Jesus of Jerusalem

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Text: Luke 24:44-53

Please turn in your Bibles to Luke 24:44-53 and read with me one of the greatest farewells of all time. It is a joy to be here this Sunday morning together with other people gathered to celebrate the death burial and resurrection of the Prince of peace, Jesus Christ the Crucified!

We have looked over the last few weeks at the journey of Jesus and the different cities that affected him and the significance they played in his life!
Last week we looked at the most dreadful place of all that being the place of the skull or Calvary. A place where the innocent and just One Jesus the Christ had to pay such a high price because of us the guilty ones. But, I mentioned last week in my preview of this week that the one place on earth Jesus had to go was Jerusalem.

Of all the great places and scenes in the land of Israel the greatest was Jerusalem. Jesus had to go there as we mentioned last week for a different reason than most. This is the city where the great kings of Israel sat and he the king of all kings was going to be crowned at Jerusalem in a much different fashion. The Jesus of Jerusalem reminds us of a wonderful trait of our King:
he was a man of courage! Luke 9:51! He set his face to do the unthinkable, unbearable task of giving up his life for mankind.
Now the time Jesus spent in Jerusalem around his death had a lot of big events. Remember the triumphal entry as he rode into the city on the donkey and the people sang "hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" fulfilling the prophecy of hundreds of years earlier in the book of Zechariah 9:9 that this was their King!
Then you will remember how he cleansed the temple of Jerusalem and made the charge about his Father's house.
Then he predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37 ff.
With all this going on he still celebrated the Passover with his disciples and then gave a promise of his kingdom's feast: the Lord's supper.
Finally, he was led outside of Jerusalem's gate and murdered or slaughtered. Remember that with all of this, he had to go!

Why did he have to go? Read with me Luke 24:44-53!

Now, notice I have to go to Jerusalem, I have to be rejected and then killed and then rise again at Jerusalem and now, you have to preach about me beginning at Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is where my coronation is going to take place on earth!
It is there that the grand climax of God's dealing with man and sin is to take place. Now, I have gone to Jerusalem I was crowned and crucified but I have risen again thus all that I said concerning my kingdom which will stand forever and my church which can never be destroyed has been fulfilled and now all those who put their faith in me, who believe firmly in what I have done at Jerusalem and obey my commands will stand sure and firm on the rock of all ages that being that I am the Christ the Son of the living God and I was dead but behold I am alive forever more. The beauty now is that those who follow me will one day leave the tomb as well!

Not only would the events at Jerusalem be a part of his being crowned king of all kings but now he says Jerusalem is the place where I will be publicly proclaimed King of all kings and it will be the place where the message of hope and victory and peace will ring out until the end of time. It will be from Jerusalem that the greatest phrase will be uttered for mankind to hear:
He is RISEN!

There is something wonderful now happening in the plan of God! Jesus had to go to Jerusalem in order to set everything up. I suppose he could have died at Bethlehem still for the purpose of saving sinful man. I suppose he could have risen at Cana for the purpose of defeating death, Hell and the grave. But there was something in God's plan that centered on Jerusalem and for Jesus to be who he said he was, it had to be the city of the king.
Micah 4:2- the word of the Lord was to come from Jerusalem.
What word?
Why was all this necessary?

Turn to Acts 2:12 and then 17-21!
Notice now, Jesus says tell the world about me beginning at Jerusalem. Now Peter says, this is what was prophesied the great & notable day of the Lord.
Why was this day great & notable?
  1. The event!
    Vs.1-4- the Holy Spirit poured on them. This event marks the beginning of the promise of Jesus to them. Acts 1:6-8, Luke 24:49, Mark 9:1
  2. The audience!
    Vs.5- every nation under heaven. 9-11- 15 possible different people mentioned. The apostles are not about to speak to a small group of Jews in the synagogue! God's wisdom surely shines here. God has called together a great audience who will be able to share this message with the world. Hundreds of thousands of people if not millions will be subject to the greatest story ever told.
  3. The message!
    Vs.22-24- Jesus approved of by God- they knew it. John 3:1,2, 7:28- parable of the landowner in Matt.21:33-40- esp.37,38!
    He had to be approved of by God to do those things.
    They killed him with the help of wicked men. But, this was according to God's plan!
    Jesus had to go to Jerusalem and be killed! Luke 24:45,46 Why?
    God raised him from the dead. The message preached this day is that Jesus Christ is the risen Son of God and Lord of glory!
    Peter then says, God spoke about this in years gone by. Vs.25-31! Luke 24:44!
    Then, we have seen it- vs.32! Luke 24:48!
    You see Peter is just enlarging what Jesus told them in Luke 24! Why should we believe you Peter?
    You see us! Vs.33, we are just his followers and we are doing these things, how could we do it?
    He answers their question from vs.12! There is only one conclusion (vs.36):
    Jesus Christ who lived so wonderfully, died so cruelly, yet rose in victory which God had planned from before time began and we have seen with our very own eyes and now perform a wonder this day has been made both Lord and Christ! Romans 1:3,4
  4. The question!
    Vs.37- remember it's been about 50 days since Jesus rose! What happened to the body?
    Did he rise, he said he was going to?
    Is it possible?
    But, the leaders say that the disciples stole the body. Peter is right, what shall we do?
  5. The answer!
    Vs.38-40. Luke 24:47! Every preacher and teacher and Bible student when asked this question is compelled by God to give the same answer Peter did! The message of hope, the message of life that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and has become the hope of all that seek him will save whoever comes to him. How?
    By repentance and baptism resulting in a new life!
  6. The response!
    Vs.41,47- 3000 souls received the message and were added to their number!
The one question remains nearly 2000 years after this great and notable day in Jerusalem;
will you follow his journey?
Although Jesus had to go to Jerusalem, there was one final destination- John 13:1- He was going back to be with His Father!
Will you?
What will you do with the man who left the tomb empty?
Will you die and be raised to live new?
Will you leave this world knowing you are going to be with God?
Jesus died for you so he took care of your sin problem; he rose from the dead taking away your death problem. The only obstacle standing between you and God is you!

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