Pivot Point


Luke 13:31-35
31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32And 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. 33Nevertheless, 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.’ 34O 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! 35Behold, 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!’”

While these 5 verses are a short interlude, they are theologically vital. With that being said, this also means that these 5 verses are pivotal and central to the book of Luke and some would argue, to the Bible as a whole. I’ll bet you didn’t think they were important at all as you read through them. I didn’t.

First of all, let’s deal with this warning to Jesus from the Pharisees. Did they say these words because they were sympathetic to Jesus mission or because they simply wanted Jesus to leave the region and get out of their hair? The commentators are divided on that question, so I will let you decide where you want to land on that one. I think that they were looking to have Jesus move on and cease to be a problem for them. What we find in Jesus response is a fearless commitment to His mission – the salvation of the world through His death in Jerusalem.

But we also find Jesus sharing His derision for Herod who will later ask Jesus to do a “trick” for him during the Passion trials. He remains steadfast in His determination to complete His saving work in Jerusalem. While He knows full well what is coming, His commitment remains firm. Not even the mighty Herod can deter Him from completing His mission. In the same breath, Jesus mourns the lack of repentance and faith that can be found in Jerusalem. The rejection of the Jews is a source of great sorrow to God but not a new occurrence. The Old Testament is filled with stories of those who spoke God’s Word being rejected and even murdered.

In these important words we find that Jesus will not be stopped from shedding His blood for the sins of the world but He is heartbroken over the rejection of this amazing gift. This attitudes lies at the heart of the Gospel and is still alive for us today. For every person who receives Jesus as their Savior, there is rejoicing in Heaven. For every person who rejects the Lord Jesus as their Savior, there is mourning. It is my prayer that for every person who ever reads these words there is rejoicing in Heaven over their faith in Jesus as their Savior.

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