Lesson 66 Luke 13_31-35 lesson

Luke 13:31-35

Remember the context: someone, surely a Jew, asked Jesus “Are there just a few who are being saved?” And Jesus essentially said “You should seriously consider yourself, and whether you have a right relationship with the owner of the house of salvation, because there will be many Jews who presume they will enter the kingdom of God – and in the end with weeping and gnashing of teeth they will discover that the householder did not know them, and they have been cast out.

READ 13:31-35

There is a lot of historical detail involved in this passage. There is the question of Herod, and who he was, and where he ruled, and what his relationship was with the Pharisees, and why they came to Jesus telling him to leave this area, and why Jesus called Herod a fox.

This passage also involves significant questions about the chronology of Jesus ministry and teaching. Did he say this before the triumphal entry; did he say it after the triumphal entry, as Matthew records; what does he mean by “the third day I reach my goal”? Is that just a figurative saying, or is he literally three days from Jerusalem or from his death?

Then verse 35 refers to Jerusalem being left desolate, and also a time when they will see Jesus and say Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. When will that be? What time is Jesus referring to?

Those are really complicated issues that go way beyond this text, and it would take us weeks to deal with all of those issues. To be honest, I just want us to get the main points from what Jesus says here, so I’m just going to briefly touch on those details.

Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, "Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You."

There are two primary Herods in the New Testament. Herod the Great, who was king of Judea when Jesus was born, and then this is his son, Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas is probably most famous to Bible readers as the one who beheaded John the Baptist, after Herod had stolen his brother’s wife. But for a glimpse of Herod Antipas and Jesus, TURN TO Luke 23, READ Luke 23:6-12.
Pilate learns Jesus if from Galilee and sends him to Herod, because Herod Antipas did not rule over Jerusalem. He ruled over Galilee north of Jerusalem and Perea, east of Jerusalem. That helps us understand Luke 13:31. Jesus was probably leaving Jerusalem and heading into Perea, which is Herod’s region. And so the Pharisees say: “don’t come into Herod’s region, he wants to kill you.”
Did Herod really want to kill Jesus? Had he given a message to the Pharisees? We don’t really know, but this we do know: the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus. We’ve been told that repeatedly. So it’s a little hard to believe that they are telling the whole truth with pure motives here.

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 reach My goal.' 33 "Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.

Jesus starts by calling Herod a fox, which is quite the kind understatement. Remember that Herod used the severed head of John the Baptist as a party favor. Maybe fox mean sly or cunning; maybe it means insignificant or worthless; maybe it means destroyer, as it is used in the Old Testament. Regardless, Herod is all of those things.
After calling him a fox, Jesus essentially says: “I have ministry to do out here, in Herod’s area, and I will finish this ministry and then I will return to Jerusalem, and die, at the right time, my time.” In other words, no one will stop God’s timing. Herod can do nothing to mess up the plan and ministry of Jesus. Jesus will die, but on his own time, not Herod’s.
The goal Jesus speaks of here is pretty clearly his death. Verse 34 mentions how Jerusalem kills and stones those sent to her; but verse 33 is even clearer that at the end of the three days he will perish.
Nearly all commentators agree that when Jesus says “third day” he is using a figure of speech to say “On the appointed day, the right day, the last day.” In a pre-determined amount of time, he will reach his goal. It’s very unlikely that Jesus said this three days before his death.

34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her!

Clearly here “Jerusalem” pictures the people of Jerusalem, and primarily the Jews of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the center of Judaism, the center of everything for the Jews, and so it pictures the Jews. Jesus is saying “O Israel, Israel… you kill the prophets and you stone those who are sent to you.”
They literally killed two prophets named Zechariah and Uriah, and they tried to kill Jeremiah. Jewish tradition recorded several other prophets who were killed in Jerusalem.

How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

How often have I sent messengers to you, messengers of warning, messengers of hope, messengers of truth, and you didn’t want to hear it! You didn’t want to have anything to do with it! You killed the messengers.
Of course Jesus told several other parables that pictured this same thing: the murder of God’s messengers. They refused the message. If, as we talked about last time, many Jews end up outside the kingdom of God, whose fault is that? Paul will raise a similar question later in Romans – has God failed? Here Jesus reminds them of all the messengers God has sent to Jerusalem, yet they have so often rejected them. The responsibility rests completely upon their shoulders: you would not have it.
So when the Pharisees come up to Jesus and say “Go away from here, don’t come into this region,” Jesus seizes upon that moment because it captures in a moment the reaction of the majority of the Jewish people: they reject the messengers God sends, and that has climaxed in their rejection of Jesus, the ultimate messenger.
We also see here in verse 34 the tender compassion of Jesus. The repetition of the word “Jerusalem” shows that his heart is deeply involved here. The image of a hen gathering her chicks under her wings also pictures the compassion and tenderness.

Psalm 57:1 For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. A hen gathers her brood under her wings because there is danger and they need to be protected. It is an act of selfless sacrifice because the chicks are in great danger. But since Israel has rejected that, we come to verse 35…

35 "Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

There are two major questions in this verse: what does it mean “your house is left to you desolate,” and when is this “time” when the Jews will say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”
But before we talk about those things, let’s not miss the main points: because they have rejected God’s messengers, climaxing in the rejection of Jesus, their will be serious consequences, judgment is inevitable; and the most important messenger of all, Jesus, is going to leave and they will no longer see Him until a time comes when they will see Him again.
So what is this telling us about Israel?

Their temple and city will be left desolate. When you read this you may first think of destruction, and that would be true. By AD 70 the city and temple would be largely destroyed. But if you think about the word “desolate,” we know that the word has the idea of abandoned. This is a theme too large for us to deal with now, but the glory of the Lord departed from Jerusalem; in a sense Jerusalem would be abandoned by the Messiah whom they had rejected. This is communicated many places in the Bible: Luke 21:24 Jerusalem will be trampled under foot until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled; Romans 11:25 a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Romans 11:15 refers to it as a temporary rejection of Israel. Because they rejected the Messiah, for a time God would reject them, and their day of special spiritual opportunity would be past.
But the rest of verse 35 tells us that this will not be the end. But there is a day coming when Israel will say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Some people think that Jesus is simply referring to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when some of the crowd said these very words. This is unlikely, because Matthew records that Jesus actually said this after the triumphal entry. It is much more likely that Jesus is referring to that great day before the Lord comes back when a great remnant of Jews will be saved, so that when the Lord returns they will welcome the Messiah, as they should have done the first time. When the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled, when the fullness of the Gentiles have come in, then all Israel will be saved, and joyfully welcome the return of their Messiah.

So we learn of the tender mercy of God, who in His great love sends the messengers with the gospel that people might turn to Him and be rescued.

We learn that there is a day coming when the Jews will turn to Christ. What an encouragement for Jewish evangelism: someday an entire generation of Jews will turn to the Lord. Imagine if that were to happen today: if a mighty revival were to sweep the nation of Israel, and the nation turned to Jesus as Messiah and Savior. It will happen someday.

And we learn from this text the danger of hardening your heart against the Word of the Lord. This is a sort of turning point in the ministry of Jesus, and from now on most of his teaching will be for his disciples, rather than for the crowd or the nation. There is a sense in which at this point the Jews have made their decision; and Jesus is clearly saying “I’m going to finish my ministry, go to Jerusalem, and you will kill me.”

Remember how this passage started: Jesus heads out of Jerusalem into a new area, and the Pharisees meet him and say “Don’t come here.” Are we doing that, in a spiritual sense? Are we saying to him “Don’t come into my region. Don’t touch that area of my heart. Don’t convict about that sin. Don’t send messengers with that news. Leave that region of my life alone.” While this passage is directed to Israel, it gives us a strong warning about the danger of that kind of spiritual stubbornness.

Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, "Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You."

Go away, leave here

Here seems to pretty clearly refer to Jerusalem, based on Jesus’ answer. He is headed toward Jerusalem and they say “Stay away from Jerusalem, don’t come in this area.”

Oops, not true. Herod Antipas did not govern over Judea, where Jerusalem was.
Thomas & Gundry place John 10:40-42 right before this. So Jesus left Jerusalem, went across the Jordan into Perea; the Pharisees are warning him to head back toward Jerusalem. He says it is not quite time to head back to Jerusalem yet – but he certainly will soon.

Keener really gives them the benefit of the doubt, saying that they are “well-meaning” and genuinely concerned about Jesus.
Based on some extensive study on Herod and the Pharisees, Bock (382) cites Darr and concludes “while their statement looks like one of concern, it is really expedient. They have been consistently portrayed as doubting and challenging Jesus, so to have them now looking out for his welfare is totally out of character.”
Hendriksen suggests Herod wanted him out of Perea because he plagued his conscience (re: John) and he didn’t want to be guilty of another murder like that. The Pharisees wanted Jesus in Jerusalem because they had so much more influence there.
Maybe Jesus calls Herod a fox because he is using the Pharisees to try to get rid of Jesus or something like that (Hend, but I don’t really understand).

Herod

There are three main Herods in the New Testament. Herod the Great, and then two of his sons, Herod Philip I, and Herod Antipas.

Herod the Great: king of Judea when Jesus was born, the Herod of the wisemen and the slaughter in Bethlehem.
Herod Philip I never reigned, but he’s mentioned in the NT because he married Herodias – and then Herodias left him for his brother Herod Antipas. And John the Baptist ended up killed for speaking up about that.
Herod Antipas: stole Herodias from his brother; beheaded John the Baptist; was fascinated (and probably somewhat concerned) about Jesus:

Luke 23:6-12 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time. 8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. 9 And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. 11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.

Kill you

Ironically, we’ve already been told multiple times that they want to kill him too. But they don’t mention that.
We don’t have NT evidence that Herod wanted to kill him – it comes across more like curiosity (Luke 9:7-9, Luke 23:6-12). Maybe he did, or maybe the Pharisees are exaggerating to try to keep Jesus out of their territory.
Morris guesses that Herod had the Pharisees pass on a death threat, and they were glad to cooperate “in the hope of frightening Jesus into moving out of Perea into Judea, where they had more power.”

32 And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox,

DBL Gk “wickedly crafty person, a figurative extension of a fox, long a figure of a crafty person.”
BDAG “metaphor, with craftiness of the fox in the foreground.” (they cite a lengthy list of ancient GK examples)
Only other NT use is unrelated, Mat 8:20/Luke 9:58.
Morris argues for “insignificant or worthless.” He claims that “Herod is the only person Jesus is recorded as having treated with contempt” and notes that before Herod Jesus refused to say a word. “When Jesus has nothing to say to a man, that man’s position is hopeless”
Keener lists the various options, but also makes an interesting point that foxes prey on hens (v.34), and says that perhaps that is “more to the point.”
Bock takes the OT meaning, familiar from Eze., as “destroyer.” “The background of this image is Nehemiah 3:35, S.S. 2:15, Lam. 5:17-18.”
Hend goes with the idea of craftiness or slyness.

'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.'

Cast out demons and perform cures

A subtle dare to Herod: you already got in trouble for killing John; would you dare to upset the people even further by killing me, after I have cast out demons and cured them?

My goal

Regardless of what Jesus is exactly referring to, the main point is obvious: neither the Pharisees nor Herod will prevent Jesus from the accomplishment of His purposes. Yet at the same time, death is coming – so the mention of wanting to kill him is entirely appropriate. But Jesus shifts the focus from Herod killing him to Jerusalem killing him.
Is the “goal” Jerusalem, the crucifixion, or resurrection?
Based on verse 33, it could be either his crucifixion or his arrival in Jerusalem.
If it is Jerusalem, this doesn’t square with the ESVSB note that this happened after Palm Sunday?
Morris “might denote the end of his work in that region or the completion of his work of redemption.” Also refers to his determination of when he will die.
Hend “what a glorious way to describe his death: it would be reaching his goal.”

Third day

Is this an allusion to the resurrection?
Morris “means ‘in a short time’ or ‘at the end of a definite time.’”
Hend: “on the divinely appointed day, not a day earlier nor a day later”
BKC “He was not saying He would arrive in Jerusalem in three days. The point was that He had a mission in mind, and that He would continue on the schedule he had set for Himself.”

33 "Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.

Morris “The capital was the heart of the nation; it was there that its destiny and that of its prophets were wrought out.”
Bock “nothing will keep God’s plan from taking place.”

34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

Kills the prophets

There are some OT examples of this, such as Zechariah, Uriah, and an attempt at Jeremiah’s life in Jerusalem. Jewish tradition recorded several other incidents. (see CNTUOT) So “since Jerusalem kills prophets, it is appropriate that Jesus as a prophet should die their too.”

Hen/chicks

is “tender imagery” (Morris)
is OT imagery (not necessarily hen, but under wings): ps 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 63:7, 91:4
Christ’s compassion here is clear.

Hend “Intense emotion, unfathomable pathos, finds its expression in the repetition of the word Jerusalem.”

Hend suggests that the hen would do this because of danger from a hawk or thunderstorm.

If, as we talked about last time, many Jews end up outside the kingdom of God, whose fault is that? Paul will raise a similar question later in Romans – has God failed? Here Jesus reminds them of all the messengers God has sent to Jerusalem, yet they have so often rejected them. The responsibility rests completely upon their shoulders: you would not have it.

35 "Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

Your house is left to you desolate

Morris – some say temple but more likely the city as a whole
Morris: “God no longer lives there: that is the final disaster.”
Keener “probably refers to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.”
Bock “In a style reminiscent of the prophets, he argues that judgment for her is inevitable. Jesus has issued multiple warnings that have gone unheeded, so now God will discipline his chosen people.”
Hend “Did they really think that his threats were empty, his predictions of approaching woe ridiculous?” (see preceding context from last week)
Hend sees this as more than just the temple, but also the city. He sees fulfillment in Luke 21:20, 24, 28.
BKC sees “house” as referring to entire city.
Several commentators point out that “desolate” here means “abandoned.”

BKC “the city was abandoned by the Messiah.”

CNTUOT “The term ‘house’ refers not to the temple alone, but to the ‘household’ of Jerusalem, the center of God’s people.”
He may well be using the language of Jeremiah 12:7 and 22:5.

Until the time…

Morris deals with the chronological problem differently, suggesting that Luke includes this lament here simply because of its kinship with the subject matter, but that “it occurred as Jesus approached the city as Matthew says it did.”
Morris: “Some see in this a reference to the triumphal entry when these words were used about Jesus. But this seems an inadequate fulfillment of such a solemn prediction. And in any case it was not the people of the city but the Galilean pilgrims who uttered the words then. Moreover Matthew records Jesus’ prediction after the entry. Others think of the words as the response of believing Jews at some future conversion of Jerusalem, but it is hard to see this either in the words themselves or in history. It is better to think of the second advent. Jesus’ return in splendour will draw from Jerusalem this recognition, however unwilling, of his Messiahship.”
ESVSB “The quoted blessing is from Psalm 118:26; it was chanted to incoming pilgrims on feast days. This is not an allusion to Palm Sunday because in Matthew’s account the saying occurs after Palm Sunday, and therefore it must refer to a later event. Some interpreters understand this to refer in a negative way to a coerced, forced confession of Jesus as Lord at the time of the second coming, but the quotation from Ps. 118:26 is in a positive context of welcome and worship, and the phrase ‘Blessed is he’ implies worship. Therefore other interpreters understand this to be a prediction that a large number of Jews will trust in Jesus before his second coming.”
Bock “Luke 13:31-32 has no parallels, while verses 33-35 are similar to Matthew 23:37-39. The different settings suggest these are conceptual parallels as opposed to being the same event. Luke’s placement of this detail here, whether a separate event or a mere topical arrangement, sets the tone for the transition to follow in this journey section. From this point on, Jesus spends more time teaching his disciples about facing rejection and prepares them for the hard road of discipleship. Those notes come with the black cloud of Israel’s approaching rejection already prophetically presented. Jesus’ message here is repeated in 19:41-44, where the city’s destruction is predicted as evidence of the judgment that will come on this generation of the nation (cf. 11:29-32).”
Bock “the punishment will last until the nation, considered as whole, recognizes God’s representative.” He is taking it generally, which I think is healthy, and saying that the Jews will be under God’s judgment until the day when they take the words of these Messianic psalms and truly apply them to Jesus. “Until Jesus garners such acceptance, the nation is at risk.” And he highlights the word “until,” showing that in God plan this is not forever. There will come a day when Israel will turn to the Lord, and God will again take them under His wings.

Luke 21:24 refers to “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”, also Acts 3:18-22 and Rom. 22:12-32.

Hendriksen: “Did Jesus utter this lament twice: now, on his way toward Jerusalem, and a little later, during the week of the Passion? Or is Luke incorporating some material from Matthew into his gospel, since it fits into the present context so very neatly? I accept the latter alternative. If these words were spoken earlier than the almost exactly similar ones found in Matthew 23:37-39, I do not understand how at this earlier time Jesus would have been able to say ‘You will certainly not see me until…’” So I guess he is saying that if they were about to see him at the triumphal entry, it doesn’t make sense to say this?
Hend “After the week of the passion Jesus will not again publicly reveal himself to the Jews until the day of his second coming. Except for a brief transition period, the day of special opportunity for the Jews is past.”
Hend “Those who repented before they died will then, at that glorious coming, proclaim Christ joyfully; the others ruefully, remorsefully, not penitently. But so majestic and radiant will be Christ’s glory that all will feel impelled to render homage to him. (Is. 45:23, Rom. 14:11, Phil. 2:10, 11)
BKC seems to suggest that this is when Luke records this statement of the rejection of Jesus, but not necessarily that it happened here.
BKC “The crowd did quote this verse when Jesus entered the city in His triumphal entry (Luke 19:38), but their religious leaders disapproved. Ultimately this truth will be proclaimed when Jesus comes again and enters the city as the millennial Ruler.”

Bock “The event is a major turning point in the Gospel, for Jesus will now concentrate on teaching his disciples rather than addressing the nation. They have made their decision and sealed their fate.”