阅读经文 

朝圣者上耶路撒冷时总会颂唱诗篇一百二十二篇。在今天的时代，人们到纽约去找寻娱乐、到罗马去观赏美景、到法国去追求爱情。在旧约圣经的世界，耶路撒冷才是值得去的地方。这是“大君王的城”，（诗篇 48:2）是神在殿中作王的地方。在节期时，以色列每一个支派的百姓都会上耶路撒冷去敬拜神。

耶稣自幼便开始参与每年的逾越节朝圣队伍。你能想像在众人之中的祂吗？祂笑容满面地颂唱这篇诗篇，祂期待领略城市的繁华盛景。耶路撒冷是值得去的地方。

成年之后，耶稣依旧时常到耶路撒冷去，但每一次到访祂都似乎遭人抗拒，到了最后，对耶稣来说，这个城市已经成为一个危险的地方，一个置祂于死地的地方。然而，祂不会就此止步，祂仍然最后一次上耶路撒冷庆祝逾越节，但是过节不是祂入城唯一的原因。

在耶路撒冷，耶稣还有三个要赴的约会：与公会的人有约、与罗马总督有约、与十字架有约。所以，对耶稣来说，耶路撒冷是值得去的地方；祂是为了我们的好处才到那里的，就让我们为祂上耶路撒冷而欢喜快乐吧。

Pilgrims used to sing Psalm 122 on their way to Jerusalem. Nowadays people go to New York for entertainment, to Rome for beauty, and to Paris for romance. In the biblical world, Jerusalem was the place to be. It was "the city of the Great King" (Psalm 48:2), where God was enthroned in the temple. At festival time, all the tribes of Israel would go up to Jerusalem to glorify God.

Starting when he was just a boy, Jesus joined the annual Passover pilgrimage. Can you picture him in the crowd? A smile stretches across his face as he sings this psalm. He's anticipating the sights and sounds of the city. Jerusalem is the place to be.

As an adult, Jesus continued to visit Jerusalem regularly. Each of those visits seemed to stir up opposition. Eventually the city became a dangerous place for Jesus, a place to die. But that didn't stop him. He still went up to Jerusalem one last time to celebrate the Passover. But that wasn't the only reason.

Jesus also had several appointments to keep there: one with the ruling council, one with the Roman governor, and one with a cross. So, for Jesus, Jerusalem was the place to be. And that was for our benefit. So we can rejoice that he went up to Jerusalem.