O Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Luke 13:31-35

Key Verse 13:34

In this passage we see Jesus being faithful to his mission despite all kinds of challenges before him, such as his enemies lurking around to kill him, people persistently remaining unresponsive, etc. Mission is above man's life. And Jesus regarded his mission as the Savior as more important than his life. Because he was determined to serve the mission in exchange for his life, he was able to remain faithful to God in carrying out the mission. 

1. Think about some Pharisees' advice to Jesus in verse 31 and Jesus' reply in verses 32-33. What can we learn from the following words of Jesus in serving the Lord? 

1) Go tell that fox; 

2) I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow; 

3) on the third day I will reach my goal; 

4) in any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day; and

5) for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

** We must know our enemies very well. Jesus knew his enemies very well. Jesus is like a lamb who is obedient to God the Father. Unlike the fox that is sly and ferocious, Jesus is gentle and obedient. But his enemies are like a fox or wolves. The Pharisees did not know how well Jesus knew about his enemies like Herod (the Tetrarch who beheaded John the Baptist.) At that time Herod was the ruler in charge of Galilee and Perea. Jesus was about to leave Perea to go into the city of Jerusalem via Jericho. 

** We must do the work that gives life to men each and every day.

** We must have a clear goal, that is, the hope of resurrection for the righteous, for "my goal" refers to Jesus being seated at the right-hand side of God after his death and resurrection. 

** We must be consistent in doing what we are called to do. The expression "keep going" means "persistence" or "consistency" in doing what we are called to do. We should not go by the "on again off again" policy. If we want to serve God's purpose we will run into all kinds of difficulties. But still we must stick to the original purpose for which God called us.

** We must have a deep conviction that our life is in the hands of God, not men. "Surely no prophet can die outside of Jerusalem" means "I am determined to die in Jerusalem anyway, and I know it is God's will for me to die on a tree in Jerusalem. Why then do you worry about me as if my life is in the hands of an enemy like Herod?"    

 

2. Verses 34-35 describe what Jesus said concerning Jerusalem. Jesus’ words indicate that He knew in advance what the people of Jerusalem would do to him.  Yet, despite this knowledge, he still went to suffer loss there. Why? 

 

** He did all these in obedience to God's will, not men's or his. A man of mission knows that his mission is from God, so he is responsible and therefore listens to God (not men like some Pharisees in the passage) for it is God who provides for and protects him.  

3. Describe Jesus' longing for the children of Jerusalem, and peoples’ unwillingness to be gathered by Jesus in verse 34. What does this tell us about: 1) Jesus; and 2) people who were not "willing"? 

** Jesus is a good shepherd who, in love, took care of his children even if he knew that they were rebellious. 

** People are created in God's image, so if anyone is unwilling, no one even God can do anything. So we must always be careful about the way we use our freedom of choice.  

4. Read verse 35. What does "Your house will be left desolate" mean? Until when will it be left desolate? What warning is there for us to heed here? 

** It refers to the Jerusalem temple remaining empty in ruins. Substantively it points to the life of a man who rejects God and therefore is without God's protection and provision. 

** If we reject God's guidance, we are left to ourselves, so we will have to provide for ourselves.  

The end

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