[The Desire of Ages pp 224] “Gladly would the Savior have come to John, to brighten the dungeon gloom with His own presence. But He was not to place Himself in the hands of enemies and imperil His own mission.” Did we just hear that word “Imperil”? You mean to say that as the Sovereign of the universe, Herod is allowed to pose as an existential threat to the Son of God? Some may have concluded that because He is God, He should put Herod in his rightful place. Again, in the experiences of Christ we see the same deference to God as The One, who is to have the final say in matters of deliverance and intervention.
In the following instance He intervenes to save His Son from the mob of church members, who took Jesus to the edge of a cliff, after Divine hour. They were just about to throw Christ headlong over the cliff, when God intervenes in a signal manner as Christ vanishes from sight, even as they had Him in their grasp. God saw fit at this time to deliver, for He yet had work and ministry for Jesus to accomplish.
Luke 4: 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
Luke 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!