Jesus, Jerusalem, & The Via Dolorosa Capt. Kelly Durant 3-24-13
Luke 19: 38
Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in
heaven, and glory in the highest.
39 And some of
the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy
disciples.
40 And he
answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace,
the stones would immediately cry out.
41 nd when he was come near, he
beheld the city, and wept over it,
2.Today I want
you to discover what it implied when Jesus went into Jerusalem. Jerusalem means
the City of Peace. Recall that Jesus is
the Prince of Peace, and it was there he made peace for humanity with God
through the sacrifice of his own body that was mutilated for you and me! Jesus
wept! This place is full of stones!
Jerusalem is
the place where he received the most amazingly praised acceptance and at the
same time the place where he was so rejected and he was put to death. What a contrast! I think if he went again to
Jerusalem today, he would encounter the same situation. He would be loved and
praised by some and rejected and hated by others! Of course, that would be case
in any city today!
3.Palm Sunday
is celebrated today by about 1 billion Christians no matter the denomination! Just
think Jesus, at the height of his popularity is being praised as a King and is
coming into Jerusalem on a donkey. How did the Romans ride into any city? With
horses, aggression, pride and pompous!
Jesus is
coming into Jerusalem on a donkey and today that is the same as a famous man
going down the street on a little scooter! Ha! There’s no pride there!
What was his
motive for this? To display his gentleness and humility! He always repeatedly
taught humility, in his birth and in his death but still today most churches
with all their luxury and pride of man still don’t understand this lesson!
Jesus is
fulfilling prophecy as we read in
Zech 9:9
9 Rejoice
greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout,
Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king
comes to you,
righteous and
having salvation,
gentle and
riding on a donkey
When Jesus
goes into Jerusalem, what holiday is it?
4.Take into
account that Jesus is going in on the same weekend that the Israelites prepare
to remember the Passover. From the time of the plagues of Egypt, the last one
was the worst in which the oldest son died of all of the Egyptians. God
redeemed the Jews with the blood of the lamb then and at the Jerusalem Passover
with Jesus it is God’s lamb’s blood that will save all humanity forever!
After covering
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in the East Gate, now I want to take you
through the streets of Jerusalem down the via dolorosa, the painful trail Jesus
took from inside the city from his condemnation to his death outside.
5-9.There are
14 stations established by tradition and I want you to experience this journey.
Many of these sites are real, confirmed by archeologists, but a few have been
added in, which you may consider as extra Biblical. One thing is certain, he
went down through the valley of the shadow of death in those narrow streets for
you and for me. It may have been this road, or it may have been parts of
another, but the important fact remains that Jesus did walk this path of
suffering.
Try to think
of each of these as having a lesson for you. Every action that Jesus did on
this road taught us something important in life.
1. 10.Jesus is Condemned to
Die. The first station to appear in the pilgrimage
is the court where Jesus was condemned to die by Pontius Pilate. Matthew 27:2 And
when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate
the governor. He was taken to Pilate. It was probably just outside of that
place where He was given the 39 lashes. There have been so many Christians,
millions even, that have been condemned to die, But we know that even if you or
I die for Jesus one day, that He will be with us and receive us with him
forever!
2. 11.Jesus is made to Bear His
Cross. It is hard to imagine, a person in so much pain carrying a cross, but He
did! Jesus even told us to carry our cross. Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow me. Each person in life has some type of a cross to carry. What is your
cross?
3. 12.Jesus Falls the First
Time. We cannot be sure how many times Jesus fell but it is an important lesson
to learn in life that we must get up in life and keep going even when we are in
great pain. Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up
again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
4. 13.Jesus Meets His Mother.
Mary must have followed Jesus on His way down the road. We know she stayed with
him at the cross too, because of Jesus words, John 19: 25 Now there stood by the
cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas,
and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the
disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold
thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!
And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. This is an example
of what real family is! Jesus wants you to be one who is there with one
suffering until the very end no matter how much it hurts you in the process.
5. 14.Simon Helps Jesus Carry
His Cross. Luke 23: 26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon,
a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he
might bear it after Jesus. I find this symbolic in life. You may be carrying
your cross, but you may come to a place where you are not able to go on. You
become too tired! It is then God will send someone, even someone not of your
race as in the case of Jesus, to help you along the way to help you carry your
burden.
6. 15.Veronica Wipes Jesus’
Face. This part we do not find in scripture but she symbolizes one of the women
who cared for Jesus and tried to help him in his time of crisis. Everyone
should do ministry. Luke 23:27 And there followed him a great company of
people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. This is what we
must practice, supporting one another with compassion by doing something to
alleviate the pain. What would wiping his face do anyway? At least a little bit
of something helps and they did what they were able to do to encourage Him.
7. 16.Jesus Falls the Second
Time. Considering all the torture Jesus had been through, it is amazing and
miraculous he could walk up the hill to his final destination. We need a repeat
of this lesson to get up and keep going.
8. 17.Jesus Meets the Women of
Jerusalem. What does Jesus say to them? Another prophecy that was fulfilled.
Luke 23: 28 But
Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep
for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For, behold, the days are coming, in
the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never
bare, and the paps which never gave suck.30 Then shall they begin to say to the
mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.31 For if they do these
things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
I
think it is absolutely amazing that despite his pain, Jesus was able to remind
people of the impending judgment. We too must always warn others of God’s final
judgment.
9. 18.Jesus Falls the Third
Time. Again he did not give up, He went all the way. In order for us as humans
to get the point, we often need to hear about it 3 times. Remember the cock
crew 3 times, and Jesus told Peter to feed his sheep 3 times. Many lessons in
life you may have to learn 3 times. Pray, oh Lord, help me to learn what I need
with only one lesson!
10.
19.Jesus is Stripped. Matt 27:
35 And they crucified
him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my
vesture did they cast lots. This part to me symbolizes the greed and
insensitiveness of the world. I think if I would have seen Jesus in that
horrible bloody condition I would not be in the mood to gamble and see if I
could win a nice piece of cloth. But I have even been to funerals where I have
seen people only interested in what they can get from the dead person. You and
I are appalled, and obviously God punishes those who care not for others but
only for material things. The lesson is our material goods in the end are
worthless and others are going to get them cold-heartedly.
11.
20.Jesus is nailed to the Cross. This must have provoked more pain that
what you or I can imagine! How symbolic that it is usually people’s hands and
feet that move to do sin. Psalm 9:16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the
wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run
to evil, and make haste to shed blood. But listen to the prophecy of Jesus Psalm
22:16
For
dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they
pierced my hands and my feet. And the victory is Psalm 47:3
He
shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. The
subjugation of His hands and feet proves God gets the victory over sin!
12.
21Jesus Dies on the Cross. This was unlike any other death before!
Remember there was an earthquake, there was darkness, there were some people
resurrected and it was a frightful moment for all! Matthew 27: 54 Now when the centurion,
and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those
things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of
God. It was at that moment everyone there believed on Him. His death atoned for
our sins! Forever we all are changed to have eternal by his sacrifice!
13.22Jesus is Taken Down
from the Cross. This took place at Golgotha. I am glad I did not have that
job! Imagine how hard that was! But
often you and me are the ones that have to clean up the mess and take care of
things after the tragedy. Have you ever had to deal with death and
sadness?
14. 23.Jesus is laid in the
Tomb. Imagine how hard that must have been for those few that did that, to wrap
his body and then lay it in the tomb. I think there would have been a lot of
discouragement. You would have thought how incredible all the miracles, but now
it is all over. How terribly sad!
The tomb is a reminder that
even when you think something is finished, it is never really finished! It is a
reminder that there is hope when we see no hope.
Now consider this: Some
traditions include the
24.Resurrection of Jesus as
the 15th station. Now this makes sense! This should not be forgotten! It is not
just that Jesus was laid in the tomb and that is the end of the story but that
He rose out of the tomb that matters!
We have a lot of work to do
today! We must tell others of Jesus! Jesus authority that was bought by His
suffering, death, and resurrection but by and large He is still ignored and
disrespected! Idolatry still exists. When you and I walk through the shopping
malls today we see all the rude people running around as if they were drunk and
hypnotized by materialism. People worship the trends, clothes, and electronics
made by human hands. Jeremiah 1:16
And I will utter my
judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and
have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own
hands.
This lesson for you and I is
that God gets the praise and final victory despite the appearance of a sad
ending! The worship of Jesus and the praise of Him as it happened in Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday and as it continues to happen all around the world is an
unstoppable phenomenon! The first disciples were willing to preach and die for
Him because His resurrection was without a doubt real and He was the authentic
Son of God who now He has all power over death, hell, and forgiveness to grant
life eternal in heaven!
Will you worship Him in
respect and fear of His power today? I fear for all the ones who rejected Him
then and for the ones who reject Him now!
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