“As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for Him; but the people there did not welcome Him, because He was heading to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51-53)
“And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.” (Luke 13:22)
“While He was on His way to Jerusalem…” (Luke 17:11)
“Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, ‘Behold we are going up to Jerusalem…'” (Luke 18:31)
The plan to redeem us through the sacrifice and suffering of Jesus was planned from the beginning. The Prophets had proclaimed it throughout Scripture. The plan involved the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. It was God coming into our world and fully experiencing life “as we know it”. This included submitting to the sometimes “inconvenient” will of the Father. Last week we saw Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. This was the enemy offering Jesus alternative plans to the one He had come to fulfill. A more “convenient” way to get things done. We need to know that the temptation to go a different way than the cross was constantly before Jesus. After the temptation in the wilderness He was still tempted to go an easier way. It was a decision He had to keep in front of Him daily. Everything that He did and said was one step closer to the cross.
In the Scripture above Jesus has “resolutely” set out for Jerusalem. The decision was made and it was not popular. When people began to realize where Jesus was headed they expressed their disapproval by withdrawing their support. To go to Jerusalem was to go straight into the hands of those who wanted to kill Him. Even the disciples thought this was a bad idea. The plan of God does not always make sense to us. Jesus is, once again, turning things upside down. How does it accomplish the purpose of God to walk into the arms of the enemy? In Scripture we see that a sacrifice of obedience to the Lord requires a constant “resolve”. This is why Jesus said that to be a disciple of His required us to take up our cross “daily”.
Maybe at this point in your lenten journey you have already experienced the temptation to “give in” on the committment that you made to the Lord during this time. It is beginning to be more “inconvenient” than you expected. Take a moment today to think about the resolve of Jesus to go to Jerusalem for you. He decided every day that everything He said and did would take Him a step closer to the cross. Each time you think of your sacrifice…think about His. That’s what this lenten journey is all about.
Don’t grow weary…resolve to go to Jerusalem with Jesus.