If you’ve lived any amount of time, you know things often don’t go the way we want them to. Just read the headlines, is there any news that would really be surprising nowadays? It feels like anything could happen at any moment. We all try to mitigate the unforeseen circumstances of life. We buy insurance for our things, couples date before committing to marriage, we lock our doors at night, and yet inevitably winds will blow south. A loved one falls ill, money becomes tight, relationships crumble. In moments like these it becomes painfully obvious that we’re not actually in control of our lives. We’re all subject to the winds of change…except for one man.
Our passage today is Luke 13:31-35, which is the end of the chapter. We’ll see in this passage Jesus receive some news that would shake the trajectory of anyone’s life. For Jesus though, it will only serve to emphasize how control he really is as the God-Man himself. Our main point for today is that Jesus’ indomitability should lead us to worship. Indomitability just means he can’t be dominated. No one beats Jesus. He wins every time. This domination isn’t like earthly domination though. The dominated are more often inclined to cower. But Jesus is unique. His rule is good and instead of cowering, our posture should be praise. Our first section we’ll see Jesus indomitability in verses 31-33 and then why we should worship in verses 34 and 35
Words for Herod v31-33: Jesus is indomitable
- sub point: Jesus’ opposition
- 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”
So our passage starts with opposition to Jesus of the highest order. Jesus gets a message that the ruler of the land has it out for him. First I want to break down who the opposition really is here. You might be wondering, why would the Pharisees be warning Jesus about Herod? Aren’t they enemies of Jesus themselves? Well, there are two options
- These particular pharisees are looking out for Jesus
- These pharisees are trying to hinder his ministry by scaring Jesus out of the region
I’d like to argue the latter, and add that both Herod and the pharisees have their own reasons for opposing Jesus. Yet we’ll see that neither have any idea about who they’re dealing with. If they really considered what they knew about Jesus, neither would be picking a fight in the first place. So let’s first understand why these two people have beef with Jesus and then why they should have known not to beef in the first place.
Opposition of Herod
Let’s start by looking at Herod, the one that is supposedly out to kill Jesus. Herod doesn’t appear much in Luke’s narrative but we get a sense of what he thought about Jesus in Luke 9:7.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.
So Herod’s confused by who Jesus is, but notice that he’s especially curious if Jesus is actually John the Baptist risen from the dead. Why? because he was the one who put John to death in the first place! John was imprisoned and later killed for rebuking Herod for marrying his sister in law. John was no stranger to rebuking those in authority and Jesus has clearly shown he has no qualms doing the same. So if John’s head was on the chopping block, It’s no surprise that Jesus’ would be too.
Don’t try to kill a man who can resurrect
Let’s think about this for a second though. You kill a man, you’ve literally seen his head on a silver platter, and you hear rumors he’s alive again. Taken at face value, what use is killing a man again who doesn’t stay dead? And even if this isn’t a literal resurrection, his comparisons to John the baptist, Elijah, and other prophets clearly mark him as a man sent from God. On top of that, we know Herod had heard all that Jesus had done in chapter 9. That means he likely would have also known about Jesus raising the widow’s son from the dead in chapter 7 if not the raising up of Jairus’ daughter just a few verses before we’re told he gets all the news. Herod should have known this fight would be a loss from the start.
Opposition of Pharisees
- pharisees try to cast out Jesus and pivot to threats
How about the pharisees? The pharisees already have a history of opposing Jesus but the main reason I believe the pharisees that approach Jesus here don’t have his best interests in mind is because of what’s said the passage before. Notice that verse 31 starts with “In that hour” which connects today’s text with last week’s. Jesus just preached on the narrow door. This isn’t the first time Jesus’ words have been heavily directed at the pharisees. He says very clearly in verse 30 “some who are first will be last”. Based on every other reaction throughout Luke, the pharisees have always responded by further opposing Jesus.
The pharisees try to cast out
Notice the parallel between the Jesus’s words in verse 28 and the Pharisees’ actions: “In that place (outside of God’s kingdom) there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out”. And what are the very next words by the pharisees? “Get away from here”! Obviously, these pharisees don’t see Jesus as the narrow door. Instead of seeking him, their first action is to tell him to go further away! Just like Herod, the pharisees don’t know who Jesus is and as a result foolishly oppose him.
Pharisees turn from debate to threat
If we look at the past conversations of Jesus and the pharisees, they can’t even respond to him. We know in Luke 11:53, that the pharisees provoked Jesus to catch him in something he would say, but since they’ve only been put to shame by him and been left in silence. If they can’t outwit him, maybe threats will work instead.
How does Jesus respond to all this? Well simply, he’s not deterred at all. Whether it be the political or social powers of the day, Jesus is above it. Let’s read Jesus’ response to Herod and the Pharisees in verse 32-33.
- Sub point: Jesus’ ministry is not at all deterred
- 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’
Jesus is emphasizing here that he’s in control of what he does, when he does it, and how he does it. This is why he’s indomitable. In other words, Jesus is in control of what he does: he tells Herod that his ministry will continue to be public. He’s in control of when he does it: Jesus asserts he works according to his own schedule, and he’s in control of how he does it: Jesus chooses to make his death the capstone of his ministry.
What: Jesus’ ministry is public
So let’s start with what Jesus does. The pharisee’s advice to Jesus was to get away. In other words, you’re causing social turmoil in Israel, it’d be better if you stopped causing so much trouble. Keep your head low and stop talking. What does Jesus say? “BEHOLD!” Jesus’ ministry is intentionally public and he intends to keep it that way. Specifically, Jesus tells them to behold his signs and his timing. This has implications for both Herod and the pharisees.
Herod the fox
Let’s look at Herod first. Jesus says of Herod “go and tell that fox”. He isn’t just name calling here. It’s a diagnostic of Herod’s heart. Like a fox, Herod has preferred the periphery throughout Luke. We don’t hear from him often and his actions are discrete. But notice when he does poke his head out. John the baptist was preaching about the need to repent before the coming kingdom of God. No response from Herod. But then John applies it specifically. “Herod, that means you shouldn’t be sleeping with your brothers wife”. Oh Herod thinks, “he’s saying I need to repent! Lock him up. Kill him!” In Luke we’re not even told how John the baptist died. He’s simply killed behind the scenes. No outrage, no consequences, life goes on. Our fox thinks he’s gotten away and can resume his life.
But then Jesus comes along and Herod realizes he might have the same problem as before. Herod hears about Jesus and knows what he’s about. The text says he sought to see Jesus but he doesn’t actually meet him face to face until Jesus is on trial. Herod chooses to stay on the periphery. But when Jesus is pressured into privacy, he pressures Herod into the public. Jesus tells Herod to “Behold!” and then points to his miracles.
There’s no hiding from God
Herod is the one who must make a decision about Jesus. We know he had gotten word of all that Jesus had done. He had heard of the signs, he knew the stories, but had he beheld? Had he realized that if Jesus’ miracles were true, his words were true and that his soul was at stake and the door to the kingdom would not stay open forever. Friends, the same can be asked for you. You might know about Jesus but do you behold him? Jesus will not be viewed safely from a distance. He’s not an abstract concept. We will all be held to a public account before Christ as well. Are you ready? Do you know that everything we do will be held to account? There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed? When it comes to faith we can’t be foxes. There’s no hiding from God.
Jesus is the caster-outer
Before we move on, there’s also a lesson here for the pharisees. Remember how they told Jesus to “get away from here”? Not only does Jesus not go, he also asserts “I cast out”. Compare this again to the casting out of those that don’t enter the kingdom in verse 28. The people cast out in these verses are different, but it’s clear that Jesus is the only one with the power to cast out in this passage which should be a warning to the pharisees of what side of the narrow door they’re on.
When: Jesus is control of his own timeline
So that was what Jesus does: he lives publicly, how about when he does it? Jesus says that he will continue his ministry today, tomorrow, and the third day he finishes his course. In other words, Jesus is fully in control of his own timeline. Imagine how gutsy it is to say to your enemy “if you want to hurt me, I’m booked today and tomorrow. You’ll have to come back some other time”. In a world where there are so many attempts and stories to outrun death, Jesus instead makes death wait for him! Jesus says the same thing in different words in John 10:17-18 “17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again…” Jesus draws a clear parallel here between the impending end of his earthly ministry and the impending shutting of the door in the previous passage. For any other person, a death threat from the ruler would mean any day could be your last. For Jesus though, his warning is that his enemies don’t have much time left.
It’s grace to not know when we will die
Have you ever seen it as a grace that we don’t know when we’re going to die? If you’re anything like me, I do everything at the last minute. If homework is due at 11:59, I’m turning it in 10 minutes before. When we don’t know, we have to be ready at all times. How much time with Christ would be lost if we thought we could put off knowing him until later? What a waste that would be! It’s so much better to have him now.
How: Jesus wins through death
Finally, how does Jesus accomplish his mission? Despite having complete control of his life, Jesus shockingly says that the accomplishment of his mission will involve him giving up his life anyway! This is what he means when he says on the third day he will finish his course. Why would he do this? Because his death is his means of completion, and the final condemnation of his enemies.
The capstone of Jesus’ ministry is actually him dying. The word used when Jesus says he will finish his course could also be translated “I am perfected/completed”. This isn’t to say that Jesus was deficient in any way, but that he planned to make his death the pinnacle of his ministry. Far from being a setback, Jesus claims here that any opposition that Jesus’ enemies might bring are only a means for his further glory!
There’s a flip side though because not only will Jesus receive glory, but his enemies will rightly receive their just condemnation at his death. Almost sarcastically, Jesus comments that he must go on his way for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem. The irony is that Jerusalem is supposed to be the very heart of worship to God! Not every biblical prophet has died in Jerusalem but Jesus is pointing out the irony as well as reminding his audience of the many prophets who did perish in Jerusalem despite it being the city of God. Just to name a few, the prophet Zechariah was killed in God’s temple, Uriah son of Shemiah tried to flee to Egypt after speaking against the king and was brought back to Jerusalem to be killed, and the evil Queen Jezebel tried to murder all of God’s prophets.
Israel is still in rebellion against God
These were some of the darkest times in Israel’s history and Jesus tells Herod and the religious leaders here “your time is no different!” They could be making the right sacrifices, reading scripture, living a “good” life and still miss God because they hate the prophet he sent. Our own sin is hard to look at but what we do with it is a great indicator of our standing with Christ. Just as Herod and the pharisees will have to wrestle with their offense of putting Jesus to death, we have to wrestle with the offense our sins have caused against a holy God.
It’s clear that Jesus cannot be beat. His enemies should have known it from the beginning. Every scheme to hinder him only furthers his plan and condemns his enemies further. If Jesus is who he claims and has shown himself to be, his enemies will justly be locked outside of the kingdom where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Not only that, but Jesus plans to make his final move soon. In the words of John the Baptist, “His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
[Pause]
Ok, that about wraps it up. Let’s pray and be dismissed. Thank God no! There’s more to read. Jesus is indeed indomitable but instead of despairing, it should lead Herod, the Pharisees, and us to rightly worship him.
Words for Jerusalem v34-35: Jesus’ indomitability should lead us to worship
- Sub point: Jesus still loves those who hate him
- 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Toddler vs dad
How could this be? For Jesus to speak so tenderly to the people he knows want him dead! Have you ever seen a toddler throw a tantrum and start whaling on their dad’s leg? The dad is in no danger of getting hurt. If he wanted, he could pick the kid up and chuck him across the room. But a good father’s heart is to embrace his child. Here we see the love Jesus has even for those who hate him.
Jesus has all Jerusalem in mind
Notice that Jesus expands his audience from speaking to Herod and the pharisees, to speaking to all of Jerusalem. Herod and the Pharisees were in a way the tip of the iceberg when it came to rejecting Jesus. Their position as leaders and their visible antagonism were symptoms of the larger spiritual decay that had occurred in Israel. It was so bad that Jerusalem the very city of God had a history of killing the prophets of God. Even so, Jesus addresses them with “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” This doubling emphasizes the emotional weight of the statement. Think of how Jesus spoke to his friend Martha saying, “Martha, Martha!” or when king David lost his son Absalom, he cried out “Absalom! Absalom!”
Jesus the mother hen
And then he uses a very unique analogy. He calls himself a mother hen desiring her chicks to take refuge in her. This is Jesus’ compassion for Israel on full display. In short, what he means is that he wants Israel to come to him to protect their life and sustain their life
Jesus protects our life
When chicks are under their mother’s wings, they are protected from any predators that are looking to eat them. The hen will keep an eye out for anything that could be a threat and if you get too close, it doesn’t matter if you’re 10x it’s size, you’ll get pecked at! In Israel’s case these chicks are in particular danger because their ruler Herod is a fox! As the God-man, Jesus is the only one who can provide protection against earthly powers that will lead astray like Herod, but he also protects us from the eternal consequences of our own sin and the schemes of the devil.
Jesus sustains our life
Jesus also shows that he sustains life. If a chick doesn’t have its mother, it will simply freeze to death. It is physically incapable of living apart from heat outside of itself. A chick lives by being close to its mom, and it won’t do to stand next to her or be around her. The warmest place is literally being enveloped in its mom’s feathers. The chick has to be close and the closer it is, the safer and warmer it is. How amazing is it that Jesus want his people that close to him. That closeness is reflected all over the new testament. Consider what Paul says in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Those who trust him are in him. To be in Christ is to trust him to be our life and satisfaction. It’s realizing that there are no other sources of life. He is the one. In Jesus’ kindness, no child is held at arms length here. Either they’re in him or stay far off out of their own stubbornness. And Jesus mercifully gives opportunity after opportunity to come to him. He says of himself “how often would I have gathered you!”
Jesus longs to be reconciled with us but he is in no way dependent on whether we choose or reject him. Our last section makes it clear that in any case, Jesus will be praised.
- Sub point: Jesus will get his praise
- 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Enemies of Jesus, that is everyone not trusting in him, need to see the writing on the wall. Jesus states plainly again and again that their house is not going to last. Indeed, the city of Jerusalem would soon be destroyed by the Romans a few decades after Jesus’ earthly ministry. No one can look to this earthly kingdom for security but must turn and enter into a heavenly one.
We come to Jesus on his terms
After this warning, Jesus then gives a final ultimatum. “You will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” What he means is that we all come to Jesus according to his terms. We see this in 3 different ways. No one is exempt and in the end he will get all the glory. We see a shadow of this at the end of Luke with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we see it more accurately when all God’s people worship him, and fully when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that he is Lord. If you’re taking notes you can call these the shadow, the reality, and the finale of Jesus’ glory.
The shadow: entrance into Jerusalem
In the immediate narrative, we see Jesus’ words play out verbatim in Luke 19. As he enters Jerusalem his disciples literally cry out “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” It just illustrates that even as Jesus prepares to be crucified, everything happens according to his plan.
This blessing from his disciples is more fully reflected when people truly see Jesus for who he is as Lord. Herod for example despite claiming to seek Jesus, ends up only standing face to face with him when he goes on trial. Instead of recognizing who Jesus is, he mocks him with a robe a crown of thorns. In contrast, think of all those who did successfully find Jesus. It was those who were blind, those who couldn’t even walk and yet found their way to the narrow door.
The reality: Psalm 118
So what does it look like to actually see Jesus? Well it’s reflected in the words he quoted. Verse 35 is actually a verse taken from Psalm 118. We don’t have time to go through the whole psalm but if you take a look at it later it’s just dripping with the heart of someone who knows the Lord. For sake of time, verse 14 is a great distillation of the whole passage: “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation”. So what does it look like to know Christ? It’s someone who recognizes their need of a savior, runs to the Lord for their strength, and what is produced is worship. When we know our need, the only proper response is to praise our king Jesus. All of us without the intervening of Christ are in the same spot as Herod, the Pharisees, and the Jews. Jesus is reigning right now. At the end of Matthew, he makes clear “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. If you have not trusted in him, your life is at odds and we know what that means when we look at the fate of Herod and the Pharisees. In his kindness though, he paid for our treason with his own blood by fulfilling his mission to save a lost people by dying for them. Because he can’t be conquered though, death itself couldn’t hold him in the grave. If you have trusted in Christ for salvation, keep embracing him! He is our strength and our song. As a chick to a hen we’re simply called to hug him tighter, and be filled with the life he gives through the Holy Spirit.
The finale: every knee will bow
One final comment and we’re done. The glorification of the Lord won’t be limited to Christians. In Philippians 2:9-11 Paul writes “Therefore God has highly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. When Jesus comes back again, there will be no rivals. Angels will be saying Christ is Lord, God’s people will be saying Christ is Lord, but Herod will also be saying Christ is Lord, and Stephen Hawking, and Muhammad, and even the demons! Every knee in heaven and on earth, and under the earth. Everyone. I’m not saying everyone will be saved, I mean that there will not be a square inch of creation that isn’t giving glory to God. We can either choose to bend the knee as ones cast out from his presence or enjoy him now into eternity. Let’s pray.