Matthew 23:34 – 29
- Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
- That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, , whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
- Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
- O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
- Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
- For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Luke 13:31-35
- The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
- 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.
- Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
- 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!
- 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.
1. Jesus as the Mother Hen — Not Sentiment, but Fierce Protection
It is one of the fiercest, most self‑sacrificial protective instincts in nature.
A mother hen will:
- Throw herself over her chicks when danger comes
- Absorb the attack with her own body
- Call, teach, and guide her chicks constantly
- Keep them warm, fed, and safe
- Fight predators far stronger than herself
Jesus chooses this image deliberately. He is saying:
“I would have covered you with My own body. I would have taken the blow. I would have shielded you from judgment. I would have fed you, taught you, and kept you safe.”
And then the heartbreaking line:
“…and you would not.”
This is not a failure of His love.
It is the refusal of His people.
2. Jesus Speaks in the Present Tense — Judgment Is Not Only Past, but Imminent
Jesus speaks in the present tense.
“I send unto you prophets…”
“You shall kill…”
“You shall scourge…”
He is not only recounting Israel’s past rejection of God’s messengers.
He is foretelling what they will do to His apostles and disciples.
And history shows:
- James was killed by Herod
- Peter was crucified
- Andrew was crucified
- Thomas was speared
- Matthew was killed
- Philip was executed
- Bartholomew was flayed and killed
- Simon the Zealot was killed
- James the Less was thrown from the temple
- Paul was beheaded
- Only John died a natural death
Jesus is saying:
“You are about to repeat the same pattern your fathers walked in.”
3. Abel to Zechariah — The Bookends of Murdered Righteousness
Abel
- The first righteous man murdered
- Killed by his own brother
- Innocent blood crying from the ground
Zechariah son of Jehoiada
- Murdered in the temple courtyard
- Killed for speaking God’s truth
- His dying words: “The Lord look upon it, and require it.”
Jesus is saying:
“From the first murdered righteous man to the last one recorded in your Scriptures—this is the full history of rejecting God’s voice.”
It’s a sweeping summary of Israel’s long pattern of killing the messengers sent to rescue them.
4. “Your House Is Left Unto You Desolate” — The Temple Judgment
This is one of the most solemn sentences Jesus ever spoke.
“Your house”
—not “My Father’s house,” as He had called it earlier.
The glory was departing.
Within a generation:
- The temple was destroyed
- Jerusalem was burned
- The priesthood collapsed
- The sacrificial system ended
- The nation was scattered
Exactly as Jesus said.
5. “You Shall Not See Me Until…” — A Future Hope
Even in judgment, Jesus leaves a door open.
“Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
This is a future moment of recognition—
a prophetic glimpse of Israel’s eventual repentance and restoration.
Judgment is real.
But mercy is still extended.
6. The Tragedy: Instead of Coming to God, They Kill His Messengers
“It is amazing that instead of coming to God, they kill those sent by Him.”
This is the pattern:
- God sends a prophet
- The people reject him
- God sends another
- They persecute him
- God sends His Son
- They crucify Him
- God sends apostles
- They kill them too
Yet through all of this, God keeps reaching.
Jesus’ lament is not anger alone.
It is brokenhearted love.
7. The Hen Image Ties It All Together
The hen is:
- Protective
- Sacrificial
- Tender
- Fierce
- Willing to die for her young
Jesus is saying:
“I would have taken the judgment for you.
I would have covered you with My own body.
But you refused My wings.”
And then He does exactly that on the cross.
