Luke 13:31-35 KJV
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
34 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!
35 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.

Part of trying to remember all the prophecy that Jesus spoke is remembering there location. This might seem like a minor one, but in one month Jesus would be going to the cross. This is toward the end of the last month of his ministry before the cross. I want to remind you words that are prophetic are often scary in relationship to death and life. Yet this one had to do with Jesus's kingship and it was to be told to King Herod. Now several things I hope to remind you of was Jesus was not planning a take over of Jerusalem, but he was planning a spiritual take over that involve his kingship of the human heart. We can bogged down with all the information surround what took him to the cross we loose focus on the reason for his coming, reasons that were already proven through the works of miracles, power being demonstrated like the calming of the storm, and the feast of two fish and five loaves of bread. It is easy to get bogged down forgetting that Jesus talked about the forgiveness of sin not just your own but one's own ability to forgive sin, that it is over looked until almost his last breath. We can get bogged down with his response to the religious leaders and their attitude of what he spoke that we loose sight of the glory of God in those miracles performed. We can get bogged down by lack of faith, that a stronger faith in the disciple should of had with all the signs and wonders done before them of the power of God. One can get bogged down by the way Christ went to the cross without fighting against it because it was God's will, that we loose sight of Jesus mission not to reign on earth now but later and to reign in the human heart, to help people to make a life change to love others has he loved them. He taught everything the cross represented in his teaching of love, faith and hope. Enoch in Genesis five was translated into heaven, he was human and never seen death, and yet all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Elijah went up in a fiery chariot. Why then did Christ have to suffer for you and me, if man himself was taken up when they obeyed God or by the will of God?

The human nature, the sin nature of our humanity keeps us from being perfect. Yet Christ suffering came because of what occurred in the Temple in Jerusalem. Yet he killed no one, but paid the price of murder, thievry and more. He paid the price for riding into Jerusalem as Jerusalem's king. That very event that the people cried Hosanna to the king. Jesus prophecy to King Herod is that he would not see Jesus in Jerusalem until he comes in riding on a donkey and the world shouting "Bless is he that comes in the name of the Lord". The Pharisees and Sadduccees is about protecting Jesus at this point and warns him he needs to leave Jerusalem. He tells them to tell that fox(King Herod), prophets are not killed outside Jerusalem, an I must leave and walk three days to get outside of Jerusalem. He knew he would die outside of Jerusalem, but he have to walk to get there. He tells Jerusalem that he sent them prophets and they killed them and even stoned them. Was Jesus killed in Jerusalem, some would look at the map and might say yes unless you look at the map at the time of Jesus. Then I like to go a step further one has to remember Golgatha was up a hill, the wall around Jerusalem going around the front side of it, and not over it. Jesus would die outside of Jerusalem. He be more then a prophet, he was King of Kings and Lord of lords. Yet Jesus speaking he have to walk three days to get out of Jerusalem to prevent them from killing him and yet he was easy target by Herod while in Jerusalem. We can understand Herod had a desire to kill the prophets. He killed John the Baptist, because of his brother's wife.

Scripture also says Jesus gather the children of God together like a hen does her brood and hides them under her(his) wing and the religious leaders would not protect the children. However Jesus would protect the children. A warning that religious leaders did not even protect the children, they let them die. Our nation could use those words in regards to abortion and not protecting the young of abuse for centuries. Though there many that have been saved there is so many that have died because no one tried to protect them or help them understand about their situation, to help them protect themselves. ,

What had happen in Jerusalem, the world was inflitrating them, without them realizing it. It happened from the time of even King Saul, but more noted at the time of Solomon, the wise king with words of God's wisdom, but not in his private life. Strong leader in the world, but not in his home. 800 wives is proof enough without the concumbines being numbered. Nor the killing of the children of those wives and concumbines on altar of Asthroreth. Same problem of baal entering the Jewish world time and time again. These problems are in our century in our churches, homes and even schools. Children except things as being okay because it taught that way. Hate and evil taught with no understanding what it is and that it is okay.

Well the prophecy would go to King Herod that Jesus requested, did anyone understand it was prophet he would come in to Jerusalem and Jews would say "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord". Luke the only one that records this prophecy before the event. Perhaps it states more it not his time to die, nor is it is day to go to his cross. Yet Luke records it, because of the events that would follow and the reason maybe Jesus was going to the cross outside of Jerusalem because of prophecy.

Why is any of this important time frame, the event was a month away on God's schedule not mankinds schedule, in fact I surprise people had palm leaves when I think about it for the Triumphal entry. Here the thing people are often straddling the fence of faith with another faith. Herod had no known faith to my knowledge, but he heard about Jesus. Interesting Pharisees tried to get Jesus outside of Jerusalem, why when they were all the time seeking to entrap him, if at this one moment in time, they were trying to save Jesus? Were they playing out his death through the prophecies. I do not know, but I am sure that they were examining Messiac prophecy. Yet despite it all there was a prophecy that one man must die for the nation, a year before Christ death. Meaning thes prophecies were from God but the time was not now.

Can we remember the story of Baalim when he prophecied not by his own will but the will of God. Some of what we see with the religious leaders is exactly that, but it was for a reason, they could be graffed in by faith once again. God is setting a stage in the world that had nothing necessarily to do with individuals but has to do with the nations. Some understand it clearly and others are blind to it. If your eyes are wide open just ask God to hold your hand and if your eyes are blind to it, ask God to light your path so you can see and do his will only because it is his will and his instruction by his Spirit. God will have mercy on those he deems to show mercy. First step is faith in Christ Jesus. The second stand up obeying God, in following the cross of Jesus. It hurts sometimes, but faith goes further then hate and evil ever could.

I want to repeat part of my first begining statements. What does it mean to follow Jesus cross, before the cross. "Now several things I hope to remind you of was Jesus was not planning a take over of Jerusalem, but he was planning a spiritual take over that involve his kingship of the human heart. We can bogged down with all the information surround what took him to the cross we loose focus on the reason for his coming, reasons that were already proven through the works of miracles, power being demonstrated like the calming of the storm, and the feast of two fish and five loaves of bread. It is easy to get bogged down forgetting that Jesus talked about the forgiveness of sin not just your own but one's own ability to forgive sin, that it is over looked until almost his last breath. We can get bogged down with his response to the religious leaders and their attitude of what he spoke that we loose sight of the glory of God in those miracles performed. We can get bogged down by lack of faith, that a stronger faith in the disciple should of had with all the signs and wonders done before them of the power of God. One can get bogged down by the way Christ went to the cross without fighting against it because it was God's will, that we loose sight of Jesus mission not to reign on earth now but later and to reign in the human heart, to help people to make a life change to love others has he loved them. He taught everything the cross represented in his teaching of love, faith and hope". If we can remember these things God's will and how he proved this was his purpose comes with the cross of Christ and the resurrection of Jesus. Let us not forget the coming of the Holy Spirit after the ascension into heaven. Let us begin to prepare that road to the cross the next few weeks. Paving it so all can see the glorious resurrection was for yours and my benefit to demonstrate his love for us of returning to us, despite the abuse of pushing him away.

Dear Heavenly Father, I myself know that to examine the cross is hard to understand why people would kill a man like Jesus and yet I pray Lord that you will show the first cross before the cross through his teaching and miracles. Lord open the eyes of the blind that they see your goodness and grace. Those that understand may the hold onto your grace. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Hebrews 13:8-15 KJV
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.