Lesson 1000

(Lesson 1000)(06-09-14) Luke 13:31-35

"The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

In this quote, Jesus is warned that Herod is out to kill Him. But, instead of running away, Jesus sent a message back to Herod which in essence said, when the time should come for Him to die, it would be under God's control, just as was foretold by the prophets.

Jesus went further to mourn the many times Jerusalem and the Jewish people had turned their backs on God when He had given them so many chances for redemption.

In the final part of this lesson, Jesus again warned the Jews that, because of their blatant disobedience, God would erase their chosen standing and cause them to be on equal terms with the Gentiles; "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Most of "Christianity" today asserts that the Jews are still the chosen people of God, whether or the things they do are in accordance with gospel principles. New Testament text makes it vividly clear that this contention is unfounded. Paul, the Jesus' own chosen Apostle to the Gentiles, very boldly informed the Jewish leadership that their privileged days were gone, when he said: "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:56)

Just as in today's lesson, Jesus warned the Jews many times that because of their denial and disobedience, He had come to extend the family of Abraham to include all of humanity.~