THE PLOT OF THE PHARISEES CONTINUES

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 today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk today, and tomorrow, 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.

The question asked of Him, are there few that be saved, Jesus used as an opportune moment to deliver a lesson on the rewards of gaining eternal life in heaven and the difficulty of living a life faithful enough for God's mercy to allow one to enter through its narrow gates. Having done so, Jesus was approached by certain of the Pharisees warning Him to leave the area in which He was teaching at this time because it was currently ruled over by Herod, that is, Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. The reason they stated that He should leave was because He was presently within Herod's Palestinian jurisdiction and he sought to kill Him. On the surface of their warning it was somewhat believable because this is the same Herod that had John the Baptist beheaded. It is possible that Herod knew of Jesus' kinship with John, and that their disciples were mutually allied with each other. The number of Jesus' disciples could also have posed a threat to Herod. Indeed, there were many reasons Herod would seek to have Jesus slain.

On the surface of this warning it appears that these Pharisees were looking out for Jesus' safety. However it is more probable that these Jewish leaders desired Jesus to return to Judea, and specifically to the city of Jerusalem where there were a much greater openly expressed hatred toward Jesus from members of the Sanhedrin as well as those that closely followed their leadership. It is the opinion of the majority of bible scholars that Herod desired to be rid of Jesus and the influence He had on the people of Galilee. The number of followers Jesus had in this province was great. Because of this, Herod probably feared a possible riot, which would not be overlooked. He may have also feared the actions of Jesus' disciples, but he mostly feared the Roman government rulers to whom he was accountable. Therefore it is likely that Herod went secretly to these Pharisees and influencing them to lure Jesus out of his jurisdiction and back into Judea. It was here that the Jewish authorities could summon a greater opposition to Jesus.

By His answer to the warning of the Pharisees, Jesus knew of their devious plot. To them He replied, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. It is certain that Herod had sent these Pharisees to convince Jesus to leave his domain because He directed them to return to that fox, Herod, who had sent them with this message. Referring to Herod as a fox is evidence of his well-known, unscrupulous cunning that he continually used to attain, and fulfill, his crafty schemes. Jesus also instructed these Pharisees to tell Herod that His work in this place was not completed. There were many compassionate miracles that He desired to accomplish in the next three days. After His work in this Galilean city was perfected, that is, completed, on the day following, He would continue His journey to Jerusalem. The prophetic reason for continuing on to this holy city was because it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. This prophecy was unknown to most Jews, and to His disciples. Yet Jesus foretold of His pending death that would soon take place in the city of Jerusalem. Realizing what was to take place in a few days, Jesus lamented: 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. Almost word for word, this was Jesus' same lamentation recorded in Matthew 23:37-39. Jesus sincerely desired salvation for His Jewish family. He lamented over those that would be lost due to being misguided by the self-empired Jewish religious leaders. For most Jews, these Jewish hypocritical leaders had shut the door for themselves, as well as all that followed their leadership, that would lead them to the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 23:13).