Luke 9:51 - Printer Friendly

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,

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).

Luke 9:51 is a hinge between two major sections of Luke's gospel. Luke 1:1-4 is the book's prologue. Luke 1:5—4:13 covers Jesus' and John the Baptist's lives before Jesus began His public ministry. Luke 4:14—9:50 records Jesus' Galilean ministry. Luke 9:52—19:27 is sometimes called "Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem." Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem," more than geographically or chronologically, but theologically. Jesus is intent on completing His mission, knowing it is soon time for Him to "be taken up." Jesus teaches the disciples about the theological implications of what He will accomplish in Jerusalem. Luke 19:28—21:38 explains what happened while Jesus was in Jerusalem before His arrest, and Luke 22:1—24:53 describes the week of Jesus' crucifixion, which some refer to as the "Passion Narrative."

Luke 9 completes Jesus' Galilean ministry and begins describing His journey towards Jerusalem. Jesus gives His disciples miraculous power and commissions them to preach. The empowerment thrills the disciples but confuses Herod Antipas. A hungry crowd of thousands and hard teachings about following Jesus, however, shows the disciples' faith is short-lived. The transfiguration and the demonized boy precede stories of the disciples' continued confusion. They still struggle to accurately represent Jesus. Luke 9:51–62 begins the "travelogue" (Luke 9:51—19:27) with examples of the patience and sacrifice needed to represent Jesus as His followers.

Luke 9 straddles the two major sections biblical scholars call "Jesus' Galilean Ministry" (Luke 4:14—9:50) and "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27). The Galilean ministry alternates calls to discipleship with stories on Jesus' authority and teachings. The travelogue records what Jesus did and taught to prepare the disciples for His crucifixion. After a final group of stories on how to respond to Jesus (Luke 9:51—11:13) and several examples of how the Jewish religious leaders reject Jesus (Luke 11:14–54), Luke presents Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—19:27).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.