A Man on a Mission

 Read Luke 9.

Jesus came to fulfill a mission.  He let nothing deter Him from His appointment to complete the plan.  Though it was prophesied of old and though He repeatedly spoke of it, His followers truly did not understand until later.

When Peter responded that Jesus is "The Christ of God," Jesus went on to foretell that He will suffer, be rejected, killed, and raised on third day.  This was the redemptive plan of God all along, "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).

Isaiah 53 explained centuries in advance that the Messiah would be a suffering Savior.  The angel told Joseph, "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).  From the Garden of Eden it has been clear that sin carries an awful price.  "...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:22)  "He (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26).

Next, at the His Transfiguration, Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah.  Their conversation included "his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (v.31).

Then, the following day, He alerted the disciples that he was "about to be delivered into the hands of men." (v.44)

"When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem." (v.51)  And, again, "...his face was set toward Jerusalem." (v.53)

Jesus' own example of living with a known and focused purpose provided the integrity for His statement to those who wish to follow Him.  "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."  Like the farmer, there is work to do for God that demands our focused attention and priority.

Hours before His crucifixion, Jesus responded to Pilate saying, "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." (John 18:37)