Week 1: “The Road To The Cross – The Week Before”
Scripture Focus: Matthew 21–26, Mark 11–14, Luke 19–22, John 12–17
Introduction:
Imagine standing in the crowd as Jesus enters Jerusalem. The air is thick with excitement—people are waving palm branches, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" The long-awaited Messiah (apx 4000 years) has arrived, and the people believe He’s come to overthrow Rome, to establish a kingdom of power and might. But Jesus knows something they don’t. His mission isn’t about political revolution—it’s about redemption. He’s not coming to take a throne—He’s coming to take a cross.
In just a few days, those same voices shouting His praise will scream for His crucifixion. The hands that waved palm branches will clench into fists of rage. The people wanted a king on their terms, but Jesus came to fulfill a purpose far greater than they could imagine. And this purpose, this mission, will cost Him everything.
So the question is: What does Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem truly signify? Was this just another Passover, or was something greater at play?
As the week unfolds, we see Jesus gather His disciples for the Last Supper. He takes bread, He takes the cup, and He declares a new covenant—one sealed with His own blood. The disciples don’t fully understand it yet, but everything is about to change. Why does this moment at the table matter so much? How does it redefine everything we know about our relationship with God?
Then, we come to the garden. The place of crushing. The place where Jesus falls to His knees, sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground. He cries out, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done." The weight of what’s coming presses in on Him—but He doesn’t run. He doesn’t resist. He surrenders. What can we learn from Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane? What does it mean to truly trust God in the face of fear, suffering, and uncertainty?
Church, this is more than a historical account—this is the moment where eternity hangs in the balance. And the road to the cross has only just begun.
Today, we ask ourselves: What does Jesus' entry into Jerusalem truly signify?
- Jesus' Triumphal Entry – A King of a Different Kind
- Matthew 21:1–11
- Jesus rides into Jerusalem, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. But there is something strikingly humble about this moment—He doesn’t ride in on a war horse; He rides on a donkey. This king comes not in power and might, but in humility, offering peace instead of war.
- Luke 19:41-44 – In Luke's account we find a description of Jesus “weeping” over the city.
- Jesus was not crying out of emotion – (Matthew Henry) The Son of God did not weep vain and causeless tears, nor for a light matter, nor for himself. He knows the value of souls, the weight of guilt, and how low it will press and sink mankind.
- This moment marks a turning point: the people are celebrating, but they don’t yet understand the kind of kingdom Jesus has come to establish. It’s not a kingdom of power, wealth, or political influence; it’s a kingdom of humility, service, and love.
- The people were celebrating for their own agenda, but Jesus was coming with God’s agenda.
Application:
- Jesus, the King of Glory, enters humbly into our lives, not demanding but inviting. He doesn’t force His way into our hearts; He comes gently, offering peace. We must ask ourselves: Do we recognize the kind of king He is? Are we ready to accept His reign in our lives?
- The Last Supper – The New Covenant in His Blood
- Matthew 26:17–30
- Later that evening, Jesus gathers His disciples for the Passover meal. It’s a sacred tradition, but He transforms it into something new. He takes the bread and the cup, declaring that this is His body and His blood, given for the forgiveness of sins. In this moment, He institutes the New Covenant, one that would be sealed not by the blood of animals, but by His own blood.
Discussion Question #1:
Why does this moment at the table matter so much?
- The significance is immense: Jesus is offering Himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The sacrifice on the cross is not an afterthought—it is the fulfillment of everything God had planned from the beginning. This moment at the table is a foreshadowing of what’s to come. He is saying, "This is for you."
Application:
- As we partake in communion, we remember not just the physical act of Jesus’ sacrifice, but the spiritual significance: His body broken, His blood spilled, so that we could be reconciled to God. Are we living in the fullness of that redemption?
- The Garden of Gethsemane – The Place of Surrender
- Matthew 26:36–46
- The next stop on Jesus’ journey takes us to the Garden of Gethsemane. It is here, in the stillness of the night, that Jesus faces the crushing weight of what is about to happen. He asks His disciples to stay awake and pray, but He is alone with the Father, pleading, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
- Gethsemane means “Olive Press” or “The Place OF Crushing”
- “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
- “My Father” – A Relationship of Intimacy
- It means: This isn’t a distant, formal title, but a term of intimacy and love. Jesus is pouring out His heart to the One He knows intimately. It’s important to note that He calls God His Father even in His time of agony, reflecting the unshakeable bond they share.
- It matters: This is not just a ritual or formal prayer; it's a deeply personal cry from the depths of His soul. This is a reminder that we, too, can approach God as our Father, even in moments of distress. We’re invited into a relationship where we can be honest, vulnerable, and raw with God at all times and in all situations.
- “If it is possible” – The Reality of the Situation
- It means: Jesus acknowledges the difficulty of what lies ahead. He knows the immense suffering He is about to endure. By saying, “If it is possible,” He’s expressing the weight of the decision, considering if there is another way to accomplish God’s will without the suffering of the cross.
- It matters: This shows that Jesus is fully aware of the cost of His mission. He is not unaware of the intense physical, emotional, and spiritual pain He will face. The phrase "if it is possible" demonstrates His honest wrestling with the very real consequences of what He is about to face, even though He ultimately surrenders to the Father’s will.
- “Let this cup pass from Me” – The Cup of Suffering
- It means: The "cup" Jesus refers to symbolizes the immense suffering and wrath He is about to endure. In the Bible, the cup often refers to judgment and suffering (see Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17). Jesus is asking God to remove the burden of bearing the sins of the world, if there’s another way to accomplish redemption.
- It Matters: This shows Jesus’ humanity. He is not indifferent to the suffering He will endure. He is distressed and deeply troubled by the agony of the cross. The "cup" is not just physical pain, but the spiritual weight of bearing the sins of humanity—something He, in His perfect sinlessness, had never experienced before. It reflects His intense emotional and spiritual struggle.
- “Yet not as I will, but as You will” – The Ultimate Surrender
- It means: Despite His request for the cup to pass from Him, Jesus quickly submits to the Father’s will, saying, "not as I will, but as You will." This is the heart of His prayer—a complete surrender of His will to the Father’s purpose. Jesus is acknowledging that His own desires are secondary to the divine plan, even though it involves suffering beyond comprehension.
- It matters: This statement is the epitome of obedience. Jesus willingly surrenders His will to the Father, even in the face of unimaginable suffering. It teaches us that true surrender to God isn’t about our comfort or desires, but about trusting in His greater plan, even when it’s difficult. It’s an example of the perfect alignment of human will with divine will.
- In Summary:
Jesus' prayer is one of deep anguish and perfect surrender. He honestly expresses His fear and distress, yet His ultimate submission is to the will of the Father. In doing so, He models for us what it means to trust God’s plan, even when it involves suffering. Through His surrender, we find hope, knowing that God's will—though sometimes difficult—is always for our ultimate good and His eternal glory.
Discussion Question #2:
What can we learn from Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane? What does it mean to truly trust God in the face of fear, suffering, and uncertainty?
- This moment reveals the depth of Jesus’ humanity. He is fully aware of the suffering He will endure—the physical pain, the emotional torment, the separation from the Father. But His ultimate response is one of surrender: “Not My will, but Yours be done.”
- Jesus models for us what it means to trust God fully, even when the path ahead seems impossible. Surrender is not the absence of fear; it’s choosing obedience in the midst of it.
Application:
- Are we willing to surrender to God’s will, even when we don’t understand it? Jesus shows us that true peace comes not from avoiding hardship, but from trusting in God's plan, no matter how painful it may seem in the moment.
- Jesus' Journey Was for Us – What Does This Mean for Us?
- Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, His last supper, and His prayer in the garden all point to the same thing: His journey to the cross was for you. He didn’t walk that road because He had to, but because He loved us so much that He chose to.
- His humility, His sacrifice, His surrender—they all remind us of what it means to follow Him. Jesus didn’t come to establish a kingdom of power. He came to establish a kingdom of peace, sacrifice, and love.
Discussion Question #3:
How does Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and His moments at the table and in Gethsemane speak to our hearts today?
- As we reflect on these moments, we are challenged to look at our own hearts. Are we following a Jesus of our own making—a Jesus who conforms to our expectations—or are we following the true King, who calls us to sacrifice, to surrender, and to live out His love in a broken world?
Conclusion:
Church, the road to the cross is not just a historical event—it is the road that Jesus walked for you and for me. It is a journey of purpose and surrender. The question for us today is: Will we walk that road with Him? Will we recognize Him as the King He is, accept the New Covenant He offers, and surrender to the Father’s will as He did?
This is just the beginning of the story. As we journey together through this series, let us open our hearts to the profound love and sacrifice of Jesus, and let it transform how we live, how we serve, and how we follow Him. Don’t miss a single step of the journey.
