Going to Jerusalem

The Narrative emphasis

Luke 9:51 LSB

Now it happened that when the days for Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face to go to Jerusalem...

This past Sunday, Palm Sunday, we briefly looked at the basic outline of Jesus’ life and ministry as presented in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The rough outline was:

Early life

Galilean ministry

Journey to Jerusalem

Jerusalem ministry

Passion

Resurrection

In each synoptic, the shift towards Jerusalem happens just after the transfiguration. At that point, particularly in Luke’s Gospel, the narrative begins to emphasize the steady progression of Jesus up to the Triumphal entry, the last time He will enter Jerusalem.

Luke 13:22 “And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.”

Luke 17:11 “And it happened that while He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing through Samaria and Galilee.”

Luke 18:31 “But when He took the twelve aside, He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be completed.”

Luke 19:11 “Now while they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.”

Triumphal Entry: Luke 19:28 “And after He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.”

The humiliation of God

This evening, on Good Friday, we are remembering what Jesus went to Jerusalem to do. As a matter of fact, if you recall the words to our call to worship, tonight, we are remembering the very purpose of the incarnation: Philippians 2:8 “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

The atoning death of Jesus changed the world. As the angels announced at His birth, peace on earth, goodwill toward men. We can now be at peace with God because of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Just as through one man came death, now through the death of one man comes life. But how often do we take this for granted? When was the last time you considered the humiliation of Jesus? The humiliation of the Almighty God.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 27. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?

A. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

And the Larger Catechism

Q. 49. How did Christ humble himself in his death?

A. Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas, forsaken by his disciples, scorned and rejected by the world, condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors; having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the powers of darkness, felt and borne the weight of God’s wrath, he laid down his life an offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.

Q. 50. Wherein consisted Christ’s humiliation after his death?

A. Christ’s humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried; and continuing in the state of the dead and under the power of death till the third day, which hath been otherwise expressed in these words, He descended into hell.

Imagine, the infinite, eternal, and unchangeable God, humbling Himself? Why? It makes sense for us, fallen, sinful humans to suffer. We deserve it. But we despise suffering don’t we. No one wants to suffer. So, why would the Creator suffer?

The Jews were not expecting Yahweh to come and suffer either. But they should have. Zechariah 12:10 ““And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” Later, when Jesus is pierced with a spear, John tells us that this was fulfilled (John 19:37).

The Jews were not expecting their conquering king to come lowly on a donkey, to be humiliated, and numbered among thieves and robbers; hung shamefully outside the camp on a tree.

We have a hard enough time answering this “why?” Why would God take on a human nature in order to suffer for the sins of His people? But since Christ, the innocent, spotless lamb, did take on human nature, suffered, died, and was buried, let us have this same mind in us. Philippians 2:5 “Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus...” Can we follow our Lord in His suffering?

He said, take up your cross and follow me. And Paul says that when we were baptized into Christ we were baptized into His death. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.

So, as we remember the suffering and humiliation of our Lord this evening, I want us to meditate on two things:

Jesus completely, in every way, satisfied God’s wrath towards the believing sinner. What we remember tonight is the moment of the greatest assurance to the Christian: Christ has redeemed us. Our debt is paid in full. We can cease striving and rest in Christ, our true Sabbath.

Are we willing to follow Jesus to Golgotha? Are we willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus up the hill to be crucified? Do we consider our life lost for the sake of Jesus? Are we taking every thought captive for His sake?

Consider these questions as we remember the sufferings of our Lord. He set His face to go to Jerusalem so that He could be slain for the salvation of His enemies. He entered Jerusalem to suffer a humiliating death.

Let’s pray, and then we will confess our sins together.