LUKE 9:51 "STEADFASTNESS"
INTRO: The gospel of Luke has always been my favorite gospel. I appreciate Matthew’s picture of
the King and Mark’s record of Jesus the Servant, and John’s majestic story of the eternal Son of
God. But my heart finds it’s home in the gospel of Luke. I’ll tell you why!
* It is especially the gospel of sympathy and compassion. In it we meet individual people, not
crowds. We meet Jesus, the Great Physician as He tenderly meets the needs of all kinds of people. * Luke is the gospel of sympathy and compassion, of childhood and the home.
* Of singing and weeping. Luke is the story of a journey Jesus made, a journey to the cross.
* Luke says about Jesus, "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem."
* Steadfast means "firmly fixed." Nearly half of the gospel of Luke is devoted to the record of
Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem. He knew why He was going there. He was going there to die.
1) WHEN JESUS FIRST TOLD HIS DISCIPLES ABOUT THE TRIP TO JERUSALEM, THEY
SIMPLY COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! * In fact, Peter took Jesus to one side & rebuked
Him. "Pity yourself Lord." Peter said, "This should never happen to you."
A) But it was true. He was going to Jerusalem, not to be crowned, but to be crucified!
B) You see, from the very beginning, Jesus was controlled by a master purpose. At the age of 12
He said to Mary & Joseph when they found Him in the temple, "Don’t you know I must be...."
C) When Jesus came down to the River Jordon to be baptized and to begin His ministry, John
cried, "Behold, the Lamb of....." Jesus Himself said to Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted......."
* He was speaking of course about the cross. Num.21:8-9
D) So when Jesus set out to make that last journey to Jerusalem, it was not as a traveler seeing
the sights of the Holy City, nor as a spectator at a religious festival. NO! He made that last
trip as God’s sacrifice for sins! He was going to Jerusalem to die for you & me &...world.
E) The more I think about it the more wonderful this journey becomes. As you walk with Jesus
through the pages of Luke’s gospel, you find Him thinking about others, not about Himself.
F) If you knew you were going to die a cruel death on a Roman cross, would you be
thinking about others? I’m afraid most of us would be thinking about ourselves, and perhaps
feeling sorry for ourselves. BUT NOT JESUS!!!
G) As He makes that last trip to Jerusalem, He pauses to teach people; to preach the gospel;
heal the sick; to give new life; and new hope to sinners!
(2) THIS IS THE MESSAGE LUKE IS TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO US! Jesus is a
friend to those in need! And He is never too busy to stop and listen to our problems and to
help us bear life’s burdens. Jesus hasn’t changed! Heb.13:8.He is never far away-He is never
too busy.
A) He is never indifferent or unconcerned. He knows about your needs & is able to help you!
Jesus steadfastly set His face to go.... This was not an easy journey for Him to make.
B) You see, for the most of it, He had to make it alone. TRUE; He had His disciples with Him,
but they didn’t understand what was happening. They were quite sure He was making a
mistake when He told them He would be rejected and crucified.
C) In spite of the fact that Jesus was facing Jerusalem alone, He steadfastly set His face and
kept right on going! THIS ENCOURAGES ME! There are times in all of our lives when
God calls us to make a journey, to do a special job & others may not understand what its all
about, and we have to walk alone, and how easy it is to quit!
D) How easy it is to argue with ourselves & turn away from the goal, to take a more comfortable
tour. It’s easier living for the devil! (1) Sinners are not tempted by the devil. (2) Sinners don’t
fight spiritual wickedness, (3) Sinners don’t stand against sin, therefore is not persecuted!
E) Jesus didn’t take an easier detour. He steadfastly set His face.....& nothing turned him away!
Look at vss.52-56. HE WAS ABLE TO SAY TO HIS FATHER, I HAVE FINISHED THE
WORK THAT THOU GAVEST ME TO DO!
F) Perhaps you are facing a difficult task. Your Jerusalem is before you, your Gethsemane,
Your Calvary. And perhaps you are saying to yourself, "I just can’t do it, the journey is just
too much for me." My friend, get your eyes off of yourself and off the road that lies before
you and fix your eyes upon Jesus Christ! Heb. 13:2 "Looking unto Jesus, the author and....."
G) Do you see Him making His way toward Jerusalem, knowing what lies before Him? Can you
see Him lifting His eyes towards Heaven & saying to His Father, "Not my will but thine....."
H) Jesus made His journey successfully and He can help you finish your journey and accomplish
God’s will in your life!
(3) IT IS ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT! The journey of life is not an easy one, it wasn’t
easy for Jesus. But as children of God we can draw on Christ’s power and make that journey
victoriously!
A) Do you know what keeps me going? It’s the promise of Jesus, "Lo, I am with you
always... That promise can keep you going too, just believe it! IN FACT: this promise
sustained Jesus as He walked towards the cross. He said to His disciples: "All of you will
forsake me, but my Father is with me, He will not leave me alone."
B) Jesus was going to the hardest place possible, to endure the hardest test possible, the death
of the cross. Have you ever noticed that Jesus never avoided the hard places in life?
* From the very beginning of His earthly life, He was found in the hard places.
C) He was born in a stable. He lived in a poor carpenter’s home. Jesus never looked for short-
cuts or easy detours. He walked the road to Jerusalem & deliberately chose the difficult way.
(4) YOU AND I NEED TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE! How easy it is for us to accept the
easiest jobs, carry the lightest burdens, walk the most comfortable roads.
A) What God needs today are men and women who will steadfastly set their faces, and tackle
the difficult jobs and get them done. I fear that most of us are a bit too comfortable in our
faith. We carry enough Christian responsibility to maintain some kind of respectable
testimony.
* But we cannot really say that our road is a Calvary road.
B) Our cross is stuck on our lapel or hanging from a gold chain around our neck, it aint on our
back. We can honestly say that it costs us anything to be a Christian.
(5) PERHAPS YOU ARE THINKING OF GIVING UP YOUR CHRISTIAN SERVICE
BECAUSE THE JOURNEY HAS BECOME TOO DIFFICULT!
A) That Sun. Sch. class is too hard to teach; or its costing so much to go visiting or to hold
that office in the church. And you’re discouraged & seriously thinking of quitting and finding
an easier place. It’s easier to just warm a pew!
B) I would urge you to steadfastly set your face the way Jesus did & keep on doing the
job! Every life has its Jerusalem road, its Gethsemane, its Calvary.
C) And thank God every life has its Easter Day of resurrection joy and victory. Christ first had
to suffer and then enter into His glory, and you and I are not going to alter God’s methods!
CLOSE:
A) Moses was ready to quit, but the Lord gave him new strength, and he steadfastly set his face
and accomplished God’s will.
B) David felt like giving up, but instead he trusted God and set his face to finish the work
God gave him to do.
C) Even the great Apostle Paul came to a place in his life where it seemed impossible to
go on.
* He was pressed out of measure above strength ready to die.(weighed down, crushed by a
very heavy weight) but he put his faith in God & steadfastly set his face to walk the road God
had marked out for him. The secret my friend is this.......FAITH!
D) Yield yourself to Christ; draw upon His power and patience, and steadfastly set your face to
go to your Jerusalem.
E) You will discover that God will see you through, and that at the end of the road is the
glory of God!!!!!!!
