Messengers Sent Before Jesus - Luke 9:52

The beloved physician Luke wrote about Jesus, “it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,”, and in chapter nine and verse fifty-two of his book Luke shared how Jesus, “sent messengers before his face” where we read:

And sent messengers before his face: and they went,

and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

The verse reads, “And sent messengers before his face: and they went, ...” Luke began with the words, “and sent messengers” or “and Jesus dispatched and set forth envoys” “before his face” which means “in advance of Jesus' presence or countenance”: “and they went” or “and the envoys departed and left”. Luke shared how Jesus dispatched “envoys” to precede Him to “Jerusalem”.

The verse continues, “...and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.” Luke added the words, “and entered into a village” which means “and arose and came into a common sleeping place to which laborers in the field return, hamlet or town” “of the Samaritans” or “belonging to the inhabitants of Samaria which contained people who were part Jewish and part Gentile”, “to make ready for him” which means “to prepare for Jesus”. Luke shared how the envoys “came into” a town where people who were “Samaritans” lived.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “messengers” were sent by Jesus into “Jerusalem” in advance of His coming there, and along their journey, they “came into” the town where “Samaritans” lived. We shall see how the “Samaritans” respond to the envoys in our next verse, but let it suffice us to know Jesus was acting upon His plan to go to Jerusalem. Jesus was intentional in His effort to pay the price for the sins of all mankind, and to fulfill scripture, He needed to be in Jerusalem. “Samaria” was a “shorter path” to Jerusalem from where Jesus and His disciples were located so they attempted to take that route. Though their purpose was correct, they were to face opposition. God knows there are people who keep others from receiving Jesus Christ, and when that occurs, let all who are wise call out to Jesus who is able to “save” those who call upon Him.

Next time Luke shares how the Samaritans, “did not receive him”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".