THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM STUDY NOTES

The Bible tells us that Jesus was staying at the house of Simon the leper in Bethany.

Passover had come:
- Millions were in Jerusalem
- They were preparing the Passover  lambs
-  They were getting ready to celebrate the death angel passing over all the homes of Jews 1500 years  earlier in Egypt  because of putting the blood of a lamb on the doorpost.

They didn't understand that the Passover lamb of Egypt represented Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:36) that takes away the sins of the world.

I. It was time to begin the 2 mile walk into Jerusalem

A. The Bible is silent about this.

B. He knew that certain things were going to happen

#1. He knew He would be met with praise in  Jerusalem had heard about Lazarus and was excited about the Messiah

- Palm branches and Hosanna blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord

#2. He knew they were waiting to arrest Him and put him to death

- He knew he would be beaten

Isa 50:6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

Isa 52:14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him --his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--

-He knew that the cross waited in  Jerusalem

Isa 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

II. Yet Jesus Kept On Walking To Jerusalem

A. Every step He took made two statements

1. Every step said, I am demonstrating my love.

Ro 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

- I'm going to love you even though I know that you will beat and hate me.

Mt 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

2. Every step also was an act of war.

- The cross a place of defeat for Satan.

Heb 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-- that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Devil tormented people because they knew they were not right with God - and feared death

Col 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

The Law said: the soul that sins must die.  SOMRBODY HAS TO PAY!

Jesus said: I'll PAY IT IN FULL!

III. Jesus Enters Jerusalem and the People are waiting

Mt 21:8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"  10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"  11 The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

A. They were thrilled
1. He was the awaited Messiah
2. No more taxes to Rome
3. No more Roman law that said every person must carry for one mile anytime asked by a soldier.
4. No more having to ask Rome permission for anything 

B. A few days later He didn't look like the Messiah they thought He was and they turned on Him.

- Jesus standing before governor Pilate, arrested, beaten, bloody
- Pilate asks the people, what should I do with  Him?

C. The same people who cried Hosanna were now upset

Lu 23:20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.  21 But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"  22 For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." 23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.  24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

POINT: Don't be too impressed with the praise of man, it can  change over night.

IV. Taken to Golgotha

Mr 15:22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 25 It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on His left.  28 -  29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,30 come down from the cross and save yourself!" 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself!  32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. 33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, <"Eloi, Eloi, lama> <sabachthani?>"-- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."  36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.  37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

A. Two Points About This Passage

#1. Darkness over the land for 3 hours

This was not a solar eclipse - wouldn't last three hours  - (True Act of God)

This time of year Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the sky

- What is the significance of the darkness - what happened?
- Why did God darken the land?

a.) Some have said that God was being merciful to his son by hiding Him.

- Darkness is always a symbol of judgment

-  From 9-12 God allowed Jesus to be mocked and tortured by man.
- from 12-3pm God's wrath was  poured out on Jesus as our sin bearer.
-----------------------------------------------
HELL WILL BE TOTAL SEPARATION FROM EVERYTHING GOOD

Mt 8:12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

1. Jesus experienced total separation from God or anything good on the cross

- He could no longer see His friends or mother

- He could no longer sense His father

- HE EXPERIENCED THE SEPARATION FROM GOD AND GOOD THAT ALL OF US
  DESERVE

Evidence of this is what Jesus said:

Lu 23:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, <"Eloi, Eloi, lama> <sabachthani?>"-- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

(Every person who dies without Jesus - the greatest pain will be separation from all that is good - and the knowledge that if couldn've been different)

GOOD NEWS IS THE 2nd THING THIS STORY TELLS US:

#2. Veil in the temple torn

- In the temple a veil separated man from God's presence
- Man was too sinful to live in God's  presence.
- That veil was a constant reminder that God and man could not be close.
- That sin was a problem
- Jesus death paid for all who would trust Christ with their life and opened a door to relationship with God.