Words from the Rock
We are now on our way to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses. They will sentence him to death, and then they will hand him over to foreigners who will make fun of him. They will beat him and nail him to a cross. But on the third day he will rise from death.
Matthew 20:18–19 CEV
Again Jesus is predicting his death. Only this time he’s much more specific about the details. Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem when he makes this disclosure. He tells them privately because it’s not time for anyone else to hear. Interestingly, we don’t get to see or hear their reaction to this announcement. Maybe they were very quiet, trying to process what Jesus was saying. Or maybe they were in disbelief, wondering how all that could happen. Or perhaps they were simply in shock, hoping beyond hope that Jesus was wrong about this. Whatever the case, no conversation is recorded to show their reaction.
What would your reaction be if you’d been there that day? How would it feel to hear Jesus saying these things? First he was going be handed over to those hypocritical religious leaders that no one really liked or respected? Who was going to hand him over? Then he would be sentenced to death? For doing what? And then he would be ridiculed by foreigners? How could that possibly happen?
But then it gets even grimmer—Jesus would be beaten and nailed to the cross? That was how criminals were put to death. Could you even bear to think of that? And finally, after three days, he would return to life? How was that even possible?
Maybe you would have been quiet too, just trying to wrap your head around all this dismal information and hoping it wasn’t really going to happen. But how do you feel about it now, knowing that it did happen? It all went down just as Jesus had predicted. And it happened like that so God could extend his love and forgiveness to everyone, including you. How do you respond to that?
My Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus to earth and for his willingness to die so I could have eternal life. I never want to take that gift for granted.
Amen.
Final Word
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NIV
Stone for the Journey
I’m thankful that Jesus went to the cross for me.