The Lord of Lords
A Sermon on Luke 13:31-33
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.
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.