And it came to pass when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51
A brilliant man I once worked with was sent by our company to instruct a large client in the United States on a system that we were developing for them. During his time in the client’s operation centre, Mark impressed the senior officials of the large company so much that they offered to hire him, and for a very large salary. Although he would have been making three times as much money as he could with our company, Mark turned down the offer without even seriously considering it. He gave two reasons for rejecting the offer. Firstly, he did not think any amount of money would be worth leaving his home and lifestyle in New Brunswick. Secondly, he had promised our vice president that he would complete the redesign of our data systems, and he would never break that promise. His firm resolve reminds us a little of that of the Lord Jesus as the time came for Him to fulfill the purpose for which He had come into the world.
A study of the Old and New Testaments will provide us with the details of God’s great eternal plan of Salvation, a plan that required the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus as an offering for our sins. This plan was confirmed by the angels when He was born in Bethlehem, and by Simeon when the holy Infant was dedicated in the temple. At age 12, He declared His commitment to be about His Father’s business. And when He began His three years of ministry, John Baptist also confirmed His great purpose. Always before Him lay the prospect of His rejection and torture by the Jewish leaders, of His scourging and sentencing at the hands of Pontius Pilate, and of His suffering and crucifixion by the Roman soldiers. This included His full realization of everything that was to occur, including the infinite weight of suffering for our sins during the hours of darkness. Did He have options? The people wanted to make Him a king. The disciples longed for that, too. With His miracles and His messages, He had proven highly popular as an itinerate preacher, and was welcomed in most of the cities and towns of Galilee. He could have continued that part of His ministry indefinitely, as far as the people there were concerned. But our text makes it plain that nothing would cause Him to deviate from fulfilling His great purpose.
We are touched by the steadfast purpose of the Lord Jesus. Like everything that He said and did, this was a great example for us in our service for Him. We are so tempted so often to take side tracks and detours, and to even wonder sometimes if we should abandon the path of obedience. But the Lord Jesus displays for us the manner in which we should approach our devotion and service for Him.
Nothing should cause us to abandon our purpose for God. Knowing the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), the Lord Jesus remained steadfast. There will be joy for us too, if we do the same. – Jim MacIntosh