As Fred pointed out this past Sunday, Jesus is laser-focused on the day of judgment as he sets his face toward Jerusalem. Luke 13 continues this focus with the repeated warning, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3, 5).”

Passages like this may give us the impression that God’s wrath has a hair-trigger, but in fact, the opposite is true. God delights to show mercy and his patience is stunning. When God proclaimed his name to Moses, he said:

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6–7)

He is both the just and the justifier (Romans 3:26) as Jesus will make clear in our passage this week, and He is glorified as both. But his preference is that we would know Him as our justifier.

This Sunday Kenny Clark will be preaching Luke 13:1-9 and Walt Harrah will be leading our sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare?

See you Sunday, Grace. Let’s come hungry!