Repent or Else

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

REPENT OR ELSE

Luke 11:29-32

29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

NIV

There is no question about the generation of Jews Jesus was speaking to. Their wickedness was in their refusal to see him for who he was, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ, and the Savior of all mankind. Although they were always asking for signs, for miracles, but refusing to accept him as their Messiah, he told them the only sign they would see would be like Jonah. This was to tell them as Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days so would he be in the belly of the earth for three days. But Jonah was sent to preach to the people of Nineveh and he gave them no signs, no miracles, and no Christ, but he gave them the words to repent or God would bring judgment upon them. They repented. The Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and all his wisdom and wealth, and when she came to see for herself, she ended up praising his God for blessing him with so much, thus recognizing the power and majestic God of the Israelites. Both these comparisions were to tell us that Jesus was and is greater than Jonah and Solomon, but these people refused to repent and they will see the judgment of God and it will be witnessed by the men of Nineveh. Here it is in a nutshell. We need to repent. Of course all of us who are born again, bible toting, Spirit filled, gift bearing believers in the whole word of God, have repented and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and we will stand as witnesses to the wicked generation we live in when they experience the judgement of God. Perhaps that is the message we need to be telling them, the same that Jonah preached to the Ninevites, the judgement of God going to be upon them unless they repent and accept Jesus as the Son of God, and their Lord and Savior. Their religion will not save them, their church going will no save them, and their denomination will not save them. Unless they repent and acknowledge Jesus Christ, unless they are born again, they will never see the kingdom of God. This was the message of Jesus. He did not try to love them into the kingdom. That is he did not try to appease them, trying to be liked by them by endeavoring to be like them in order to gain their confidence then gently slip in the idea of salvation. He told it like it was, he called them a wicked generation, he told them unless they repent, their own words will condemn them. Do we dare get that bold? Maybe we should. Maybe that will bring the desired results insisted on by God for them. True, some of us have seen signs and wonders, miracles in order to acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. God is still in the business of doing such things in order to achieve his plan. Surely this man is evidence of that. But many of us have even lost that message, perhaps because we doubt ourselves that God will do the same for others in order to bring them to repentance. Certainly Jesus did signs and wonders, miracles, healings everyday of those several years he was among mankind publicly. He has not stopped, he continues to do those same things, but the message has to be repent or experience the wrath, the judgment of God. Sure we can say, Jesus loves you and so do I, but that does not convey the impending disaster awaiting those who do not repent. Maybe we need to be a little more prophetic in our message. Maybe we need to be bolder. Repent or else.