The Lord of Lords
A Sermon on Luke 13:31-33
Originally preached April 3, 1960
Scripture
31¶ The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to …
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Luke 13:31–31 titled “The Lord of Lords,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones centers this sermon around a critical topic: Why do people not believe? He visits an important passage where the character of Jesus is on display. When told by the Pharisees that Herod is out to kill Him, Christ says, “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.’” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the political undercurrents beneath such an interaction. The Pharisees and Herod did not care for Jesus’s safety, but rather wanted Him out of their territory. Herod could not kill Jesus, for surely there would be an uproar in the kingdom. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that both the Pharisees and Herod try to tempt Christ out of His redeeming purpose but God cannot be distracted or led astray. Nothing can derail the plan God has put forth. And like the Pharisees and Herod, a person cannot make Jesus go away. They must come face to face with Him and choose to reject or believe. In closing, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones encourages those who have not believed to see the Son for who He is, and accept His providential and tremendous love.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Pharisees and Herod were blind to the evidence of Jesus' power and glory that was right in front of them. They were blinded by their prejudices and preconceived notions.
- The Pharisees and Herod thought they could deceive, frighten and foil Jesus and his plans. They were overconfident in their own abilities.
- Jesus knew the Pharisees' and Herod's true motives and saw through their deception. He called them "foxes" for their cunning and weakness.
- Jesus knew exactly when, where and how he would die. His death did not take him by surprise.
- Jesus' death was the goal and end purpose for which he came into the world. His miracles and teachings were merely preliminary. His death is what perfected him as the savior.
- No one, not even Herod or the Pharisees, could interfere with or frustrate God's plan and purpose. Jesus would die and be resurrected according to God's predetermined will.
- Jesus will one day return to judge the world and usher in his eternal kingdom. Nothing and no one can stop God's ultimate plan and purpose.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions: Understanding Luke 13:31-33
What is the significance of Jesus calling Herod a fox in Luke 13:31-33?
When Jesus called Herod a fox, He was demonstrating His perfect knowledge of men's hearts and motives. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus used this term to reveal two characteristics of Herod: first, his cunning and scheming nature (like a fox setting false trails), and second, his lack of strength and courage compared to a lion. Jesus wasn't only addressing Herod but also the Pharisees themselves, essentially saying, "Go and tell that fox [and listen yourselves, you foxes]." Jesus could see through Herod's empty threat - Herod didn't really want to kill Jesus but merely wanted Him out of his territory.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain Jesus' statement "the third day I shall be perfected"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that this statement refers to Jesus' death as the fulfillment of His mission. The phrase "I shall be perfected" doesn't mean "I shall finish my work" but rather indicates something that will happen to Him - reaching His goal. Jesus is teaching that His healing ministry and casting out of demons were not His ultimate purpose but preliminaries to His true mission. The goal, the perfection of His work, was His sacrificial death on the cross. This was not an accident but "according to the predeterminate counsel and foreknowledge of God." Jesus came into the world specifically to die as "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the whole world."
Why do people struggle to believe in Christianity according to this sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the fundamental reason people struggle to believe is that "they've never seen Him. They don't know Him. They've missed the glory." While people claim various intellectual difficulties with Christianity, Lloyd-Jones argues that these are merely symptoms of the real problem - failing to recognize who Jesus truly is. He states: "There is only one key to the multiplicity of problems. It is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ himself." Like the Pharisees, modern skeptics are blinded by prejudice and preconceived notions, preventing them from honestly examining the evidence for Christ. They exaggerate their own abilities and cleverness while failing to recognize the glory and divinity of Jesus.
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about Jesus' attitude toward His own death?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus had complete foreknowledge about His death - it didn't take Him by surprise. From this passage, we learn that Jesus knew: (1) when He was going to die ("today and tomorrow and the third day"), (2) where He was going to die (in Jerusalem, not in Herod's territory), and (3) how He was going to die (through the plotting of the religious authorities, not at Herod's hands). Most importantly, Jesus viewed His death not as a tragedy but as His "perfection" - the culmination and fulfillment of His purpose. Far from trying to escape death, Jesus "set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem" because dying for our sins was the very reason He came.
What warning does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about reading the Bible?
Lloyd-Jones warns against casual Bible reading that treats passages as "mere connecting links" or unimportant details. He encourages listeners to remember that "everything is the word of God" and therefore has meaning and significance. He uses the phrase "Turn but a stone and start a wing" to illustrate how seemingly ordinary passages often contain profound spiritual truth when carefully examined. This particular passage about Jesus and the Pharisees might appear to be merely historical detail, but Lloyd-Jones reveals it contains vital teaching about Christ's person, knowledge, purpose, and understanding of His own death.
Sermons on Unbelief
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.