart is one of forgiveness, mercy, and generosity. 

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…Do to others as you would have them do to you…But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬-‭28‬, ‭31‬, ‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When the Holy Spirit looks deep into our hearts, does He see the heart of Jesus?

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” …

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Attitudes and actions like this are only possible through God’s grace. When we act on Jesus’ prescription, “Ask the Father for holy desires,” He responds with grace and mercy towards us. 

Let us who are called by His name not be fake. In our weakness, let’s be honest. Let’s call on His name for the grace to be merciful and compassionate towards those who fall, knowing that we stand only because of God’s infinite mercy towards us. 

To be continued…