Chapter 53—The Last Journey From Galilee
This chapter is based on
Luke 9:51-56
;
Luke 10:1-24
.
As the close of His ministry drew near, there was a change in
Christ’s manner of labor. Heretofore He had sought to shun excitement
and publicity. He had refused the homage of the people, and had passed
quickly from place to place when the popular enthusiasm in His favor
seemed kindling beyond control. Again and again He had commanded
that none should declare Him to be the Christ.
At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles His journey to Jerusalem
was made swiftly and secretly. When urged by His brothers to present
Himself publicly as the Messiah, His answer was, “My time is not
yet come.”
John 7:6
. He made His way to Jerusalem unobserved,
and entered the city unannounced, and unhonored by the multitude.
But not so with His last journey. He had left Jerusalem for a season
because of the malice of the priests and rabbis. But He now set out to
return, traveling in the most public manner, by a circuitous route, and
preceded by such an announcement of His coming as He had never
made before. He was going forward to the scene of His great sacrifice,
and to this the attention of the people must be directed.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up.”
John 3:14
. As the eyes of all Israel had
been directed to the uplifted serpent, the symbol appointed for their
healing, so all eyes must be drawn to Christ, the sacrifice that brought
salvation to the lost world.
It was a false conception of the Messiah’s work, and a lack of faith
[486]
in the divine character of Jesus, that had led His brothers to urge Him
to present Himself publicly to the people at the Feast of Tabernacles.
Now, in a spirit akin to this, the disciples would have prevented Him
from making the journey to Jerusalem. They remembered His words
concerning what was to befall Him there, they knew the deadly hostility
of the religious leaders, and they would fain have dissuaded their
Master from going thither.
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