Love Like No Other

Well, this morning as we open the Word of God, we find Jesus having another encounter with

! the Pharisees. And if you don't know who the Pharisees were, they were a religious group

! of Jews in Jesus' day. They were concerned with being personally devoted to God and

with meticulously following the law of God. But they were off on some things. They had many

of their own laws and traditions that they had collected over time. They had all kinds of rituals

and ceremonial purity things that they practiced. And they kind of got to this place where they saw

themselves as the authority on true religion amongst the Jews. And of course, as we've seen

through the Gospel of Luke, there's been conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees have

been going after Jesus about all kinds of things. They're firmly opposed to Him. And Jesus has been

rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and their greed and for leading people astray.

Well, this morning we get to see another very brief encounter with the Pharisees. And it brings out

some things about Jesus that are precious. So let's look at it here in Luke chapter 13.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

And we're starting in verse 31.

At that time, some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him,

Leave this place and go somewhere else.

Herod wants to kill you.

Jesus 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.

We heard last week that Jesus is right now on His way to the city of Jerusalem.

And He's not traveling in the most direct way,

but He's kind of meandering through all the villages and towns on His way there.

And we listened last week to Jesus answer that question of how many will be saved.

He talked about the door of salvation being very narrow.

He encouraged the people to make every effort to enter through that door.

And He spoke about how many would find themselves cast out of the kingdom of God at the end.

Well, at that time,

same moment or conversation,

Luke tells us,

some Pharisees come to Jesus

and they say this to Him.

Leave this place.

Go somewhere else.

Herod wants to kill you.

It's no surprise, of course,

that the Pharisees want Jesus to get out of town

because they hate Him.

And the Pharisees will play a big part

in Jesus' death

in the days ahead.

But let's not miss the significance of this moment.

God has sent Jesus

to speak to the people.

And as we heard last Sunday,

Jesus has come to teach in their streets

and to call the people to repent

so that they can enter into

the kingdom of God and be saved.

And what's the response of the Pharisees

to Jesus?

Get out of here.

We don't want to see you anymore.

We don't want you here.

Go somewhere else.

They reject Jesus.

They reject God's messenger.

And the Pharisees sort of add in this little detail.

They say, Herod wants to kill you.

Herod was the ruler of the region of Galilee

up in the north of Israel.

Jesus did a lot of ministry in Galilee.

And as we hear sort of this little piece of information

from the Pharisees,

it gets us wondering and thinking,

you know,

did Herod really want to kill Jesus?

Not too long from now,

he's going to hope to see Jesus

so that he'll do a miracle.

Or is he just sort of telling the Pharisees

to say this to Jesus,

hoping that Jesus will just stay out of his area?

Or are the Pharisees just making this up

because they just want Jesus to get away from them?

And if Herod did want to kill Jesus,

what's the reason?

Is it just because of the tension

that's happening between Jesus

and the leaders of the Jews?

Well, there's no clear answer to these questions,

but we do get Jesus' reply.

Jesus says,

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.

Now, I don't know about you,

what the first thing that pops out to you

in that statement is,

but for me,

it's that word fox.

And it's kind of a chuckle

that Jesus calls Herod a fox,

but we should use discernment here too.

Jesus is not just doing that sort of,

you know,

sinful name calling

that we sometimes have done,

and neither is he insulting Herod.

He's not trying to dehumanize him.

And this isn't the only time

that Jesus will call someone

sort of an animal name.

He will later call the Pharisees

a brood of vipers.

And there's truth in the metaphor

that Jesus chooses.

Now, there's some debate

over what is that truth.

When we refer to someone as a fox today,

we often are talking about somebody

being clever or sly or sneaky,

but usually in a bad way.

Back in Jesus' day,

to call someone a fox

could either have meant deceptive

or destructive

or pathetic.

Kind of like a nipping fox

rather than a fierce

and majestic lion of a ruler.

Now, of course,

the commentators will go back and forth

over which one Jesus meant.

Whatever the case,

Jesus is highlighting

something true and real about Herod.

He was a wicked man.

He was corrupt.

He was ungodly.

He wasn't particularly powerful

or majestic.

He was only a tetrarch

under the rule of the Roman Empire.

But probably the thing

that comes to mind most

that relates to this,

we remember the evil thing

that Herod did

when he beheaded

John the baptizer.

That was both Jesus' relative

and a prophet that God had sent.

And so,

the Pharisees are poisonous vipers

and Herod truly was a fox.

He had already made a kill.

And Jesus has a message

for the Pharisees

to give back to Herod.

He says,

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.

So Herod wants to kill me

for what?

What?

Jesus basically points out

he hasn't done anything wrong.

Nothing to deserve being killed.

Like,

why does he want to kill me?

For healing people?

For setting people free

from demon possession?

No.

You tell him

that I will keep on doing these things

until I'm finished.

Jesus kind of just dismisses

Herod's threat.

Maybe even reminds Herod a little bit

that he's doing these things

by a higher authority.

But it's a reminder again

that Jesus is being opposed.

He's being hated

for no good reason.

Look at all the good

that Jesus has been doing

for people.

Healings of all kinds.

Illnesses,

diseases,

disabilities.

People being set free

from evil spirits

and yet they want

to be rid of Jesus.

Jesus gives a sort of schedule here.

The today, tomorrow,

and on the third day

or on the next day

part of the verse.

And most Bible students

looking at this

take this to be figurative

rather than actual.

If we read carefully

in the Gospel of Luke

we'll notice that it's

much more than three days

before Jesus actually

arrives at Jerusalem.

And so most conclude

that he's speaking figuratively

like I will keep on doing

what I've been doing

for the time being

for the next little while

but it won't be too long

before I am finally killed

in Jerusalem.

It won't be by Herod.

It won't be in Galilee.

It will be in Jerusalem.

And these words of Jesus

leave us kind of speechless.

I must press on today

and tomorrow

and the next day

for surely no prophet

can die

outside Jerusalem.

What do we even say to that?

If you were there

in that moment

what would you say?

It's such a sad

and stark reminder

of how evil

the people of Israel

have been

over the centuries

leading up to this.

God has sent prophet

after prophet

after prophet

to deliver his message

and what have they done?

By and large

they have rejected them.

They have killed them.

And not just a few

but so many

over the centuries.

And the pinnacle

of the rejection

ironically

happens in Jerusalem.

And it shouldn't be that way.

Jerusalem should be

the holy city.

That's the place

where the Lord's temple was.

If there's any place

where people

sincerely worship God

and listen to his messengers

it should have been Jerusalem.

The place where God

chose to put his name.

And yet it's there

in the capital city

that God's messengers

have been executed

and killed

again and again

and again.

This statement of Jesus

is loaded.

Surely

no prophet

can die

outside

Jerusalem.

The death

of the prophets

in Jerusalem

reveals that it wasn't

just the citizens

of Israel

who rejected

the Lord

and his messengers.

It was the very

leaders of Israel.

The priests

even.

The king.

Jerusalem

in a sense

was the heart

of Israel.

It was the place

that all the people

of the nation

went to

three times a year

to worship the Lord

or so it was

supposed to be.

But with how things

are going

and have gone

it's like Jesus

is saying

the very heart

of this nation

has rejected

God's messengers

over and over again

and so it would

be shocking

if it didn't

go that way

again.

Now I don't

think Jesus

is being

skeptical

or cynical

the way that

we sometimes

are.

I don't think

he's bitter

the way that

we sometimes

are.

I think

rather this

is deep

sorrow

a holy

frustration

in the heart

of Jesus.

I think

the statement

is intended

to get our

attention

and to help

us see

that the

same pattern

the same

awful and

wicked cycle

that has

happened for

centuries

is about

to unfold

again.

God sends

his man

to give

his message

to his

people

and they

reject him

and kill

him.

But there's

also something

very beautiful

here.

Did you

notice how

Jesus

describes

his death?

I'll put

it on screen

so you can

see.

Herod wants

to kill

you.

Jesus

refers or

replies to

that saying

on the

third day

I will

reach my

goal

for no

prophet

can die

outside

Jerusalem.

What is

Jesus'

goal?

His goal

is reached

by his

death.

That's what

he's

deliberately

moving

toward.

This is

no surprise

to him

that he's

going to

die.

This is

the plan.

He knows

the plan

can only

be fulfilled

by doing

the things

God has

given him

to do

so that

the

opposition

continues

to grow

and grow

so that

it does

kind of

come to

that moment

that culminate

in that

moment where

he is

killed.

And do you

hear that

necessariness?

I must

press on

for surely

no prophet

can die

outside

Jerusalem.

I must

continue on

the path

that leads

to my

death

because that's

the way I

reach my

goal.

all the

pressure

could go

away for

Jesus.

All the

threats

and opposition

could go

away if

Jesus simply

stops doing

what he has

been doing.

If he

gives in to

the Pharisees

and to

Herod.

But Jesus'

goal,

his purpose,

his plan,

and the

father's is

not to

avoid

suffering.

The goal

that Jesus

has come

for requires

his death

in Jerusalem.

Just like

all the

prophets who

came before,

Jesus must

face that

rejection in

the very

heart of

his people

because that's

how atonement

will be made.

That's how

the mission

will be

accomplished.

The mission

to save us.

That's why

Jesus says

on the

cross right

before he

dies,

it is

finished.

What's

beautiful here

is how

unflinching

Jesus is

in the face

of the

opposition

and the

threats.

He knows

exactly what

he's come

to do.

He has

come to

save his

people from

their sins,

to make

atonement,

to reconcile

us to

God.

And he

knows that

his death

is required

and he

doesn't

hesitate.

He doesn't

shrink back.

He presses

forward right

into the

fire of it.

There's a

determination

in the love

of Jesus

for you

and for

me.

He keeps

moving

forward

towards

the

suffering,

towards

the

agony,

towards

the

threats

and the

hurt

of his

enemies.

He is

focused,

he is

determined

to lay

down his

life to

save us.

And the

next words

of Jesus

here,

they just

sort of

open the

floodgates

of his

heart.

We see

just how

deep his

love is

and how

intense

his

compassion

is.

Verse

34,

Jerusalem,

Jerusalem,

you who

killed the

prophets

and stoned

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.

Can you

feel the

heartache

inside these

words of

Jesus?

When people

scorn him

and reject

him,

he feels

it

deeply.

Their

rejection

burns his

very soul.

He grieves.

He weeps.

Later in the

story, we will

even see him

cry in

public.

he says,

he longs

to gather

them.

How often

I have

longed to

gather your

children

together as

a hen

gathers her

chicks under

her wings.

This picture is

so intimate

and loving.

And look at

what Jesus

calls them,

the people

of Jerusalem.

I have

longed to

gather

your

children.

This isn't

just about a

city or a

place.

He's thinking

of the

people there.

They're like

wayward sons

and daughters

who have

gone off the

rails in

life and

he longs

like a

dad or a

mom to

bring them

back together

so that

they can be

with him

and they

can be

close.

But they

won't have

it.

And this

isn't just a

one time

feeling of

Jesus.

He says

how often

I have

felt this.

Like again

and again

and again

and again.

Have you

ever felt

intense longing

over a long

period of time

for a broken

relationship to

be restored?

Lord, this

is like that

times a

thousand.

If you

think about

every time

Jesus made

this trip to

Jerusalem three

times a year,

he's reminded

of this, how

the heart of

his people is

cold and

dark towards

God.

And it

breaks his

heart.

We see a

little glimpse

of it in

John's gospel

when he

drives out

the merchants

and the

money changers

from the

temple courts.

This is the

place that

you're to

come to

talk to

God, to

pray, to

draw near to

him, not

to do

business.

And I

believe that

we get a

little glimpse

of the

divine nature

of Jesus

shining through

in these

words.

Because it's

not just that

Jesus has

longed for the

restoration of

this broken

relationship,

you know, as

often as he

went to

Jerusalem

growing up.

I mean, what

is Jesus

lamenting here?

He's lamenting

the rejection

and the murder

of the prophets

over the past

centuries.

He's crying

over that.

Why?

Why?

Because he

himself is the

God who

sent them.

That's what he's

talking about when

he says, how

often I have

longed.

You who kill

the prophets and

stone those sent

to you, how

often I have

longed to gather

your children

together.

Do you hear the

voice of God

speaking through

Jesus?

Jesus.

Jesus.

Many attempts

have been made

to fix this

broken relationship,

but they were

not willing.

The last verse

here, verse 35,

has both a

warning and a

note of hope.

He says,

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.

Let's look at

the warning

first.

He says,

look, your

house is left

to you desolate.

I think Jesus

means something

like, if you

reject me, then

there's nothing

left for you.

You'll be left

to yourselves.

You'll be

abandoned.

You'll be

desolate.

Like a house

no longer

lived in.

What happens

to a house

when there's

nobody living

in it?

Well,

eventually it

collapses.

Or it's

vandalized by

somebody,

ruined by

others.

And sadly,

this is exactly

what will happen

to Jerusalem.

About 40

years later,

AD 70,

war breaks

out,

the Romans

come,

and they

utterly destroy

the city.

your house

is left

to you

desolate.

You will

not see

me again.

But then

there's this

strange note

of hope

at the end.

You will

not see

me again

until you

say,

blessed is

he who

comes in

the name

of the

Lord.

Those words

come from

Psalm 118,

a fascinating

psalm.

And one

of the

themes of

that psalm

is how

God's

love

never ends.

It never

fails.

It just

keeps going

on and

on forever.

And in

that psalm,

it speaks

of how

Israel would

be wise

to put

their trust

in the

Lord and

to take

refuge in

him.

It also

speaks of

severe

discipline.

But then

it goes on

to say

in Psalm

118,

that the

stone,

the

builders

rejected,

has become

the

cornerstone.

And then

at the

end we

hear this

shout of

praise,

blessed is

he who

comes in

the name

of the

Lord.

It's as

though Jesus

is saying,

Jerusalem,

though for a

time you

will be

abandoned and

desolate,

there's coming

a day when

you will

welcome your

Messiah.

there's

coming a

day when

you embrace

the one

who comes

in the

name of

Yahweh.

And on

that day

the response

will be so

different than

it is now.

They will

praise the

Lord, the

God of their

ancestors.

There are

other places

in the Bible

that seem to

describe this

moment as

well.

a moment in

which they

will look

upon the

one they

had pierced

and they

will mourn.

They will

grieve,

realizing

painfully the

wrong that

they as a

city had

done to

the one

that God

sent them

long ago.

If I

understand some

of the

prophetic

portions of

scripture

correctly,

it will be a

day of

salvation and

rejoicing,

a day of

rescue,

for Jerusalem

and its

people,

a day of

being delivered

from the

enemies that

surround them.

You will

not see me

again until

that day,

the day that

you say,

blessed is he

who comes in

the name of

the Lord.

What's

beautiful about

this is the

love that we

see here of

God for his

people.

we've seen

that he's

unflinching

and deliberate

in his

love.

He will

suffer and

die for us

on purpose.

And some

will perish

because they

reject him,

yes,

but even

that doesn't

erase or

diminish his

love for

these people.

people,

there is

still a

hope.

And I

hope that

these words

of Jesus

are an

encouragement

to you

this morning.

Maybe you're

here and you

know that

this week

was yet

another week

of blowing

it.

not your

best week.

Maybe you

can think of

a few wrong

decisions made

or thoughts,

thought or

things said

or done,

failings,

to be

patient

and gentle

and considerate.

but what

these words

of Jesus

tell me

is that

Jesus loves

me at

my very

worst.

They tell

me that

when things

are not

as they

should be

between

me and

him,

he is

longing

intensely

to fix

any

breach

in the

relationship.

These words

tell me that

he is

exceeding

patient.

How many

prophets did

he send

over the

centuries?

How many

chances does

he give

us?

And even

after sending

his own

son,

the ultimate

prophet,

it's not

the end

of the

story

for

Jerusalem.

If we've

accepted

Christ and

are following

him,

our relationship

with Jesus

is not like

this.

We're not

at odds

with him

or with

God.

We don't

need to

fear being

left to

ourselves

or abandoned.

We remember

that promise

Jesus made.

I will never

leave you

or forsake

you.

I will be

with you

with you

always,

even to

the end

of the

age.

But I

think these

words still

give us a

glimpse of

the depth

of his

love for

people and

the patience.

Well, we'll hear

more next week

from Jesus as

one of the

Pharisees invites

Jesus over

for dinner.

And there's

some interesting

things that go

down there.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

we want to ask

for your

forgiveness for

the times when

we've been like

the Pharisees and

pushed you away

and ignored you

and not wanted

to have you

near.

we want to ask

for your

forgiveness for

those times when

we've been like

the people of

Jerusalem and

been stubborn and

hard-hearted and

unwilling to

listen.

Soften our

hearts, Lord

Jesus.

Put in us that

willingness to

respond to you.

We thank you for

your amazing love

for us.

While we were

still sinners,

you gave your

life for ours.

You died for us.

We give you

praise and we

love you.

In your name,

amen.