Death awaited Jesus in Jerusalem, where He would die for the sins of the world. John the Baptist had a prophecy when Jesus began His ministry three years earlier. He proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
Before going to Jerusalem, Jesus had a meaningful conversation with His disciples to tell them what would happen. Like a father gathering his children before his death, Jesus had important information He wanted to tell them. Luke 18:31 Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.[1]
What Jesus had to say to them was critical. He told them to look, listen, and pay attention to what He was saying. There was a sense of urgency as Jesus spoke to His disciples about God’s plan. As we read or listen to God’s word, He also tells us to look, listen, and pay attention to what He says because it is life-changing.
What the Prophets Said About Jesus Would Come True
Jesus went on to tell the disciples other details of the strenuous days ahead. Luke 18:32 He (Jesus) will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day, he will rise again.” [2] This agreed with Isaiah, the prophet, who prophesied 700 years earlier about Jesus’ death. Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. [3]
These passages illustrate Jesus’ role as a suffering servant whose journey to the cross is central to the Christian faith. Through Jesus’ suffering, He secures our salvation and brings us life through His death. You can only imagine the disciples listening to Jesus and trying to process what He was telling them. What the Lord was unfolding would only be truly understood when the Holy Spirit came ten days after Jesus’ ascension into heaven.
Following Jesus is not Easy
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”[4] As Jesus journeyed to the cross, He would lead by example, foreshadowing the truth that His followers would not be exempt from trials. Often, our faith grows during testing, and we become transformed through it.
Taking up the cross as a disciple of Jesus then or now does not mean taking the easy way, but it is often the hard and narrow road. Along that road, we learn to know and trust the Lord. True discipleship embraces the cost of following Jesus; we can follow Him with His help as weak clay vessels.
To learn how death awaited Jesus in Jerusalem, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/forward-with-full-knowledge
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.