Luke 13:31-35 -Jerusalem, God's Special City

Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist killed, was threatened by the large crowd that followed Jesus. Fearing a revolt of the Jews, the obvious thing he thought was to have Jesus, their leader, killed.  So in Luke 13:31, we see some Pharisees using Herod's threat to kill Jesus to urge Him to leave where His entourage was. His response in verse 32 shows the Lord's unyielding focus on the goal He came to accomplish. He told them to tell Herod that He would not waver on His mission. He knew for certain that Jerusalem would be where He would be crucified finally.

The reason they wanted Him to go to Jerusalem was not to protect Him but to ensure that He would come under the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin. This was the authority that the Roman authority had set, to allow the Jews to judge matters pertaining to their customs. Jesus’ reply showed that He felt safe in Perea for two reasons. The first was that the time God had predetermined for His death had not come. Herod could not do a thing till the timing had come. So He would just go on meeting the needs of the people till the time came. Secondly, the place God had appointed for Him to give His life as a sacrifice for the sin of the world was Jerusalem. He must be there. Hence Herod could not do a thing to Him as He had to die in Jerusalem.

Since the time David captured it, built it and brought the Ark of the Covenant there, Jerusalem had been a special place in the history of the Jews. When Solomon built the temple there, she became the centre of the nation's worship. God still loves Jerusalem. So turning to Jerusalem, Jesus said that she would come under divine judgement, since it would be the place where He would be rejected and crucified. This city had a long history of killing God's prophets and messengers. Though in God's grace He had sent His Son to them, but they still would not accept Him. Like a mother hen which would gather her chicks to herself, the Lord yearned to gather them to Himself. His desire was to protect them from destruction, but they would not let Him. Thus, the city came under severe judgement in AD 70 when Titus invaded and destroyed it.

But Jerusalem would still see the face of the Lord again at His second coming. And this would not take place until a remnant of Jews has been prepared. This remnant would then welcome Him with these words, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" As we think of the Lord's yearning and love for the Jewish people, we can't help but also think of the long history the nation had suffered. Even today their suffering has not stopped. They have paid for their disobedience and are still paying for what they had done. But let's remember the exhortation to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Do keep this beloved city of our Lord in prayer. For the peace of Jerusalem bring peace of the world.