The Road to Jerusalem

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Scripture: Luke 18:31-34 (NIV)

31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

Devotion:

            As we begin our Lenten journey, we consider these words recorded in all three of the synoptic gospels. Jesus is determined to go to Jerusalem. Here he takes his twelve closest followers and gives them a preview of where they are going and why they are going there. Luke does not let his disciples know exactly which prophesies his suffering, death, and resurrection must fulfill. We are simply to ponder these words and search the scriptures for ourselves. It is enough that these words themselves will be fulfilled once he reaches Jerusalem.

            We can identify with his disciple's reaction when they heard these words. They had no idea what Jesus meant. Perhaps they thought that Jesus was telling some kind of parable and the meaning was hidden from them. They still thought Jesus was going to be made Israel’s king somehow and they would reign with him once he took his throne. If we could go back in time to when we first read these words perhaps, we were like the disciples thinking that somehow Jesus was to be king of the renewed state of Israel. We can understand how the disciples were so unbelieving.

            The pain of the things that Jesus was to undergo at the hands of Pilate and the soldiers is unimaginable. Yet, Jesus knew in advance that this cup of suffering would be his to bear and he went, suffered, and died anyway. The words of John 3:16 come to mind, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. . .”. Knowing that Jesus knew ahead of time what was to happen to him gives us some understanding of his agony in the garden of gethsemane. We can understand why he was in such agony.

Prayer:

            Lord, we thank you that you, knowing the suffering you were about to endure, went through such agony for sinners such as us. We do not deserve such grace and mercy. Your suffering puts us in such a deep debt to you that we can never repay you for the love you have shown us. Let us always praise you with prayers of thanksgiving and love. You are a mighty God, yet you chose to sacrifice your very precious son that we might live for you for all eternity. Lord, keep us in your care and show us through this Lenten season how we can serve you better. Amen.

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