Have you ever experienced difficulties as you were journeying somewhere? It may be the case you’ve encountered either heavy traffic, a road detour, or have possibly gotten a flat tire when traveling to go visit family or take a vacation. Did these things stop you from continuing on your journey? Most likely not. Why? Because you wanted to get somewhere and were willing to do what it took to get to said place. In the Scriptures we read of the Lord Jesus’s journey to the cross, and He undoubtedly experienced difficulties while on the road to Golgotha’s hill. This being so, we ought to be so thankful that He didn’t stop His trek towards the cross of Calvary. We have recorded for us three times in which Jesus predicts his crucifixion and resurrection. Let us examine these sections of Holy Writ to learn from our Lord how to be uncompromising, unswerving, and unrelenting when it comes to doing the will of our Father who is in heaven. 

To begin with, the first time the Messiah predicts His crucifixion and resurrection is after Peter confesses Him as the Christ. The Lord informs His disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22). Jesus in essence says here that He’s going to the cross. Then He turns around and says to them all: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23, 24). From this we learn that Jesus possessed and expressed such a determination to do the will of God, that though He had to be, “obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Php. 2:8), He was going to follow through with it. Brethren, we must not love our lives to the death (Rev. 12:11). Therefore, let us seek to emulate this mindset the Savior displayed in His actions. 

Furthermore, Jesus our Lord foretold His being delivered up and subsequent raising from the dead a second time after casting out a demon from a child. The great multitude that was around when Jesus performed this miracle, “were all amazed at the majesty of God. But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, ‘Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men’” (Luke 9:43, 44). You would think the disciples would be focused on what their Teacher and Master said to them, however sadly this wasn’t the case. The disciples, not too long after this, got into a dispute amongst themselves while on the road as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, in response to this, said, “‘For he who is least among you all will be great’” (Luke 9:48). Later a similar situation arose among the disciples, to which Jesus said: “‘whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many’” (Matt. 20:26-28). With these instances in mind, we learn that the Son of Man was focused on serving, so much so that it led Him to give “Himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:6). Brethren, let us get so enveloped in a mindset of serving that it influences how we perceive and respond to different situations we come across.

Finally, the Teacher for the third time declares that, “all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished” (Luke 18:31). He said this after letting His disciples know that those who have left everyone and everything for the sake of the kingdom of God will receive many times more in this life, and in the age to come eternal life (Luke 18:29, 30). Then we read that Jesus of Nazareth gave sight to blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, who upon receiving his sight went on to follow Jesus, the Son of David (Luke 18:35-43). From this account we learn that Jesus gave up everything for the sake of the kingdom of God, which example and way of life we would do well to imitate. Brethren, let us follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Rev. 14:4).

In conclusion, we’ve learned from Jesus journey to the cross that if we’re going to be faithful unto death, that we must: (1) be determined in doing the will of God, (2) be enveloped in a mindset of serving, and (3) give up everything for the sake of the kingdom of God. Brethren, we have our work cut out for us; however, with the strength, encouragement and comfort we receive from our God and Father, we can make a home in heaven with Him forever become a reality. “Let us hope, let us watch, and labor till the Master comes” (Crosby “To The Work”).