In the Shadow of His Wing
A Sermon on Luke 13:34-35
Originally preached April 10, 1960
Scripture
34O 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! 35Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily …
Sermon Description
Who are the hypocrites? In this sermon on Luke 13:34–35 titled “In the Shadow of His Wing,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how those who rejected Jesus in the time of his ministry were just like those that persecuted the prophets and murdered them in the Old Testament. The greatest opposition to Jesus came not from the outright rebellious world, but from the religious leaders of the day. They killed their Messiah because He was not what they wanted Him to be. Dr. Lloyd-Jones further expands this convicting message by showing what the Jewish leaders did in rejecting Jesus and killing him is no different than what the modern-day religious person does. They seek to live by their own righteousness and feel no need for a crucified savior. Those who reject Him do so not out of intellectual opposition and reason, but because they are sinners who have been blinded by their evil ways. But in the gospel, there is power to save even the most sin-hardened hypocrite, for the gospel is God’s power unto salvation for all who believe.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus laments over Jerusalem for rejecting and killing the prophets sent by God.
- The people of Jerusalem rejected Jesus just as their ancestors rejected the prophets. They rejected him because they were proud, complacent and hated the message of repentance.
- Jesus came to offer salvation and protection like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But the people refused his offer.
- By rejecting Jesus, their temple (house) will be left desolate. They will be left alone without God's presence.
- It will be too late when Jesus comes again in glory and they realize they should have accepted him. Their fate would have been sealed.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Jesus' Lament Over Jerusalem: Insights from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
What is the context of Jesus' lament over Jerusalem in Luke 13:34-35?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Jesus' lament occurs after the Pharisees warned Him that Herod wanted to kill Him. Jesus had just been prophesying that His death would take place in Jerusalem, not in Herod's territory. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "He knew that he was to be tried and condemned in Jerusalem, and then crucified outside the city wall. And having that in his mind, he goes on to utter this lament, 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee.'" This lament represents Jesus summing up His mission and the rejection He faced from those He came to save.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the core purpose of Jesus' ministry?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus is "summing up his own mission the purpose of his coming into this world" in this passage. He describes Jesus' ministry as fundamentally an offer to humanity: "Our Lord, you notice, represents it here as an offer. He says that he has come into the world to confront men and women with a choice." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this is still "the very business and purpose of the preaching of the christian gospel" - to confront people with Christ's offer and the choice they must make in response to it.
Why do people reject Christ according to this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, people reject Christ primarily because of issues of the heart and will, not intellectual problems. He emphatically states: "The trouble isn't in your head. It's in your heart." He identifies several specific reasons for rejection:
- A natural antagonism toward God: "The carnal mind is enmity against God."
- Pride and self-satisfaction: "The trouble with them was, you see, that they were proud of the fact that they were the people of Jerusalem."
- Resentment of the message of condemnation of sin: "The true prophet was stoned. He was killed. Why? Well, because he came and condemned the life, the sinful life of the nation and the people."
- Failure to recognize who Jesus truly is: "They didn't realize he was the son of God."
What is the significance of the hen and chicks metaphor used by Jesus?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this beautiful metaphor illustrates what Jesus offers - protection and salvation. "Do you see that hen and the little chickens? There they are dancing, prancing, roundabout. Suddenly there comes a cat or a dog or some predatory animal, and in their terror and alarm... they run to their mother and she covers them with her wings and they're safe."
This represents how Christ stands between believers and God's judgment: "As the wings of that hen stand between those little chicks and everything that is threatening to kill them and to destroy them, Jesus Christ, the son of God, stands between all who believe in him and the law and the wrath and the punishment of God upon men's sins and unrighteousness." Lloyd-Jones connects this directly to Christ's work on the cross, where Jesus was "spreading his wings, giving us a place to go and hide."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say are the consequences of rejecting Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several devastating consequences for those who reject Christ:
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Being left desolate: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Whatever people are relying on instead of Christ will ultimately fail them.
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Being left to oneself: "If you persist in rejecting me, I'll tell you what's going to happen to you. I shall leave you to yourselves."
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Having nothing to rely on in death and judgment: "Will it be of any help to you? Will it be of any value to you? Will you able to be resting upon it?... You'll have nothing."
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Seeing Christ only when it's too late: "Ye shall not see me until the time come when ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. But it'll be too late."
Lloyd-Jones warns that "your fate and mine is decided in this world," emphasizing the urgency of responding to Christ's offer now.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.