17-year-old Vivian Ip of Inglewood Cliffs, New Jersey offers a heart cry that resonates in the lives of all too many youth. It is an indictment of her American search for purpose and meaning. There are pages of looking, searching, whys, and survival language. She cries in her loneliness and expresses unhappiness about being misunderstood. She comes to suggest that what she wants is “peace and quiet.” But later she says, “I want a cause…I want a leader…I want unity and respect….What I really yearn for is silence.”
At first glance it appears that Vivian doesn’t know what she wants. As we ponder her thoughts though we could see how maybe in saying what she wants, she realizes that “no, that’s not what I’m missing either.” Maybe she is looking to understand who she is, what she’s about, or she may want to know what her purpose is.
Vivian is like so many of us.
Do you know what you’re about? Can you summarize in a couple of sentences why you exist?
Jesus knew what his purpose was! He was so totally focused on his purpose that he was free all the time, whether debating with religious people or hanging on the cross. He was always free!
I want freedom like that! I know how to get it too! You can have freedom like Jesus as well! We get it by Embracing Our Purpose.
If we will embrace our purpose, know our potential, live a life that says we know what we’re about, there are three things we have to deal with, or three things we’ll have to admit.
1. I AM SCARED!
Verse 32---
This verse is a powerful verse. At first glance we see the scared disciples and the frightened crowd that is following Jesus. What we don’t pay attention to is what is making them scared. Do you see what is making them scared? It’s Jesus. Jesus is walking ahead of them and whatever is going on with him, they don’t know. But there is something about him walking ahead of them, maybe somewhat agitated. It could be he was behaving strangely somehow but whatever it was, it made them scared.
It’s no fun following someone who scares you. Being afraid is not often a good thing. John Ortberg, pastor and author, writes about the Bible’s “fear not” statements. He credits another author, Lloyd Ogilvie as saying there are 366 in the Bible – one for every day of the year and even one for leap year! Then Ortberg offers this about fear. He questions why the Bible offers so many “fear not” charges. This is what he thinks. “Fear is the number one reason human beings are tempted to avoid doing what God asks them to do. Fear is the number one reason why people refuse to get out of the boat. So we need this command all the time.”
“Jesus leading the way…” is profoundly important.
John Stott, an amazing theologian (great reading material) talks about the most impressive thing about Jesus telling his followers about what must happen to him. The most impressive thing he says “is the determination [Jesus] both expressed and exemplified. He must suffer and be rejected and die, he said. Everything written of him in Scripture must be fulfilled. So he set his face towards Jerusalem and went ahead of the twelve in the road.”
Was Jesus afraid? I would not answer “no” quickly. Whether or not he was afraid, I can’t be certain. But I know this. Whether his followers keep up with him on the road to Jerusalem or would turn around and go back, there is one thing he had no doubts about – God had called him to this and he would obey, even if he must do it alone. One source offers, “He knew that He was putting Himself into the remorseless hands of His enemies. But, having made His choice and pledged His loyalty to God, nothing…could ever daunt Him.” (Speaker’s Bible)
Do it alone he would, for the cross brought the bitterest agony of all pain when he experienced even the rejection of God. It brought the agony cry of the soul that searched the skies and asked, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34, NIV) Maybe the cry of his heart had as much to do with being afraid as he experienced being completely alone, as it spoke about his questioning heart, wondering how God could do that. Jesus had many lonely moments – the wilderness tempting of the devil, the garden experience as he got ready for the cross – but in those times of loneliness God was always with him. But now, even God turned his back on him because of sin. For the very first time in his life, Jesus felt the dark experience of being completely alone.
Someone said that, that day on the road, “The fear of the disciples arose partly from their feeling that they were in the presence of something terrible which they could not understand.” (Speakers Bible)
They were scared!
If we are to know the passion experience of Christ, we must resolve to accept whatever God has designed and determined for us as his ultimate purposes. We must set our faces to our Jerusalem and not look back.
But I’m scared!
I know all about it! Been there, done that, got the t-shirt! We should have a deeper fear though than what faces us in our Jerusalem. That fear should be the danger of failing to go to Jerusalem in the first place. To disobey God is to choose the way of darkness and reap the judgment of that choice not to obey. It leads to complete purposelessness and we’ll experience the void of God’s absence unless we choose to obey.
There is something else we have to deal with as we try to live a purposeful life, a life focused on God. Often,
2. I AM DISTRACTED!
Verses 32b-34…
There’s a story about a clever tactic used by store thieves. Several of them would enter a store together and break off into groups once inside. A couple of them would create a disturbance that drew the attention of the store clerks and other customers. While everyone was paying attention to the commotion, the other thieves would stuff their pockets with merchandise and slip out of the store unnoticed. Sometimes it was days later before the clerk even realized he was robbed but then it was too late.
As the followers of Jesus listened to what was going to happen to him, they heard the gloom but missed the glory. The devil was so busy having them focus on words like “die…mock…spit…beat…whips…kill” that he robbed them of the glory of the rest of the story which was “he will rise again!”
A classic example is the story of Jesus walking on the water toward the disciples who were in the boat on Lake Galilee. A storm had come up and the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. They cried out in fear! Jesus called to them, “Don’t be afraid! It’s me!” Impulsive Peter says, “Well, if it’s you Lord tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come on!” Jesus called back. Peter started out of the boat. One foot – well, look at that, it’s not sinking! Another foot! This is wild! I’m walking on the water toward Jesus.
And then, a wave came crashing toward Peter. For one split second he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wave. For one brief moment he lost focus – and began to sink! He cried out, “Jesus, save me!” Jesus, always the Life-Saver, grabbed Peter’s hand and pulled him up and asked why he doubted. He was so close.
The more intently we resolve to follow Jesus, the more the devil will try to throw us off course and lose our focus. The resolve to follow is an invitation for the devil to restrict your faith. If he can take our eyes off Jesus for just one second he can wrap our minds up with fear and doubt.
There were attempts where the devil would have Jesus distracted. When you set your mind to something and everyone else is dragging their heels and lagging behind it puts doubt in your motivation and purpose and you become uncertain, unsure of yourself. But Jesus was too keen to be fooled! It has been said that Jesus “did not understand the full reason why He could not be spared the Cross. But what did He do? He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem – to the hosannas and the palm-strewn pathway, and afterwards the cruel mocking and the crown of thorns” (Speakers Bible). That takes focus!
How is that possible? He knew one thing for sure – the Cross was absolutely necessary in God’s plan to save the world. It was the only way. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t understand it fully. It only mattered that he obeyed God and follow.
This whole possibility puts a different slant on what is called The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as he rode a donkey. The donkey was the favored animal on which a king rode. It was a sign of being in authority and a ruler. Jesus was making a bold statement to the church leaders that day. He was pushing them to fulfill prophecy that he should be crucified. But he did this also with the knowledge that the cross awaiting him in Jerusalem. There was no good experience for him in the next and final remaining hours that he had to live. While we see excitement and finally Jesus is going to reign, Jesus sees the Cross every step the donkey takes.
But he remained focused.
We must be aware of becoming distracted by things that create fear and dampen our resolve to follow God.
There is a final matter to be realized if we will live a purposeful life. It is never forgetting that whatever we face,
3. I WILL SURVIVE!
Verse 34 – “BUT, after three days he will rise!”
Survive Alien! (Windows Media Player)
He did rise! He did survive!
He appeared to Cleopas (Luke 24:18), the disciples (Matthew 26:32;28:7,10,16,17; Mark 14:28;16:7; John 21), to Peter (John 21:1-23), Thomas (John 20:24), the women (Mark 16:9; John 20:14-18)-the first to see him!
Jesus may have had some fear. He may have been pushed hard to lose focus and not go to the cross. But as sure as the possibility of those realities existed for Jesus, there was another reality at play. When he was crucified and died, he was going to come to life! He saw the defeat of death and sin! He saw the glory of God come down to the hearts of the human race for which he died! He saw the defeat of Satan at the hands of God! That kept him going! It kept him motivated! It kept him on stream! It kept him focused and determined!
Jesus survived and lives even now to tell the tale!
We may have some fear as we walk in uncertainty toward the shadows of the unknown Jerusalem road. We may sometimes lose some measure of focus if we get distracted by the Enemy. But we can survive if we will be reminded that Christ walks the road ahead of us. We can turn and walk the other way – maybe run the other way. But there is no power, no purpose, no passion to walk the safe, familiar road of comfort and control. Truth is, we can’t even control that.
But, to quote one writer, “if we are to know the truth we must at least try to keep up.” If we want to know the truth, and experience Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, then we have to follow.
WRAP
• Following God sometimes involves the admission, I’M SCARED!
• Sometimes the fear is fed by being DISTRACTED by the waves of circumstance and temptation and lack of control.
• Refocus! Regroup and resolve that you will SURVIVE!
