THE LIFE OF CHRIST - MINISTRY OF WITHDRAWALS

Fourth Withdrawal

-Jesus Travels Through Samaria Toward Jerusalem

-Luke 9:51-56; John 7:10

-“The language of Jesus makes it clear that he was fully conscious of the time of his death; it was

 rapidly drawing near to the close of his ministry.  The time when ‘he should be received up’

 means the time of the ascension of Jesus after his resurrection…He now ‘stedfastly set his face

 to go to Jerusalem.’  This is emphatic:  Jesus himself with fixedness of purpose set his face

 against the difficulties and dangers that would befall him” (Boles, 1940, pg 210).

-“Though our Lord’s death was still six months distant, his going to Jerusalem is described as

 attended with special effort, because from that time forth Jerusalem was to occupy the position

 of headquarters, as Capernaum had done, and his withdrawals and returns would be with regard

 to it” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pgs 441-442).

-Traveling from Galilee toward Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria.

            -“The Samaritans did not object when people went north from Jerusalem through their

             country, but they objected seriously to the Jews going through their country up to Jerusalem”

             (Boles, 1940, pg 210).

            -Jesus’ previous conversation with the Samaritan woman (John 4) reminded us of the

             controversy which existed between the Jews and the Samaritans regarding the proper place

             of worship.  Therefore, Jews that traveled through Samaria on the way to Jerusalem for

             designated observances (The Feast of Tabernacles, Passover, Pentecost) were not well

             received.  By traveling to Jerusalem they were rejecting the practices/location of Samaritan

             worship.

-James and John, seeing the Samaritans’ rejection of Jesus, asked if they should call down fire

 from heaven to consume them.  In this, we see the misplaced zeal of the “sons of thunder”

 (Mark 3:17).

            -“It is quite revealing that the apostles believed they has such power; and, with Jesus’

             permission, of course they did.  That permission, however, they did not have” (Coffman,

             1975, pg 208).

-Jesus rebuked these two apostles and continued on to another village.

            -“The additions to this found in some ancient manuscripts and now relegated to the margin

             are nevertheless true to the meaning of this context.  They read, ‘Ye know not what manner

             of spirit ye are of.  For the Son of man came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them’

             (RV margin)” (ibid.)  The KJV includes this phrase; the NASB places it in brackets; the NIV

             omits it.