Mills Memorial Baptist Church
Sunday Evening Worship - 3/1
  • He Keeps Me Singing
  • Precious Lord Take My Hand
  • Luke 13:31-35
    Some threats are loud because they are meant to steer you through fear.
    Some fear is not mainly about danger.
    Some fear is about direction.
    If the enemy can’t destroy you, he will try to divert you.
    In Luke 13, Jesus is walking toward Jerusalem.
    He is walking toward the cross.
    He is walking toward the very place where prophets are rejected.
    And in the middle of that journey, a warning comes to him.
    “Get out of here.”
    “Herod wants you dead.”
    It sounds like concern.
    It sounds like wisdom.
    But Jesus answers like a man who cannot be controlled by fear.
    Tonight’s passage shows us the heart of our Lord.
    He is fearless in his mission.
    He is faithful in his timeline.
    He is tender in his compassion.
    He is firm in his warning.

    I. The Warning That Tried To Divert

    The danger here isn’t only Herod’s threat.
    The danger is what that threat is meant to produce in Jesus.
    So let’s start with how the warning sounded.

    A. The Message Sounded Concerned

    31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
    That sounds like a safety announcement.
    It sounds like practical advice.
    It sounds like, Jesus, please be careful.
    But we have to remember the context.
    Many Pharisees were already opposing Christ.
    Luke has shown us their pattern of criticism and resistance.
    A warning can be true and still be used for manipulation.
    A danger can be real and still be used to detour you.
    2 Timothy 1:7 says, God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind
    Fear that rules your decisions is never from God.
    A sound mind sees danger, but it does not surrender to it.
    A sound mind asks, What does God want, not merely, What feels safe.

    B. The Threat Came From A Political Power

    Herod in this passage is Herod Antipas.
    He had already beheaded John the Baptist.
    He had already proven he was capable of wickedness.
    He represented a very real danger.
    Psalm 2:1–2 KJV
    1 Why do the heathen rage, And the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
    This is not new.
    God’s work has always faced opposition from proud rulers.
    But opposition never equals defeat when God is writing the story.
    Here is the first question the text asks us by implication.
    Who controls your obedience?
    Is it the will of God?
    Or the threats of men?
    Jesus does not panic.
    Jesus does not run.
    Jesus answers with calm courage and crystal clarity.

    II. The Resolve That Would Not Be Deterred

    The warning was meant to move him.
    Instead, it reveals how unmovable he is.
    So let’s begin with his fearless refusal to be controlled by Herod.

    A. He Refused To Be Intimidated

    32 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.
    Jesus calls Herod a fox.
    That is not a compliment.
    That is a picture of craftiness, cruelty, and predatory intent.
    A fox doesn’t roar like a lion.
    A fox sneaks.
    A fox schemes.
    A fox prowls around the vulnerable.
    And Jesus is saying, I see him clearly, and I will not be moved by him.
    Proverbs 29:25 KJV
    25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.
    A snare is not just pain.
    A snare is a trap that changes your path.
    You were walking this way, but now you change because of fear.
    Jesus will not be trapped.
    Martin Luther said, “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
    That is the spirit of Christ here.
    He will not clutch safety.
    He will trust the Father.

    B. He Remembered His Mission

    32 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.
    Jesus is saying, My work will continue.
    My ministry continues.
    My compassion will continue.
    The Wicked Herod does not set the agenda.
    Jesus heart is displayed for us again in …
    John 9:4 KJV
    4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
    Jesus lived with a “must” in his soul.
    Not the must of human pressure.
    The must of divine purpose.
    This is one of the clearest marks of spiritual maturity.
    A mature believer can be warned but still stay obedient.
    A mature believer can feel fear but still follow God.
    A mature believer can see risk but still keep serving.
    A fox outside the henhouse changes the atmosphere instantly.
    The chickens get nervous.
    Everything feels urgent.
    But a good shepherd does not abandon the flock because a predator is nearby.
    He stays.
    He guards.
    He works.
    He finishes what needs to be done.

    C. He Rested In The Father’s Timeline

    Also in Luke 13:32 Jesus says, and the third day I shall be perfected
    Jesus is not saying he will reach personal sinless perfection.
    He already is sinless perfection.
    Jesus is speaking of completion, fulfillment, finishing his appointed course.
    Then in Luke 13:33 He says,
    33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
    Jesus is not wandering.
    Jesus is walking with purpose.
    Jesus is moving according to a plan.
    John 10:17–18 KJV
    17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
    Jesus would die, but not as a victim of Herod.
    He would die as a sacrifice according to the Father’s will.
    Now the passage turns.
    We move from Christ’s courage to Christ’s compassion.
    The King who will not be diverted is also the Savior who weeps.

    III. The Compassion That Would Not Be Denied

    And now, without changing his course, Jesus opens his heart.
    The same Savior who won’t be diverted is also the Savior who can still be brokenhearted.
    So notice first who He is grieving over.

    A. He Loved A City That Resisted Him

    Luke 13:34 begins, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem
    That repetition is grief, it is longing, it is the cry of a heart that loves deeply.
    Jerusalem was the center of religious life.
    Jerusalem had the temple.
    Jerusalem had the sacrifices.
    Jerusalem had the history.
    And yet Jerusalem was known for rejecting God’s messengers.
    34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee…
    That is not a small accusation.
    That is a summary of a tragic pattern.
    In Stephen is giving his defence before the Sanhedrin just before he was stoned…In that defense he reminded the Sanhedrin…
    Acts 7:52 KJV
    52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
    This resistance to God’s truth is as old as the human heart.
    Jesus continued in verse 34…

    B. He Offered Shelter Like A Mother Hen

    Luke 13:34 says, …how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings
    That is one of the tenderest pictures in all the Gospels.
    Jesus compares himself to a hen gathering chicks.
    This is protection.
    it’s warmth.
    it’s a picture of belonging, of refuge.
    Psalm 91:4 KJV
    4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, And under his wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
    God’s heart has always been to shelter those who will come.
    In a farmyard, when danger comes, the chicks scatter in panic.
    They run in every direction.
    But the safest place is not distance.
    The safest place is under the hen’s wings.
    Jesus is saying, I offered you the safest place, and you would not come.

    C. He Exposed The Real Problem

    Luke 13:34 ends with five words that diagnose everything.
    And ye would not.
    The issue was not that Christ lacked power.
    The issue was not that Christ lacked love.
    The issue was not that Christ lacked proof.
    The issue was the stubborn will of man.
    John 5:40 KJV
    40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
    That is one of the most tragic sentences in Scripture.
    Life was offered, and refused.
    Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”
    Jerusalem was not unloved.
    Jerusalem was not ignored.
    Jerusalem was not forgotten.
    Jerusalem was unwilling.
    When mercy is refused, consequences follow.
    Jesus now speaks a warning that is sober, but still gracious.

    IV. The Judgment That Would Not Be Avoided

    When mercy is refused, Jesus doesn’t pretend nothing happens.
    He tells them plainly what rejection produces.
    So notice first the sobering result He announces.

    A. A House Can Be Left Desolate

    Luke 13:35 says, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate
    That is not only personal.
    That is national and spiritual.
    When a people reject their Messiah, they lose more than peace of mind.
    They lose the presence and blessing they presumed would always remain.
    Religious buildings, religious history, and religious routine cannot substitute for Christ himself.
    This is a warning against living on yesterday’s blessings.
    You can have a “house” full of memories, habits, and routines, and still lose the sweetness of God’s presence because you’re resisting Him today.
    A church can have the right doctrine, the right schedule, and the right history, and still grow cold if it starts treating Christ as assumed instead of adored.
    The question isn’t, “Do we have religious activity.”
    The question is, “Do we have the Lord’s favor and nearness.”
    Your home can become spiritually dry when Christ is politely kept at the edges.
    Not open rebellion.
    Just gradual neglect.
    Prayer fades.
    The Bible becomes occasional.Worship becomes mechanical.
    And the “house” can feel empty even while everyone is still living in it.
    Hebrews 10:31 KJV
    31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
    God is patient.
    God is merciful.
    But God is not and will not be mocked.

    B. There Is A Limited Season Of Sight

    Luke 13:35 says, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord
    That phrase comes from Psalm 118:26
    Psalm 118:26 KJV
    26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
    It points to the rightful recognition of the King.
    There is an immediate fulfillment when the crowds cried this at the triumphal entry.
    There is also a broader prophetic horizon as Israel ultimately recognizes her Messiah.
    Romans 11:26 speaks of God’s future work with Israel.
    Romans 11:26 KJV
    26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
    But do not miss the personal warning.
    There is a point where opportunities pass.
    There is a point where the door closes.
    There is a point where refusal hardens into finality.
    2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV
    2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
    That is God’s mercy speaking urgency.

    C. The Same King Is Both Refuge And Ruler

    This passage holds two truths together.
    Jesus offers shelter under his wings.
    Jesus also speaks of desolation for refusal.
    Mercy rejected becomes judgment.
    Grace neglected becomes loss.
    Christ is not only a comforting Savior.
    He is the rightful King.
    If you think of Jesus as only a helpful religious figure, you will miss him.
    If you see him as the King who calls you to come under his wings, you will run to him.

    Conclusion

    This text gives you a picture of Jesus you cannot forget.
    He will not be bullied by threats.
    He will not be diverted from the cross.
    He will not stop doing good because a fox is prowling.
    And he will not pretend that rejection has no consequence.
    So what do we do with it tonight.
    We follow his steps.
    We follow his fearlessness.
    We do what is right even when it is risky.
    We keep serving even when it is costly.
    We keep walking even when others want us to turn back.
    We follow his compassion.
    We do not harden toward sinners.
    We do not lose tenderness toward the resistant.
    We offer refuge.
    We speak truth.
    We weep when people refuse.
    We follow his urgency.
    If you are not saved, do not hide behind familiarity.
    Do not say, I have been around church.
    Do not say, I have heard sermons.
    Come under his wings by repentance and faith.
    And if you are saved, do not let fear detour your obedience.
    There is still Herod’s in our world.
    Foxes still prowl.
    But the mission is still the mission.
    And the King is still walking toward what the Father has appointed.
    Will you keep walking with Christ, even when fear tries to divert you.
    Will you come to Christ, if you have been resisting him.
    Will you stop saying, I will later, and say, Lord, I will now.

      • Psalm 2:1–2KJV1900

      • Proverbs 29:25KJV1900

      • John 9:4KJV1900

      • John 10:17–18KJV1900

      • Acts 7:52KJV1900

      • Psalm 91:4KJV1900

      • John 5:40KJV1900

      • Hebrews 10:31KJV1900

      • Psalm 118:26KJV1900

      • Romans 11:26KJV1900

      • 2 Corinthians 6:2KJV1900

Mills Memorial Baptist Church
millsmemorialbapt@gmail.com
989-843-6433
https://millsmemorial.faithlifesites.com
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