Sermon for 22 March 2020

‘JOURNEYING TOWARD JERUSALEM’

Luke 22:13-19

 Introduction:

            With just two weeks before we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we shall look at his life and ministry in the months before He entered Jerusalem.  Jesus knew what lay in store for Him, and He went about doing what he had been doing for the previous almost three years. 

            In those last three months our Lord traveled to Perea and back, teaching, healing and setting examples.  We can learn again about Jesus’ life by looking at His last months.

  1. WHERE WAS PEREA?

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.  Matthew 19:1-2

  • Perea was the eastern part of what is now Israel, across the Jordan and extended into what is now the country of Jordan, east of the Dead Sea, in the south of Israel.
  • This seems to be a place where Jesus had not done much in the way of evangelizing, except for when He was baptized in the Jordan River.
  • His ministry in Perea lasted about 3 months.

 II.  WHAT WAS HIS MISSION?  

                  Luke 13:22  And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

  • As Jesus traveled back to Jerusalem, to His destiny on the cross, He did what He had been doing all His earthly ministry  —  teaching, healing, setting examples, talking in parables

III.  WHO WAS WITH HIM AND WHO DID HE MEET?

  • His disciples were with him, as were other “followers” who gathered to hear him speak.
    • The rich young ruler came to Him, giving Him the opportunity to warn us of the danger of too much money, incorrectly used.
    • Zacchaeus; the tax collector who invited Jesus to dinner and restored what he had taken by cheating his “clients” also came to hear him speak.
    • The blind were made to see by Jesus; the crippled were able to walk again.

IV.  WHAT DID HE TEACH?

  • That few would be saved:  Read Luke 13:23-30.  
    • “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  [a]Because narrow is the gate and [b]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
  • He rebuked place-seekers  Luke 14:7-14 –   “For whoever exalts himself will be [a]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Luke 14:11
  • He told the three parables of the lost Luke 15 —   the one sheep gone astray, the one coin lost, the one son, the Prodigal welcomed back into the home
  • He told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus  Luke 16:19-31  —  a tale of eternity where the beggar Lazarus was blessed, and the rich landowner in torment.
  • He blessed the little children  Mark 10:13-16 —  The simple faith, as exhibited by little children, is needed to be in Jesus’ kingdom.
    • “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” Mark 10:14-15
  • He spoke of the laborers in the vineyard .  Matthew 20:1-16 —  no matter when a person comes to Christ, they are rewarded with the same reward as those who are early workers. 
  • He converted Zacchaeus.  Luke 19:2-10  

“ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” Luke 19 9-10

  • Mary anointed the feet of Jesus at Bethany and Judas complained.   John 12:2-8 
  • 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; [c]she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”   John 12:7-8
  • He encountered the rich young ruler  Luke 18:18-23  
    • “ So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’

 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.”  Luke 18:22-23

            Much more was said and done than can be covered in one sermon.

Conclusion:

            Jesus’ mission on earth was coming to an end, and He was preparing for that.  With just months to live, Jesus went into an area not usually associated with the places He walked in Palestine as well as those places with which He was familiar; in so doing, He left for us a record of teaching and examples we can benefit from as we prepare to once again celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.