Conclusion of Jesus Again Heads For Jerusalem

Jesus continues: "There are those last [despised non-Jews, as well as downtrodden Jews] who will be first, and there are those first [the materially and religiously favored Jews] who will be last." Their being last means that such slothful, ungrateful ones will not be in the Kingdom of God at all.

Pharisees now come to Jesus and say: "Get out and be on your way from here, because Herod [Antipas] wants to kill you." It may be that Herod himself started this rumor to cause Jesus to flee from the territory. Herod may have been afraid of becoming involved in the death of another prophet of God as he was in the killing of John the Baptizer. But Jesus tells the Pharisees: "Go and tell that fox, 'Look! I am casting out demons and accomplishing healing today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be finished.'"

After finishing his work there, Jesus continues his journey toward Jerusalem because, as he explains, "it is not admissible for a prophet to be destroyed outside of Jerusalem." Why is it to be expected that Jesus would be killed at Jerusalem? Because Jerusalem is the capital city, where the 71-member Sanhedrin high court is located and where the animal sacrifices are offered. Therefore, it would be inadmissible fore "the lamb of God" to be killed anywhere but Jerusalem.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her." Jesus laments, "how often I wanted to gather your children together in the manner that a hen gathers her brood of chicks under her wings, but you people did not want it! Look! Your house is abandoned to you." For rejecting the Son of God, the nation is doomed!

As Jesus continues toward Jerusalem, he is invited to the house of a ruler of the Pharisees. It is a Sabbath, and the people are closely watching him, since there is a man present who is suffering from dropsy, an accumulation of water probably in his arms and legs. Jesus addresses the Pharisees and the experts in the Law who are present, asking: "Is it lawful on the sabbath to cure or not?"

Nobody says a word. So Jesus heals the man and sends him away. Then he asks: "Who of you, if his son or bull falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?" Again, nobody says a word in reply. Luke 13:22-14:6; John 1:29.

Next time: Entertained By A Pharisee

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991