The Road To Calvary

INTRO.- ILL.- A tired hunter out in the wilderness stumbled into a camp. “Am I glad to see you,” he said. “I’ve been lost for three days.” “Don’t get too excited, friend,” the other hunter replied. “I’ve been lost for three weeks.”

Have you ever been lost in the woods? How about on the highway or while driving somewhere?

ILL.- When I was in my mid-20’s and living in Iowa farm country I would occasionally drive out of the country just to check out the farms, etc. And I soon found I was lost. Many of those Iowa farm roads all looked the same! It was somewhat frightening, because as they say, “the loster you are, the faster you drive.” YOU GET THE IDEA! When you find yourself lost most people tend to drive faster. I guess because you think you will find your way back sooner!

ILL.- I told an old elder in one church, “I’ve been lost many times.” He replied, “Well, you found your way back, didn’t you? You are here so I guess you did.”

People tried to sidetrack Jesus and get him lost in regard to His mission in life, but it didn’t happen. He knew exactly why He left heaven for earth and what His mission was. He was not going to be deterred in fulfilling His Father’s will!

John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to bear our sins in His body on the tree. It was His Father’s plan and Jesus carried out that plan. No one was going to distract Him from His mission. Not the people, not the Pharisees, not the disciples, and not even the devil!

PROP.- Let’s think about His road to Calvary: The plot. The betrayal. The supper. The denial. The garden.

1- THE PLOT

Matt. 26:1-5 “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, "As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. "But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

ILL.- "Cash, check or charge?" A clerk asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As she fumbled for her wallet the clerk noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.

"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" the clerk asked.

"No," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me, so I figured this was the most legal evil thing I could do to him."

THAT’S PLOTTING EVIL. Did you ever plot any evil? I am sure not any that you would tell about.

ILL.- Last summer, my daughter Holly and her family came to visit us. Perhaps you recall, because both Holly and Shane were here in church. Hope was 6 last year and Caleb was 3. When they pulled into the driveway, Hope said, “There’s silly papa.” I have no idea why she would say that.

Anyway, after they got in the house little Caleb wandered off into our bedroom. Elaine found him in there, trying to fish money out of the jar she has in there. I guess he figured he needed some cash. IS THAT CALLED PLOTTING EVIL? Not exactly, but from then on, he knew where the cash was!

Matt. 26:3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him.

How dare those people plot to kill Jesus? Yes, they did dare and didn’t even realize how it was already planned in the mind of God. At first, this might sound bad, but we must remember the redemption of all mankind was in the mind of God from the beginning. And the plot to kill Jesus was a part of it.

However, as far as we are concerned we must refrain from plotting evil, whatever form it may be….lust, greed, revenge, hatred, stealing, ill will, etc.

2- THE BETRAYAL

Matt. 26:14-16 “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”

ILL.- I remember when I was just a kid. I don’t recall how old, maybe 8 or 10. But my older brother Larry and a friend of his suggested that I go across the street and steal a watermelon from the neighbor’s garden. I took their suggestion and did the dirty deed. And I got caught by the neighbor and he promptly marched me across the street and into my house to tell my dad.