Lucas 12

Lucas 12

Sproul - Signs of the End Times “Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?” [Luke 12:56] Jesus said to the crowd, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is” (Luke 12:54–55). Jesus told them that they were very good at interpreting their physical environment. When clouds begin to rise off the Mediterranean Sea, it does not take a genius to figure out that there will be an afternoon shower; and when the wind starts to blow from the southern desert, hot weather is sure to follow. Jesus, however, went on to say that they miserably failed to interpret their spiritual environment. They were missing the signs every pious Jew should immediately recognize—that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. It was the time foretold, the center of history—and they were missing it. As a consequence, the temple was destroyed a few decades later. Jesus told them, as he had so many times before, that they needed to be reconciled with God before it was too late. “As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison” (v. 58). In this parable the judge is obviously God and the adversary is Jesus. The Lord tells them they need to settle with him before they are dragged before God and judged. At that moment Israel and Jesus were moving toward the final crisis point, yet all they could see was their own discomfort at his teaching. Jesus was saying, “You are disputing about who I am and my teaching. You need to be reconciled with me, because we are on our way to the court. If you do not get things straight you will wind up before the Judge, who is My Father, and he will show no mercy.” Coram Deo If you are not confident with your relationship with Jesus Christ, waste no time in getting with a Christian friend or pastor to discuss the matter. If you are a believer, consider the urgency of spreading the gospel to your unbelieving friends. No one knows when we might appear before the Judge, and then it will be too late. Luke 12:57 "And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? KJV Luke 12:57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? NET Luke 12:57 "And why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? CSB Luke 12:57 "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? ESV Luke 12:57 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? NIV Luke 12:57 "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? NLT Luke 12:57 "Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right? Dt 32:29; Mt 15:10-14; 21:21,32; Acts 2:40; 13:26-38; 1 Cor 11:14 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:49-59 The Divisive Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 12:54-59 The Failure to Discern the Times and the Threat - John MacArthur Why is Jesus telling this story? In context He had just said to the crowd that they should have known, they should have believed because they had more than enough evidence for a proper verdict on His identity. So now he uses a law court analogy, to demonstrate that their failure to discern while they had a "golden opportunity" had serious consequences. In short knowing the time, it was (and is) time to get right with God! And why do you not even on your own initiative judge (krino) what is right (dikaios) - "Judge the right" = pronounce just judgment. NLT = Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right?" Jesus asks a rhetorical question which calls for personal reflection.