Author: Bill Hall

Note this: Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”

Luke 13:30

Things will be different from what they seem like in the here and now. Jesus will not judge by our standards. And, if his estimation of the widow’s farthing is any indication, many who are seen as lowly will be noticed by Him.

Heavenly Father, You are God for all, reigning over it all. You see in your great might all that is from You throne’s height. I will praise Your Name and way, forever after the wonderful day. The Lord Jesus will come here, and we all will be there. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

They will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet in the kingdom of God.

Luke 13:29

There will be people from all over the world and every time in history at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Though there are few that find the narrow way, there will be a vast host that make it to this great event. The LORD always has a remanent of people who believe.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the friends that all who know Christ have in this world. The precious host of believers all over this world are a constant blessing to our lives. And You in each of us is the glory and joy of it. You are wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out.

Luke 13:28

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth because there will be two responses to finding oneself in hell. The first response will be great grief, a grief like nothing anyone has ever had on earth. And, second, the other response will be extreme rage unlike anything ever worked up by humanity.

Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience who felt that all but the worst of them would make it to heaven. Several times in His ministry Jesus preached against this false doctrine. This was not primarily meant to upset His hearers, but to wake them to their lost souls.

Heavenly Father, You are so amazing! Each day I live I understand more of how wonderful you are! I will forever be amazed by You, Almighty God. Thank You for creating us, and for new life in Christ. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!’

Luke 13:27

The Lord will have no association with evil. Without a life that is healed by Him, there will be no connection between Him and lost humanity. In this context, He is especially warning the Jewish people to repent before it is too late.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy! Without Your mercy, grace, and faithful love we would all be destroyed! You are kind and just and true. I will praise You for all that You have done and will do. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’

Luke 13:26

This verse is aimed directly at those present who had heard Jesus teaching and seen Him. He had taught in the streets. In other words, He made His message accessible to everyone. The common man could hear and see this teacher from Galilee.

The ones mentioned here were claiming fellowship with Jesus by virtue of taking a meal with Him. And, they claimed acceptance of His message by way of His free teaching among them. But, in reality, they had done neither.

Heavenly Father, how often do we claim things about our life with You that are inaccurate? When we boast, we may need to throw our hands into the air and confess, we have known You so little for all that You have known us! You have understood us so very well, while we have known You just superficially. Oh, we will come to the fount and drink deeply of Your holiness, truth, and love! In You alone may we find peaceful fellowship, and fullness of life and joy. As we cast aside our vain toys, we cling to the Rock that is higher! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’

Luke 13:25

There are many people who think that they can wait until the future to make their peace with God. They are convinced that God will work on their timetable. But the LORD has His own timetable, and He decides when to shut the door.

This is why it is said that ‘today’ is the day of salvation. Now is the time to make peace with God. Now is the time to knock on the door and ask the Lord Christ for permission to be admitted.

Heavenly Father, You are truly the most Wonderful and Amazing Person we can possibly know. You are so Worthy of our love and devotion! As we walk through this life, You are the Source of Truth and the Author of Joy. I will praise You for the works of Your hands! You are Powerful and Wise beyond my understanding. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able.

Luke 13:24

This is one of the teachings of Christ that we need to pay close attention to. There are many millions of people in our world today that name the name of Christ, yet are not His. They rely on Jesus, but they do not know Him.

Added to that we can say that there are many making the attempt to be what they think of as righteous. They are working hard to establish themselves as a ‘good person’ who God would surely allow into heaven. Many historical figures have believed this way. Thus, we may be surprised as to who actually belongs to the Lord, versus those who have only tried to find the door.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy and peace of knowing Christ! So often in our finite minds we think of Him incorrectly. We envision Him in the wrong way. Oh Father, thank You for Your Word! Thank You for revealing Your Christ as He is! You are glorious and Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Lord, someone asked him, are only a few people going to be saved?

Luke 13:23

This is one of the better questions asked of Jesus during His earthly ministry. It at least shows some understanding of His teaching. He had said several things that would indicate that fewer would be saved then was popularly thought.

Heavenly Father, thank You for salvation! It is not something to take for granted, but should be cherished. You are amazing, good, and gracious to even make it a possibility. We praise You for this and all the works of Your hand! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.

Luke 13:22

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing, and where He was headed. Jerusalem was the place to be for His mission to be complete.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus. He is the One You have used to give everyone hope. In Christ alone we may have life. I praise You for Him! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

It’s like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.

Luke 13:21

The life that we may live in Christ is this attractive. When Christians will live purely in the power of Christ, only by His strength, growth is natural. We may not always understand the mysteries of growth, but we will see the evidences of life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for caring about our lives more than we do ourselves. When we turn to You each day for our ‘daily bread’ we find You already in the kitchen baking. How can we praise You in the right way, our understanding is so limited? Thank You for showing us in Your Word Your Great Glory and Power, and Your Authority and Rule. You are the God of All! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.