Will You Likewise Perish?
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Jesus answers the poignant question of why God allows His people to suffer, in a dramatic and shocking way.
Text: Luke 13:1-5
Date: 02/04/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 136
Description:
In the midst of teaching the vital importance of reconciliation with God through His Gospel, Jesus is interrupted by a report of a recent atrocity of Pilate's cruelty and oppression. But the interruption was actually a thin veneer for one of the most often asked questions of Theism: "Why does God allow His people to suffer?" Jesus' answer is as shocking as it is emphatic. We will analyze two very different examples of when God allowed His people to suffer-- but both will elicit the same response from Jesus. Rather than entertain the idea that tragedies resulting from either the cruelty of man or the Providence of God are the result of sinful behavior, Jesus strikes at the very core of why it is so essential to repent and surrender to God's redemptive plan through Christ. Even though we will consider some of the reasons "good" people suffer, ultimately we will emphasize the eternal question raised by Jesus' poignant answer-- will you likewise perish?
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 13:1-5.
A. Context
B. Putting suffering in perspective.
1. The interruption, vs. 1.
a. Setting the scene.
b. Pilate's unspeakable act.
i. Pilate's history of brutality.
ii. A heinous act of cruelty.
iii. The political implications, Luke 12:40,49,51, 4:18-21, 20:22.
2. Jesus' Theological answer, vs. 2, Ex. 6:7.
a. The presupposition of legalism.
b. Examples to the contrary.
i. The example of Job, Job 4:7-9, 32:32-33, 16:2, 42:7.
ii. The example of the man born blind, John 9:1-3.
3. Jesus' extraordinary warning, vs 3.
a. The emphatic response.
b. An eschatological warning.
i. A surprise answer, John 3:16.
ii. The redemptive meaning, Rom. 3:23, John 3:17-18.
iii. The political meaning, Luke 19:26, 42-44; Matt. 8:11-12.
4. The "act of God", vs. 4.
a. Shifting from Galilee to Jerusalem.
b. Shifting from Pilate to God.
5. Repeating the warning, vs 5.
a. An act of courage.
b. An act of compassion.
III. Application"
A. The fallacy of the "health and wealth gospel.
B. Why bad things happen to "good" people.
1. The "short" answer, Luke 18:19, Rom. 3:10-12, 1Pet. 1:16, Matt. 5:48.
2. A more comforting answer.
a. To test the validity of your faith, Prov. 17:3, 1Pet. 1:6-7.
b. To teach dependence, 2Cor. 12:8-10.
c. To keep your eyes on your heavenly hope, 2Cor. 4:17-18, 1Pet. 1:3-6.
d. To reveal the true love of your heart, Phil. 1:18.
e. To teach you obedience, Psa. 119:67,71, Heb. 12:5-11.
f. To show His compassion, Psa. 103:13, 2Cor. 1:3-5.
g. To prepare you for service, 2Cor. 1:6.
IV. Conclusion
