Second Sunday in Lent, 2025

Scripture

Luke 13:31–35 “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’””

Sermon

I want to tell you something this morning that may seem sort of obvious if you have ever stopped to think about it. Although we have 4 gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in our New Testament, they do not cover the entire life or even every account of Jesus’ 3 year public ministry. Though at times we may wish they had told us more, what we have here is what they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to record so that we would get an understanding of who Jesus was. The emphasis was not on every day to day activity but rather, the focus was on His identity as the Son of God who taught and performed miracles, but ultimately who died on the cross, rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven.

So what we have here is a very abbreviated version of the things that took place. For instance, we looked at Luke 4 last Sunday which tells the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. And immediately after this Jesus gets to work, teaching, driving out an impure spirit, healing many. He calls His first disciples in Luke 5, healing of a man with leprosy, heals the paralyzed man, eats with sinners and teaches about fasting. In Luke 6, Jesus is challenged over His disciples picking grain on the Sabbath. He finalizes choosing the 12, and then Jesus begins a series of teaching. The blessings and woes, love for enemies, about judging others, a tree and its fruit, the wise and foolish builders. In Luke 7 we have the faith of the Centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant, then the healing of the widow’s son, a conversation between Jesus and John the Baptist, and Jesus is anointed with oil in the house of a Pharisee by a sinful woman. In Luke 8, Jesus returns to travelling and teaching with the parable of the sower, a lamp on a stand, an interesting comment about who His mother and brothers are. Jesus calms the storm, casts a Legion of demons into pigs and raises a dead girl and heals a sick woman. In Luke 9, Jesus sends out the twelve, feeds the five thousand, hears Peter declare He is the Messiah, predicts His death, is transfigured and casts a demon out of a boy, predicts His death again and experiences opposition from the Samaritans, and Jesus tells some who wish to follow Him what the cost is and they decline to pay the price.

Now, push pause for just a minute, and look at Luke 9:51 “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” This means that Jesus is preparing for the crucifixion because He knows the will of His Heavenly Father. He knows that His earthly ministry and life will end there. But He doesn’t waver from the direction He is to go. Instead, He sets His face resolutely towards Jerusalem.

In Luke 10, Jesus sends out the seventy-two to minister, in response to a question, He teaches the parable of the Good Samaritan, and He visits with Mary and Martha. In Luke 11, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, and responds to the accusation He is working with the devil. Jesus continues teaching about the sign of Jonah, the lamp of the body, and preaches more woes on the Pharisees and the experts in the law. In Luke 12, Jesus gives warnings and encouragements, He tells the parable of the rich fool. He continues teaching by telling His followers to not worry, to remain watchful. He tells them He has come to bring division instead of peace and He gives His listeners some ways to interpret the times.

And we move into Luke 13, as Jesus continues to teach. He tells His listeners to repent or perish, He uses a parable to do so. He upsets some by healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath. He teaches more parables on the mustard seed and the yeast and warns those listening to go through the narrow door. And the passage we read this morning comes at the end of this chapter.

While this isn’t everything Jesus ever did or said or every miracle He performed in three years, it tells us enough to know that as He went and taught, He had created some enemies along the way. Some people were unhappy with His teaching and with His actions. We heard of some who were unhappy of how He behaved on the Sabbath, some who accused Him of being in company with the devil, those who were more upset over losing a bunch of pigs than a man being demon possessed.

The Bible doesn’t make clear on which side these Pharisees were on. Maybe these were friends of Nicodemus’ who were friendly toward Jesus or maybe they were a part of the group that wanted to get rid of Him. But regardless they tell Him Herod wants to kill Him. If they were friends they were warning Him. If they were enemies, they were trying to scare Him, maybe get Him to say something they could tell Herod to get Him into even more trouble. Either way, they were suggesting He leave where He was and go somewhere else. Not unlike the temptations He faced last week where it was suggested He forgo His Father’s plan and do something else.

But Jesus responds to these Pharisees and tells them to go back and tell “that fox”. And in that day “fox” was an insult. It was used in regards to someone with a hidden agenda, someone being sly and sneaky. Someone said “By calling Herod a fox, Jesus was likely pointing out Herod’s manipulative and untrustworthy nature, as well as his lack of true power or authority.” But even more interesting than calling Him a fox is Jesus’ response. Two times Jesus refers to today, tomorrow and the third day. Which is another way of saying, I’m going to keep doing what I am doing because I know it is what God wants me to do. And what is He doing? He has resolutely set out for Jerusalem because He is doing the will of His Heavenly Father. And what does he know? He says it here in this passage, “No prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”

But Jerusalem is the place that has constantly rejected the invitation to walk with God. Jerusalem has been the place where God’s prophets and others have been killed because the word of God was rejected. And this is exactly what will happen to the Son of God. He will be killed in Jerusalem. Not by Herod, not by political powers, but by the very people He was sent to redeem.