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The Journey to Jerusalem
In Scripture, one never goes down to Jerusalem, but always up - as it sits high upon a hill. From the moment of the Transfiguration onward, Jesus was essentially traveling up to Jerusalem to fulfill His work as the sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. This journey, recorded across the Gospels, shows increasing urgency in Jesus' teaching as He approached His appointed time.
The Transfiguration: A Divine Strategy Session
The Transfiguration (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9) marked a pivotal moment where Jesus was transformed into His glorified state and joined by Moses and Elijah. This meeting served as a profound pregame huddle to discuss the path ahead. Following this supernatural encounter, Jesus began His determined journey toward Jerusalem with renewed purpose.
The Traveling Company
This wasn't just Jesus and the twelve disciples making their way to Jerusalem. Matthew 4:25 tells us: "Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region beyond the Jordan." While Jesus often took the twelve aside for private teaching, He was consistently surrounded by masses of people eager to hear His message.
Three Key Lessons from the Journey
1. Let Your Struggle for Significance Die at the Cross
One recurring theme throughout the journey was the disciples' preoccupation with greatness. In Mark 9:33-37, Matthew 20:20-28, and Luke 22:24-30, we see this play out repeatedly. Even James and John's mother approached Jesus requesting special positions of honor for her sons in His kingdom.
Jesus responded by redefining greatness through servanthood: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28).
2. The Miracle of the Donkey Colt
In Mark 11:1-11, we see Jesus' divine foreknowledge and authority displayed in the procurement of the donkey colt. He knew exactly where it would be, that it had never been ridden, and what its owners would say. This seemingly simple event reveals profound truths about Christ's nature:
- His sovereignty over all things
- His ability to use an unbroken animal without incident
- The paradox of the God who owns everything choosing to borrow
- The fulfillment of prophecy through ordinary means
3. Jesus' Bold and Honest Confrontation
During His final week in Jerusalem, Jesus demonstrated remarkable boldness, particularly in His confrontations with the religious leaders. Matthew 23, Luke 20, and Mark 12 record some of the strongest rebukes in Scripture. Jesus:
- Called out their hypocrisy directly
- Exposed their self-serving nature
- Pronounced multiple "woes" upon them
- Named them "blind guides," "snakes," and "brood of vipers"
- Destroyed their credibility publicly while asserting His Messianic identity
The Word's Transforming Power
Scripture describes itself as fire (Jeremiah 23:29) and as "sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). When we engage with God's Word, it acts as an unleashed tiger on the soul - breaking down our pride, piercing our defenses, and setting us aflame with the Spirit of God to live and serve.
As we approach the celebration of Christ's resurrection, may we embrace the urgency found in Jesus' final teachings. His journey up to Jerusalem wasn't just a historical event, but a demonstration of deliberate sacrifice, bold truth-telling, and transformative love that continues to change lives today.