At this point in our study of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus and his disciples are going up to Jerusalem, and, for Jesus, it would be his final journey there (Matthew 20:17). They came by way of the King’s Highway, which means their journey took them on the east side of the Jordan River on their way to Judea (cp. Matthew 19:1). They were intending to eventually celebrate the Passover at Jerusalem, and this would be Jesus’ fourth Passover during his public ministry (John 2:13; John 6:4; Luke 13:1;[1] Matthew 21:1). Three were spent in Jerusalem, but one, Jesus’ second Passover celebration (John 6:4), was spent in Galilee.
Keep in mind, however, that although Jesus and his disciples were intending to celebrate the Passover, they seem to have set out for Jerusalem from Galilee in time to celebrate the Feast of Purim at Jerusalem, as well. Purim is celebrated one month prior to the Passover celebration. Jesus’ itinerary understood in that he left Jerusalem (John 10:40-42) to go to Bethabara, teaching there,[2] until he returned to Bethany, a few miles from Jerusalem, in order to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11), and Lazarus’ resurrection took place just prior to the Passover season (John 11:53-55). The things done at this time point to a time sequence that allows for a considerable amount of time prior to the Passover celebration, more time than usual, and probably indicating a plan to celebrate both feast days without returning to Galilee between the two seasons. After this, Jesus left Bethany to reside in Ephraim (John 11:54), because the Jewish authorities sought to slay him (John 11:53). At some point, probably while he resided in Ephraim, Jesus took his disciples aside to speak with them privately (Matthew 20:17).
He told his disciples that they were going up to Jerusalem, and after they got there, he would be betrayed and handed over to the Jewish authorities. Moreover, he would be judged and condemned to death, and after the Jewish authorities had sentenced him to death, they would hand him over to the gentile authorities for execution. At that time, he would be crucified, but after three days he would rise again from the dead (Matthew 20:18-19).
Nevertheless, Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand anything he told them (Luke 18:34), because, according to their worldview, the Messiah could not die (John 12:34; cp. Matthew 16:22), and Jesus’ disciples were convinced that he was the Messiah (Matthew 16:16).
False doctrines are strong delusions (cp. 2Thessalonians 2:11), and the Jewish authorities taught that the Messiah couldn’t be killed, and the Jews, including Jesus’ disciples believed them (John 12:34; Matthew 16:22). We need to pause here and think about this, because this is very important for us to know, because we are just as vulnerable as Jesus’ disciples were to false doctrine. Could this happen to us, and has it, and how do we know?
The Jewish authorities refused to receive the truth of the Gospel (2Thessalonians 2:10), even preventing those who believed Jesus from entering the Kingdom of Heaven (cp. Matthew 23:13). The Kingdom of God is a place where God holds sway over what we think and believe, while in the kingdoms of the world, which include denominations of Christianity (cp. Galatians 5:19-21; note the words: seditions and heresies), men hold sway over what we think and believer.
Thus, this false doctrine of an invulnerable Messiah, which was believed in the 1st century AD, could be used later to convince the people to release Barabbas and execute Jesus (2Thessalonians 2:12), because, although the people might be inclined to release Jesus, knowing he was innocent of any crime, yet the false doctrine promised another miracle, in that, according to it, Pilate shouldn’t be able to slay Jesus. Therefore, in having Jesus condemned, the people expected a miraculous event, a great indisputable sign, that would save Jesus from crucifixion, proving to the world that he was the expected Messiah (cp. Matthew 27:42). Nevertheless, according to Jesus, the Jewish authorities would not only condemn him to death, but they would have the gentile authorities execute him, as they fully embraced the pleasure of their unrighteousness (2Thessalonians 2:12). Nevertheless, one might say, ‘God will protect me from error.’ Yet, Jesus didn’t keep his disciples from error. God respects his gift of freewill. Jesus never once condemned his disciples for believing false doctrine. He merely told his disciples the truth, vis-à-vis he would die the death of the cross, which was opposite to what the false doctrine claimed (John 12:34; Matthew 16:22)! Today, that would be like Christians believing falsehood, because their traditions say it is true, while another Christian, seeing the truth, speaks it out, but he is considered a troublemaker and, perhaps, a heretic!
[1] See my earlier study: The Four Passovers in Jesus’ Public Ministry.
[2] See my earlier study: Jesus’ Seven Visits to Jerusalem.
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