Matthew 17:22-23 When they came together in Galilee, He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
He had spoke of His rising from the dead on the way down off the Mount Hermon when He was transfigured. v.9
Matthew 19:1-2 When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
Mark 10:32-34 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again He took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to Him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him and spit on Him, flog him and kill Him. Three days later He will rise.”
Next week is Palm Sunday.
Events led up to that final week of Jesus' life on the earth. A shift took place in the final months. From Galilee to Judea and on into Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday was not an event that "just happened" one day.
1. It was in the timing of the Passover Celebration.
Fulfilling the Law/ The Feast.
Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed I Cor 5.7
Matzoh and Wine were part of that feast. Symbolizing the body and blood of our LORD.
The lamb was the center of the meal.
The symbolism was great.
There were reasons why Jesus said, "... On this your day..."
Luke 19:41-42 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.
It was a day predicted by Daniel, planned by the Father, in the fulness of time.
More about that in a moment.
Not only was the time significant so was the place of Palm Sunday and tha Passover.
2. It was in Jerusalem.
Rich in History.
Melchizedek...
Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High
Abraham and Isaac Genesis 22
Captured by David from the Jebusites. II Samuel 5.6-
Key to unlocking Biblical Prophesies
Jews from all over the world would come and celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. They still do. "Next year in Jerusalem." Many Passovers had been celebrated in the wilderness... 40 of them.... Many before David captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites... Then at Jerusalem.... Then they were exiled for 70 years. When Jesus came they had been there for several hundred years. This time would be different from any time before or after.
Most Memorable one until then.
2 Chronicles 35:18-19 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel as well as the International City.
God's call to Abraham (later he offered Isaac there) Through you and your seed all nations on the earth will be blessed.
David's mention of all nations in the scripture we read this week as the ark came to rest there.
Solomon's Dedicatory prayer.
Jesus' words that His Father' House is to be a place of prayer for all nations.
God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son.
The Great Commission was given from there.
Pentecost- Jews from every nation on earth- the 120 speaking in the languages from where they came from.
His ministry in Galilee had come to an end. He was headed to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. He moved towards the city slowly but resolutely, ministering along the way.
3. He was going there to be proclaimed King, to die and rise again.
Fulfillment of Psalm 118
Fulfillment of this prophesy made to David you read this week:
1 Chronicles 17:11-14 When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be My son. I will never take My love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set him over My house and My kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’”
The atmosphere was charged with emotion on this Passover when Jesus would offer Himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
The Passover was to celebrate the freedom from Egyptian bondage and slavery.
They were in their own land but under Roman occupation.
It made the celebration a mixture of emotions, great emotional swings.
Jerusalem was Israel's capital but they had no king. They had no government.
The priesthood was bought out by Rome.
The Temple stood in Jerusalem as a reminder of greater days in the nation.
-David conquering it and taking it from the Jebusites, finally fulfilling God's Word to Joshua.
-Solomon building the first temple there.
-Zerrubabel coming back from the exile and after Nehemiah had rebuilt the walls, he led in the rebuilding of the temple.
-Roman Soldiers were everywhere and more because of the Passover Feast reminding the people of their lack of government and freedom and the awful tax burden.
4.It was planned out from eternity
God created the earth knowing there would be an earthly Jerusalem. He knew David would desire to build the temple there, that Solomon would build it and that because of disobedience it would be destroyed. He knew Nehemiah would rebuild the walls. He knew Jesus, His Son, would die there. Jesus spoke of its destruction. It happened in 70AD.
The road to Jerusalem for Jesus was from Galilee but it also was from heaven for Him from eternity.
So often we think God thinks like we do.
He knows all things.
He knows the end from the beginning.
His plan of sending Jesus was in His mind when He created the world.
Amazing Love!
The Road To Jerusalem tells us about God's precise timing, His Perfect Plan and His Love for the whole world.
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