In Matthew 16, Jesus prephesies about what will happen when he goes to Jerusalem. There are three reasons Jesus had to go to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
1. To suffer
2. To Die and Rise
3. Because it was the will of God.
Following the pattern of Jesus, we too must "go to Jerusalem" in a metaphorical sense. A spiritual Journey requires going to Jerusalem to suffer, to die, in order to rise. We must:
1. Suffer as we deny ourselves.
2. Die to the flesh so we can be raised in new life.
3. Because it is the will of God.
You don’t have to be a follower of Jesus to know that the pain of discipline produces fruit in your life. But, as Christians, we’re not talking about the pain of not eating food you like in order to lose weight when we talk about dying to yourself. It’s more. We’re talking about a true submission to Christ as King in every area of your life–not holding onto anything you want in the flesh, but submitting all things to the will of God–complete transformation so that we can please God according to his will and purpose.