31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again."
The end is now is sight. In our verses for today Jesus explains to His Disciples what is in store for Him on His horizon. He is about to come to the end of, that is, to accomplish His desired goal – and not only bring it to completion but to perfection. Everything, He says, written by the prophets would be fulfilled – everything. This fulfillment of prophecy proves Scriptures to indeed be the very will and the very Word of God. It was written, and therefore it was necessary, for Christ to suffer. Isaiah the prophet states regarding the Messiah:
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV)
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. Isaiah 53:7-10 (NIV)
I am reminded of yet another verse describing Jesus’ firm resolution to accomplish His fixed and certain purposes on earth:
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9:51 (NIV)
Jesus had to get to Jerusalem and present Himself as the Messiah and then depart. He was established, fixed and firm in His goal leaving Him as our supreme example, our model to follow. This is why Scripture tells us we are to fix our eyes on Jesus – the Author and Perfecter of our faith – lest we grow weary and we lose heart on our journey towards heaven laden with our heavy feet of clay and backpacks of burdens along this dusty path through life:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb 12:1-3 (NIV)
Jesus pioneered and perfected the way of faith reaching its end successfully. We must also keep in mind His focus was on the joy of the end result - not on the cross but on the ultimate result of the cross. How about us? Is our focus on the cross we have to bear or is it on the joy of the end result of our crosses which is conforming us to the image of Christ? Our focus must be properly placed or we will certainly grow weary and lose heart.
“Courage” – Frances J. Roberts
“My people shall not go mourning, for I the Lord will be their rejoicing and their song. They will not be a complaining people, for I will take away the murmuring from your streets. Will I lead into the battlefronts an army of weeping women? Will I ask the fainthearted to war?
No, but I shall give My people brave and courageous spirits, and I will make them strong of heart. I will give them the spirit of the martyrs, for they will be My witnesses of resurrection power. They shall be stalwart. They shall be steadfast. And I will remove from the ranks those who are timid and those who desire comfort and security. My way is a way of sacrifice, and the rewards are not in worldly honors.
So take upon you the full armor of God: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the loins girded with truth, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, having the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit.
Yes, My people, this is a hand-to-hand combat. You shall stand against the foe face-to-face. You will not turn in retreat lest you be slain; for there is no armor to protect the back. The coward will perish.
You have not wrestled in any measure such as He, the Lord Jesu s. You are not prepared to enter into this conflict as long as you are absorbed in the luxuries and the personal comforts of normal life. For every soldier must give first place to his obligation to the armed forces, and second place to his own private life and wishes. Even so you must do, if you would be My followers. Even so did Jesus during His earthly ministry. His entire life was subordinated to the Father’s will.
As it is written, ‘Even Christ did not please Himself’ (Romans 15:3). How dare you risk allowing the flesh to manifest its desires? They can be only evil continually. No good thing can come out of a deceitful heart. As the old hymn says, ‘The arm of flesh will fail you – you dare not trust your own.’
Only that which is generated within you by the Spirit of God can bring forth righteousness; ‘do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove that what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God’ (Romans 12:2).”