51: And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52: And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53: And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54: And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55: But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56: For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. 57: And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58: And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59: And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60: Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61: And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62: And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

51: And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52: And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

Jesus will send messengers ahead of Him to get people ready for His Coming. The messengers will go to the Gentiles (Samaritans) to get them ready for Him.

53: And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

The Gentiles (Samaritans) will not receive Him because they think he is really only interested in the Jews in Jerusalem.

54: And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

Some of those messengers will want to call fire down from heaven to destroy those who reject Jesus.

55: But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

These messengers will be led by an evil spirit.

56: For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

The messengers will be shown by Jesus that their mission is to save men not to destroy them and so they go to another place to see if they will accept Jesus and follow Him.

57: And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58: And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

¹(#sdfootnote1sym){#sdfootnote1anc .sdfootnoteanc}^This is an acted parable and Jesus always connects the physical with the spiritual. The main subject is about physical “rest” so we are being directed by Jesus to discover His missing Spiritual Rest.

59: And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60: Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

²(#sdfootnote2sym){#sdfootnote2anc .sdfootnoteanc}^This acted parable of the dead burying the dead illustrates that those following Jesus will understand the correct state of the dead.

61: And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62: And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

³(#sdfootnote3sym){#sdfootnote3anc .sdfootnoteanc}^This acted parable of putting your hand to the plough illustrates that following Jesus requires that you put sin behind you and not look back or return to it.

Summary of Luke 9:51-62

Getting Ready for the Coming of Jesus

:51, 52 Before Jesus comes, He sends messengers to get the people ready for Him. The messengers will go to both Jews and Gentiles.

:53 Not everyone will accept Jesus. Some will not be ready for His Coming.

:54 There will be some messengers led by Satan’s spirit who want to call fire down (Rev 13:13-14) from heaven to destroy those who they think are rejecting Jesus.

:55, 56 But Jesus has a spirit that is completely different. He wants to save men instead of destroying them.

:57, 58 Jesus will have people that will follow Him. They will have discovered His missing Rest.

:59, 60 They will understand the correct state of the dead.

:61, 62 They will put sin behind them and not look back or return to those sins