Jesus spoke of being delivered over (a betrayal), being condemned, mocked, spat at, flogged and killed. There will be times when you feel out of control and pushed from here to there. If that happens know it happened to the one you follow before you.
“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 v 17-19)
The third and final time that Jesus tells the team what is going to happen. The first, Peter opposes the plan (Matt 16:22-23); the second time the disciples were filled with grief (Matt 17:23); and this time they say nothing. They were numb. Just like I was when I heard on the radio an Afghan man who had worked for the U.N. say he knows he will be killed because he cannot get out of the country. Just hearing the words and the emotion behind the words was enough to numb me.
Can you read the words of Jesus again?
He is leading the way, he knew his purpose and he was focused.
Your purpose in life is that of Christ, it will take many different forms but ultimately will be for people, in the end it will have something to do with the transformation of their lives through the love of God.
Focus on the last verse and see again what happens on the third day!
It may not be easy and you might be afraid of what lies ahead but we have a third day, all of us who follow Christ have a third day! Amen!
Missions Paul 