Continue with Jesus' Ministry in Perea

This illustrates the plight of a person who comes late-apparently when its convenient for him-and finds that the door is shut and locked. He should have come earlier, even if that was inconvenient.  It is like that with many who could have benefited from Jesus' being there teaching them.  They failed to seize the opportunity to  make true worship their chief purpose in life.  Those to whom Jesus has been sent have not, for the most part, accepted God's provision for salvation. Jesus says that they will  'weep and gnash their teeth' when they are thrown outside. Yet, people  "from east and west and from north and south," yes, from all nations, "will recline at the table in the Kingdom of God." - LUKE 13:28, 29. 

Jesus explains:  "There are those last [such as non-Jews and downtrodden Jews] who will be first, and there are those [religiously favored Jews who take pride in being descendants of Abraham] Who will be last." ( Luke 13:30) Their being "last" means that such ungrateful ones will not be in the Kingdom of God at all. 

Some Pharisees now come to Jesus and advise him: "Get out and go away from here, because Herod [Antipas] wants to kill you."  Perhaps King Herod himself started this rumor to cause Jesus to flee the territory.  Herod may be afraid that somehow  he will become involved in the death of another prophet, even as he was in the killing of John the Baptist.  But Jesus tells the Pharisees:  "Go and tell that fox,  'Look!  I am casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will be finished." (Luke 13:31, 32) In calling Herod a "fox," Jesus may be alluding to how crafty foxes can be. However, Jesus will not be manipulated or rushed by Herod or anyone else. He is going to carry out the assignment his Father gave him, doing so according to God's schedule, no man's. 

Jesus moves on in his journey toward Jerusalem because, as he says, "It cannot be that a prophet should be put to death outside of Jerusalem." (Luke 13:33)  No Bible prophecy said that the Messiah must die in the city, so why Jesus speak of being killed there? Because Jerusalem is the capital, where the 71-member Sanhedrin high court is located and where those accused of being false prophets  would be tried. Furthermore, that is where animal sacrifices are offered. Thus, Jesus realizes that it would be inadmissible  for him to be killed elsewhere. 

Next time: Conclusion of Jesus' Ministry in Perea

From the jw.org publications