Luk 13:31-32 | KingComments | STEP | The Pharisees do not like the teaching of the Lord. When He enters the area of Herod on His way to Jerusalem, they come to Him with a message that Herod wants to kill Him. It seems that under the false pretext of caring for His life, they are trying to frighten Him with their message. The Lord is not impressed by their so-called care. He knows that Herod is a bad man. He also knows that the Pharisees are no better and their expression of interest and care for His Person is hypocrisy. It also seems that Herod makes use of the mind of the Pharisees. In the hatred they both have for Him, they find each other and one uses the other for his own murderous plans. The Lord doesn’t let Himself be influenced by any suggestion of the enemy. He has a work to do for His Father. With Divine contempt for this king who wants to kill Him, He calls him a ‘fox’ because of his cunning to thwart His testimony for God. Of course the Lord sees through his intentions, and his cunning is in vain. He does not hesitate to say it clearly. They refuse Him Who has come to gather His people under His wings just as a hen her brood and prefer a fox. The Lord has come to do the will of God Who has sent Him. This will must be done at all costs. Therefore, just like all other days, He will do the work of God, today and tomorrow and every day thereafter. He does a verifiable work. He casts out demons and performs cures, all works of grace. And then, on the third day – this is spoken figuratively, for it will take months before He suffers and dies – He will reach His goal. The words “I reach My goal“ literally means “will I be completed”. He will die at the time determined by God and at the place determined by God, not sooner and not later and not anywhere else. At the same time, it means that He is coming at the end of His walk on earth, that is to say that He will have achieved His goal. When He is risen, He will have fully achieved His purpose. Luke actually points this out by using the expression “the third [day]”, which often refers to the resurrection. The Lord speaks of the fact that He is engaged in His work and that it must be completed. He must go on to the cross. He will take a new place in the heavenly glory through His death and His resurrection, after He has ended His course on earth. He also realizes that no human power will be allowed to stop Him in His work until He has accomplished everything. He is on His way to Jerusalem because there all the prophets have been killed. There is no other treatment awaiting Him other than all the prophets before Him. However, He is more than a prophet. What He says about Jerusalem with sorrow, no prophet has been able to say. He is the God of Jerusalem. He mentions the name of the city twice in order to strengthen His inner compassion for this city. He is authorized and capable to gather them together out of a love that a hen also has for her brood (cf. ). He would like to protect His people under His wings from all impending doom. (God is a Father with motherly feelings and as such He is an example for earthly fathers and mothers.) He could have been their shield and their very great reward ( ), but they did not want it. They have shown their rejection of Him many times by killing the prophets God had sent to them in His love. Because Jerusalem had behaved so rebellious, the Lord surrendered them to themselves. He withdraws from the house of Israel and also from the temple which is no longer God’s house, but has become “your house”, which means their house. He leaves them to themselves and leaves. They will not see Him again, “until …”. The ‘until’ is the announcement of a change in their mind. This change will be felt when they cry out: “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the LORD.” They will cry out this when the Lord Jesus returns to deliver His people, that is to say the faithful remnant of Israel, from their enemies. Before that time, the people will still cry massively: “Away with this man” and: “Crucify, crucify Him” ( ).

‏ Luke 13:31-32

Lamentation Over Jerusalem

The Pharisees do not like the teaching of the Lord. When He enters the area of Herod on His way to Jerusalem, they come to Him with a message that Herod wants to kill Him. It seems that under the false pretext of caring for His life, they are trying to frighten Him with their message. The Lord is not impressed by their so-called care. He knows that Herod is a bad man. He also knows that the Pharisees are no better and their expression of interest and care for His Person is hypocrisy.

It also seems that Herod makes use of the mind of the Pharisees. In the hatred they both have for Him, they find each other and one uses the other for his own murderous plans. The Lord doesn’t let Himself be influenced by any suggestion of the enemy. He has a work to do for His Father. With Divine contempt for this king who wants to kill Him, He calls him a ‘fox’ because of his cunning to thwart His testimony for God.

Of course the Lord sees through his intentions, and his cunning is in vain. He does not hesitate to say it clearly. They refuse Him Who has come to gather His people under His wings just as a hen her brood and prefer a fox. The Lord has come to do the will of God Who has sent Him. This will must be done at all costs. Therefore, just like all other days, He will do the work of God, today and tomorrow and every day thereafter.

He does a verifiable work. He casts out demons and performs cures, all works of grace. And then, on the third day – this is spoken figuratively, for it will take months before He suffers and dies – He will reach His goal. The words “I reach My goal“ literally means “will I be completed”. He will die at the time determined by God and at the place determined by God, not sooner and not later and not anywhere else. At the same time, it means that He is coming at the end of His walk on earth, that is to say that He will have achieved His goal. When He is risen, He will have fully achieved His purpose. Luke actually points this out by using the expression “the third [day]”, which often refers to the resurrection.

The Lord speaks of the fact that He is engaged in His work and that it must be completed. He must go on to the cross. He will take a new place in the heavenly glory through His death and His resurrection, after He has ended His course on earth. He also realizes that no human power will be allowed to stop Him in His work until He has accomplished everything. He is on His way to Jerusalem because there all the prophets have been killed. There is no other treatment awaiting Him other than all the prophets before Him.

However, He is more than a prophet. What He says about Jerusalem with sorrow, no prophet has been able to say. He is the God of Jerusalem. He mentions the name of the city twice in order to strengthen His inner compassion for this city. He is authorized and capable to gather them together out of a love that a hen also has for her brood (cf. Jer 31:10).

He would like to protect His people under His wings from all impending doom. (God is a Father with motherly feelings and as such He is an example for earthly fathers and mothers.) He could have been their shield and their very great reward (Gen 15:1), but they did not want it. They have shown their rejection of Him many times by killing the prophets God had sent to them in His love.

Because Jerusalem had behaved so rebellious, the Lord surrendered them to themselves. He withdraws from the house of Israel and also from the temple which is no longer God’s house, but has become “your house”, which means their house. He leaves them to themselves and leaves. They will not see Him again, “until …”.

The ‘until’ is the announcement of a change in their mind. This change will be felt when they cry out: “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the LORD.” They will cry out this when the Lord Jesus returns to deliver His people, that is to say the faithful remnant of Israel, from their enemies.

Before that time, the people will still cry massively: “Away with this man” and: “Crucify, crucify Him” (Lk 23:18 ; 21).