| Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” |
| —Matthew 20:17-19 |
“What would you do differently, if you knew the day and the hour you would die?”
The speaker at a conference of adult training and education professionals began his presentation in a very startling way. His topic was how to set realistic goals, develop the enabling objectives, and plot the strategies that would bring one’s goals to fruition. But with his very first question, he certainly got the attention of the audience. The speaker then called on members of the audience to respond to his question.
“I wouldn’t want to know,” one lady commented. “All I would do is focus on the inevitable. I think it would demoralize me completely.” Several others offered similar comments. Then one bald-headed man stood up and began to speak.
“I don’t know the day and the hour when I will die. But, I have incurable cancer. I’ve been given three to six months to live. I’ve decided I’m going to press on and live whatever time I have left to the fullest.”
Now, imagine if you were one of Jesus’ disciples. Over three-and-a-half years you have formed a bond that few could imagine. Then one day, Jesus takes you aside and gives you startling news. Please allow me to have Matthew tell this story in his own words, as recorded in Matthew 20:17-19:
Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
Did I say “startling news”? Yes! Very startling news, indeed.
Many thought that Jesus would ultimately be the conquering Messiah, who would overthrow the Roman government and bring true peace to the land of Palestine. But, this was not to be. This King would become a sacrificial lamb to pay the price of the sins of the world—everyone who had ever lived and who ever would live.
As we begin this new day, let’s think about how we might handle this kind of startling news. The truth is until we hear such news about ourselves, most of us don’t really know how we would react. Please allow me to offer this illustration:
Eight years ago, my dearly loved sister-in-law, who had been fighting multiple myeloma for well over a year and had been in remission for more than six months, received word that this dreaded cancer of the blood was back with a vengeance. There were a few more chemical therapies the doctors might try. But, after six weeks or so, the doctors told her to go home, rest, and prepare to die. In less than a couple of weeks, she had graduated to heaven.
Throughout her treatment, my sister-in-law’s faith in God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, remained strong. While I’m sure she had moments of deep grief, she remained an amazing testimony to the faith that had guided her life.
It’s more than a little sobering to consider such things as one’s imminent death. But, sobering thoughts are not bad things if they help us evaluate our lives.
Let this be a day of evaluation. And, let us cling to the One who loves us more than any other. His plan for our lives is perfect. We can certainly trust Him for that. No matter what tomorrow may hold for us, God will always be our comfort, our strength, our protection, or guide, and our portion. That will sustain us, even in the midst of imminent death.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, July 27, 2017
