A Year in Luke/ActsSample

The first few verses of this chapter might seem a bit strange at first glance. However, reminding ourselves of where we are in the gospel’s wider narrative can help us understand what is going on.

Jesus is told about the blood of Galileans killed under Pilate being mixed with the blood of the sacrifices in the temple. It seems as if “while some people on pilgrimage from Galilee had been offering sacrifice in the temple, Pilate had sent troops in, perhaps fearing a riot, and slaughtered them” (Tom Wright, p162, Luke for Everyone). Remember, this is whilst Jesus is on his journey to Jerusalem from Galilee. Rather than this being a trick question, like some from the religious leaders, the subject was probably raised with Jesus because of genuine concern about traveling to Jerusalem under Roman occupation. If Galileans had been killed before under Pilate, what would have stopped the same thing from happening this time?

This time, a pilgrim traveling from Galilee is also going to be killed under Pilate, but the implications are going to be much more significant. Jesus leans into the seriousness of Israel’s current situation and calls for repentance. Jesus is going to Jerusalem to demonstrate another way, other than the ways of Pilate and the like. Would they accept his message and be the people God had called them to be or choose the way of doing things like Rome and suffer the consequences?