Rejected Jesus

Intro: To a large degree, Jewish rejection of Jesus continues to this day.

I have no doubt that you are aware of this, but sometimes things don’t sink in until we stop to think about them. (We drive safely here and there in our cars every day, and rarely think anything of it. But if we or someone close to us experiences a serious car accident, we are pressed into pondering the peril of driving and the preciousness of life.)

So I’m asking you slow down and think for a moment what it means that the Jewish nation rejected Jesus, and that most Jews still reject him today.

For those within Judaism (which is based upon old testament scriptures and additional intertestamental rabbinical teaching), if you reject Jesus as the biblical fulfillment of messianic prophecies in the OT, then you continue along the path of obedience to Mosaic law, still waiting for a messiah in an eschatological age—an age of rebuilding the temple, of Messianic peace, and of the ingathering of Jews to their homeland.

Though it isn’t a common view, some Jewish scholars (who reject Jesus as the Messiah) have argued that Jesus was a rabbi who aimed to reform Judaism. But most consider him to be a false prophet. So while some fringe scholars might argue that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah, most admit such a notion to be historically untenable (particularly from the Gospels), and must continue in the path which many in Judaism took at the time of Christ: outright rejection.

So it is Christianity that diverges greatly from Judaism at this point, where a very small number of Jews responded in belief that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and inaugurated a Messianic Kingdom where God rules in the hearts of men.

Our text today is a brief but powerful reminder of not only the many who stubbornly reject Jesus, but also of the patience and compassion of God to complete his perfect plan through Jesus, and of God’s glorious grace to us who are responding to Jesus with repentance and belief.

Luke 13:31–35 ESV

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 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. 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.’ 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! 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!’ ”

“At that very hour” indicates that Luke is intentionally including this on the heels of the previous context. What just occurred that is pertinent here? - The narrow door, and the many who do not enter by it versus the few who do..., and the certainty of rejection by God for those who reject Jesus as the narrow door to eternal acceptance and peace and rest in the presence of God. - Being Jewish is not enough. Even as God always intended a relationship with him by faith, so now particularly is faith to be in the promise of God he has given through the God-Man Jesus Christ. - Jesus has been warning his listeners, mostly Jews, that many or most of them would reject him, and he in turn would reject them at the judgment because of their faithlessness in God’s Messiah.

That context of Jewish rejection leads into what happens next, where some Pharisees warn him about Herod’s intent to do Jesus harm, and Jesus laments the nation’s lack of response to God.

Jesus’ Life Is Threatened

What we don’t know here for sure is whether Herod Antipas really was scheming to kill Jesus, or whether this was a ploy by the Pharisees to attempt to instill fear in the heart of Jesus so that he would retreat from his bold teaching and bold activity. I believe a combination of the two might be the case. Herod has indeed already killed John the Baptist, but he would likely desire to keep peace in Galilee and Perea without putting any other prophets to death. [map, & explain]

Herod Antipas & the Pharisees

The intent of the death threat then would likely be to scare Jesus out of Herod’s region. The Pharisees would participate as Herod’s pons in this regard solely because if Jesus left Perea, they would have greater religious and legal jurisdiction over him in Judea.

But Jesus didn’t fear Herod or the Pharisees, and he knew where his mission led. So Jesus responds to the threat by giving them an answer for Herod. (It covers vv. 32 & 33) - Calling Herod a fox was no compliment. In our vernacular we might simply mean sly when we refer to someone as a fox, but in their language and context, it likely would have meant that Herod is both worthless and treacherous… and if cunning is to be understood as well, it would mean cunning in an underhanded manner. (As we said, Herod has put John the Baptist to death, a man who, according to Jesus himself, was a great prophet (see Luke 7).) - Furthermore, foxes would prey on hens if given the chance, so if I am right, these Pharisees are fools to not see that Herod would turn on them as well, at any opportunity.

Jesus says to tell him that his threats change nothing. Jesus will continue his bold mercy ministry of casting out demons and healing the sick. - Although this was aimed at Herod, it was an indictment on the Pharisees too. What they all sought to bring to an end was in fact Jesus simply doing good to everyone in his path. He declared the arrival of the kingdom and helped people in desperate need. (What were they all so opposed to? … Anything that threatened their own control.) - The same remains true of all those who refuse God’s offer through Jesus. “I don’t want to relinquish control of my life to God! I don’t want to admit that I’m under his authority and that my sin places me at odds with him and I am in a desperate situation. NO, I’m good, and I’m in control.” - The gospel proves all that nonsense wrong.

Jesus would continue his ministry and finish his course in Jerusalem, as the Father intended. - Jesus would not have meant this reference of days (today and tomorrow and the next day) to be taken literally, but it was a common semitism (Jewish expression) for a short and sure sequence of events. In a brief time he would, yes, leave the area, because he must go to Jerusalem, where the climax of his mission would take place.

Jerusalem, Center Stage

1. Jerusalem will be the place of his death.

That means he need not fear Herod’s threats of killing him, because he would die in Jerusalem and do so according to his own knowledge & intention. (A death threat rings a little hollow, doesn’t it? - What about for those who belong to God through faith in Jesus? That’s why Jesus told his followers in Luke 12:4-5 not to fear people who might kill you but to fear God, who has control over what happens after physical death. If Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to believers, then we need not fear facing God, for he has promised to gather us safely under his wings. Nor do we fear death, for something far better comes after!)

2. Jerusalem is representative of Israelite rejection.

His perishing in Jerusalem would be reminiscent of former prophets martyred because of Israel’s repeated rebellious refusals, at various times in their history, to heed God’s warnings and repent. Jesus was just such a prophet—and greater than a prophet—and he knew full well that they would seek his life. - Do you recall the event where Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead? It’s hard to forget! Do you also remember the reactions of others? John 11 tells us that many who were there with Mary and Martha to experience it believed in Jesus. But there was also this reaction:

John 11:46–52 ESV

but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Caiaphas of course is saying it’s better for them to kill this one man Jesus than for the turmoil with Rome they assume will come for the whole nation. The dramatic irony of course, which John pictures, is that we the readers understand better: Jesus would in fact be dying to offer salvation to the very ones putting him to death, and not only for them, but for those who would be God’s children from among the Gentiles nations as well. (This is not a reference to Jews in diaspora, but instead the NT teaching that Jesus fulfills the promise to Abraham by opening salvation’s offer to all nations.)

Jesus’ physical life was never under any threat other than what was according to the divine plan and love of the infinite triune God.

But it is the nation’s rejection here, in Luke 13:33-35, that has Jesus’ attention. As Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, what we should understand is that…

Jesus Laments Israel’s Rejection

As we have seen, Israel’s historical track record leading up to Jesus is not good: “the city that kills the prophets and those who are sent to it!” And now, they would put to death their own Messiah (but not only their Messiah, the Savior of the world). While this is indeed according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, this generation in Israel is accountable to God for these actions.

Acts 2:23 ESV

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

We explained last week the irrefutable biblical evidence of both God’s sovereign will and human responsibility (in this context of Israel’s responsibility).

Today the point is that Israel is responsible, and Jesus is deeply saddened by their unresponsiveness to God. And why wouldn’t he be? God uniquely chose Israel for his purposes, to represent him to all other nations (as an object of his favor, offering them opportunity to be the model for all other nations of walking with God and receiving his blessing), and to be the people through which he would ultimately graciously bless all peoples of the earth.

Knowing what we know about God, we understand that God must have known full well that Israel would fail, because of sin, to keep their conditions of the covenant (particularly the Mosaic covenant), but God would not fail to keep his promises (to Abraham and to David). Since God has shown them such favor, it makes perfect sense that the heart of God is deeply saddened by their rejection.

Consider the illustration from Jesus: He pictures himself, God the Son united as one with the Father and the Spirit, as desiring to compassionately, lovingly, protectively gather in her chicks for their own good, and yet they foolishly refused. What a true but sad picture of our stony hearts refusing God’s care for us! (I made you, I know what’s best for you, I have showered you with blessing and love and care… and yet you would refuse my love that is for your own present and eternal good?!) - Such is the heart of a Christian parent when our children rebel against God’s authority and love, and in so doing they have rebelled against us their parents as well.

Why wouldn’t Jesus be truly sad for Israel? As one with God... and in his humanity, himself a Jew. - Paul describes something similar in Romans ch. 9 about the burden in his heart for his fellow Jews rejecting Jesus. His anguish is to the point where, although it is not possible in God’s divine sovereignty, he wishes that he could himself be cut off from Christ if it meant saving his fellow Israelites.

But the transformational time in history came through Jesus’ person and work, where now those who are God’s chosen people are they who, whether Jew or Gentile, respond to God’s call to be gathered to him through faith in Jesus.

The nation’s judgment for this rejection is that their house is left empty (deserted, forsaken by inhabitants or travelers). House here surely refers to God not visiting the nation because they have proven inhospitable to him. This judgment will last until they recognize God’s messenger as “he who comes in the name of the Lord,” a quote from Psalm 118:26, which was something chanted to incoming travelers on feast days in Jerusalem. It was a welcome to those coming to worship God. Until the nation recognizes Jesus as God’s prophet and Messiah (Blessed is he), their house will remain desolate.

One small note of explanation here is needed so that we don’t think this verse is Jesus predicting what people would say about him on Palm Sunday (Luke 19:38). That cannot be the fulfillment of this statement since that time was also accompanied by further rejection (19:41-44). This then must reference a right response to God, so it either refers to Jews still being invited by faith in Jesus during the church age, or it refers eschatologically to a future ingathering of a larger number Jews in the last days who respond by following Jesus.

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What are we to make of how God has responded to rejection, not only from Jews, but from all mankind throughout the millenia?

Conclusion: Marvel at the Heart of God

May the rejection of Israel, and rejection by the vast majority of this world, not be your story as well. See the willing submission of Jesus to the Father, and his immeasurable love toward us who would believe: “I must go.”

When I stop and consider the marvelous compassion of God to humanity through Jesus Christ, I see it as a mighty ocean tide. It is all of grace that God does not crush me with the might of his justice. Jesus has born the weight of it on my behalf. And in the ship of the gospel of grace I am instead born aloft on the very waves of what Jesus took upon himself for me, and I am carried to the shores of acceptance by almighty God.

I will never fully fathom the love of God to a rebellious humanity who has rebelled against him, nor the patience of God with those who reject him still. But most of all, I cannot measure the height and depth and length and breadth of God’s love poured out in Jesus for us, undeserving sinners.

How do I respond? I love him, and I want to submit to him.