INTRO: Today we commemorate Palm Sunday. This morning, and on the day we call Good Friday, I want to give you the story of Judas Iscariot. So, let me begin by giving you some of the events that led up to Palm Sunday. Jesus had started his trip to Jerusalem a few days earlier. He came from the Galilee area. He came down on the far side of the Jordon River. The Sea of Galilee is some 685 feet below sea level. From there he goes down to Jericho, which is close to the Dead Sea and the Dead Sea is 1300 feet below sea level. Here he stayed at Zacchaeus’ house for night. Zacchaeus was a tax collector who got saved that night when Jesus stayed there.
The next day He begins His journey to Jerusalem from Jericho. Jerusalem is about 2500 feet above Sea Level. The Dead Sea is 1300 feet below sea level, and so I expect Jericho may be around 1000 feet below sea level, to Jerusalem, which is some 2500 feet above sea level. Yesterday some of us went up to Talbot Lake. We are at about 1,000 feet above sea level. Here. And after three hours traveling yesterday, we were at 2500 feet. For us here up north, that is a long way up. We climbed about 1500 feet.
From Jericho to Jerusalem is, I think it is about an 8-10 hour trip on foot. And the clime is about 3500 feet. So they went ‘up’ to Jerusalem. He arrives in Bethany, just over the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem, at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. This is where He likes to stay for night whenever He goes to Jerusalem. It was not too long before this that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. |
