Prophecy XIV

“. . . Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”  (Luke 13:33-35, NASB)

Dr. Luke writes here of Jesus’ lament over the city of Jerusalem.  Some Pharisees had warned Jesus that Herod the king wanted to kill Him.  Jesus replied that they should tell Herod, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.”  (Luke 13:32)  That’s where we pick up the text above.  Jesus makes three interesting prophecies in this passage. 

Jesus’ first prediction is the place He is to die, Jerusalem.  He is on His way there to fulfill His mission, to present Himself as the perfect sacrifice, the only acceptable sacrifice to God, to atone for the sins of the world.  Why Jerusalem?  Jesus says, “It cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.”  Jerusalem is where the chief priests were, and He has been warning the disciples for some time that He would go there, be arrested, then killed, and on the third day be raised again. 

The next section of the text is Jesus’ lamentation over the city.  He says it’s “the city that kills the prophets.”  Jerusalem had a history of doing just that.  During the era of the kings, the prophets told the people if they didn’t repent, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah would be taken away and its people sent into exile.  Nobody wanted to hear that, especially the kings.  So many of the prophets were executed.  Jesus further laments that He “wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!”   He was rejected and despised. 

As a consequence of the city’s rejection of Jesus, He makes the second prediction:  “Behold, your house is left to you desolate.”  Jesus is predicting Jerusalem’s destruction, which took place in 70 AD.  The reason?  The rejection of the Messiah, God’s own Son.  The Temple was completely destroyed, as Jesus says in other places, “not one stone left upon another.”

Luke 13:35 poster.  Found at Bible Hub, https://biblepic.com/45/luke_13-35.htm

The third instance of Jesus’ prophecy will happen sometime in the future from now:  “You will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”  At some point in the future, Jesus will return.  He will come back for His elect.  And people will say “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Jewish tradition says that when Messiah comes, He will enter Jerusalem through the East Gate, opposite the Mount of Olives.  In medieval times, the ruling Muslims, knowing this, sealed the gate.  Just to make sure the Jewish Messiah wouldn’t come through that way, they established a Muslim cemetery right outside the gate.  They understood that a Jewish Rabbi would never defile Himself by passing through a cemetery.  I don’t know how Jesus plans to return with respect to Jerusalem.  But I do know that if He wishes to go through the East Gate, He won’t allow a cemetery or some bricks deter Him! 
Jerusalem East Gate and cemetery.  Found at iStock,  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/eastern-gate-and-cemetery-in-israel-gm683468586-126964459

Jesus offers prophecy in Luke’s narrative.  He is on His way to Jerusalem, and He says He’s going to die there.  He also predicts the destruction of the city, including the Temple, which occurred in 70 AD.  And yet to come, His return to His earth.  Jesus was determined to get to Jerusalem to fulfill His purpose on earth.  He died as a sacrifice so we could be freed from sin and death.  He is coming back again to unite His followers with His Father.  Jerusalem paid the penalty for rejecting Him.  My prayer is that you accept Him as your Savior. 

Here’s a Mustache March update on the 27th day: 

Joe Namath.  Found at https://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2007/05/30/mustache-wednesday-joe-namath-extravaganza

Just kidding.  That’s Joe Namath, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and MVP of Super Bowl III, when he grew a Fu Manchu mustache.  Namath was signed by the New York Jets for an astounding (at the time) sum of $400,000.  That, and the fact that he was a swinging bachelor earned him the nickname “Broadway Joe.”  Coming from the University of Alabama, he was called “Joe Willie.”  Joe was always pushing the boundaries of acceptability.  He was the first big-name player to wear white football cleats (“Joe Willie White Shoes.”  The guy had a lot of nicknames.).  Within a few years, almost everyone was.  He grew the mustache at a time when facial hair was frowned upon in pro football.  When Namath was threatened with a fine unless he shaved, a razor company helped by paying him to shave on a commercial.  

Growing up on Long Island, I was a big Jets fan.  When I was old enough, my Dad took me to a couple of Jets games at Shea Stadium (“The Big Shea,” as Merle Harmon, the radio voice of the Jets used to call it.) before we moved away.  At one of those games I got to witness what my Dad called “The greatest play I ever saw.”  Namath was instrumental in that play.  The Jets were tied with the Houston Oilers, 28-28.  This was before overtime in regular season games, so ties in games were not unusual.  The Jets had the ball deep in their own end, with time for one more play.  Namath dropped back to try a Hail Mary pass to win the game.  The pass went down field, and . . . was intercepted.  The Oiler who intercepted the pass ran a few yards, was about to get tackled, then lateraled the ball to a teammate.  This happened about three or four times.  Finally an Oiler player had the ball in the clear, and the only Jet player to stop him was Broadway Joe Willie White Shoes Namath (See what I did there?).  Oh, and the Oiler player had a blocker in front of him.  Namath was known to have really bad knees, so his chances of making a game-saving tackle were slim.  But Broadway Joe fought off the blocker and made the tackle, preserving the tie.  I agree with my Dad, best play I’ve ever seen!