Luke 9:51

When the time was come. [Opening of the Peraean Ministry, Luke 9:51—56 = Matt. 19:1, 2 = Mark 10:1. Major comment: Matthew and Luke. See Early Peraean Ministry; The Duration of Christ’s Ministry, The Ministry of Our Lord.] See on Luke 2:49. Christ’s ministry was rapidly drawing to a close. The cross was now only about six months away.

The section of Luke beginning with ch. 9:51 and continuing to ch. 18:14 is sometimes called the “great insertion,” or the “great interpolation,” owing to the fact that this part of the book — nearly one third of it — records material that does not appear elsewhere in the Gospels. The other writers are almost entirely silent concerning this phase of Jesus’ ministry (see on ch. 9:18).

Received up. From the Gr. analambano, “to take up.” Analambano is the word commonly used in reference to Christ’s ascension (see Acts 1:2, 11, 22; 1 Tim. 3:16; etc.; cf. Luke 24:50, 51).

Set his face. From first to last every incident in the life mission of Jesus came about as the fulfillment of a plan that had existed before Jesus came to earth, and each event had its own appointed time (see on ch. 2:49). Again and again Jesus had said that His “time” or “hour” was not yet come (see John 2:4; 7:6, 8; etc.). He had made this statement again just before the recent Feast of Tabernacles (see on John 7:6), with reference to the time for Him to “go to Jerusalem” and to be “received up.” On this, His last journey from Galilee, Jesus was consciously and purposefully going to the cross (see on Mark 10:32). A similar spirit moved Paul on his last trip to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22-24; cf. 2 Tim. 4:6-8). Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him, yet made no effort to avert or postpone it. See on Matt. 19:1.

To go to Jerusalem. From the time that Jesus departed from Galilee for the last time, the gospel writers consider that He was on His way to Jerusalem, to meet the events that awaited Him there (see chs. 9:51,53; 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11, 28). During this time Jesus was in and out of Judea, but spent little time in Jerusalem or Judea lest the crisis be precipitated before its time. Several months were involved on this last, circuitous (see DA 485), and slow (DA 495) journey to Jerusalem.