Destination matters, doesn’t it? I’ll never forget the first vacation we had as a family to Florida. My dad had just purchased some property down there in a little town called ‘Intercession City’ (yes, named after those involved in intercessory prayer). It was about 15 minutes from the front gate of Disney World. So, we were all excited—off on an adventure…
The way we traveled when all us kids were young was … we camped. That was the least expensive housing we could find on the road in those days, so we packed the family station wagon full as we could and usually pulled a borrowed pop-up camper or something like that (with an additional pup tent for my older brother and me).
This vacation was going to be an adventure! We knew we were going on a long journey. We knew we were going to both have fun and face challenges. We knew we were going to be traveling in a hot, non-air conditioned car … and camping each evening. So, we knew it was going to be a hot, sweaty, and sometimes dirty proposition … but we didn’t care! Why? Because we were going to Disney World … and destination was all that really mattered!
It was the same with the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came into this world … so that he could go on a journey, too—a journey up to Jerusalem. And, as far as Jesus was concerned, there was nothing more important than God’s will in his life … and God’s will was for Jesus to go to Jerusalem—when the time was right. So, how does Jesus journey relate to our lives? Good question…
In my favorite devotional, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, he talks about Jerusalem in a devotional called “The Big Compelling of God” (August 3). In this devotional, Chambers bounces off Luke 18:31 where it says “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem.” And there he tells us:
Jerusalem stands in the life of Our Lord as the place where He reached the climax of His Father’s will. “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” That was the one dominating interest all through Our Lord’s life, and the things He met with on the way, joy or sorrow, success or failure, never deterred Him from His purpose. “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”
Then Chambers continues: “The great thing to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own”—a metaphor for our life in Christ.
So, what is the Jerusalem of your life? What is the destination of your life’s journey? And will it be God’s will (as opposed to your own) that guides you there? Folks, no matter what life throws our way on the journey—whether joy or sorrow, success or failure—nothing should deter us from reaching our destination either … with God’s help. That’s what this season is going to be all about … on our Journey to Jerusalem…
Let me share a scripture with you as we begin this journey tonight. A couple of things you need to know though as we go on this journey together:
We’re going to be drawing primarily from the Gospel of Mark, as we look into this part of the life of Christ … and…
I’m going to be using The Message—Eugene Peterson’s translation of the Bible throughout this series…
Where we’re starting tonight, Jesus turns the corner in his 3-year ministry … to begin to head toward his final destination: Jerusalem… Listen:
He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.”
32 He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it. But Peter grabbed him in protest. 33 Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. “Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works.”
34 Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. 35 Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. 36 What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? 37 What could you ever trade your soul for? – Mark 8:31-37 (MSG)
Jesus here is up in the area of Caesarea Philippi … almost to Damascus, Syria. He’s gathered there with his disciples in an area of pagan worship, where people’s beliefs were all over the map. And he asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am.” It is here where Peter claims Jesus to be the Messiah … and Jesus tells them to keep that quiet and not breathe a word to anyone about his true identity. Why? His time had not come yet … to go up to Jerusalem. But, he begins to talk about, doesn’t he?
Let’s review, once again, what Jesus says here as he begins to turn his face toward Jerusalem. He told them…
- WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE JOURNEY (FOR THE FIRST TIME)—POINT BLANK.
Verse 31, again, tells us: “He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” Then, verse 32 says that he said this very simply … and clearly … so they couldn’t miss it! These guys have had a reputation (like most guys) of being a bit dense at times … so Jesus made it real clear…
- HOW NOT TO LET FEAR TAKE OVER ON A JOURNEY…
In verses 32-33, the text explains: “He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it. But Peter grabbed him in protest. 33 Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. “Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works.” The One who they’d followed for the past 3 years … who they’d looked up to … who had transformed their lives into something they never dreamt they could ever be … was going to leave them—not in a good way either! Peter responded without thinking … and Jesus called him on it…
- WHAT GOING ON A JOURNEY WITH JESUS IS REALLY ALL ABOUT…
Verses 34-37 explain this life in Christ very clearly: “Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. 35 Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. 36 What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? 37 What could you ever trade your soul for?’” Well, Jesus makes this pretty clear, too; if you’re going on a journey with him:
He’ll be the trail boss—not you or I…
We have to follow him in everything, including our attitude toward suffering and real life…
While the world tries to sell you on another method of ‘self-help,’ Jesus lets us in on a little secret: Self-sacrifice is really the key to real life … and experiencing that eternally…
Folks, today we turn our faces to Jerusalem with Jesus. As we do that, we already know that it will be a difficult journey—a path that will eventually lead to the cross. Yet when we join Jesus, we find HOPE even amidst the challenge…
Along the path, we’ll see reflections on issues that still affect us today; these include…
Self-esteem…
Money/power…
Relation-ships…
Careers/jobs…
Temptation…
Suffering and death…
With this in mind, let me close with these questions for you:
How might our life’s journey be different if we truly let Jesus be ‘in the driver’s seat?’
What would we have to adjust in our carefully laid plans … or our roadmap?
As we discover Jesus along the way, perhaps we will also uncover some of our ‘real’ selves that we’ve never known before. No doubt, the journey won’t always be easy. Just like going to Disney World back in the 70s, at times it may be hot and sweaty, and we may just get our hands dirty … but it won’t matter. Why? Because all that matters is the destination—that at the end of these lives of ours, we have fulfilled God’s will for us.
Are you ready to go to Jerusalem?
Are you ready to go there with Jesus—his way?
Let’s ask God to help us on this journey … even as we begin this evening. Would you join me?