The Heart of Jesus For Rebels

The Gospel According to Luke
The Heart of Jesus for Rebels
Luke 13:31-35
Sunday, June 7, 2026

Introduction
How well do you deal with rejection? How do you respond toward
those who do you wrong? The truth is, it can be very hard to love those
who hate us or to care deeply for those who mistreat us. And yet, this is
what makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ so amazing. Jesus came to a
people who hated Him, who rejected Him, and who crucified Him, and
yet His heart toward them remained tender and compassionate.

While we talk often about the rejection of Jesus at the cross, it’s
important to recognize that He was also dealing with rejection
throughout His ministry. And yet, what we see in this passage is that the
reality of rejection didn’t deter Jesus from His mission and it didn’t
cause Him to grow bitter or unrighteously angry. Instead, even as Jesus
experienced resistance and rejection He remained committed to His
mission and compassionate toward those who hated Him.

As we consider this passage, we will give our attention to how it reveals
the heart of Jesus for sinners and rebels – His heart toward those who
rejected Him. As we consider the heart of Jesus it should cause us to
love Him more and encourage us to follow Him more faithfully. It
should give us strength in our fight against sin, boldness for evangelism,
and a deeper heart of gratitude and worship.

Jesus’s Commitment – A Bold Commitment to the Cross (13:31-33)
• A threat (v. 31) – The passage opens with the announcement of a
death threat. According to some Pharisees, Herod, the tetrarch of
Galilee, wanted to kill Jesus. Because of the threat the Pharisees
encouraged Jesus to get away, to flee for His life.

• A commitment (v. 32) – The way Jesus responds to this threat
reveals His bold commitment to His mission. While most people
would be greatly troubled to hear that a Roman leader was seeking
to kill them, Jesus wasn’t deterred or distracted in the slightest. He
didn’t feel threatened by Herod, instead He restated His
commitment to doing what He came to do. We can hear a reference
to His death and resurrection when Jesus says that on the third day
He will finish His course.

• A confidence (v. 33) – Not only does Jesus show His commitment to His
mission, but He also shows His confidence in the fact that God’s plan will
be accomplished. Jesus knew that He would die in Jerusalem, and until He
reached Jerusalem no one could touch Him. Jerusalem was representative
of all of Israel, and just like Israel had rejected many of God’s prophets
before, Jesus would be rejected and killed in Jerusalem.

• Relevance – While Jesus was God in the flesh, He was also a man who
would have been tempted by fear and the need for self-preservation.
However, even in the midst of opposition Jesus remained committed to
doing what was necessary for the sake of our salvation. In this we see His
heart for rebels and sinners (Romans 5:6-8).

Jesus’s Compassion – A Deep Compassion for the Rebellious (13:34)
• A sincere lament (v. 34a) – Jesus knew that when He went to Jerusalem
He would be killed by His own people, and this caused Him great grief. He
wasn’t grieved because He was going to die, He was grieved because of the
hardness of heart that existed in Israel. He was grieved because they could
not see Him for who He really is (Luke 19:41-42).

• A desire to gather (v. 34b) – In verse 34 we hear the compassion of
Jesus for those who would reject Him. Even while they hated Him, He
longed to care for them like a mother hen caring for and protecting her
brood. He longed to be their protection and their source of salvation.

• A clear rejection (v. 34c) – Despite the compassion of Jesus and His
desire to care for Israel, they rejected Him (they were not willing to accept
His care) (John 1:11). This is the same kind of rejection that we read of
over and over in the Old Testament (Isaiah 65:2-3). God was faithful to His
people, but they turned their backs on Him (Ezekiel 33:11).

Jesus’s Justice – A Firm Declaration of Judgment (13:35a)
• A time of forsakenness (v. 35a) – In verse 35 Jesus announces to Israel
that because of their rejection of Him they would come under the
discipline and judgment of God. While Jesus longed for Israel to repent,
because of their unfaithfulness He announced their judgment.
Jesus’s Faithfulness – A Hopeful Announcement of Restoration
(13:35b)

• A day of salvation (v. 35b) – While verse 35 is a verse of warning and a
message of judgment for Israel because of their rejection of Jesus, there is
also a hint of hope as Jesus speaks of the future. He makes reference to a
day when His people will see Him and recognize Him for who He is.
Quoting from Psalm 118:26 Jesus refers to the end of time when God will
open the eyes of His people to see Jesus as Lord and they will return to
Him (Romans 11:25-32). Here again we see the heart of God and of Jesus
for sinners and rebels.