When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. – Luke 9:51
Jesus knew what awaited in Jerusalem. Unimaginable torment. Unthinkable anguish. Unspeakable evil. Unwarranted brutality. Unprecedented suffering. No one would ever face anything like what Jesus set His face to go to. He would absorb the wrath of God for our sins to secure the grace of God for our salvation so we could become the people of God for all eternity. He knew what was coming, but He didn’t avoid it. He didn’t bypass it. He didn’t stop it. He set his face towards it, locked eyeballs with it, and did not back away, back off or back down from it. He knew what Jerusalem meant for Him. He knew what Jerusalem would cost Him. But He was determined to complete the mission for which He came … to save sinners like you and me. So… The spotless Lamb of God headed for the place of His slaughter. The gruesomeness of that statement should grip you. So, let it. This was going to be an ugly, horrific scene that should rightly furrow our brows, sicken our stomachs, and stab our hearts because it was our sin that caused this sacrifice to be needed. He set His face to go to Jerusalem to suffer in our place, take the wrath we deserved, and be crushed for the weight of our sin. Oh, let us never take our sin lightly! The graciousness of that statement should also grip you. So, let it as well. This was going to be a beautiful, wonderful act of love that should make our eyes dance, make our faces smile, and make our hearts leap with joy because He was willing to do this for us. He set His face to go to Jerusalem to bring us from death into life, bring us into His family, and someday bring us into the very presence of God in heaven where there is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore. Oh, let us never take our worship lightly! Jesus is our way out of hell and our way into heaven. No one comes to the Father except through Him. And no one would come through Him unless He went to Jerusalem.
