“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there”
Acts 20:22

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MAY 20, 2025

The first several verses of our passage this week describe the various stops and transfers Paul is taking on his way to Jerusalem. He goes to Kos, then Rhodes, then Patara, then Phoenicia…and that’s just one verse. It sounds like he’s on the cheap ticket that makes every stop, and he’s sending a postcard home from each one: Hello from Tyre!

By this point in Acts, we’re pretty used to Paul jaunting around the world, so the significance of this trip might get lost on us.

But the folks Paul met along the way understood. Consider this interaction he had in Caesarea:

“After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’
When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.  Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’
When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’
After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.”
Acts 21:10-15

Paul is determined to arrive in Jerusalem as quickly as possible—and yet he knows, his friends know, his fellow travelers know, and the Holy Spirit knows that Paul is heading right into trouble. There, he will be arrested and bound, perhaps even killed.

Yet Paul does not flee in the opposite direction or try to hide. Paul has died to himself and now lives only for Christ. What can humans do to him? To live is Christ and to die is gain. He is prepared not only to face all circumstances, but to rejoice in all circumstances.

So on to Jerusalem he goes.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • Does Paul’s insistence strike you as wise or foolish? Why?
  • How would you act in this situation, do you think?
  • Can you think of a time when you acted according to Jesus’ teaching and God’s priorities even though it meant danger or loss for yourself?

Church Reading Plan: Numbers 29; Psalm 73