CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 840

“The Light of Eternity”

Luke 9:51 (ESV)  When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

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Raw determination meets steadfast love and obedience.  Jesus knew full well what suffering He was about to experience, yet He set His face to go to Jerusalem.

We tend to soften in our minds the experience that Jesus endured in suffering and dying for all the sins of mankind.  We forget that He was fully man and fully God and that all the emotions and feelings of His humanity were not diminished one iota by His deity.

…he…began to be greatly distressed and troubled.  And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed… – Mark 14:32

We have images in paintings and stained glass windows of Jesus in flowing robes kneeling at a rock in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Mark’s Gospel shows us a more realistic image of our Lord falling to the ground, prostrate in agonizing prayer.  Words like ‘greatly distressed’, ‘troubled’, and ‘sorrowful, even to death’ simply are inadequate to fully convey the agony that Jesus experienced.  The extreme distress He experienced in His humanity caused Him to sweat blood, a phenomena known as hematohidrosis.  He knew all this before He experienced it and yet He still set His face to go to Jerusalem.  It is in this context that along the way people are coming to Him and saying, ‘I will follow you’.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23

Many of us want to follow Jesus but do not wish to deny our carnal desires.  To this Jesus says:

“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”- Luke 9:58

Others desire to follow Christ but on their terms and in their priority order.  To these Jesus says:

“…go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” and “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”- Luke 9:59-62

Following Jesus means to follow Him all the way to the cross and beyond.  We need to take up our cross each day and follow Him.  Our old sin nature must die and not be kept on life support.

I’m holding all of my life up to the light; The light of eternity; And I know what I should let go, I see what matters most In the light of eternity; And I want You to see me shine in the light of eternity – Lyrics from The Light of Eternity by Matthew West

Jesus lived in the light of eternity.  He knew that the cross was before Him and He also knew the hope that lay beyond the cross. Our difficulties and trials of life pale in comparison with what Jesus faced.  He experienced and overcame more than we will ever be faced with so that He can be our savior and a comfort to us in our time of need.  May you resolutely deny your old nature and take up your cross every day and follow Him knowing that hope and the light of eternity lay just ahead of you.