As they were headed west toward the river, Jesus pulled the disciples aside into a kind of roadside rest stop. Once again, He told then what they should expect when they reached Jerusalem. This is the third of four of these warnings, and for the most part they grow in intensity & detail each time. On the first occasion in chapter 16, Peter was so shocked by it that he attempted to rebuke the Lord. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”
The second occasion came up in the next chapter – “And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.” Mark and Luke tell us that the disciples couldn’t comprehend what Jesus was saying. They were living in denial, expecting the beginning of the Millennium.
The fourth announcement of Jesus’ sufferings will come in chapter 26 – “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.”
This morning I am going to skip over the obvious sermon in our text. We have here a prophecy of the events leading up the crucifixion and Jesus’ reiteration of his resurrection. What we don’t have in these words is the PURPOSE for it all. Why did the eternal and infinite Son of God become incarnate? Why did He take upon Him human flesh? The answer is – “Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins.” “He that committeth sin is of the devil… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” And how was that to be accomplished? Why was Mary’s son given the name “Jesus?” The angel told Joseph “she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” “Jesus” means “Jehovah saves,” or “Jehovah is salvation.” As can be easily proved, Jesus Christ is Jehovah – He is the promised Saviour.
But what were the means of that salvation? “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” “For when we were yet without strength Christ died for the ungodly.” “God commeneth His live toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Paul said, “My ministry has always been about Christ Jesus,“ “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried and that He rose again the third day.” Isn’t that just taking and applying what our Lord tells us here in Matthew 20? Revelation 5 describes a future day in the throne room of Jehovah, filled with glorified people. “And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”
Beyond any shadow of a doubt, Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem, and what it was all about. He was headed toward the cross – God’s final and highest altar. And there He – the Lamb of God – would lay down His life, and there His blood would be shed. That blood would be presented to God as a vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice for God’s elect. Christ’s blood would cover the sins of – and thus make an atonement for – all those who would one day repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope and means of salvation.
That is the obvious sermon contained in these words – the sermon which I don’t plan to preach this morning. Unless I just did. Rather than that, my intended message will likely be a little more obtuse – a little more difficult. I’d like us to consider the trip towards Jerusalem. I’m calling this message “The Great Point of Convergence.”
Life is a journey, and every single person on earth is headed toward Jerusalem.
That is not as foolish as it might sound. Some people are born and raised in one city or town, and if they ever travel outside that community it is only on a vacation, after which they quickly return home. Most people do some moving during their lifetimes, but it is never outside the country of their birth. Very, very few have ever visited Jerusalem, and only a microscopic number made it their home. But it is true nevertheless, that every child of Adam one way or another converge and pass through Jerusalem.
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God – the second member of the Trinity. The Son of God is the Creator of the Universe, and by His command all things exist and consist. They were created and exist for His sake and glory. Furthermore, “the Father hath committed all things (including all judgment) unto the Son.” And as I said Jesus, the Son of God, went to Jerusalem and gave His life there as a ransom for many.
Several scriptures, including Revelation 20 tell us that we shall all stand before Christ as He sits in judgment. He who went to Calvary to give His life as a sacrifice for sin, is in a certain sense going to take us all back there some day. The question to be answered is whether or not we are traveling with Him as His disciples were or if we are going to dragged back kicking and screaming. and we going to be able to say some day, “I have been to Calvary, and it was there that my sins were covered.” Or are we going to have to admit, that we turned in disgust from the idea that we needed a Saviour and a sacrifice – beyond what little we think that have given of ourselves. The disciples were walking through life, at the side of the Son of God – what a glorious place to be. They were willingly walking through life with their God and Saviour, rejoicing in His presence.
And coincidentally, they were walking shoulder to shoulder with others of like faith. This is one of the joys of the Christian life – there is a fellowship of the brethren. Maybe on this occasion, they weren’t all in the same boat, but they had often been, and now they were on the same path. They were all enduring the same heat and sweating similar perspiration. They were all in the same dangers from robbers and dangerous animals, and they were all equally protected by the hand of God. Then of course each of the saved eleven were suffering through the same agonizing fears and doubt. They had each other for good or for bad. Sometimes their fears fed each others’ fears, compounding and intensifying their problems. But they also shared their joys, their hopes, their meager rations and their canteens. What a sad shame that there are so many professing Christians who neglect or cast off the opportunities that they could have for fellowship with others while on their road to Jerusalem. Some of them forsake the House of God, the Church of Christ. Some of them pick one or two doctrines and make sure that those things stay wedged between them and others. Or they take a past offence or a past event, and use them like a cloak of armor to keep people away. If only they’d realize that they are hurting only themselves. It is a long way to Jerusalem, and most of it is uphill. A little friendly human companionship makes the journey so much more pleasant.
Life is a journey, and for the Christian there are characteristics similar to those experienced by Christ.
“And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
Jesus speaks of betrayal, mocking and scourging. I doubt that any of you have yet “resisted unto blood striving against sin,” but perhaps you have experienced betrayal of some kind or other. Many of us know what it is to have a friend turn his back on us, or even try to do us harm. Jesus speaks of parents turning on their children, and children against their parents. Perhaps it was a religious thing, but on the other hand perhaps it was entirely secular. Somewhere in that equation is the hidden poison of sin. Whether religious or secular, intentional or accidental, the pain inflicted is just the same. We have the responsibility to keep from being the source of that scourging and betrayal.
These things can become trials to our faith, but there are other trials as well. Like these disciples, we all suffer disease, and loss, perhaps poverty and theft. Like these disciples the pain of such things might increase as we converge upon the city. Some of our lives tell the tail of horrendous accidents, and for others there is horrendous disease. As a general rule, such things are a part of our lives – our human journey – before we reach Jerusalem. “There hath no temptation (or trial) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
In addition to Christ’s presence and His daily grace, there are two other points which bring everything else into a wonderful conclusion.
Christ was walking toward that city and a particular hill just outside – Golgotha, Calvary. There were a myriad of prophecies that were reaching a conclusion at that point. Like a magnifying glass in the sunshine, the rays of the sun passing through that glass all over its surface were being focused on one single point. Every promise – made to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, David and others were all coming to a point. All those events which narrowed humanity down to one nation, one tribe, one family and finally one mother and her son – were reaching their proper convergence.
Now, I know that this is not quite the same with you and me, but for the child of God there is at the very least something similar. Before your birth, God chose to save your worthless soul. In fact before the creation of the world, your name was entered into “the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Even though there have not been hundreds of prophecies about your birth and eventual salvation…. Even though your name and social security number are not to be found in Old Testament prophecies…. It could still be said that you, as a saint of God, have been brought step by step from before the foundation of the earth through the ages to Jerusalem and Calvary. And as “Jesus (was) going up to Jerusalem,” took every one of His disciples with him. What I am trying to say is that the salvation of God’s elect is as sure and guaranteed as was the sacrifice of Christ Himself. Jerusalem and Calvary is a point of convergence of every one of God’s people.
And then eventually, for both the Saviour and each of His people, Jerusalem is the point of our glorification. John 17 contains the Lord’s great Highly Priestly prayer. The first part of that chapter contains some of the most uplifting and wonderful words to be found in the Word of God. The Lord has blessed us with the opportunity to listen in on the Son’s conversation with His Father. And it begins with the words, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son that they Son also may glorify thee.” This prayer was uttered just a few hours before Gethsemane and Jesus’ betrayal. When He referred to this mutual glorification of the Father and the Son, He was speaking about all that was involved in purchasing our salvation. The Father would be glorified in Jesus’ obedience and the salvation of lost souls. And apparently the Lord Jesus would be glorified in these things as well. “Jesus (was) going up to Jerusalem” and took His disciples with him to Calvary and to His glory.
Earlier I asked that I Peter 1 be read. Let me paraphrase and summarize it once again. “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to all of you who are disciples of Christ, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto eternal salvation: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Lately you’ve been on a burdensome journey to Jerusalem and ye are in great heaviness through manifold temptations: The trial of your faith, however is a precious thing, though it be tried with fire, because it is unto praise and honour and GLORY at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and FULL OF GLORY: Receiving the end of your faith, even THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.”
Every child of God is traveling with Christ while He is on His way to glory. The journey may be up hill, and it may be through some dangerous country. Along the way there may be betrayal, mockery and scourging. But I assure you that the Lord will not be kept from His intended destination, and His purpose will not be thwarted. In the process, every saint of God will be “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a glorious place to be – next to the Saviour – on our way to Glory. Are you among those pilgrims? Are you living in repentance before God and in dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ?