On one of their trips to Jerusalem, Jesus left the dusty road and sat down in the grass nearby. His disciples were undoubtedly glad to get off their feet and take a rest. But the words that began to come out of their master’s mouth worried them. “Listen, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and crucify. And on the third day He will rise again” (Mathew 20:18-29).
They stopped listening after the word Crucify (John 20:9). How could Jesus allow himself to be tortured? Wasn’t he supposed to set up his kingdom and weren’t they supposed to rule with him? They knew that when someone was crucified anyone associated with the criminal had the potential of being crucified too. This was not what they had signed up for.
Many point to Christ as the way to fulfill desires for fame, wealth and health on earth, but following Jesus does not always lead to an easy life. However, it does lead to a life of peace, joy, strength and confidence (Philippians 4:6; Proverbs 3:26; Romans 15:13).
