Luke 13: 31-35 - In Anticipation of Palm Sunday
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
I. Palm Sunday
A. Jesus Christ made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
B. Citizens welcomed Jesus by laying down palm branches and by saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
1. This word “hosanna” means “save now.”
2. Instead of driving out the Romans as many expected, Jesus saved us from the problem of sin and death.
II. Herod's area of control
A. Luke 13:22 - Jesus teaching while on His way to Jerusalem.
1. Jerusalem was not His final destination yet
2. John 10:40 Jesus left Jerusalem and went into a region historical records call Perea.
3. Herod Antipas had no authority in Jerusalem or Judea However he remained in control over Galilee and Perea.
4. Perea was home of the Israelite tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh in the Old Testament and that region still had a sizeable Jewish population in the New Testament.
III. Warning given by Pharisees
A. Was it true?
1. Luke 9:9 Herod did want to see Jesus both because of His miracles and rumors that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead, but text doesn’t specifically say that Herod wanted to kill Jesus.
2. Likely Herod Antipas did feel threatened by Jesus (wise men and Bethlehem in Matthew Chapter 2)
B. Christ’s response
1. Calls Herod a fox.
a. Foxes were regarded as nuisances in ancient Israel; Song of Solomon 2:15 - foxes were known to ruin vineyards by eating all the grapes.
b. Jesus is basically saying that Herod is a varmint or a troublemaker and clearly believes that Herod does want to kill him.
IV. Name calling versus honest assessment
A. Exodus 22:28 and Acts 23:5 both say, “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”
B. Respecting authorities does not mean that authorities are beyond rebuke when they sin.
1. Old Testament prophets rebuked rulers who were in clear violation of God’s law.
2. Example - 1 Kings 21 Elijah prophesied that dogs would eat the remains of Ahab and Jezebel because of their terrible sins against God.
C. Jesus calling Herod a fox was not a sign of disrespect, but an honest assessment of character.
D. However, we need to be careful because it’s very easy to cross the line between rightly holding those in authority accountable and wrongly speaking evil of them.
1. There’s a difference between honest criticisms and undeserved character assassinations.
2. We need to never go beyond the facts and into baseless slander.
V. Message Jesus sends back to Herod - verses 32-33.
A. Not talking about His death and resurrection three days later
B. Talking about He will finish these three days of ministry while traveling toward Jerusalem because “it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.”
1. hyperbole; used to make an impression.
2. not every prophet died in Jerusalem, but a surprisingly high number did because of their faithfulness to God the Father.
C. major point of application in this text: God is sovereign.
1. It doesn’t matter that Herod Antipas wants to kill Jesus in Perea, because he won’t.
2. Instead Jesus will die in Jerusalem because that is His Father’s will.
3. Nothing can be accomplished that is outside God’s sovereign will.
VI. Sovereignty of nations.
A. A nation has a right rule itself. But that sovereignty is limited.
1. We can’t stop natural evils like hurricanes or moral evils like 9-11 from ravaging us.
2. Our sovereignty is limited, but God’s is not. which is something we as Christians should take comfort in.
VII. Prediction
Matthew 23:37-39
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;
39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
A. Just as Jerusalem and its temple were both destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC both will be destroyed again this time by the Romans in 70 AD. because of the city’s repeated wickedness.
B. Jesus can make this prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction 37 years before it actually happens because of His sovereign power and knowledge.
C. Jesus wants to save the people of Jerusalem, but end of verse 34 says they “were not willing!” - a picture both God’s sovereignty and human free will.
VIII. God’s sovereignty (Calvinism) or human free will (Arminianism).
A. Some verses clearly teach God’s sovereignty while other verses clearly teach human free will. You don’t have to choose one over the other.
1. No one can explain how both God’s sovereignty and human free will work together. Scripture talks both about the elect and whosoever will.
2. We should see God’s sovereignty and human free will in much the same way we see there is one God in three persons as well as Jesus Christ being truly God and truly Man.
B. God is sovereign.
1. Jesus knows He will die in Jerusalem
2. He knows Jerusalem will be destroyed because of it.
C. There is also free will.
1. Most literal translation of Christ’s words in Greek in Luke 13:34 (YLT) is “how often did I will to gather together thy children” but then the end of the verse says “you were not willing!”
2. This is the mystery of God’s sovereignty and human free will all wrapped up in one short passage.
IX. Palm Sunday references and Sovereign will
Luke 13:35,
See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
A. The phrase “hosanna” or “save now” comes from Psalm 118:25 and the verse after that (Psalm 118:26) is how Jesus closes Luke 13:35: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
B. Same phrase the people of Jerusalem used in reference to Jesus on Palm Sunday.
C. When Jesus Christ returns physically and visibly to the earth in glory the people of Jerusalem will once again say (genuinely this time), “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!”
D. Why? Because in the end Romans 11:26 says “all Israel will be saved.” - the Jews who are still alive by the time Jesus Christ returns will come to believe in Him.
Despite Israel’s long periods of repeated unfaithfulness God will not fail to keep His covenant promises to them. Indeed He will accomplish every last one in the millennial kingdom. And this is further testimony to the greatness of God the Father, the perfect salvation provided by His Son Jesus Christ, and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. This passage points to the majesty of the Triune God and our need to always worship Him.
Click on the player to listen to the full audio sermon.
If the player doesn't work, you can listen to the sermon on Google Drive.
Do you feel an emptiness in your life? Are you seeking answers but don't know where to look? Have you ever wondered if you are good enough? Please read the summary of the gospel message, "Four Things You Need to Know About God"
Please send an email to the Pastor if you have
questions.