Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Luke 19:1
When somebody asks you to recite the ‘Gospel in a nutshell’, what verse do you quote? Most of us would turn to John 3:16. And we would not be wrong. But if we examine today’s text, we find it boils down the Gospel even more concisely. Sandwiched between the account of blind Bartimaeus receiving his sight and Zacchaeus receiving eternal life is this little sentence regarding Jesus’ journey. On the surface, it appears to be just a linking phrase. But at its depths, it is a little picture of the entire mission of the Lord Jesus to this world.
Jericho was a town that was under a curse, if we read the account of its destruction in the book of Joshua (Joshua 6:26). It reminds us of this poor, sin-cursed earth, with all of its violence and disappointments, its sorrows and rebellion. And yet, Jesus entered this world of ours, just as He entered Jericho that day. He entered and the four Gospel writers tell the story of His sojourn among us, of His ministry and miracles, of His rejection and execution, of His glorious resurrection and promise to come again for His own. By entering this world, Jesus brought to us the only hope we ever had of escaping the damnation of hell.
But our text also tells us that Jesus passed through Jericho. And it is true that His sojourn in this world was only some 33 years… less than half the normal life expectancy of you and me. He came and completed His work, and departed to His rightful throne in Heaven. His departure, and His promise to return, reminds us that the time is short. Sinners have a limited opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. Saints have a limited opportunity to serve and worship our Lord. But let us thank Him that we have the opportunity!
Jesus has entered our little Jericho. He gave us eyesight to appreciate Him, and He gave us eternal life to rejoice forever with him. Like Bartimaeus, let us follow Him; like Zacchaeus, let us serve Him. -Jim MacIntosh