Author: Bill Hall

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look—something greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 11:32

This comparison is particularly demeaning to proud Jews who would not accept Christ. Nineveh was in Assyria. And, among the nations of antiquity, the Assyrians were justly considered some of the most cruel, evil people who ever lived.

Thus, the sin of unbelief is here established as the most serious of offenses. And, the more light one rejects, the greater the offense.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace! We forget how precious Your forgiveness is. You are so holy and just, it was no small matter to propitiate for us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look—something greater than Solomon is here.

Luke 11:31

Do not miss the significance of what Jesus is saying here. He presumes to know what will happen in the day of judgement. And, He claims His ministry is greater than the reign of Solomon.

Now, first of all, Jesus is very specific here. He reminds His hearers of the Queen of Sheba that came to see King Solomon. He tells us that she shall ‘rise up’ and that she will condemn that generation. Jesus very clearly is claiming knowledge of the future as well as an exact understanding of the judgement of God.

But then also, we have Jesus saying that Solomon has been eclipsed. It is important to understand that Solomon holds an extremely influential place in Jewish history. To say that He was greater than Solomon was quite a claim!

So, what we are seeing here is that Jesus did not fail to say things that nobody says. People who have made statements like this down through history have proven to be liars or madmen. Jesus is the Lord from Heaven.

Heavenly Father, we find it so easy to question You, and yet Your world constantly surprises us. If we understood the half of Your greatness we would be forever awed by it. You are great, You are good, and You are eternal. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Luke 11:30

What exactly is Jesus saying? He is comparing His ministry to that of Jonah. Nineveh had two options, listen to Jonah and repent, or receive the judgement of God.

The Jews of Christ’s day had a similar choice. They wanted the Messiah to crush the Roman Empire. But, that was not the plan. Instead, the choice was to accept Christ as the Messiah, and trust His plan, or face the coming destruction of Jerusalem without hope.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your plan! It isn’t a about us. You know what You want, and You have it all taken care of. I love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

As the crowds were increasing, he began saying, ‘This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.’

Luke 11:29

The Jews were not simply looking for a miracle. Jesus had performed lots of miracles. They wanted a sign. For example, manna from heaven in the wilderness was a sign. Fire down to the altar for Elijah was a sign. Signs are miracles for the sake of proof of God’s power. They are big, performed before a large audience, and specifically indicate something.

However, Jesus tells his hearers that this desire to see a sign is evil. Indeed, signs in Scripture are not something God does to encourage the faithful, but to challenge the faithless. Jesus would indeed give this generation a sign, but not one of their choosing.

The prophet Jonah was very likely not a prophet that the Jewish elite was extremely proud of. Indeed, they were much like Jonah, but wanted to equate themselves with ‘better’ prophets. To give them the sign of Jonah, Jesus implies that they are as hard hearted as the Assyrians were. The Assyrians, among the anals of history, are considered one of the cruelest nations.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great mercy and grace! Thank You for the clarity of Your Word. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

Luke 11:28

This woman had expressed herself from the fullness of her heart in the previous verse. And, Jesus follows suit. This topic came from His heart as well. It is of utmost importance that we hear what God has to say to us, and act accordingly.

Heavenly Father, You are Altogether Holy! Your plan is perfect. We suffer through, but are blessed to be doing so. You do not lose. You have it all figured out. Your intention has been the same from the very beginning. I will live forever to praise You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

As he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!’

Luke 11:27

This woman was evidently overwhelmed by emotions. This happened to many who experienced Christ firsthand. She felt compelled to say something. Probably she was a mother herself.

Heavenly Father, You alone are God! There is no other One. You are altogether Wonderful, Unique, and Holy. Thank You for your truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first.

Luke 11:26

One very important thing to understand about the powers of darkness is that they are on a smear campaign. In other words, the devil and his followers are not content to simply lead people to be godless. Their goal is to instill in them the spirit of anti-christ.

This is a key New Testament concept. Though the ‘Anti-Christ’ proper cannot yet take power, the spirit of anti-christ is already present and at work in this world. The evil one was not pleased when he was unable to get Jesus to worship him. He doesn’t just want to take away God’s deserved worship. He wants to discredit God

Heavenly Father, You are good, and that means You define what good is. You alone can bring good into our lives. You are the author of all that is delightful, all that brings joy to our hearts. Thank You for Your Word! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Returning, it finds the house swept and put in order.

Luke 11:25

Religiosity can get a lot of things out of a person’s life. But, it won’t keep the minions of the evil one from taking up residence again.

Unfortunately there are hosts of people all over the world who assume they are very spiritual. They think they are close to God. They may not be guilty of the ‘really bad’ sins, but they are devoid of any life. Christ alone can fill us to overflowing.

Heavenly Father, thank You for You mercy! You are gracious, kind, loving, and faithful. But, Your holiness is the main thing. I praise You for Your great holiness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’

Luke 11:24

We are not told much about demons in Scripture. But, this passage does give us a glimpse into their nature. They are restless wanderers. Without some mischief to cause, they are unhappy.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and care for us. We look forward to that day when the Lord Jesus shall return. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

Luke 11:23

We tend to overlook statements like this. But, if you will really look at what Jesus is saying here, you will understand something important. Though the powers of darkness have an influence in this world, Jesus has the full authority and power to frustrate their purposes.

Right now, the Holy Spirit of God, and the church that He empowers, stands in the way of the devil at every turn. The program and purpose of evil is held at bay. This will change when the church is taken out of the world. But, then the power of God against evil will be manifested in a very different, and obvious, way.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the power of Christ! It is a comfort to us to know You and to trust in You. You are worthy of all honor and glory. Jesus has all power in heaven and earth. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.