Divine Protection on the Journey to the Cross
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY….. “So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” John 7:28-30 ESV
The three years of Jesus’ active ministry were filled with being followed and adored by the masses, condemned by the Scribes and Pharisees and in the midst of it all was constant threats against His life.
The cross did not bring an end to Jesus earthly ministry it was the capstone of His mission and why He came. The words of the angel to Joseph were, “You shall name Him Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) When Jesus appear on the banks of the Jordan, John declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) As Jesus faced the cross He declared, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” (John 12:27)
Satan’s task was to keep Jesus from the cross. We see the first attempt was through Herod and the edict to kill the babies around Bethlehem. But it was during Jesus ministry that He faced not just opposition but constant threats.
In Nazareth at the beginning of His ministry Jesus read from Isaiah and declared He was the fulfillment of prophecy, to this the people tried to kill him. “They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.” (Luke 4:29,20)
In John 8 Jesus told the religious leaders, “…but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.” (John 8:40 ESV) After the raising of Lazarus from the dead we read, “So from that day on they plotted to take his life.” (John 11:53) Even in the garden hours before the cross Jesus prayed in agony, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38) We see that in garden the Father sent angels to strengthen Jesus in His hour of need.
Jesus exercised wisdom to keep Himself from untimely death and He experienced divine strength and protection at critical times. The road to the cross was one filled with danger. Jesus knew why He had come and His focus during His ministry was to fulfill all the Father had planned for Him while He made His way to the cross.
The cup of death that was confronting Jesus in the garden, was given to Him on the cross and He “drank it” and declared, “it is finished.” His earthly life was finished. His mission was finished. The task of bringing salvation to the world was finished. In declaration of the end of His work on earth and the cross He was facing, Jesus prayed, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:4,5 NKJV)
The drama during Jesus’ life was intense, but He made it to the goal the Father had for Him and is in Heaven anticipating the time when all those who place their faith in Him, follow in His steps, complete their task on earth and arrive in the presence of the Father.
Prayer for today….. Lord, thank You for what we can observe in the life of Jesus making it to the cross in spite of challenges to get to the end of the journey. Help us to know that when we walk in Your will, and commit to fulfilling Your mission, we can have confidence of the same protection, wisdom and grace over our lives.