“When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. 

“This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. 

But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the market-place, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: 

‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’ 

When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they put Jason and the others on bail and let them go. (Acts 17:1-9) 

Only the Love of God can save. 

Jesus says in Luke 9 that he had to be rejected, killed and raised from the dead. “Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Luke 9:21-22). 

The suffering that he endured was purposeful, ordained by God, he had to be rejected so that the teachers of the law could testify for God that the message Jesus was bringing was not from them, it was from God. God did not reject his law but he rejected human ability to do what only he could do and made a way to fulfill it. 

The distinction that was made through the message about the kingdom of God that Jesus was bringing was a new covenant, they rejected Jesus so that God could show who he is and how he was making a new way of acceptance. Jesus was preaching that only God makes a way for connection to him, only God can purify, only God can save. 

The teachers of the law agreed in God’s authority but did not believe in Jesus’ authority. They believed that only they had the authority to bring sacrifices to God to receive acceptance on behalf of people who repented. 

But Jesus counters them by saying, this is why the Son of Man must be killed, because he is the sacrifice and the great high priest that God was accepting through a new covenant. The sacrifices that the teachers of the law were making were insufficient to do the great work of blessing all humanity, as God had promised to do through him. 

God knew that at this time only people of the law could come close to God and access his presence, because he ordained it. God says that he chose to do this to set an example of how his new sacrifice through Jesus would be made for all humanity, a blameless sacrifice that would take on the sentence of death for humanity and be resurrected so that no other sacrifices would be necessary. The blood of this covenant, God for humanity, establishes a new promise, a way to please God that everyone who believes can attain. 

This is why Jesus says that his disciples must take the suffering that is ordained for them because of their faith in him, “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is because your suffering, like Jesus does not end in death but it leads to life. 

Jesus says, “whoever wants to save their life, will lose it” (Luke 9:24). If you want to be the one who brings peace, security, hope, purpose, meaning and eternal salvation you will miss the intended reward that God has prepared for all humanity, connection to him, the giver of life. Only the love of God can save. 

Jesus says, “whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24). This is both literal but also symbolic. Whoever rejects a life that is absent of God, meaning they reject or let go of thinking that they do not need God, or his plan of salvation, when they reject that way of thinking and accept, that there is a higher power a spiritual authority that can do for them both in this physical world and in the world to come what they cannot do for themself, this faith is what will save your life and will keep you secure. 

Jesus says there is a reward greater than titles and achievements or any life goals that you can set for yourself. You are blind if you think living for money is the purpose of living. Jesus says, “what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self” (Luke 9:25). You don’t even know who you are (God’s children) if you think living for earthly achievements is more valuable than faith in Jesus, connection to God and the salvation of your soul on your last earthly day. 

If this gospel of salvation is something that you would be too ashamed to claim as a valuable identity, Jesus says, “whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father” (Luke 9:26). 

Repent or Perish.

Jesus tells some folks who were listening to him speak to not judge disaster that happens to people who they think are wicked and say that they suffered because they were worse sinners than us (Luke 13:1-3). Jesus says, “unless you repent, you too will all perish (Luke 13:1-3) (Luke 13:5). 

Jesus shares this to say that turning and believing in him is the only way to life even if you do not suffer or believe that you are more righteous than a person whose faults you can name. 

The fault that God, as the final judge, will call out on everyone is death or separation from the giver of life for everyone who does not repent of belief in themselves and look to Jesus as their salvation. 

There are things more valuable than good deeds and economic well-being and a type of perishing more tragic than earthly suffering or death. Jesus says to those listening, don’t be among those who will perish in this way, repent and live!

Jesus says this with the power and authority of heaven and earth to bless and to tear down, to cause to flourish and to allow to perish. He tells a parable and gives an example that though God is gracious, he is also the ultimate judge with the final power to destroy and to give life. 

Jesus says, “A man had a fig-tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig-tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?” “Sir,” the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig round it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down” (Luke 13:6-9). 

God declares to everyone who refuses to believe in him, “I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. 

Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. 

Therefore wait for me, declares the Lord, for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them—all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger” (Zephaniah 3:6-8). 

Jesus is the grace of God to bring salvation to all who believe. He is the one who pleads the case 

before God, the judge, on behalf of everyone to give life to everyone who believes in him. Jesus says, I have taken the punishment of God so that you do not have to stand before God punishable. Choose me and live otherwise prepare to see the wrath of God. 

God says to unbelievers “I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against you” (Malachi 3:5). But to believers he says, “I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1). “Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 3:1). He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness” (Malachi 3:4).

Jesus teaches Nicodemus. 

John 3 tells an account of an unbeliever who Jesus is trying to help to understand that there is no way to be a part of God’s kingdom unless they believe in Jesus. Just like citizens of a country enjoy the benefits of citizenship, so the children of God, people of faith, enjoy the benefits of being a part of God’s kingdom. 

‘Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’

Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. Surely, they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ 

Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 

Meaning you first must cleanse your mind the symbolic meaning of water baptism and then your spirit the part of you that can believe and connect to God can be cleansed of any punishable offense that would separate you from God or his protection.

Nicodemus was still confused “How can this be?” he asked, how can God cleanse the spirit? “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things. Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things, and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. 

Jesus is saying that faith is belief in what has been spoken. That God would send himself from heaven to bring his children all creation back into relationship with him. Jesus says that if I cannot make you, Nicodemus, understand what it means to have faith by giving earthly examples you will never understand the spiritual power or nature of God to do supernatural things. 

Then Jesus tries to explain that just like Moses God’s messenger of deliverance lifted up a symbol of healing that did heal Israelites in the wilderness experiencing God’s wrath, Jesus also is the deliverance for humanity that God sacrificed to save humanity from God’s wrath. And this Jesus has been given a place of authority so that whoever believes in this new covenant through faith will have eternal life. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 

This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:1-21).

Repent and live!

“To the angel of the church of complacency write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are (spiritually) dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Yet you have a few people who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelations 3:1-6).