Luke 13:1-9: Signs of Life

August 27, 2026

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come. 

So here’s a question for you: Can you truly be a Christian without any evidence of spiritual life?

I’ve heard people say, “That person is a believer, but there’s not much fruit.” Certainly, a genuine believer may produce more fruit in some seasons of life than in others. There can be seasons of growth, struggle, weakness, and even spiritual dryness.

But can someone who never produces fruit truly be a follower of Christ? Can there be spiritual life without any evidence of spiritual life?

Let’s see what Jesus has to say.

After three chapters of introducing Jesus, Luke’s Gospel can be divided into three parts: 

• The year of popularity when people were coming to see Jesus (3:1–9:50).
• The year of opposition when Jesus was making his way to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27).
• The year of rejection when Jesus was headed to the cross (19:28–24:53). 

Today’s passage takes place in the year of opposition. Crowds still come to see Jesus, but tension with the religious leaders is growing. 

One day, while Jesus was speaking, he was told about an incident involving some men from Galilee “whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1). It appears these Galileans had come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, and something had gone terribly wrong. We know from sources outside Scripture that Pilate was cruel and ruthless. After Jesus was crucified, Pilate was eventually dismissed for abusing his office and antagonizing the Roman hierarchy.^[1] 

Jesus uses the incident to make an important theological point. He said, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2–3).

While on the topic of current events, Jesus added another one: “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:4–5). 

Two tragic events were on people’s minds: a group of Jews killed while making sacrifices, and an accident that claimed eighteen lives. Many in Jesus’ day believed that suffering matched the amount of one’s sin: more sin, more suffering. We can agree that many today believe the same way. However, the book of Job in the Old Testament teaches otherwise, and Jesus makes the same point here. Neither the Galileans nor the people who died in the tower tragedy were being punished for what were assumed to be very serious sins. 

Jesus could have gone on to explain the consequences of sin after the fall and the problem of evil in the world. But he skipped the apologetics and went straight to the heart of the matter. He said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). Let’s consider what it means to repent. 

The word repent (metanoeo) refers to a change—a change in thinking that leads to a change in behavior. This change is not about plans or intentions, but about turning from a sinful lifestyle to one committed to God. It’s important to understand that repentance is not something we do on our own as a form of self-improvement. It comes when the Holy Spirit opens our minds and hearts to understand God’s offer of grace through Jesus (John 3:5-8). Repentance accompanies saving faith, like two sides of the same coin.^[2] As one explains, “It is inconsistent and unintelligible to suppose that anyone might exercise faith in Christ as the divine Savior from sin who is not aware of and repentant of his own sin.”^[3] 

It is unthinkable to conclude that a person can trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord without producing evidence of new life. To drive this point home, Jesus used a story about a fig tree. 

Luke 13:6–9
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

 Just as a fig tree produces figs, a follower of Jesus will produce evidence of new life in Christ. Genuine repentance produces a changed mind, a changed heart, and ultimately a changed life.

So here’s the question: If you were hooked up to a spiritual heart monitor, would there be signs of life? Spiritual rebirth is the beginning of spiritual life, and spiritual life produces spiritual fruit.

Read and reflect on Luke 13:1–9: What evidence of spiritual life do you see in your life right now? 

Talking to God: Where is the Holy Spirit producing changes in your attitudes, choices, relationships, and behavior?

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