And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Knowing Jesus is God's Messiah is one thing. Following Jesus as our
Lord is quite another. Getting our minds, hearts, and lives to line up with Jesus is always a challenge. Once Jesus' disciples confessed him as the Christ, he knew he had to teach them the real road to glory. Each of the Gospels reminds us that this road led to the cross of agony before it led to the crown of glory. The early church captured it in a song that reminded them that they, too, must walk that same road of the cross as their Savior and
Lord walked (see
Philippians 2:5-11). We are heaven-bound people, but we can be sure that we will encounter potholes and bumps along the road and face some steep hills to climb as Satan tries to derail and defeat us. Our Savior, however, has already walked this road triumphantly. He is our great reminder that the path of the cross also leads us to share in our
Lord's glory!
Dear Father, I know several believers who are struggling to follow Jesus faithfully. I ask that you give them strength and courage to endure. Please use me to encourage them and to help them through this dark time in their lives. May my life and my words point them to Jesus. I want to specifically mention several people by name, people who are struggling... [Insert the names you want to mention.] and ask you to bless them. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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