The Road To Jerusalem

THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM

MATTHEW 21:1-11

The following is a true story. My mother-in-law was driving home one night. The weather was rather nasty. The rain was coming down very hard and it was very difficult to see. Seeing tail lights ahead of her she followed the car in front. Not being able to see the car in front seemed to be going the right direction. So she stuck with it.

All of sudden the car in front of her came to stop. She began wonder what had happened, perhaps the car in front had it a deer or some thing like that. She began to feel uncomfortable, thinking being stopped in the middle of the road can often times lead to accidents.

Much to her alarm the car in front of her turned off their lights. Her concern was perhaps now turning to anger. Why was this person stopping in the middle of the road and then turning off their lights. I know my mother-in-law rather well and I can safely say that she most likely did not have many kind words for driver of the car in front of her.

She was then startled by a knocking on her window. She looked up and there was a man standing in the pouring rain wanting to speak to her. She cracked the window open and asked the man what the problem was. The man replied by stating that that was the question he was going to ask her. She retorted that she was not the one who had stopped in the middle on the road and then turned off the lights. The mans reply was that they were not in the road but in his driveway.

From this story we can see that my mother-in-law had chosen the wrong leader. She had chosen a leader who would not take to where she wanted to go. Many times in life we too are faced with storms and trials and it can be hard to see that road ahead. It is at this time that we too need to find a leader who can guide us. We need to make sure that we are on the right road. The road that get us to where we want to go. We have to choose the right leader who is on the right road.

Today as you may well know is Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the day that Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It marked the beginning of the last week that He would spent as a man on this earth among His disciples.

Please turn with me this morning to our passage, which is Matthew 21:1-11. That passage in Matthew speaks of the road to Jerusalem which Jesus rides into town on.

“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. "And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ’The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them." All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ’Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’"

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! ’Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!" And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

Here Jesus is the beginning of the end for Jesus’ earthly ministry. One that road to Jerusalem Jesus is traveling towards his death, burial and glorious resurrection. And while the road led Jesus to Jerusalem, the Jerusalem road will lead us to heaven. If we are willing to follow Jesus long that road. We must be willing to travel the road that Jesus traveled, that road to Jerusalem.

This morning I want to take a look at that road, as we see it in our passage this morning. Notice first that it was a road of humility. Notice verses 1-3; “Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,