In Luke 9:51 we read, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” In Luke’s version of the story, it takes a long time to get to Jerusalem. There is much teaching along the way, with repeated reminders that the Son of Man must suffer and die, which the disciples never seemed able to comprehend.
When Jesus and his disciples neared the city, Jesus sat on a donkey’s colt and the gathering crowd escorted Him in making a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. With much excitement and messianic expectations, the whole crowd spread their garments on the road and joyfully shout, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (19:38).The excited crowd is in a celebrative mood, worshipping and shouting their allegiance to Jesus.
Jesus goes directly to the temple courts and storms through it, overturning the merchants’ tables and accusing them of making the temple a den of thieves. The chief priests and scribes react with anger, plotting together on how to get rid of this man, Jesus.
During the next few days, events happened quickly, creating a swirl of confusion for the disciples and Peter vowing, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”(22:33).
A few hours later the ugly night begins with the disciples falling asleep in Gethsemane while Jesus sweats out his final prayers. Awakened by Jesus, they see Judas coming into the garden leading a mob, and soon Jesus is being taken to the high priest’s house where he is mocked and beaten throughout the night.
Then in the early hours of morning, there is a trial before Pilate, then to Herod, and finally back to Pilate, who wants to release him but can’t find the courage to do so because of the fickle crowd loudly shouting, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” … and “they kept shouting, Crucify him! Crucify him!” Finally, the murderer, Barabbas, is released and Jesus is given over to the executioners and condemned to death by crucifixion.
Yes, we all know the story. We have heard it many times. But the question that confronts us is this; Knowing what will happen to Jesus in Jerusalem are we willing to journey with Jesus on a path that leads finally to death on a cross, He for sin and we to sin?
During Lent we hear Jesus inviting us to go with Him up to Jerusalem, into the city, to hear first, the welcoming crowd joyfully shouting, “Hosanna to the King” … and later the devilish crowd angrily shouting, “Crucify, crucify him.”
He invites us to painfully stumble with him up the torturous path to Golgotha and there to die, He for sin and we to sin. He grievously suffers being nailed to a cross, then hanging above the jeering crowd, we hear His loving prayer, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And then He died.
Are we willing to die to our old self in order to experience the resurrection into newness of life? Or will the noisy, threatening shouts of the crowd cause us to lose heart and our resolution “to go with you (Jesus) to prison and death“ evaporate into fear and denial like Peter.
Today our quick answer may be, “Yes, of course, we want to go with Jesus.” In fact, we are almost eager to go along. For we know that His death on the cross will lead to our life. We know that “dark Friday” is not dark at all, and that we will shortly be able to celebrate the triumph of resurrection. Of course, we will go with Jesus to Jerusalem and the cross.
However, Jesus tells us to carefully consider the cost of going with Him. The Scriptures make it very clear that the decision will sacrificially cost us. Our old self must die.
Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans; “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (6:5-7).
Either we wholeheartedly go with Jesus and let our old, selfish way of life be crucified with him, or we cannot expect to experience the triumphs of Easter morning’s resurrection into new life. Either we go with Jesus to death on the cross, or we become a part of the fickle, noisy crowd. Which will it be?
- The Old Rugged Cross
- 1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, / The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
- And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best / For a world of lost sinners was slain.
- (Chorus) – So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, / Till my trophies at last I lay down.
- I will cling to the old rugged cross, / And exchange it someday for a crown.
- 2. O the old rugged cross, so depised by the world, / Has a wondrous attraction for me;
- For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above / To bear it to Calvary.
- 3. In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, / A wondrous beauty I see;
- For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died / To pardon and sanctify me.
- 4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true; / Its shame and reproach gladly bear.
- Then He’ll call me some-day to my home far away, / Where His glory forever I’ll share.
- (George Bennard, 1913)
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – March 9, 2022
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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