Rediscover the Bible for Life
“The Jerusalem Road”
by Dennis Lee
We’ve begun our new series, “A Journey to and from Easter,” and on this journey we’ll be looking at different roads Jesus traveled prior to His death and after His resurrection. Today, I’d like to talk about the Jerusalem Road.
Jesus entered this road knowing it would lead Him to his destiny, which meant His death upon the cross, but also His resurrection.
Jesus said, “I have to go,” which is exactly the same commitment we have to make.
We must all travel this road with Jesus to our own Easters, to our own deaths and resurrections. But it’s a road that will lead into a new and exciting life with Christ.
There are four aspects of this road, however, that must be understood.
First, it’s a road of humility.
Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem on a great white stallion; rather He rode in on a small grey donkey, and it wasn’t even His, it was borrowed.
Jesus didn’t enter this world wealthy, but in poverty. He didn’t enter Jerusalem in grandeur, but in meekness and humility. And when He spoke of His kingdom it was one of servant hood and humility.
It’s such humility God not only sees, but also exalts. It’s the humility of a humble sinner.
The Lord said, “I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble … those of repentant hearts” (Isa. 57:15).
The Jerusalem Road is also a road of fulfillment.
Jesus’ entrance on a colt of a donkey wasn’t happenstance, but foretold through the prophet Zechariah over 500 years earlier. Jesus’ life was to fulfill God’s divine plan of redemption, which is to save us.
Part of God’s fulfillment for our lives is the giving of the Holy Spirit to all who become born again. Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit came He would lead, guide, and direct us towards God’s divine plan.
Next, the Jerusalem Road is a road of obedience.
Jesus lived a life of obedience. He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work … For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (Jn. 4:24; 6:38).
When we live our lives in accordance with God’s word, what we’ll find is that it doesn’t always make sense, but in obeying we find that God had a plan all along. And so the Jerusalem Road calls for us to hear and obey God’s word.
Finally, the Jerusalem Road is a road of destiny.
The people lined the road spreading out their garments crying, “Hosanna,” which means “save now.” These were the words of Jesus’ destiny.
Jesus’ destiny was to die so that God’s divine plan for our salvation could be fulfilled, and no one, not even Satan could deny Jesus’ destiny.
Destiny is God’s purpose for our lives. It’s our appointed or ordained future. The Apostle Paul defined our destiny best saying, “He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)
