The Coming Passion

September 23, 2021

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again" (Matthew 20:17-19).

Jesus had ‘crossed the Rubicon’. He had set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). His public ministry had ended and His public humiliation was coming. There was no turning back. True to form, Satan would pull out all stops to destroy Jesus in an attempt to thwart God’s plan for our redemption. How ironic that in his paving the way for Jesus to be crucified, Satan was actually fulfilling God’s plan of salvation. It was through Jesus’ death on the cross that our redemption was secured. Regardless, Satan called for a ‘full-court press’ against Jesus that would lead to His humiliation and death at Calvary.

As Jesus and the disciples walked from Galilee into Perea, down the eastern side of the Jordan River (Matthew 19:1), and over the river to Jericho (Matthew 20:29), a large crowd followed them. Some had followed Jesus in His Galilean ministry. Others were making their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to observe Passover. The Jordan River Valley is over 1,000 ft. below sea level as it enters the Dead Sea. Jerusalem, which is 14 miles west of the Dead Sea, is 2,500 ft. above sea level. So ‘going up to Jerusalem’ would be an arduous task. But the difficulty was not confined to the physical travel.

Jesus’ heart was burdened and His spirit troubled. He knew what lay ahead for Him and for the disciples. He also knew the disciples weren’t ready for it. They had not grasped the whole drama of redemption. They hadn’t fully understood what being the Messiah meant for Jesus. They did know that going to Jerusalem was dangerous for Jesus and for them because they knew the elders of Israel were out to kill Jesus. So Jesus took His disciples aside to speak to them one last time regarding what was ahead for Him and them. They were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid (Mark 10:32).

Contrary to popular belief, we are not living in unprecedented times today. Yes, there is fear everywhere and confusion abounds. We know the power of God and His plan for us. But the turmoil created by Satan and his ministers seems to counter all that God has been striving to accomplish in us and in the church. Like the disciples, many Christians are giving in to the fear and chaos. Some are giving up emotionally and intellectual believing the Kingdom of God can do nothing to counter the corruption, chaos, and confusion of our times. We need to draw aside with the Lord and listen as He instructs us as He did the disciples.

“Lord Jesus, may we not fear the times and season we are living in. Satan is pulling out all the stops to thwart Your plan for us and for the nation. May we draw near to You as You continue to draw near to us to prepare us for what lay ahead. In Your name I pray, Amen.”

Pastor

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