The Road of Discipleship Luke 9:51-62
Luke 9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. (ESV)
Taken Up (analēmpsis) This is the 4 th reference to Christ s death and resurrection in chapter 9. 9:21-22, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 9:31, And spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 9:44, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. 9:51, When the days drew near for him to be taken up.
Set his face (prosōpon) A Greek idiom to stiffen one s resolve. Resolute determination.
An Encounter in Samaria Luke 9:52-56
Luke 9:52-56 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. (ESV)
Route from Galilee to Jerusalem ------- Typical Jewish Route Route of Jesus
2 Kings 1:2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness. (ESV)
2 Kings 1:10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. (ESV)
The Lesson Learned True discipleship will be characterized by mercy
Interesting Footnote Some manuscripts add, and he said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people s lives, but to save them.
The First Encounter on the Road Luke 9:57-58
Luke 9:57-58 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. (ESV)
The Lesson Learned True discipleship will follow Jesus anywhere.
Enduring Hardship If your Christianity has not brought discomfort to your life maybe something is wrong. Christianity involves: loving difficult people, giving until it hurts, living out of step with society, being ostracized, having nowhere to fit in, having no place to lay your head.
The Second Encounter on the Road Luke 9:59-60
Luke 9:59-60 To another he said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. (ESV)
Bury the Dead A Greek Idiom I need to follow in my father s footsteps until he is gone.
The Lesson Learned True discipleship has the sense of urgency.
The Third Encounter on the Road Luke 9:61-62
Luke 9:61-62 Yet another said, I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home. Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. (ESV)
The Lesson Learned True discipleship requires kingdom focus.
1 Kings 19:19-21 So he departed from there and found Elisha who was plowing... Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. And he returned and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them... Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. (ESV)
The Road of Discipleship What is keeping you from following Jesus on the Road of Discipleship?