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Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem – seeing and believing

A meditation by John Stewart for the Charing Cross Housegroup

As Jesus travels on his journey to Jerusalem and the events of Holy Week he meets different people on his way. In Luke’s Gospel we can see how Jesus deals with the folk he meets as he travels onwards to his destiny as our Saviour.

Jesus’ clear vision (Luke 18 verses 31-33)

Jesus takes his disciples aside and tells them plainly what is ahead for him. He has a clear vision of why he is going and what is to happen. He quotes from Psalm 22, verses 6 -8 where the psalmist depicts a man who is at the mercy of his enemies. Yet there is the promise of resurrection in Jesus’ words.

The disciples don’t “see” it (Luke 18 v34)

The disciples, who know Jesus best, cannot get the message. They did not understand any of this, the meaning was hidden, they did not know what he was talking about. Isn’t it astonishing that they failed to understand? Would we have been any wiser than them?

A blind man can see it (Luke 18 verses 35-42)

The blind man sitting beside the road sees who Jesus is with astonishing clarity. He knows who Jesus is and he knows what he wants. He refuses to be silenced and is even more insistent on speaking to Jesus. Jesus stopped his important journey to meet this man. The conversation is brief and poignant. Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” Immediately he answers, “Lord, I want to see”. Immediately Jesus gives him his sight. He did not need any spiritual sight, he had that already. Everyone saw this and praised God.

Zacchaeus came to see Jesus (Luke 19 verses 1-10)

A small man wants to see Jesus and climbs a tree to have a better view. Jesus saw him first and invites himself to the man’s house. There Zacchaeus sees his own sinfulness and his own redemption in Jesus. Jesus comments that “the son of Man came to seek and save the lost”.

Jesus weeps because the city of Jerusalem doesn’t see it (Luke 19 verses 41 -44)

As Jesus approaches the city excited crowds welcome him but he stops and looks over the city. Jesus is overcome and weeps over the city. He says that the city did not know what would bring it peace, “now it is hidden from your eyes.” Because they did not recognise the time of God’s coming to them.

When we see Jesus we come to believe in who he is and what he has done for us and our world. The final revelation of Jesus as Saviour and Lord on Calvary is our focus this Easter. May we have eyes to see it.