#1078. The sign of the times (14/6/24)

This week in our series in Luke, we are reflecting on Luke 12:35-57. Today we are to believe the signs that point to Jesus as being Saviour and Lord.

Luke 12:35–57

‘He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 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? “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”’ (Luke 12:54-57)

Luke 12:54–57

Lesson: Aș people respond to signs that they see in nature, so we are to believe the signs about Jesus and receive Him as Lord and Saviour.

To listen to this video, follow the link below:

https://youtu.be/KJj5aSQWpWk

Will we believe the signs?

I’m sure that we’ve all used or heard something like, ‘Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning’. These sayings are passed on because they are often right and helpful in interpreting the signs in the sky that predict the weather. In Matthew we read:

‘He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’  and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”’ (Matthew 16:2-3)

Matthew 16:2–3

Many of us, before we had mobile phones, would, before leaving home, look up at the sky to consider the ‘signs’ - the way the clouds looked - in order to decide whether or not to take an umbrella with us.

Here, Jesus is confronting Israel - God’s chosen people; they will believe signs in the sky that predict the whether, but they refuse to believe the signs that Jesus has given, signs that reveal Him as their promised Messiah and Saviour. For example, when John the Baptist was imprisoned and questioning if, indeed, Jesus was the promised Messiah after all, Jesus replied:

‘“Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.  Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”’ (Luke 7:22-23)

Luke 7:22–23

In calling them “hypocrites”, Jesus is judging them as those who are choosing to reject the ‘signs’ that He is their Messiah.

We are not those first Jewish hearers whom Jesus is addressing. However, as we read the gospels, we have to decide if we are going to believe in all of the ‘signs’ that point to Jesus being Lord and Saviour. Specifically, we are to decide whether we will believe in His death and resurrection for sin (which He calls ‘The sign of Jonah’ in Luke 11:29).

Luke 11:29

Be reconciled

Added to Jesus challenging the people to read and respond to ‘the signs of the times’ - that the Saviour has come, He challenges them about reconciliation. As well as being simple wisdom, this is linked to the previous paragraph; this short parable speaks of being reconciled to God before judgement. He is challenging them to read the signs and receive the forgiveness and salvation that He gives. Likewise, for us, we are to be reconciled to God, through Christ, if we are to escape judgment.

Response

Aș people respond to signs that they see in nature, so we are to believe the signs about Jesus and receive Him as Lord and Saviour. Many people believe things with very little evidence. They believe in various conspiracy theories, in aliens, in how the universe was created without God… but they refuse to believe in the Biblical accounts of Jesus without having given it any real consideration. We must encourage people to read the signs and respond: encourage people to read the stories of Jesus and explain the trustworthiness of scripture; we must encourage people to read the signs in humanity that reveals that we hunger to believe in something beyond the material; we must encourage people to read the signs in creation that speak of an intelligent designer. We must encourage people to read the signs in their own consciences that speak of our sense of guilt and desire for forgiveness. Most importantly, are you and I believing the signs and are we enjoying the reconciliation that Jesus gives?