Luke 11:49-50
Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals that Jesus, referred to as "the Wisdom of God," is not just announcing future events but speaking as if He embodies God's ongoing plan to reveal Himself. He uses "prophets and apostles" in a way that blurs the lines between Old and New Testament messengers, indicating a continuity of God's work through His chosen spokespeople.
Jesus is confronting the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, highlighting how they honor the prophets of the past while rejecting God's messengers today. He declares that because of their persistent rejection and persecution of God's representatives, future generations will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed since the beginning of time. This condemnation leads into Jesus' statement that "the Wisdom of God" foretold this cycle of sending prophets and apostles, only to have them killed and persecuted by an unrepentant people.
When Scripture speaks of 'Wisdom,' who or what is it referring to? In this verse, the answer is surprisingly direct and profoundly significant.
The phrase 'Wisdom of God' in Luke 11:49 is a powerful way Jesus refers to himself. He's not just quoting a wise saying; he's speaking as divine Wisdom.
Divine Purpose
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Why does God send prophets and apostles if they are going to be rejected and persecuted? This verse reveals a consistent, heartbreaking pattern.
Luke 11:49 describes a tragic but recurring theme in God's dealings with humanity: the rejection of His messengers. Jesus, speaking as the Wisdom of God, foresees the fate of those He will send.
The Cycle of Opposition
This isn't about God causing the rejection, but about His perfect knowledge of human hearts and His plan unfolding, even through their opposition.
Understand the original words
sophia tou Theou · Greek Noun
A divine attribute personified in Jewish literature, often associated with God’s plan of salvation and His active intervention in history. In the New Testament, it is often identified with the person and work of Christ.
apostolos · Greek Noun
A messenger or "sent one," specifically referring to those commissioned by Jesus to carry the message of the Gospel with His authority.
haima · Greek Noun
The vital life-force of a living being; in a legal or covenantal context, it often represents the guilt of murder or the consequences of violent death that cries out for justice before God.
katabolē tou kosmou · Greek Noun
The beginning of the created order or the establishment of the world by God. It marks the chronological starting point for God's redemptive history on earth.
genea · Greek Noun
A specific group of people living at the same time, often used in Scripture to describe a collective moral character or a specific historical period experiencing divine judgment due to its rejection of God’s messengers.
This verse highlights a recurring pattern in God's relationship with humanity: the persistent sending of messengers, met with recurring rejection and violence, a cycle culminating in Jesus' own ministry and that of his apostles.
c. 900 BC
Elijah and Elisha ministries
These prophets ministered during the divided kingdom, challenging idolatry and corrupt rulers, often facing severe opposition and persecution.
c. 700 BC
Isaiah and Jeremiah ministries
These prophets delivered God's messages of judgment and hope, warning against sin and unfaithfulness, and were often persecuted, with Jeremiah even being imprisoned.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Following continued disobedience and rejection of God's prophets, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the Temple was burned, leading to the exile of many.
c. 4 BC
Birth of Jesus
Jesus, identified as the Wisdom of God, is born in Bethlehem, beginning his earthly ministry.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Teaching
Jesus preaches, teaches, and performs miracles, often confronting the religious leaders of his day and sending out his disciples.
c. AD 30-40
Early Apostolic Ministry
Following Jesus' ascension, the apostles and early followers, recognized as 'prophets and apostles,' continue to spread the gospel, facing persecution from both Jewish authorities and Roman rulers.
This passage is a parallel account where Jesus uses nearly identical language, referring to sending prophets, wise men, and scribes, and the persecution they would face, highlighting the ongoing pattern of rejection.
Luke 13:34-35Jesus laments over Jerusalem's rejection of God's messengers, comparing His desire to protect them to a hen gathering her chicks, illustrating the persistent, maternal call of God that is often met with violence.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22This Old Testament passage records the stoning of Zechariah, a prophet sent by God, for rebuking Israel's sin, showing a historical precedent for the violent rejection of God's spokesmen that Jesus is referencing.
Acts 7:51-52Stephen directly accuses the religious leaders of being like their ancestors who killed the prophets, and now also betraying and murdering Jesus, showing the direct continuation of this pattern of persecution.
Proverbs 8:22-36This passage personifies Wisdom as being with God from the beginning, actively involved in creation and calling humanity, which provides a theological backdrop for Jesus, the Wisdom of God, calling out to His people.
barnesLuke 11:49: "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:"
The wisdom of God - By the "wisdom of God," here, is undoubtedly meant the Saviour himself. What he immediately says is not written in the Old Testament. Jesus is called "the word of God" John 1:1 , because he is the medium by which God "speaks" or makes his will known. He is called "the wisdom of God," because by him God makes his wisdom known in creation…
calvinLuke 11:47-51: "Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them."
- Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the sepulchers of the prophets and embellish the monuments of the righteous, 30. And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their associates in the blood of the prophets. 31. Thus you testify against yourselves, that you are the children of those who killed the prophets. 32. Do you also fill up t…
This verse reveals that Jesus, referred to as "the Wisdom of God," is not just announcing future events but speaking as if He embodies God's ongoing plan to reveal Himself. He uses "prophets and apostles" in a way that blurs the lines between Old and New Testament messengers, indicating a continuity of God's work through His chosen spokespeople.
Jesus is confronting the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, highlighting how they honor the prophets of the past while rejecting God's messengers today. He declares that because of their persistent rejection and persecution of God's representatives, future generations will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed since the beginning of time. This condemnation leads into Jesus' statement that "the Wisdom of God" foretold this cycle of sending prophets and apostles, only to have them killed and persecuted by an unrepentant people.
Jesus is confronting the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, highlighting how they honor the prophets of the past while rejecting God's messengers today. He declares that because of their persistent rejection and persecution of God's representatives, future generations will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed since the beginning of time. This condemnation leads into Jesus' statement that "the Wisdom of God" foretold this cycle of sending prophets and apostles, only to have them killed and persecuted by an unrepentant people.
"Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generatio…" — This verse reveals that Jesus, referred to as "the Wisdom of God," is not just announcing future events but speaking as if He embodies God's ongoing plan to reveal Himself. He uses "prophets and apos…
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