Luke chapter 13, verses 1 through 9. The word of the Lord. Now at that same time, there were some present who were reporting to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered these things? I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you think that those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. And he was telling this parable. A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard keeper, Behold, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down. Why does it even use up the ground? And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year, too, until I dig around it and put in manure. And if it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, cut it down. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever. Amen. At this point, we are a few weeks removed from what we saw occur happening in the Appalachian region with the floods and what it occurred in California with the fires. But I hope that it's still present on your minds just so that you would continue to pray for those who have suffered greatly at these recent events and Also, just to know that these kinds of things don't get cleaned up overnight. This is many weeks and months ahead that they will continue to be recovering. The reason why I bring up these events is that when people have things like wildfires and floods come upon them, Oftentimes, you'll hear people say something like this. They got what they deserved. For example, I saw, and I'm sure that you all have too, with the recent fires in California. Many people said, serves them right. They got their comeuppance. Do you see what comes out of Hollywood They say these things. But is that appropriate? Is that appropriate to be able to look at the suffering of another individual and presume upon the providence of God, that you know the hidden mind of God, to look on a natural disaster and say, they got their comeuppance. I'm here today to tell you that that's not appropriate. And that's not right. Yes, there's many vile things that happen in California, but that happens here too. There are sinners all over the globe, even in this room, believe it or not. Even behind this pulpit is a sinner saved by grace. So how do we look upon the suffering of others, and what should our response be? That's the main theme that I would have us to consider this morning. Just to give us some context of where we are in Luke chapter 13 verses 1 through 9. In Luke chapter 12 up to this point, Jesus has called the crowds to repentance and to do so speedily. Not to just wait for it and just maybe someday I might get around to it. No, he calls them to repentance today. Don't wait. And he does the same thing here. What Jesus is doing, as we'll see as the text unfolds, is that the crowds want to try to get around this question. Jesus has put them on the hot seat, calling them to repentance. And what's our natural sinful inclination? Oh, that doesn't apply to me. How about these people over there? They're way worse than me, right? And so if that means that they'll be treated worse because they're much worse sinners than I am, then surely in the judgment I'll be okay. The point that Jesus makes in this text is, no, if you do not repent today and He comes, you'll likewise perish. The suffering of others, when we see it, should not cause us to say, hey, they got their comeuppance. It should cause us to look upon the suffering of others and say. Oh, my God, oh, Lord, we live in a fallen world, let me cling to you for mercy that in the day of wrath that this suffering is but a foretaste of may I be delivered from it. The suffering of others should drive you to that, not to justify yourselves by comparing your sins to other people. The main point that I would have for us from Luke chapter 13, verses 1 through 9 is this. Those who suffer, which we all do, we live in a fallen world. Those who suffer should repent of sin unto God as they bear good fruit. We'll see this in two parts this morning. Verses 1-5, suffering should drive us to repent of our sins. Suffering should drive us to repent of our sins. Verses 1-5. And then in verses 6-9, bearing good fruit demonstrates repentance of sin. Bearing good fruit demonstrates repentance of sin. Verses 6-9. Remembering the main point is those who suffer should repent of sin unto God as they bear good fruit. Let's now look at verses one through five at how suffering should drive us to repent of our sins. If you look in verses one through three. What happens is that there are these people that come and report to Jesus about a terrible thing that has occurred, suffering that has come about by the hands of wicked men. As the text tells us, it says, now at that same time, so meaning the same time that Jesus is calling these people to repent of their sins, today, not tomorrow, today, at the same time, It says that there were some present who were reporting to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. We don't have all the details of what occurred here, but we know enough. What we know is that there were people coming from Galilee, Galileans, who came to the temple in Jerusalem in order to offer up their sacrifices to God. From outward speaking, these appear to be very righteous, pious people, going to worship the Lord according to His Word. What the text tells us is that mixed in with their sacrifices was their own blood. And it was brought about by Pilate. Pilate, it appears, had the Galileans blood mixed with their sacrifices, had them killed, murdered. The Bible doesn't tell us why Pilate did this, but we know it happened. Jesus, when these people approach him, he knows as the sovereign Lord, he knows what is in their hearts and why it is that they're reporting this news. Those people reporting this news to Jesus believed that these Galileans were especially sinful people because of how they suffered. Notice. Because of how they suffered, they automatically attribute and impute sin that the reason why they died this way is because they're really bad sinners. In John 9, verses 1-3 and verse 34, we read of something similar, where just because someone has undergone some very hard providence, they want to attribute sin. So in John 9, if you recall, there was a man who was born blind. And it wasn't just the Pharisees who wanted to impugn sin on either the man who was born blind or his parents, but even the disciples asked that question. Remember, they said, who sinned, Rabbi, in order for this person to be born blind? But why does Jesus say that this man was born blind? In order that he could show his power and his might through the healing of this blind man, not because of some particular sin, for even Jesus says very clearly in John 9 3, neither this man nor his parents sent. Now, please note, it's not that Jesus is saying that this blind man or his parents never sinned ever. The scriptures are very clear that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Even in our mother's womb, we're born and conceived in sin, because we inherit the guilt of Adam's first sin. We're born sinners. The point that he's making is that it's not a result of someone's particular sin that this was brought about. Again, think back to the intro. A lot of people were attributing and saying, oh yeah, the reason that these fires happened, or even the floods in Appalachia, is because of a particular sin. But Jesus says in John 9, 3, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this was so that the works of God might be manifested in him. He knows their hearts. He knows why they're coming to Him with this report. And He tells them, no, in response. He tells them, no, with regard to, do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because of the things they suffered? He says, no, I tell you. This suffering is not because of a particular sin or sins committed by these Galileans. But then what does he say? Unless you repent, no, I tell you, he says, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Just reminding ourselves again of the context. Jesus has been warning the same crowd about the coming judgment of Christ, and the crowd is feeling the weight of his words. And so trying to seek to shed off some of the weight of that, they're trying to shift blame. Try to shift some of that weight of their consciences off of them by deflecting and saying, hey, what about these Galileans? Aren't they worse than me? At least I'm not like those Galileans who died, they may have said. But what does Jesus do? They try to take the weight off, he puts it right back on. Similarly, just as a quick aside, when you talk with your unbelieving family members or loved ones or friends, when you lovingly share with them the gospel, you will notice quite often that they would seek to deflect. try to ease their own conscience by saying that what you're telling them is not true. But we need to be faithful. The law is meant to drive us to Christ, to feel that weight in order that we would come to Christ. And so what Jesus is doing here is not unloving by calling them to repentance, just as you, brothers and sisters, aren't unloving by sharing the gospel with other people. But when you're putting the weight of God's law on them, you also show them the bondage that is free in Christ, that bondage of him taking that weight off of your back like pilgrim's progress and it rolling off into the tomb, closed shut, never to be seen again. And he puts the focus on them, back on them. He says, but unless you repent, you'll all likewise perish. So in verses 1 through 3, he talks about the suffering that's caused by wicked men, but notice Jesus gives another example about suffering that happens not by the hands of wicked men, but by a fallen creation, the consequences of a fallen creation. In verses 4 through 5, we read about this Tower of Siloam. And this tower that fell, it doesn't appear that there was a person who rigged up the tower in order to fall on somebody else. Providentially, this old tower had some kind of architectural breakdown that caused it to fall and collapse. Not by one in particular person seeking to kill these 18, but it just simply, in our eyes, happened. What does Jesus say about this suffering caused by the fallen creation? He says, of those 18, He says, no, I tell you, the reason that they suffered in this way is not because of a particular sin committed by these 18 people. But what does He do? He does the same thing that He did previously. He puts the focus back on them. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Because what does he say? Do you think that the tower fell on those 18 because they were worse debtors, worse offenders, worse sinners than yourself, than in all the men who live in Jerusalem? No. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, which is why we all need to repent and find grace in Christ. Now, in verses 6 through 9, Jesus now seeks to give a parable of showing someone who has not received his word. This is a picture of the crowds, as we'll see in verses 6 through 9, and his point about, we are called to bear good fruit in order to demonstrate repentance of sin. bearing good fruit demonstrates repentance of sin. Look with me at verse 6. The text says, and he was telling this parable, a man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard keeper, behold, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down. Why does it even use up the ground? This parable that Jesus gives is to demonstrate how quickly God's judgment is coming. This man has, in the parable, a fig tree in his vineyard, and when you look in the Old Testament, you see Israel often spoke of as a vineyard, or as a fig tree. excuse me, a fig tree. Hosea 9, 10, Jeremiah 8, 24, Jeremiah chapters 8 and 24, Isaiah 5, all refer to Israel as a fig tree. And in this parable, the man who owns the tree and owns the vineyard that the tree is in, it says that the man expects fruit but finds none. What does the man say of this fig tree? He says that for three years he has come to seek and find fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Why is the number three, three years significant here? You recall how many years Jesus had in his earthly public ministry. It was three years. Israel being referred to this fig tree, three years Jesus has been going forth in their streets, going to their synagogues, going to people all over, proclaiming the kingdom of God and calling people to repentance, to bear good fruit. Even before his public ministry began, what did John the Baptist, the forerunner, talk about? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. The axe is being laid to the root of the tree. Every tree, therefore, that does not bare good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. What is this parable pointing to about that reality, about that fact? As he says, this tree, the comment that the owner of the vineyard says is that this ground takes up space. It's good for nothing other than taking up space because it doesn't produce. And what does he say? Cut it down. That's what I deserve. To be cut down by the Lord. It's what you deserve. But what does it say of in the parable? It shows us the long suffering of the Lord, that although we deserve to be cut down. Even those who would be unrepentant, he says, wait. He says, let it alone, sir. This other man is speaking to the owner of the vineyard. He says, let it alone, sir, for this year too. Give the tree time to produce. Then what does it say? He says, let it alone for this year too until I dig around it and put in manure. What's the keeper of the vineyard saying? He's giving ample opportunity for this tree to grow. Not only is he giving this tree more time, he's also digging around it and putting manure in it in order that that tree would thrive, that it would grow, that it would bear good fruit. And he says that if he does this and it produces fruit in the next year, fine, great. But if not, cut it down. What we see in this, again, is the long-suffering of God. That although we deserve to be cut down for our sins, the Lord is so gracious to send forth His Word. Not just to us who are near, but to those who are far off also. These people that we come in contact on the daily, there's many who don't know Christ. And the reason that they still breathe today is the long-suffering and mercy of God, holding off a little longer that they might repent. Jesus calls the people to repentance so that they would not perish eternally in hell, but have eternal life in Him. Larger Catechism, Westminster Larger Catechism, question 76 says, what is repentance unto life? The answer that's given is this. Repentance unto life is a saving grace wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins. And upon the apprehension of God's mercy in Christ, as such as are penitent, He so grieves for and hates his sin as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with him in all ways of new obedience." The tree that would bear good fruit in this parable is the one who repents unto life. The one who would not see the danger of remaining in this unrepentant state, this danger of being cut down, They will be thrown into the fire unless they repent. And it's only by God's grace that by His power of the Holy Spirit, His Spirit working faith in us, it's only then that we can not only just see the danger, but the filthiness and the odiousness of our sin before God, our sin that was so awful that it brought our Savior to the cross. That's how awful our sin is, and that's how holy and merciful our God is, that he would take our debt on the tree. Which in this answer speaks about not just seeing the filthiness and odiousness of our sin, seeing the danger of it, of not coming to the Lord in repentance, but also apprehending God's mercy in Christ. That yes, when we read God's law, that that weight would rightly be there. but showing the way in which to be free of that burden, free from that destruction to come. And not just free from a destruction to come, but free to a life of eternal joy with the God who made you forever and ever. Heaven, my dear brothers and sisters, is not an eternal time out in a corner. It's beholding your God. and loving Him and enjoying Him, the one who made you and bought you. And we worship Him in light of that today as well, in the joy of our salvation. Jesus calls these Israelites in this passage to repentance, but He also calls all mankind everywhere to repentance, and that includes us all. Psalm 32.5 says, I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity I did not cover up. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh. And what did he do? Psalm 32.5, the last part of the verse, it says, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. The Lord our God is pleased to save sinners. Yes, we should rightly see His wrath and His holiness coming down upon the wicked, but we should at the same time see His mercy and His kindness to all those who would come to Him. 2 Corinthians 7.10 speaks about different kinds of sorrow. It says, for godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world brings about death. If you're here today and you are feeling the weight of your sins before a holy God, may you not have a worldly sorrow that would just cause you to be in self-pity. cause you to say, woe is me, I'm such a wretched sinner. Because the point of the law being brought to you is not that you would remain there, but that you would go to Christ. Find your rest, find your righteousness in him. That sorrow, that godly sorrow that produces repentance without regret, leading to salvation. A repentance like Peter. and not a repentance, or not a repentance at all. A sorrow like Peter that brought him to repentance, versus a worldly sorrow like Judas, which brought not just temporal death, but eternal death. I have some applications for us. Two big applications. First, do not presume on God's hidden providence in suffering. Do not presume on God's hidden providence in suffering. And second, bear good fruit in keeping with repentance. May your works demonstrate your faith. Let's talk first about not presuming on God's hidden providence in suffering. Jesus spoke of suffering that happened at the hands of wicked men, as well as suffering that was a result or the consequence of a fallen world. There are victims that fall prey to the hands of wicked men. We can't presume that such and such happened to somebody. They got their comeuppance. And that's why this fire or this hurricane or this flood happened to them. Or similarly, victims of a fallen world. This is many years ago removed now, but 24 years ago now, almost 24, when 9-11 happened. That was some talk of, wow, those people who died in the tower, they must be horrible people. And those whom God providentially had them have a flat tire or something like that, yes, they're the ones whom God favors. You don't know the mind of the Lord. It could be that, I'm sure, I don't know, but I'm almost positive that there were believers in that tower. And for the one who had a flat tire that day before going to work in that building, maybe that was an unrepentant sinner whom God showed mercy to, that they would have another day to repent. You know, we can't presume upon these things like these people did, like people do today. People thought Jesus, you remember, was a sinner. And they looked at his suffering on the cross and they said, oh, he's the worst of them all because of how he suffered. But you and I both know that it's farthest from the truth. It was for the glory of the triune God and for the salvation of His people that He suffered as He did. Isaiah 53 verses 8 through 10 says, By oppression and judgment He, Christ, was taken away, that He was cut off out of the land of the living, that for the transgression of My people striking was due to Him. So His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death. Because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. But Yahweh, or the Lord, was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief. If you would place his soul as a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of Yahweh will succeed in his hand." Again, the people looked upon Jesus as cursed. as one who was such a horrible sinner that this suffering would befall him. But you and I know it was for our salvation, for the glory of God and for the good of His people. So may we not presume that just because, outwardly speaking, we would want to be tempted to follow the world and say that because this person does this thing, that's why this resulted in this disaster. see the result of this suffering that you see in this text of these what appears by all accounts righteous people going to Galilee and the people dying in Siloam and all the other suffering that we see in this life. Would that drive you to repentance? And that's Jesus's point throughout this whole passage, that when we see others suffer, whether by the hands of wicked men or by natural disaster, that it wouldn't cause us to look down upon them, but would we look to our God and say, Lord, if we are in Christ, say, thank you that you saved me from an even greater destruction than the homes of thousands. Last application. bear good fruit in keeping with repentance. May your works demonstrate your faith." In this passage, you see Jesus giving the parable, and the tree that doesn't bear good fruit are those people that hear Jesus' call to repentance and they do nothing about it. But for the one who would bear good fruit is the one who would hear God's word and keep it. Ephesians 2, verses 8-10 says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourself, it's the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them. So from beginning to end, your fruit-keeping is not because of your how awesome and great you are. It's because of how awesome and great God is that he we would be his workmanship, that he would plant us in good soil, that he would unite us to Christ by faith alone, by the power of his spirit, and that we would bear good fruit in his name, not by our power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. In all these things, it gives glory to God. So when we seek by the Spirit's help to do that which we were made for, which is to bear good fruit, not in order for that we would be planted in the soil, but because God by His mighty hand has parted the ground, placed us in, keeps us, and even causes the rain to come upon us that we would bear good fruit and the sun to shine upon us. Covenant people of God, hear this warning from Jesus. Just to, again, remind ourselves of the context, Jesus is calling these people to repent of their sins quickly. And who he's talking to is not those who are unfamiliar with the promises of God, but those who are quite acquainted with them. These are people of the synagogues, people who would go to temple, those who are familiar with the Old Testament scriptures, and he's calling them to repent. May that be none of us here who are acquainted with the promises, yet not trusting in them. For even Peter says, therefore, brothers, this is 2 Peter 1, 10 and 11, therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing or election sure, for in doing these things, you will never stumble. In this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. So just to underline it. When you hear this call to bear fruit and keeping with repentance, it's not saying that by your good works you're somehow called and elected as a result of you bearing good fruit. Rather, it's the opposite. It's because you've been called and elected by God from before the foundation of the earth, that's why you bear good fruit in His name. So would we as His people who are familiar with his promises, heed them and not be a stiff-necked people, but take that word, hide it in our hearts that we would bear good fruit in his name. The suffering of others should not give us opportunity to justify ourselves or to presume upon God's providence, but what it should do is cause us to prepare for the final judgment. So you, dear listener, I exhort you as a minister of the gospel, if you don't know Christ, today's the day of salvation. Yes, His wrath can come swiftly, and you don't know when or where He can do it. But know that if you believe on Him today, as far as the East is from the West, so far will He remove your transgressions from you. because He's a greater Savior than you are a sinner. For those who would suffer, they should repent of sin unto God as they bear good fruit. Amen.