Rev. Nganisy Tisho
JESUS GOES ON THE PATH OF TORTURE TO JERUSALEM
Psalm 48:1-8, Romans 11:25-27 and Matthew 17:22-23
I greet you all in the name of Jesus
All these lessons we will discuss in our Bible Study to get the full message of the Word of God intended for us and our fellow Christians. I would like to thank my predecessors. You showed a good way, so it has been easy for me too. God bless all of you who led the previous sessions. And I thank God that I have also been given the grace to lead the Bible Study for today.
Let’s start with the lesson of Psalm 48:1-8
Psalm 48 is a song of praise that concerns Jerusalem as the city of God, emphasizing the power, protection and presence of God among his people. The writers of this psalm are the sons of Korah. May we know who these Sons of Korah are?
The Korahites (or Sons of Korah) were a group of Levites, especially descendants of Kohath through Korah, who became famous Temple singers, musicians, and gatekeepers. Although their ancestor Korah rebelled against Moses, his sons were saved and became dedicated servants in God’s house. They are credited with composing or playing Psalm 11 in Psalm 150. By the way, even if we come from rebellious parents, we can have a good destiny. And these sons of Korah seem to be attentive to their work. When a person is attentive to his work, God is glorified. And even Jesus was attentive to his work, and he did not let anything stop him.
The division of verses in Psalm 48
1-3: God is great in his city
God is greatly praised who lives in Zion, Jerusalem is described as beautiful, happy and safe because God is in it. The message of these verses is that the beauty of the city, church, community, family etc. is the presence of God and not the existing buildings or its history. We will see later how this Jerusalem is contrary to God’s will, even though it is praised here.
4-7: Enemies are defeated
When kings and enemies came to attack the city they were defeated and fled in fear, it was God who disturbed them and not the power of men. The message here is; No enemy can stand before God. And this helps us too to live in the Lord because we will be safe.
8-11: God’s faithfulness
The people remember all they have heard about God and now they see it with their own eyes, God is faithful to protect his city forever. His justice brings joy to his people. The lesson here is that God fulfills his promises
12-14: Tell the generations
The people are encouraged to go around the city and look at its towers and walls, the goal is not just buildings but to witness God’s protection to explain to future generations, here we learn that all the good things God does in Jerusalem are eternal, generation after generation, because God does not change.
The verses given to us 1-8 show the greatness of God in Jerusalem, the victory over the enemy and how great and faithful God is to his people.
All of this shows the uniqueness of the city of Jerusalem that comes from the presence of God in it, and in fact that uniqueness carried the special purposes of fulfilling the redemption of the world through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus that will take place in Jerusalem.
Romans 11:25-27
Introduction to Romans 11
Romans 11 is part of Paul’s larger argument (chapters 9–11) on the crucial question: Has God rejected Israel? The answer is clear: NO. God still has a plan for Israel.
Explanation in part
Verses 1–6: God has not rejected Israel, Paul offers himself as an example: he is a Jew but he is saved. He cites the story of Elijah: even during the great rebellion, God had a remnant of the elect (7,000 people). In the same way, there is a remnant by grace, not by works of law. Message: Salvation is by grace, not by human effort.
Verses 7–10: Some are blinded. Israel as a whole failed to attain righteousness because they relied on the law, not faith. The elect did attain it, others were blinded. Paul quotes the Old Testament to show that this was foretold. Message: Hardness of heart brings spiritual blindness.
Verses 11–15: Israel’s fall brought salvation to the Gentiles; Israel’s fall is not the end, but a step in God’s plan. Through their rejection, the Gospel has reached the Gentiles. This is also intended to stir up Israel to desire salvation. Message: God turns human failure into a blessing for many.
Verses 16–24: The parable of the olive tree; Israel is likened to the natural branches. The Gentiles are wild branches grafted in. The natural branches were cut off because of unbelief. The Gentiles are warned not to be proud; they live by grace, not by merit. God can re-graft Israel if they believe. Message: Faith is the foundation for standing in salvation.
Verses 25–27: The secret of Israel’s salvation; Israel’s blindness is temporary. After the Gentiles enter in full, Israel will be restored. God will fulfill His covenant by forgiving their sins. Message: God’s promises are unchangeable, even though Israel has rejected Him He still has a plan to save them through faith.
I will not explain the following verses today, because the previous ones are what our meditation verses carry with them today. Matthew 17:22–23 “While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again.’ The disciples were very sorrowful.”
Introduction
In this lesson we see Jesus speaking openly to his disciples about his suffering, death, and resurrection. This is the second time that Jesus spoke about the things that would happen to him while he was in Jerusalem. It is clear that this was not an accident, but part of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. There are important things to note in this passage
- Jesus knows what will happen to him, and he makes it known to the people.
Jesus is fully aware of the suffering that awaits him. This shows us that he was not caught off guard, but that he gave himself up willingly.
- Jesus teaches the disciples a difficult truth
This news was hard for the disciples. They were expecting a Messiah of political victory, not of suffering and death. Jesus tells them this difficult truth to change their perspective from a physical perspective to a spiritual one
- The disciples’ sorrow
The disciples were very sad because they did not yet understand the purpose of suffering and resurrection. They saw death, but they did not see the hope that lay ahead of them. Their thoughts ended up in death as the end of life and not as the beginning of victory and a new life
Key Teachings
- God’s path often goes through suffering
Before victory, there is struggle. Before glory, there is suffering. Before resurrection, there is a cross. Are we as Christians and ministers of today ready to go through suffering? Do we tell our congregations that even suffering is a legitimate part of the Christian life? They are full of many teachings that tell people that going through challenges is not Christianity, as if a person who is a Christian is saying goodbye to suffering, trials, and challenges. This is not true because Jesus is the example of a Christian life and he experienced suffering. This means that we too will experience suffering, even if it is not as severe as Jesus’ suffering. However, in that suffering there is God’s purpose to prepare us to receive greater glory if we endure or overcome that suffering. If we fail or reject the suffering, we have rejected God’s plan and the good He intended after the suffering.
- Jesus is an example of perfect obedience
Despite knowing that pain awaits him, Jesus did not avoid the will of the Father. If we know that fulfilling God’s will is accompanied by intense pain, what do we do? Are we willing to sell our security, our freedom, and everything that gives us a sense of security in order to fulfill God’s will, are we willing to obey even if that obedience causes us pain? Jesus shows us an example of obedience that does not look at the environment or consider his personal safety but prioritizes the will of the Father. Let us follow that example as servants of God so that our service is not about looking at our personal interests but about the interests of the kingdom of God.
- Suffering is not the end of the story
Jesus did not just say that he would die, but also that he would rise again on the third day. Hope always has the last word. And unlike the suffering of unbelievers that has no end, the suffering of a Christian, like that of Christ, does not translate into the end of the journey but is accompanied by the hope of a new step with greater glory than the beginning. Let us give ourselves hope and tell our fellow Christians that even when they are in trouble, their eyes should not stop seeing trouble but the hope ahead after those troubles, even if not here on earth, we have the assurance of greater glory in eternal life
Application in the Life of a Christian
- When we go through trials, let us remember that God sees beyond the present suffering.
- Let us not be discouraged when we encounter a difficult path in faith; it may be God’s way to lead us to a greater purpose.
Jesus goes to Jerusalem to suffer not in defeat, but in great victory. The cross was not the end, but it was the door to salvation. We too, as his followers, should look at the journey of suffering with the eyes of faith, knowing that God turns pain into glory. The relationship of these three lessons to the idea of the week
LESSONS:
- Psalm 48:1–8
- Romans 11:25–26
- Matthew 17:22–23
JESUS GOES ON A PATH OF SUFFERING TO JERUSALEM
Today we reflect on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. It is not an ordinary journey, but a journey of suffering, rejection, and ultimately great triumph. Jerusalem is a city that is praised as the city of God, but it is also the city that gave Jesus the cross. Why does Jesus go there knowing that suffering awaits him? Our lessons today give us deep answers.
Jerusalem – The City of God and His Glory (Psalm 48:1–8)
The Word of God says Jerusalem is:
- The City of the Great God
- The Residence of the King
- The City of the Joy of the Whole Earth
This psalm portrays Jerusalem as the city of God’s protection and victory. Kings saw it and trembled. God revealed Himself there as a fortress. God chose Jerusalem as the place to display His glory. That is why Jesus had to go there; because salvation did not happen anywhere, but in a place chosen by God.
Jerusalem – The Place of Rejection of the Messiah (Romans 11:25–26)
The apostle Paul reveals the secret:
- Israel experienced a temporary hardening
- Their rejection is temporary, not permanent
- Ultimately, all Israel will be saved
Jesus was rejected especially in Jerusalem. The religious elders, the leaders, and His own people rejected Him.
Jesus’ rejection in Jerusalem did not surprise God. It was part of the plan of salvation so that:
The nations could have a chance to be saved
Israel could finally receive God’s mercy
The cross was God’s way of opening the door to salvation for all.
Jerusalem – A Place of Suffering and Triumph (Matthew 17:22–23)
Jesus tells his disciples:
- He will be delivered into the hands of men
- He will be killed
- He will rise on the third day
Jesus was not forced to go to Jerusalem. He went willingly, knowing the suffering that awaited him. Jesus goes to Jerusalem not as a loser, but as a Redeemer who accepts the cross for humanity.
Beloved, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to suffer for a purpose. Jerusalem is:
- The city of God’s glory
- The city of the Messiah’s rejection
- The city of the world’s salvation
Through the combination of these lessons, we see that God begins to do things from afar and therefore we learn to look at everything that happens in our lives as something that carries a specific purpose that will be fulfilled in the future even if we do not understand it at the moment.
Nganisy Tisho,
@2026