Last Road Trip with Jesus

It’s time for Jesus to go to Jerusalem the last time. This is His final road trip, and He doesn’t waste it. He works and takes a final rest before starting the hardest week of His life.

I’m sorry. I spent all of yesterday trying to organize Jesus’ final week; Passion Week. In do doing, I discovered that I left a few things out in Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Bear with me as we revisit this trip and include some crucial elements that were left out.

We are coming down to the culmination of Jesus’ work on earth. Something that surprised me is where He starts from. We are told that He withdrew to the land of Ephraim, but did you know that this is the region of the Samaritans? I don’t know if He was on the edge of Samaria or in the middle of it, but that explains why the Pharisees left Him alone. They wouldn’t DARE go into Samaria!

Jesus needed a break before setting out on this final journey. He got it in Ephraim. Now, it’s time for the final journey to begin. True, Jesus walks back and forth between Bethany and Jerusalem during His last week, but this is His last long physical journey. Let’s rejoin Jesus as He ‘sets His face’ towards Jerusalem.

Holy Spirit, guide my journey. Take me where You would and show me what You want me to see. Immerse me in Your story. Show me what to take from it for my own life as well.

♥ ♦ ♥

Jesus and His disciples have been enjoying the reprieve from the Pharisees. Since entering the region of Samaria, they have been spared the religious leaders breathing down their necks and looking to find fault. They all know that this is only a reprieve; NOT the end of the conflicts.

“It’s time” Jesus tells His disciples.

“Time for what, Teacher” asks Peter.

“Time to go to Jerusalem. It’s time for the Passover.”

“Lord! You know that the Pharisees are out to kill You. Why would You return to Jerusalem? We are safe here.”

“Because that is what I must do. I have to complete the task set before Me.”

They know it is useless to try and talk Jesus out of anything, once His mind is made up. They begin tearing down their tents and packing for the journey.

“What do you think is going to happen once we get there” Peter whispers to Andrew.

“I don’t know, but be ready for anything” Andrew whispers back.

“I really thought they were going to kill us last time. I don’t know what Jesus is thinking. I’m sure God would forgive Him for missing one Passover. I know I’ve missed my fair share” says Philip.

“You are not Jesus. He knows what He is doing” offers Matthew.

They all agree that they will support, and protect, Jesus to their dying breath.

Everyone is ready to go in under an hour. Jesus leads the way. There is NO looking back. No turning aside. No delays along the way. Jesus is determined to get to Jerusalem before the Passover begins. He will not ignore those who need Him along the way, but neither will He be stopping to deliver teachings. There is one stop planned though. A short rest in Bethany before appearing in Jerusalem.

It is only hours before the first opportunity to help presents itself. Jesus and those following Him near a village on the edge of Samaria. On a rise off to the riverside of the village is a group of men.

These men have been stuck in this spot for years. They are suffering from leprosy. They are not welcome anywhere. They can’t even approach people openly. If they could, they would have sought Jesus out.

As Jesus rounds the corner on the road, He comes into view of these men. They immediately recognize Him. Maybe not specifically His face, but by the large group of people following Him.

“It’s HIM” one man shouts to the others.

“Who” asks another.

“Jesus of Nazareth. The one everyone is talking about. The one who can heal us!”

They all rush to the boundary of their space. Jesus and His group don’t come near the boundary, so the men start calling out to get His attention.

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13).

Jesus turns and looks directly at them. He knows their need. It is as obvious as the missing fingers on their hands. He calls back to them; “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14).

The men look at one another in excitement and hope. Jesus didn’t lay hands on them or pray for them, but He gave them instructions. All ten of them break into a run. They are headed for the nearby village to find the priest.

As they make their way to the village, one man stops and looks at his hands. “They’re WHOLE” he cries as he holds up his hands before his face.

Another man looks at his own hands and cries the same words; “They’re WHOLE!”

All ten men examine their skin and see that it has been made clean! THEY are whole! Nine of the men continue on to the priest, unafraid of being cast out by the town’s people. One man turns back.

“I HAVE to thank Jesus” he calls out to his fellows as he turns around. “HE gave me this miracle.” His desire to thank Jesus personally shuts everything else out of his mind. It cannot wait. He is afraid of missing Jesus, if he goes to the priest first. “Jesus FIRST, me second” he tells himself.

The man turns on his heels and runs straight for Jesus. Both groups had traveled a bit since their encounter, but the man easily catches up with Jesus. He comes running full tilt at Jesus. When he is within a cubit, he drops to the ground at Jesus’ feet and begins thanking and praising Him.

“Lord, I am so unworthy of this gift, but I thank You for hearing my heart. How can I ever repay You for giving me back my life?”

Jesus looks down at him with compassion. Then He asks a question, not just to the man, but so His followers might hear as well.

“Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18).

The man looks up in confusion. He doesn’t know if Jesus is angry about the others not returning or him returning when he is a ‘foreigner’.

Jesus gently puts His hand on the man’s shoulder. “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19).

With one last ‘Thank You’ to Jesus, the man turns back towards the town. It is time to go and see the priest now. Even though he is a ‘foreigner’ he will still obey Jesus initial command.

A while farther down the road, Jesus calls His twelve disciples to come up with Him. They gather around Him as He continues to walk.

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise” (Luke 18:31-33).

The disciples still don’t understand or grasp the meaning of Jesus’ words. God is protecting them in a sense, by not letting it all sink in. The parts they do understand; Jesus being killed, jars them. But they say nothing. Peter’s rebuke that first time is enough for all of them.

After a bit, the disciples drift back into the larger group, each man struggling with what to do with this information. Peter still wants to protect Jesus, but has no idea what to do, other than be on the lookout for any danger. He silently prays that, when the time comes, he will know what to do.

The sun sinks in the sky and the whole group settles in beside the road for the night. They are not the only ones doing this. Other travelers are also on their way to Jerusalem. Those who are not wealthy simply sleep along the roadside.

During the night, James and John’s ima has a serious talk with them; out of the hearing of all the others.

“You need to set yourselves up for the future. You know He is going to be building a kingdom. You have to be His right hand men.”

“Ima, it’s not like that. He turns to all of us as He sees fit.”

“But, if you don’t put yourselves forward, you will NEVER rise above the ranks of servants!”

“Yes, Ima. We understand. Give it time though.”

This ima is not willing to keep watching and waiting. She decides that, since her sons won’t ask, she will ask on their behalf. “Tomorrow” she tells herself as she lies down for the night.

The group is eating their morning meal when James and John are taken by the arm by their ima. She draws them over to where Jesus is sitting. She releases their arms and bows at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus knows something is up. “What do you want?” (Matthew 20:21a) He asks her.

She looks at Jesus with earnest, pleading eyes. “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21b).

Jesus looks up at the brothers who are standing beside their ima. “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” (Matthew 20:22a).

Together they answer as one. “We are able” (Matthew 20:22b).

Jesus takes a deep sigh and wags His head. “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Matthew 20:23).

The scene didn’t go unnoticed by the other disciples. They kept their tongues until the brothers returned to their midst.

“What were you thinking! Asking that of Jesus? Do you think you are better than the rest of us?”

“It was our Ima’s idea” John cries.

“But you went along with it!”

Jesus hears the argument and steps into the midst of them all. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).

Heads drop and faces flush. They remember Jesus saying something on the lines of this before. The depth of what He is saying is still beyond them though. “They will understand in time” Jesus thinks to Himself. “I will make sure of it.”

The group sets off again. Tonight’s destination is Jericho. It takes effort to reach it, but everyone is grateful that they will be inside the city walls tonight.

The people see Jesus approaching Jericho and they become excited. One person within the city is extremely excited. His name is Zacchaeus and he is a tax collector. Tax collectors are NOT welcome people in any crowd, so Zacchaeus has no hope of quickly darting into the crowd to see Jesus. The people would shove him out the moment they saw him.

Zacchaeus has one other problem. He is a very short man. He will NEVER be able to see over the heads of the people in the crowd. And he isn’t about to try and go between their legs. He has a better idea.

Zacchaeus runs ahead of the crowd and surmises Jesus’ route through the city. He finds a sturdy tree, right in the path of Jesus and climbs it. From here, he is safe from the people, won’t be trampled, and has an unobstructed view of Jesus.

As Jesus moves through the crowd, His disciples guard Him. Zacchaeus is nearly giddy with excitement when Jesus turns the last corner and heads right for his tree. Zacchaeus can’t help thinking how ordinary He looks. “If I didn’t know who He was, I would never have picked Him out in a crowd.” But that doesn’t stop Zacchaeus excitement. Jesus is MUCH more that what He looks like on the outside.

Jesus keeps walking straight ahead, until He reaches the tree where Zacchaeus is perched. He looks straight up at Zacchaeus and says; “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5).

Zacchaeus is so excited that he nearly falls from the tree. As soon as his feet touch the ground, he is leading Jesus to his home. “Absolutely Jesus. Follow me.”

The people are stunned. Jesus is going to the home of a TAX COLLECTOR! They follow at a discrete distance. They start to grumble about Jesus. “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7).

Zacchaeus tries to ignore the people. He opens his house gladly to Jesus and all those who are with Him. Dinner is served with the best food and wine money can buy. Zacchaeus’ heart is tugging at him during dinner. Finally, he can stand it no more. He stands up and loudly proclaims to Jesus; “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

Jesus smiles at him and says “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:9-10).

Zacchaeus’ heart nearly explodes with joy! When dinner is over, he prepares rooms for his guests. They will rest in safety and comfort tonight.

Morning dawns and it’s time to be on the road again. As Jesus and His group are leaving Jericho, there comes a voice from beside the road. This voice belongs to a man named Bartimaeus, and he is blind.

He heard last night that Jesus was in the city. He couldn’t go looking for Him, but he determined to be there when Jesus emerged in the morning. “He HAS to heal me! Oh Lord, please let it be so” he says to himself as he falls asleep.

The crowd with Jesus is NOT silent. They make enough noise that Bartimaeus has no doubt who is coming. To be certain though, he calls out to one in the crowd. “What is going on?”

“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by” (Luke 18:37) they tell him.

That’s all he needs to hear. He starts crying out; “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38).

“Be quiet old man” someone nearby tells him.

Bartimaeus doesn’t listen. He takes it up another notch in volume and cries out again; “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:39). And he doesn’t stop, no matter who tries to quiet him.

After a few minutes, Jesus stops in His tracks. “Bring him to Me” He tells John.

John goes over to Bartimaeus and takes him by the arm. Bartimaeus starts to resist, but John says; “Jesus is calling for you. Come with me.”

Bartimaeus quickly gets to his feet, using John’s arm to help pull himself up. The two of them walk over to where Jesus is waiting. John stands Bartimaeus in front of Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” (Luke 17:41a) asks Jesus.

“Lord, let me recover my sight” (Luke 17:41b) Bartimaeus answers.

Jesus smiles and says to him; “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:42).

Immediately, Bartimaeus can see! He lets out a wild shout of joy and begins praising God. He also decides right then and there to follow Jesus wherever He goes.

Jesus travels on the whole day, making His way towards Jerusalem. When they near Bethany, Jesus tells the group of His plans.

“We are going to spend a day or two with Lazarus and his sisters, before finishing our journey.”

Everyone is excited to see Lazarus again. They haven’t seen him since Jesus raised him from the dead. They have SO MANY questions they want to ask. And he ALWAYS sets a fine table.

Jesus enters Bethany and is welcomed by Lazarus’ friends, Joshua, near the gate.

“Welcome Jesus. I suppose You will be wanting to see Lazarus.”

“I would at that. Is he home?”

“Actually, he and his sisters are in hiding. The Pharisees have been looking for him. They are frightening his sisters, so they are staying at the home of Simon, who used to be a leper. I can take You to him, if You like.”

“That would be most welcome” replies Jesus.

Joshua leads the way to Simon’s home and announces Jesus to the guard at the gate. Lazarus hears Jesus’ name and hurries from the home.

“Jesus! I’m so glad to see You again!”

“I have come to ask a favor of you, my friend.”

“ANYTHING You want, You only need say the word and it is Yours.”

“We have come for the festival, but I don’t want to stay in Jerusalem. I am wondering if you would be willing to let us camp in your vineyard.”

“Of Course! My house is Yours as well. My sisters and I are trying to keep a low profile. The Pharisees aren’t happy to hear how You raised me from the dead.”

“No. I don’t suppose they would be.”

While Jesus and Lazarus are talking, Simon comes to stand beside them.

“Jesus” he says when there is a lull in the conversation.

“Yes, Simon?”

“It would be my honor to prepare a feast for You and Your disciples tonight.”

“That would be most welcome. Thank you, Simon.”

Simon’s staff spends the rest of the afternoon preparing for the feast. They want everything to be perfect; or at least as perfect as it can be. When evening comes, the tables are ready.

“This looks amazing” Jesus says to Simon.

“Sit, relax, eat” Simon encourages Jesus and all those with Him.

Jesus nods to the twelve who have accompanied Him tonight. He didn’t feel right bringing all those who had followed Him. It would be too much of a burden on Simon’s hospitality. Everyone takes a seat around the table. Lazarus is just one of many who have also been invited to this banquet. He is sitting to Jesus’ left.

Food begins to flow from the kitchen. Jesus is not surprised to see Martha among those serving the meal. As she nears Him, He speaks to her.

“How are you doing Martha? And your sister Mary, is she well?”

“Thank You for asking. We are both doing well. She should be out here serving with me, but she said she had an errand to do just before running out the door.” Martha wags her head in judgment against Mary.

Jesus smiles at Martha. “Just remember what is truly important.”

Martha nods, then returns to her duties. To her duties.

While Martha is serving, Mary is making her way home. She has something hidden in her room that she wants desperately.

Mary goes into her box of treasures. In it are all the things she is saving for a special day. Lazarus made her a bench with a hinged lid. In the bench is her wedding dress, she finished it years ago but has never had the opportunity to wear it. The bench holds special gifts that her ima gave her when she was a child. These are even more precious since her ima is no longer among the living. The final piece in her bench is an alabaster vile of spikenard. A special Alabastron crafted with beauty and precision. This represents all her worldly wealth. It is her dowery for when she finally marries.

Mary carefully lifts the Alabastron from its resting place. It holds a full pound of precious oil. She clasps it to her breast and closes her eyes. “This is it” she thinks. “THIS is my gift to Jesus.”

Mary tucks the Alabastron into the folds of her robe and hurries back to Simon’s house. When she enters, the meal is well underway. Carefully, she makes her way over to where Jesus is sitting. She kneels down at His feet. No one notices her except Jesus. He looks down at her and smiles. Nothing more.

That is all Mary needed. Mary silently weeps at Jesus feet. She uses her tears to clean His feet. When they are clean, she takes down her hair from under her mitpachet (her head covering), and begins using her hair to dry Jesus’ feet.

Once Jesus’ feet are clean and dry, Mary withdraws the Alabastron from the folds of her robe and breaks the seal. She begins pouring it over Jesus’ feet. The aroma quickly fills the room. Heads turn in her direction.

Mary is paying no attention to anyone but Jesus. She works the oil into Jesus’ pours with her fingers. When His feet are fully covered in the oil, Mary wipes the excess with her hair again.

The fragrance in the room brings Judas closer. He wants to see what Mary has. When he sees the Alabastron, his eyes go wide. He recognizes the extravagant wealth before him. And he sees it as being wasted.

Pointing down at Mary, Judas exclaims; “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5).

Unknown to anyone else in the room, Judas has an ulterior motive for making this statement. He is the keeper of the purse for the whole group of Jesus’ disciples. He has secretly taken money from that purse for his own purposes and pleasures. This ‘wasted’ Alabastron could have given him MANY pleasures.

Jesus doesn’t take His eyes off of Mary, as He answers Judas.  “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her” (Matthew 26:10-13).

Judas returns to his seat and sulks the rest of the evening. A plan to get money also begins to take root in his heart.

When Jesus first entered Bethany, news began to spread. Word reaches Jerusalem, where many who have come for the festival, decide to take a trip to Bethany.

“Let’s go and see Jesus AND Lazarus. I hear that they are visiting together” is the consensus of MANY of the Jews.

As the people make their way, and their intentions known, the Pharisees grow frightened. Not only is Jesus drawing people away from them, but Lazarus is a living testimony to Jesus’ power.

“We have to do away with Lazarus. The longer he lives the more the people will believe in Jesus. Both have to go!”

By morning, a large crowd has gathered in Bethany. As the crowd begins to gather, Jesus calls Andrew and Phillip to Himself.

“Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” (Mark 11:2-3).

Philip and Andrew set off immediately. When they enter Bethpage, they find a colt and its mother. “This has to be the one” Andrew says as he begins untying it.

The rope is in Andrew’s hand when the owner of the colt walks up behind them. “Why are you untying the colt?” (Luke 19:33).

“The Lord has need of it” (Luke 19:34) Philip tells the man.

The owner’s eyes go wide is surprise. “Please! Take him. Whatever Jesus needs, it is His for the asking.”

Andrew and Philip thank the man and then return to Jesus with the two donkeys. Jesus nods His head in appreciation. Without another word or thought, the disciples take off their outer robes and lay them across the back of the colt. Peter and James help Jesus onto the back of the young donkey and they begin making their way the last few miles into Jerusalem.

The crowd that has gathered grab palm branches off the nearby trees. They begin laying their coats and the branches on the ground for the donkey to walk on. This is repeated by those along the way to Jerusalem. For two miles, the people pave the path for Jesus. They call out over and over again; “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38) and “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9).

The whole city is stirred up by this. They begin asking those who are leading the way for Jesus what is going on.

“Who is this?” (Matthew 21:10).

They get a bewildered look. “How can you not know? ‘“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee’ (Matthew 21:11).”

As the procession enters the city, Pharisees push their way through the crowd and along side Jesus. The call out to Jesus; “Teacher, rebuke your disciples” (Luke 19:39).

Jesus looks down on them and says; “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40).

Jesus’ procession comes to a halt at the gates of the Temple. Jesus dismounts and begins looking around. He sees the money changers and the merchants; just as they were the first time He came for Passover in His ministry. And, like that first time, Jesus begins clearing out the Temple.

Jesus turns over the tables of the money changers, drives out those who are selling sacrificial animals, and chases away all the merchants. As He drives them out, He cries; “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13).

Once the merchants and all who stood between the people and the Lord are removed, the blind, lame, and sick come to Jesus in the court of the Gentiles. And He heals them all.

As Jesus is ministering to the people, children are gathered around. They call out; “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew 21:15).

This angers the Pharisees even more. They don’t approach Jesus, but discuss with themselves, loud enough for all to hear; “Do you hear what these are saying?” (Matthew 21:16a).

Jesus turns to them and says; “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” (Matthew 21:16b).

The Pharisees say nothing more. Their faces darken in anger, but they try and hide it from the people. Jesus turns to His disciples.

“It’s time to leave; for tonight.”

Jesus leads His followers back to the house of Lazarus. This is where they will stay for the Passover Festival.

On the way home, Philip and Andrew return the donkey to its owner.

“It is Jesus’ for as long as He needs it” the owner tells them.

“He told us to bring them home. They have served their purpose and He has no more need of them. Thank you for allowing Him to use them.”

(to be continued)

I could NOT take Jesus on His final ‘road trip’ without ending with His entry into Jerusalem. I would have LOVED to see the looks on the Pharisees faces as the people welcomed Him. What unadulterated joy the people felt that day!

Only seven days later, they would be shouting something exactly the opposite. God’s hand is what brought out their praise. And it will bring out their condemnation too.

Father God, thank You for reminding me, and showing me, some of the events that I missed all the times I came to these stories. Thank You for letting me go back and add without throwing out the lessons You already gave me.

Thank You for helping me order things in my mind. Help me to walk as closely as I can to Your true story. And part of that story, I firmly believe, is Jesus dying on Thursday instead of Friday, as tradition says. Help me to show why I hold this belief without alienating any who don’t. What matters MOST is Jesus’ willingness to endure the cross for all of us. Not the exact order of events and timing. It matters, but I leave the actual timing in YOUR hands. You will share it with us in detail some day.