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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
September 24, 2017
Expectations and Lament
Luke 13:31-35
Introduction
Turn to Luke 13:31–35. We will pick up our study where we left off last week. 31 Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.” 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. 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! 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!’ “
Luke 13:22 states that Jesus was teaching in the cities and villages as He was proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. There is some thought that Jesus may have been in Perea (to the east of the Jordan river and south of Pella), where He had gone immediately after leaving Jerusalem following the Festival of Dedication (John 10:40). (See: Safe in the Shepherd’s Hands) However, that would have required Jesus to go away from Jerusalem to be passing between Samaria and Galilee as recorded in Luke 17:11. Since the context here is that Jesus is proceeding toward Jerusalem, it appears Jesus is in the region of Galilee when He gives His admonition to “strive to enter through the narrow door” so that you are not excluded from God’s kingdom in answer to the question about whether only a few would be saved (Luke 13:22-30) and the Pharisees warn him about Herod’s desire to kill Him.
It is important to note that Jesus is in Galilee because this area along with Perea were under the control of Herod at that time. This is Herod Antipas the Tetrarch, the son of Herod the Great who ruled Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth and appears in Matthew 2 and Luke 1. Be careful not to confuse this Herod with his great nephew, Herod Agrippa, who ruled after Jesus’ resurrection and is mentioned in Acts. Also do not confuse this Herod with his half-brother brother, Herod Philip the Tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, from whom he stole his wife, Herodius, who was also their niece. Matthew 14 tells the story of the wickedness of Herod Antipas and Herodius who murdered John the Baptist because of his opposition to their illicit relationship. That is the background to the warning given in verse 31 by the Pharisees that Herod wanted to kill Jesus and why there would be danger if Jesus stayed in a region controlled by Herod Antipas.
The Desire to Kill Jesus – Luke 13:31
Not every Pharisee was antagonistic toward Jesus, so perhaps it was some of these ones that Luke mentions came to warn Jesus that Herod wanted to kill Him, yet it still seems strange for Jesus’ answer seems to indicate that these Pharisees had enough of a relationship with Herod to be messengers to him. Our study of the life of Christ has shown that lot of the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead and He was aware of that fact. Jesus was aware of this the first time He cleansed the Temple and so responded to their challenge saying, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” with reference to His body (John 2:18-19, 21). John 5:18 specifically states “the Jews were all the more seeking to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” In John 7:1 we are told Jesus went to Galilee because the Jews were seeking to kill him. In verse 19 Jesus challenged them asking, “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me? In Matthew 12:11-14 we are told that after Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath “the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him as to how they might destroy Him.” In John 8:37 Jesus confronted them saying, “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.” He does this again in verse 40 saying, “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.” In our study of John 10 a couple of weeks ago we saw that the Pharisees picked up stones to stone Jesus because He identified Himself with God the Father. (See: Safe in the Shepherd’s Hands) Why then would Pharisees want to warn Jesus of Herod’s threat to murder Him?
There are a several possibilities. First, as already mentioned, perhaps these were some of the Pharisees that were not antagonistic toward Jesus and genuinely thought they were looking out for His safety. Second, perhaps they were uncertain what Herod would or would not do, but such a threat might get Jesus to leave their area and go into an area where the Sanhedrin would have authority to silence Jesus, perhaps permanently. Jesus was already aware of this and had told His disciples on several occasions already that after He arrived Jerusalem He would “suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (Mark 8:31; 9:31).
A third and fourth possibility is either they exaggerated or made up or a story about Herod’s threat in order to get Jesus to leave their area and go to Judea where the Sanhedrin would be able to deal with Him, or Herod was manipulating them to prod Jesus to leave the area for an unknown reason. What gives strength to either of these ideas is that what the scriptures reveal about Herod Antipas make it very unlikely that he would have made any serious threat against Jesus.
First, according to Matthew 14:5 and Mark 6:20, Herod feared both John and the crowds which is why he was so hesitant to execute John the Baptist even though he wanted to put him to death. That murder only took place because of Herod’s rash oath to his step-daughter and Herodius’ manipulation. Herod would have had the same fear of the crowds that followed Jesus. Second, Matthew 14:1, Mark 6:16 and Luke 9:7 record that though Herod was initially perplexed by Jesus, he settled on the idea that Jesus’ ability to do miracles was explained by His being John the Baptist risen from the dead. Such a superstitious man would have been both curious and fearful instead of issuing death threats. Third, Luke 9:9 is specific that Herod kept trying to see Jesus and Luke 23:8 records that Herod was very glad when he finally did see 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.” Those actions are contrary to the idea that Herod posed a legitimate threat to Jesus’ life while He was in Galilee.
Though Jesus lived a sinless life and is the most loving human that ever walked on this planet, there were many who desired or even attempted to take His life. Why? In the case of the Jewish religious leaders it is was mainly because Jesus was true to the word of God and would not bend to their man-made traditions which He often directly opposed. Others felt Jesus was a threat to their position, power or profit. That was true of the corrupt operators of the Temple money-changers and sellers of sacrificial animals. That was also true of the chief priests who feared that if the people believed in Jesus then Rome would come and destroy them all (John 11:48). That was true of Herod the Great who tried to murder Jesus when He was still a baby because the Magi were looking for the one that was born “king of the Jews” (Matt. 2:2-18). Others hated Jesus because His message of repentance exposed their sin. His offer of forgiveness for those sins was immaterial to them. They wanted to either justify their sin or keep them as hidden pleasures. That was the response of those in His own hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30).
The responses to Jesus are not much different in our own time. Some understand His message and what He did and love Him. Others are indifferent being either passively ignorant or purposely ignoring Him in order to pursue their own interests. Many others hate Him because He exposes their sinfulness and / or self-righteousness and they refuse to repent from those things to be forgiven. No wonder Jesus said you must “strive to enter through the narrow door” in order to be part of God’s kingdom (Luke 13:24), and few find it (Matthew 7:13-14).
Jesus’ response to these warnings and toward Herod was near indifference because of His confidence in God’s sovereignty.
Confidence in God’s Sovereignty – Luke 13:32-33
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’ indifference toward Herod’s threat is demonstrated in both the name He uses for Herod and His stated expectations. Jesus uses the Pharisees as couriers for the message that He would be ignoring Herod’s threat because He fully expected to fulfill God’s plan in God’s way in God’s timing.
Jesus calls Herod “that fox.” The English and Greek words used here are the same when referring to the small wild mammal related to dogs (foxes and dogs interbreed, so they are in the same kind). However, the figurative use can be very different. In English, calling a person a fox means they are clever, crafty, cunning (or in more recent times, someone who is good looking). In that culture, calling a person a fox was very negative combining the idea of being cunning with being wicked and hence treacherous. Some scholars suggest it may also have implied being insignificant from Rabbinc literature that compared the strength and majesty of a lion (Proverbs 30:30) to weakness of a fox (Psalm 63:10). Jesus did not have respect for Herod. When Jesus was before Herod prior to His crucifixion, He did not even respond to Herod’s many questions (Luke 23:9). He considered Herod to be just “that fox.” Herod was more of a malicious nuisance like the small foxes ruining the vineyards in Song of Solmon 2:15 than an actual threat.
Jesus stated His expectations for the future. He would continue to do His present ministry that included casting out demons and healing people before finishing His ministry which would take Him to Jerusalem. The time element in these verses of today, tomorrow and the third day is a figurative Rabbinic expression of the near future and not three consecutive 24 hour periods. The time period would culminate in a definite but unknown point. Jesus would continue His present ministry and complete it in Jerusalem in the near future, but it would be more than three days.
The word at the end of verse 31 is from teleiovw / teleio and is translated as “I reach My goal” in the NASB, as “I shall be perfected” in the NKJV, and “I finish my course” in the ESV. The idea is to bring to completion, to finish, to accomplish, to reach the end. Since this is joined in the next verse with Jesus reaching Jerusalem, for that is where a prophet was to perish, it becomes obvious that Jesus is talking about His coming crucifixion. Jesus is not making a definitive statement here that all prophets had to die in Jerusalem for though many prophets were murdered in that city, many others were not including John the Baptist. Jesus Himself would die just outside the city walls (John 19:17). This then is a broader reference to Jerusalem as the seat of authority from which the prophets were condemned by corrupt political or religious leaders. It is also in particular a contrast with the threat of Herod to kill Jesus in Galilee or Perea with God’s plan that Jesus would be killed in Jerusalem because He was a prophet. Who would kill Jesus and where He would die was sovereignly determined by God and not Herod.
I have already mentioned that Jesus had been telling His disciples what would happen to Him after He reached Jerusalem. Jesus is fully aware that death awaits Him in Jerusalem, yet He speaks of it with confident resolution instead of resignation. Any of us would be hesitant if not outright resistant to going to some place where we knew we would be murdered. It is trust in God’s absolute sovereignty that makes the difference.
Jesus was never a victim of circumstances even when those circumstances were unpredictable from a human standpoint. There was no fear in Him even in the midst of a raging tempest on the Sea of Galilee that struck terror in the hearts of the well seasoned fishermen with Him (Matthew 8:24-27). Several times He was in the middle of dangerous mobs, but He calmly went His own way (Luke 4:28-29; John 8:40-59). We saw this again a couple of weeks ago when Jesus calmly challenged the Jews who had already picked up stones to murder Him. Some say this calmness about Him in precarious situations is because He is also God. Certainly that is true, but Jesus is also fully human and that aspect can and should be applied in our own lives. We can be calm when facing a future uncertain to us because we are in the hands of God who is in control of the future.
This is very different from fatalism which is a blind resignation to destiny. This is a confidence in God’s sovereignty and loving care for those that belong to Him. It arises out of a trust in God and His character that He will act in accord with what is best even if you may not understand it until eternity. It was this trust that allowed Jesus as a human to pray “Thy will be done” in the Garden of Gethsemane even as the emotional agony of what He was facing caused Him to sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:41-44). This is what Paul was talking about in Philippians 4:6-7 that proper prayer brings about a peace that passes understanding. It is the experience of countless Christians throughout the ages as they have faced dire circumstances. It is what enabled Nabeel Qureshi, a former devout Muslim who became a powerful Christian apologist who died of cancer at age 34 this past September 16, to calmly pray “please heal, please come through. But if it shouldn’t be your will, Your sovereign will, at the end of the day, then I trust You, and I love you anyway. I praise You Lord. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.” (See www.NabeelQureshi.com)
I believe that the greater your trust in God’s love and sovereignty, the greater your ability to be content and calm in every circumstance as you look for what the Lord will do. You will not know the details of what is to come as Jesus did, but you will know what the Lord wants you to do in glorifying Him as you face the future, for whatever it may be, God will be with you and He controls the final outcome which is glory in heaven with Him. If you can learn to do simple things such as make your economic decisions based on Jesus’ command in Matthew 6:33 to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, then it becomes possible for extremes such as loss of all your possessions, betrayal by a supposed friend, debilitating illness, and even death to be faced with calmness and contentment. It is a matter of your ability to trust God in the present and future.
The mention of Jerusalem as the place where prophets perish prods Jesus to a lament concerning Jerusalem
Lament for Jerusalem – Luke 13:34-35
The lament recorded here in Luke 13:34-35 is almost exactly the same as recorded in Matthew 23:37-39 after Jesus had entered Jerusalem. There is much spilt ink trying to reconcile the two by those that think Jesus only said things once. For those like myself that recognize that Jesus like any teacher would have repeated Himself and said similar things on different occasions, it is obvious that Jesus made a very similar lament over Jerusalem two different times since the context and timing of these two passages are so different. In Luke’s account Jesus is in Galilee prior to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem responding to the report of a death threat by Herod with the subject of Jerusalem coming up as Jesus affirmed His confidence that God’s plan would be fulfilled including His death in Jerusalem. In Matthew’s account Jesus has already arrived in Jerusalem with the triumphal entry as a past event, and the lament arises as a conclusion to Jesus’ rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy in claiming to be righteous when they were in reality responsible for the deaths of the prophets God sent to them.
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! 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!’ “
Jesus’ Desire – Luke 13:34a. It is significant that in the first part of the lament expresses Jesus’ desire concerning those that killed the prophets. It is the opposite of what would be expected, for instead of calling out for vengeance for all the murders perpetrated, it is a mournful expression of grief over the refusal of her people to accept His protection as His children.
God is not like us. We have seen this over and over in Jesus’ response even toward those that oppose and hate Him even desiring to murder Him. Jesus is not shy about exposing their sin, but He also is quick to offer them hope of forgiveness if they will repent. In John 5 the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath. A normal human response would be to actively seek revenge or passively let them continue on their path to destruction. Jesus’ response is to explain His identity, the fourfold witness to His claim and offer hope of eternal life to all who would believe while warning that Moses would condemn them. In John 6 the people are grumbling at Jesus’ teaching and treating Him with contempt because He was a local boy. A normal human response would be to leave and let them reap the consequences of their rejection of His teaching. Instead, Jesus continued to teach and offer eternal life to those who believed. In John 7 the Jews contend with Jesus and He exposes their desire to kill Him. A normal response would be to leave them and never let them find Him. Jesus’ response instead is to make one more plea before leaving the city for anyone that is thirsty to come to Him and drink and find rivers of living water flowing from their innermost being. In John 8 there is contention again between Jesus and the Jews whom He again exposes as seeking to kill Him. A normal human response would be to condemn them as children of the devil and leave at that. Instead, Jesus still offers words of hope saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” And as pointed out from John 10 a few weeks ago, though the Jews have picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy, Jesus calmly confronts them and calls for them to believe His works as proof of His claims even if they do not accept His words. That is not a normal human response.
Jesus does not respond as a normal human because He submitted Himself completely to do the Father’s will (John 5:30) and therefore demonstrated that He was of the same essence as the Father. Jesus’ compassion matches that of God the Father who is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” (Exodus 34:6-7). Many of the Psalms give praise to the Lord for these characteristics (Psalm 78:38; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; 116:5).
This desire to redeem and save is expressed succinctly in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance,” adding a few verses later, “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation . . .” There is no question about God’s moral will or Jesus’ desire toward even those in Jerusalem that hated Him. He even expressed it while dying on the cross saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Their Desire – Luke 13:34b. The problem of salvation from sin is not on God’s part. He has already done everything necessary for redemption in Jesus Christ who paid the price and rose from the dead proving both His claims and promises are true. The problem lies with man which as expressed here “would not.” The phrase is oujc hjqelhvate / oux thel sate. It is the negation of the aorist active indicative of the verb for desire, want, wish. It is contrary to their will and so the desire will not be fulfilled.
I will let the theologians battle all the nuances of the meaning of this. It is my duty to declare what this and other passages such as Luke 13:22 we examined last week plainly state. Man is solely responsible for his failure to receive the redemption and forgiveness for sins offered by Jesus. God is willing and makes the offer. Man is not and refuses it. God has done all the work. Man rejects it. God commands. Man disobeys. Man eagerly seeks the broad gate and broad way leading to destruction and refuses to strive to enter through the narrow door leading to God’s kingdom and eternal life.
You may not understand the relationship between divine election and man’s responsibility in salvation from sin, and I am not sure any living human really does. You also may not like it, but the Scriptures are clear that an individual is only saved according to God’s sovereign election and intervention into that sinner’s life, and that every person that is not saved bears the full responsibility of their own failure to repent and believe. (See: Entering the Kingdom)
Consequences of Rejection – Luke 13:34b-35a
In this passage as in so many others, Jesus gives warning of the consequences for those that are unwilling. In this case, Jesus specifically says, “Behold, your house is left to you desolate.” The Holman Christian Standard Bible gives the sense, “See, your house is abandoned to you.” Since this is “your house” and not “God’s house,” it is not a reference to the temple as an active place of God’s presence. It is a broader reference to the perverted system of Judaism that had replaced God’s commands with man’s traditions and rituals. It is a dreadful thing to be abandoned by God. Each decline into greater sin detailed in Romans 1 is because God gave them over, He abandoned them to their sin which then degenerated into an even lower level.
Without the intervention of God to correct and guide them, religious Judaism has continued to decline and is now fractured into many diverse and often opposing sects. Without going into detail about its various groups, none of them actually follow the Torah as given to Moses or the prophets as written. Traditions of man replace God’s word. Without a temple or priesthood, none of them can carry out the Levitical sacrificial system, though some substitute the occasional chicken killed in various places. I recall watching a Hasidic Jew praying at the Western Wall. No doubt he was sincere and he was certainly working hard to get God to hear his prayers, yet he remained very distant because his traditions had replaced what God has actually said.
The Promise of the Future – Luke 13:35b
Even with this severe warning, Jesus offers hope for the future. They would not see Him until a future time, but a future time would come when Jesus would be seen again and the praise of Psalm 118:26 would be pronounced, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Since this is prior to Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the people laid down palm branches shouting this Psalm, it is possible this refers to that event to some degree. But this same pronouncement in Matthew 23:39 comes after that event and so refers to the future return of the Lord to establish His kingdom. This may well also refer to that event when the small remnant of Jews left after the Great Tribulation period are saved.
God gives hope for the future, but no individual who rejects Jesus in the present can assume they will be there for it. The vast majority then would suffer the condemnation Jesus warned them about. The same truth applies today. Do not assume. Do not delay. If you are not yet trusting in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you know if you died today you would be in His loving presence for eternity, then today is the day to repent and believe to receive eternal life. Tomorrow may be too late.
Sermon Notes – 9/24/2017
Expectations and Lament – Luke 13:31-35
Introduction
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
The Desire to Kill Jesus – Luke 13:31
It seems most Pharisees wanted Jesus _________ – John 2:18-19, 21; 5:18; 7:1; 8:37-40, 10:31; Matt. 12:11
Perhaps some ______________that were not antagonistic toward Jesus came to warn Him of Herod’s threat
Perhaps they were uncertain what Herod was do so they used the threat to get Jesus to __________for Judea
Perhaps they were lying or Herod was manipulating them in order to get Jesus to leave Galilee for ________
Herod would have still had the same _________of the crowds following Jesus as those following John
Herod thought ____________was John the Baptist come back to life – a reason for fearful curiosity
Herod was _________when he finally met Jesus in person and wanted to see Him perform a miracle
Jesus was sinless and was the most loving human that ever walked this planet, yet many wanted Him _____
Religious people hated Jesus because He followed _________________instead of their man-made traditions
Jesus was a ________to the position, power or profit of others such as Herod the Great and the Chief Priests
Hatred arose from those whose ____________were exposed by Jesus’ message of repentance
People still _____________Jesus for similar reasons today
Confidence in God’s Sovereignty – Luke 13:32-33
Calling Herod “that __” demonstrated Jesus’ indifference toward him as being treacherous and insignificant
Jesus’ expectation of the future was that He would _________His present ministry until completing His goal
Jesus would ___________His course in Jerusalem where He would be crucified just outside its walls
Jesus was fully aware of what awaited Him in Jerusalem, yet proceeded with __________trusting the Father
Jesus could be ____when facing imminent danger because He trusted His Father’s sovereign plan & actions
Confidence in God’s sovereignty is not ___________: “Thy will be done” is not blind resignation to destiny
There is a ____________correlation between trust in God’s love & sovereignty and being content & calm
Learning to _________ God in what is simple leads to growth and trusting Him in what is extreme
Lament for Jerusalem – Luke 13:34-35
This is nearly the same as Matthew 23:37-39 said in a ___________ place, time and context
Jesus’ Desire – Luke 13:34a
Jesus gives a mournful expression of __________ instead of a call of vengeance upon the murderers
God is not like us: Jesus offers __________ even to those that hate Him and attempt to murder Him
Jesus’ _____________ demonstrates He is of the same essence as the Father: Exodus 34:6-7
God’s desire is that _________________ and come to salvation – 2 Peter 3:9, 15
Their Desire – Luke 13:34b
The problem in salvation is that Jesus’ desire and man’s desire are opposite
Man is ______responsible for his failure to receive the redemption and forgiveness for sins offered by Jesus
Consequences of Rejection – Luke 13:35a
Their rejection resulted in God abandoning their _________ – the perverted system of Judaism
Judaism has fractured into many diverse sects _______of which follow the Law or prophets as given by God
The Promise of the Future – Luke 13:35b
There is severe warning, but also _________ is given for the fulfillment of Psalm 118:26
This happened at the triumphal entry (Matt. 21:9), but its complete fulfillment comes _______(Matt. 23:29)
No individual who ___________Jesus can assume they will be present for the hope God gives for the future
___________ is the day of salvation for tomorrow may be too late
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Count how many times Herod and Jesus are mentioned. 2) Discuss with your parents why Jesus could be calm even though there were so many that wanted to kill Him.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What is the context of this passage? Why is it important to note that Jesus is in an area controlled by Herod Antipas? Differentiate between Herod Antipas, Herod the Great, Herod Philip and Herod Agrippa. What evidence is there that the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead? What possible reasons would some Pharisees want to warn Jesus about a death threat from Herod Antipas? What do the rest of the gospel accounts reveal about Herod’s desires toward Jesus (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9, 23)? Why would anyone want Jesus dead? Why would people now hate Jesus? Why would Jesus call Herod “that fox.” What was Jesus’ expectation about what He would do in the coming days? Why was He unafraid of Herod and confident that what He expected would be fulfilled? What does verse 31 mean that Jesus would “reach my goal” (NASB) / “be perfected” (NKJV) / “finish my course” (ESV). What did Jesus expect would happen after He reached Jerusalem? Why was Jesus unafraid in so many different situations that caused or would cause normal men to fear? What is the difference between fatalism and trust in God’s sovereignty? What is the relationship between trusting in God’s love and sovereignty and being able to be content and calm in any situation? Are Luke 13:345-35 and Matthew 23:37-39 a record of the same event or two different events? Explain. What was Jesus’ desire? Why wasn’t that fulfilled? What is God’s desire for people concerning salvation from sin? Why isn’t that desire fulfilled? Why does God hold man responsible for his failure to repent and be saved when salvation requires His sovereign election? (Note: theologians have argued about this for many, many centuries). How has Jesus warning about the consequences of rejecting Him been fulfilled (Luke 13:34b)? Is there any sect of Judaism that follows the Law or Prophets as given by God? Explain. What hope does Jesus give despite the severe warning? When was / will be the fulfillment of this promise? Explain. What do you think will happen to you in the future? Why do you think that will happen? If you do not know you will go to heaven as an adopted child of God, what do you need to do to change that hope?
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