Chapter

Luke 9:51

ESV When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
NIV As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
NASB When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem;
CSB When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem.
NLT As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
KJV 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,
NKJV Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

What does Luke 9:51 mean?

Luke 9:51 is a pivot between two major sections of Luke's gospel. Jesus' ministry of outreach is ending. He begins the path to Jerusalem and the cross, though in this verse Luke seems to be referring specifically to Jesus' ascension when he is "taken up." Like much of Luke, the stories are not strictly chronological; they are arranged to present a theological flow that illustrates why Jesus must be sacrificed.

The travelogue is filled with teaching and has very few miracles. Compared to the Galilean ministry (Luke 4:14—9:50), few of the stories are repeated in Mark, and almost half are not found in Matthew, either. Highlights include the rejection by the Samaritans (Luke 9:51–56); the ministry of the seventy-two (Luke 10:1–12); the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37); the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1–13); Jesus' lament over Jerusalem (Luke 13:31–35); the "lost" parables, including the prodigal son (Luke 15); the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31); and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10). The section also records several of Jesus' teachings about the end times (Luke 10:13–15; 11:29–32; 12:35–48; 13:22–30; 14:15–24; 17:20–37).

These pericopes—sections of a text—are not usually combined into groups, but if they were, they might be ordered as follows:

•Luke 9:52—11:13: The disciples' often-misguided acceptance of their Messiah and the promised blessings.
•Luke 11:14–54: The Pharisees' rejection of their Messiah and the promised woes.
•Luke 12:1—13:9: The proper focus in light of the coming of the kingdom of God.
•Luke 13:10–35: A miracle, a message about the kingdom, and a description of salvation.
•Luke 14:1—15:32: A miracle, a message about the kingdom, and descriptions of salvation.
•Luke 16:1—17:10: Examples of misunderstandings about the kingdom.
•Luke 17:11—18:34: A miracle, messages about the kingdom, and stories about salvation.
•Luke 18:35—19:27: A miracle, a story of salvation, and a message about the kingdom.

The next section, what some refer to as "The Presentation," begins with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28–40).
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