Sarah Jayne Thomas - Let's focus our eyes on Jesus - Communion, August 9, 2026

Okay, so in Luke 9, we read about the transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke to Jesus.

Let's read it.

Luke 9, starting in verse 28.

Luke 9, 28.

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.

They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

To me, that sounds like it must be happening soon.

The way it's worded here, it says they spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment.

That sounds soon to me.

It sounds like it's close.

It sounds like it's about to happen.

Then in verse 51 of Luke 9, a bit further on, it says, as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

I like the amplified version, and it says, Now when the time was almost come for Jesus to be received up to heaven, he steadfastly and determinedly set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Now I'm not sure how far the walk was for him to get from wherever he was to Jerusalem.

But I, from what I can gather, depending on exactly where he was to start out, it would have been roughly a four to five day walk, up and down rocky hills.

Jerusalem was on the top of a mountain, 2,500 meters above everything else.

And so it wasn't easy to rain.

It wasn't a good, easy walk.

But Jesus was steadfast and determined.

He was resolute.

He was on a mission to get to Jerusalem soon.

And to get there and depart to heaven, having been sent to earth for this very purpose, even Jesus needed to be purposely steadfast and determined.

But it wasn't soon.

Because it's not until Luke chapter 19 that Jesus actually arrives in Jerusalem.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

That's not soon.

That's ten chapters later, ten chapters filled with side quests, ten chapters of walking towards his death on the cross.

That is a long, hard walk physically, but can you imagine what it must have been like mentally?

He knew why he was going there.

It's a long time to stay on the path and to stay focused.

And we know he was told, we read that he was told that it was time to go to Jerusalem to fulfill his mission.

It is implied that it was time for him to go to heaven soon.

We know that it was a handful of days' journey in reality along rocky, mountainous, and hilly roads.

Yet we also know that it took him ten chapters to get there.

His face was set, but he wasn't in a hurry.

And I just want to briefly mention some of the things that Jesus did and taught and the places that he went in between him setting out for Jerusalem and actually arriving.

I'll be quick.

Ish.

He was rejected by a Samaritan village.

He sent out the 72.

He told the parable of the good Samaritan.

And as an aside, I've never really put the two and two together before.

I don't know if you have or noticed it before, but in Luke 9, right at the start of his walk to Jerusalem, he was told he couldn't stay at a Samaritan village.

And so he and his disciples moved on to stay somewhere else.

Yet in the very next chapter, he shares about a good Samaritan.

I love that so much.

It's like he deliberately chooses to make Samaritans out to be the goodies in this story, as he tells the story, regardless of them having just rejected him.

He holds zero grudges.

He completely forgives.

I love how he seems to brag about how amazing the Samaritan was in this story, making him the hero.

Having just been rejected by an entire Samaritan village, he has no hard feelings.

Instead of grumbling or gossiping about it, he makes them the hero.

That's astonishing.

I don't know that I would do that.

So let's continue.

He then went to Mary and Martha's house.

He taught the disciples the Lord's prayer.

Some of us have just spent two weeks learning about that.

He drove out demons, he ate with a Pharisee.

He preached many things to huge crowds.

He healed on the Sabbath.

He taught on the kingdom of God.

He was warned against going to Jerusalem.

He ate with another Pharisee.

He told more parables.

He shared about the cost of being a disciple.

Spoke to more large crowds traveling with him.

He talked about the lost coin, the lost sheep, the lost son.

He taught his disciples many things.

He healed ten men with leprosy, told the parable of the persistent widow and the tax collector.

He welcomed children, prayed for them, laid hands on them.

He talked about his death.

He healed a blind beggar, had dinner with Zacchaeus.

And finally, in Luke 19, ten chapters after he set out for Jerusalem, he arrives.

And my point is this Jesus was sent by his Father to save us.

And when it was time, he set out for his final destination here on earth, Jerusalem, where he would be beaten, humiliated, and crucified.

His face was resolutely set towards Jerusalem, but also saw, but he also saw all the needs around him along the way.

He did all of these things while walking with dozens, sometimes thousands of people, over long distances and rocky terrain, all while steadfast, all the while resolute, all the while teaching those around him, all the while feeding the hungry, all the while healing the sick, all the while praying, all the while welcoming and praying for the children, all the while demonstrating forgiveness and grace.

All the while walking determinedly towards his death, never wavering from his ultimate goal.

No doubt he could have got his orders from heaven in Luke 9 and walked the path straight to Jerusalem and got the job done.

And over with.

But he didn't.

He used that journey to heal people, to teach people, to show us that there is work to do.

Even when we can't see the finish line, we need to keep our faces set on the road ahead, on Jesus, on what he has told us to do.

Even if it seems a long way off.

We keep walking and we keep focused.

We keep doing the next thing he gives us to do.

Even if the things he's sending us to do are scary.

Even if he sends side quests.

Even if we can't see through the crowd, even if we get roadblocks or rejections, our eyes stay on Jesus and the mission that he has for us.

Never wavering, never doubting, eyes on the price.

Sometimes it can feel like a long, windy, rocky, unstable, mountainous climb to what God has planned and promised for us.

We need to keep moving, though.

We need to keep working.

We need to keep praying for people.

We need to keep sharing the good news.

We need to keep loving our neighbor as we set our faces towards heaven, towards Jesus.

As we strive to what He has planned, we keep working.

It's not a delay if we are doing God's work along the way.

Sometimes the journey is longer than we think.

So as we we remember all that Jesus did for us, all that he endured on the cross, as we we remember his body and his blood this morning.

Let's also remember the long, windy, beautiful journey, the ten chapters of miracles, the teaching, the prayers, the parables, the lessons that he demonstrated on his way to his crucifixion as well.

Nothing is wasted, nothing is missed, nothing was a mistake.

He taught us grace on that walk.

He taught us how to love.

He taught us healing, forgiveness, perseverance, courage, and kindness.

We are all on our journeys too.

Let's focus our eyes on Jesus and all that He has called us to today.

Let's also remember to be steadfast and determined, believing resolutely in all that Jesus has told us.

This morning, Jesus, we remember your broken body, we remember the blood, we remember the crucifixion, we remember your resurrection, but we also remember your life.

What you taught us, who you are, who we strive to be, who we should be close to you, walking with you, eyes steady, because you're by our side.