The pathway to glory — through Jerusalem

  Scripture Reading: Luke 9:28-31

  The word we should pay attention to in this passage is "Jerusalem." I will clarify a few things first, and then I will come back to this. The Bible records that God spoke to the Lord Jesus from the heavens three times. The first time was when the Lord Jesus rose up from baptism (Matt. 3:16-17); the second time was on the mount of transfiguration (Luke 9:28-35), and the third time was after the Lord said, "Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone" (John 12:24-28). There is one reason why God spoke to the Lord Jesus these three times: He purposely chose the cross! He did not choose a way better than the cross! His baptism was a choice of the cross, a choice of death and burial. On the mount of transfiguration, He also chose the cross; He did not ascend to heaven from there. When He entered Jerusalem and a few Greeks requested to see Him, it was the most glorious moment of His life. But He still chose the cross. He did not choose to be a king as the result of men's adulation.

  In today's passage, we see how the Lord chose the cross. Many people say that the mount of transfiguration is a type of the kingdom of God. But the Lord Jesus said that the mount of transfiguration was the kingdom of God. In Luke 9:27 He said clearly, "But I say to you truly, There are some of those standing here who shall by no means taste death until they see the kingdom of God." The kingdom of God descended to the earth for a moment, and the Lord Jesus manifested His glory in the kingdom. The Lord could have ascended to heaven from there, but He was discussing all the things related to the fact of what "He was about to complete in Jerusalem." He purposely chose the cross. Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with Jesus. Elijah represents those who will be raptured, whereas Moses represents those who will be resurrected. At that time, the Lord Jesus was standing at the place of the rapture and the resurrection. However, He had a clear view and a clear vision that the pathway to glory was not the mount of transfiguration, but another way.

  Before He came to the mount of transfiguration, the pathway was not so clear. Although it had been decided before the foundation of the world, the pathway became clear after the conversation on the mount of transfiguration. The pathway had to pass through Jerusalem. From this point on, we see the Lord descending from the mountain and heading toward Jerusalem. "And as the days were being fulfilled for Him to be taken up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). "And He journeyed...making His way toward Jerusalem" (13:22). "In the same hour some Pharisees came up, saying to Him, Get out and go from here, for Herod wants to kill you" (v. 31). They were suggesting that the Lord change His course. But the Lord answered saying, "I must journey today and tomorrow and on the following day because it is not acceptable for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem" (v. 33). He headed straight toward Jerusalem and would not turn at all. Luke 17:11 says, "And as He was going to Jerusalem..." He did not change His course. Luke 18:31 says, "Behold we are going up to Jerusalem." Luke 19:11 says, "He was near Jerusalem." Verse 28 says, "And having said these things, He went on before them, going up to Jerusalem." Verse 37 says, "And as He was already drawing near..." Verse 41 says, "And as He drew near..." Verse 45 says, "And He entered into the temple." This shows us that the Lord approached Jerusalem step by step!

  From Luke 9 to 23, we see a line that leads to Jerusalem. This course was set on the mount of transfiguration.

  Was the Lord's heart for Jerusalem itself? No, it was not for Jerusalem but for what would be accomplished in Jerusalem, which was the cross. Jerusalem means the accomplishment of God's will, which is the bearing of the cross. On the mount of transfiguration, glory purposely descended to the world, and the Lord Jesus was enveloped in this glory. In that vision the Lord Jesus clearly saw that the way to glory was through Jerusalem. His face was set toward Jerusalem. Isaiah said that He set His face like a flint (Isa. 50:7). He faced Jerusalem with a stone-like face; there was no change in Him; He went straight from the mountain to the cross.

  Why should we pay attention to this matter today? It is because the day of the rapture is near! The day when the Lord will rapture the saints is near! We are not speaking about who will or will not be raptured. We are saying that if a person wants to be raptured, he has to go to Jerusalem. This means that we have to bear the cross; we have to take this pathway. If God has shown us the glory, the rapture, and the resurrection, we have to obey His will and bear the cross, taking up the way of the cross. Please remember that even though the Lord Jesus knew that the time of His being taken up was at hand, He did not wait passively for the rapture. The Bible says, "And as the days were being fulfilled for Him to be taken up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). The cross came before the rapture. If we know that the day is near, we should also set our mind to obey God's will concerning us, which is to bear the cross. The meaning of going up to Jerusalem is nothing other than bearing the cross, which accomplishes God's will.

  What do we see along the way to Jerusalem? Let us consider the items one by one.

  "And they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans...And they did not receive Him, because His face was set to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:52-53). The Samaritans did not receive the Lord for one reason: His face was set to go to Jerusalem. Whenever we set out to do God's will and take the way of the cross, others will not receive us. We have to ask God day after day to give us a stronger desire for His will. Although men may not be pleased, nevertheless the Lord knows us. At that time, two disciples could not stand the rejection of the Samaritans, and they wanted revenge. The Lord turned and rebuked the two of them, saying that they did not know of what kind of spirit they were. When we are rejected, we feel like saying, "Wait until the judgment seat, and we will see who is right." The Lord rebuked such an attitude. Having said that, the Lord turned to other villages. He did not have time to take care of the reaction of the Samaritans.

  "And He journeyed throughout the cities and villages, teaching and making His way toward Jerusalem" (Luke 13:22). This teaches us not to drop everything to wait for the coming of God's kingdom just because the day of the rapture is near. Rather, we should continue in the way of the cross. This is the course; we cannot stop our daily work. The Lord taught as He made His way throughout the cities and villages. If the cross has done a deep enough work in us, everything will render us help and will cause us to gain deeper and richer experiences.

  "In the same hour some Pharisees came up, saying to Him, Get out and go from here, for Herod wants to kill you. And He said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and accomplish healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I am perfected. However, I must journey today and tomorrow and on the following day because it is not acceptable for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem" (Luke 13:31-33). In these verses, the Lord spoke some strong words. He said that Herod was a fox. The Lord was comparing Herod to God. Those said that the will of the king had to be fulfilled; the Lord said that the will of God in heaven had to be fulfilled. Compared to God, Herod was just a fox. Although the fox was cunning, it could not stop the Lord from going to Jerusalem. The Lord could not stop His journey because of the word of a fox; He could not change His face or His course because of Herod. He said, "I must journey."

  Luke 17:11-19 shows that on His way to Jerusalem, the Lord passed through Samaria and Galilee, and He healed ten lepers. This teaches us that along the way, if there is anything that we ought to do, we should do it. Whether it is the preaching of the gospel or the rendering of help to others, as long as it is something along the way, we should try our best to take care of it. The Lord was set for Jerusalem, but when anything came along His way, He took care of it. He did not decline just because He was set for Jerusalem. We certainly should not change our direction because of the things that come to us along the way, and we should not be caught away by the things we meet to the point that we stop advancing. We should work, and we should save others. However, our course should be set toward Jerusalem. If something is a frustration to our journey toward Jerusalem, we should stop that work. The Lord could have healed the ten lepers on the way and then stopped there without going further to Jerusalem. He also could have healed all the lepers in Samaria, but if He had done this, He would not have been able to save us. It is right for Christians to save sinners and help others. But if a person is stopped by these things from doing God's will, he should not continue them. These things should only be done along the way. It is right to wait for the rapture, but it is also right to do our best to save others. Revelation 22:17 is very meaningful. It says, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come!" These two "come's" are the prayer of the Spirit and the bride for the Lord's coming. Following this, it says, "And let him who is thirsty come; let him who wills take the water of life freely." This shows that after we yearn for His coming, we preach the gospel. May we save a few more men while we are on the earth!

  Last year I said that I hoped every brother and sister would save at least one person in 1929. How many have we actually saved? Of course, it is God who causes men to be saved, but have we done our best?

  "And taking the twelve aside, He said to them, Behold we are going up to Jerusalem" (Luke 18:31). The Lord did not say "I am going," but "we are going." It is not enough for us to take the way of the cross alone; we should exhort others and lead them on to do God's will and carry the cross also. How do we wait for the rapture? C. H. Mackintosh said, "It is one thing for us to believe that the Lord will come. It is another thing for us to wait for His coming." God does not want us to believe in the Lord's coming in creed only; He wants us to wait for the coming of His Son. The church should pass through everything that God has ordained for it. The book of Ephesians is filled with God's grace. Yet at the same time, it is filled with man's responsibility. If God has not gained what He has purposed, He will not be satisfied. "And all things which have been written through the prophets regarding the Son of Man will be accomplished" (Luke 18:31). May everything God has ordained for us be accomplished in us.

  "He spoke further a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, A certain man of noble birth went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return" (Luke 19:11-12). The disciples thought that as soon as they entered Jerusalem, God's kingdom would come and the Lord would be king. The disciples thought that they were going to Jerusalem to enjoy the blessing, but the Lord told them that they were going there to suffer. The disciples thought that going to Jerusalem was for reigning, but the Lord told them that it was for dying on the cross. Going to "a distant country" is to go to heaven, but before that, before the rapture and the resurrection, there must be greater sufferings and darker environments. The shadow of the great tribulation seems to be here already. Before the rapture, there will surely be heavier crosses!

  "And having said these things, He went on before them, going up to Jerusalem" (Luke 19:28). He is leading us on in the way which is ahead of us. A year before that, His face had been toward Jerusalem. Here, it was still the same. He did not change. He does not charge us to go while He stays behind; rather, He leads us along the way.

  After the Lord arrived in Jerusalem, we know that He entered the city every day, and at night He stayed at the Mount of Olives. Let us consider His prayer on the last night at Gethsemane, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will...Again, going away a second time, He prayed, saying, My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done" (Matt. 26:39, 42). Some interpret the "cup" mentioned at Gethsemane as dying. This interpretation is not entirely correct. The cup refers to the cross. In other words, the Lord asked God to spare Him from going to the cross if it was possible. But then the Lord also said, "Not as I will, but as You will." The Lord could pray, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me," but He could not pray, "If it is possible, let Your will not be fulfilled." It is true that the cup was important. But there is a distinction between the cup and God's will. The Lord showed us that God's will was more important than the cross. The second time He prayed, He put the cross and God's will together, and He obeyed, knowing that the cross was God's will. Before this time He could choose, but once He knew that the cup was God's will, He obeyed.

  Brothers, what is the mount of transfiguration? The mount of transfiguration is glory; it is the glory after the rapture and the resurrection. However, the mount of transfiguration not only signifies glory; it also signifies a revelation, a vision, and a clear view. The mount of transfiguration reveals that the pathway to glory is through Jerusalem. Today we need the revelation, the vision, and the view of the mount of transfiguration, so that we will clearly see that unless we carry out God's will by bearing the cross, we cannot expect to be raptured. Knowing the coming glory without having the revelation concerning how to enter the coming glory is useless. May the Spirit of God grant us a spiritual vision, so that we know the relationship between the rapture and the accomplishment of God's will. After we have such a view, may we bear the cross and follow the Lord faithfully unto death. May we be like our Lord, who was set toward Jerusalem and did not turn at all. May we be able to say what Paul said, that we have not disobeyed the heavenly vision.

  The glory is in sight, yet the sufferings are here! The day of the rapture is near, yet we must first pass through the cross. The day of the rapture is near, but there is a calling to purposefully carry out God's will and obey Him. This is the pathway which led the Lord to be taken up! The rapture is ordained, and the pathway to Jerusalem is also ordained. Once we are raptured, everything will be over. The times when we experience the most suffering with the Lord are the times when we are most intimate with Him. The times when we feel that the Lord is closest to us are the times when we are suffering with Him. The Lord is ahead of us, and we are behind Him. We should follow the Lord to finish this course!