Good morning! I hope that you week gets off to a wonderful start! Are you resolved? Ready to move forward?!?! Isn't God good to always be there, waiting to lead us!?!


As we begin to draw near the end of Jesus earthly ministry, He and the disciples are almost always on the road. And very often they are on the same road... they weren't wandering aimlessly, there was a clear destination.

Please read Matthew 20:17 and Matthew 21:1. Where were they heading?

Jerusalem. Always... Jerusalem.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37

Doesn't sound like a very pleasant place does it? (Especially for someone like Jesus...)

Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen in Jerusalem. He was clear with Peter in Matthew 16:21. He was clear. He was walking straight to death and to suffering.

He was intentional. He was purposeful. Jesus was... resolved. He was going to Jerusalem.

[And so were the disciples.]

Please read Matthew 20:17-19. The disciples were thoroughly warned about what they would face and where they were going. They weren't often accepting, but they were warned. Their reaction that we'll see later seemed to show men caught completely off guard and unaware. And yet.... they had been told the truth.

And so have we.

Have you ever been told you were on the road to Jerusalem? Have you ever marched straight forward into something that was surely going to hurt beyond what you are ready to take in, accept, or fathom?

Be comforted today in the realization that Jesus was the first to suffer in Jerusalem. And He was willing to be resolved and to fix His eyes on it and to suffer. Why?

This Savior whom we are desperately attempting to fix our eyes on, has His eyes fixed on you. No suffering was to great to save your life. That's how much He loves us! And though the disciples walked step by step down the long dusty road to Jerusalem, some not accepting the reality, some aware and alert, some ready to beat down any that came in their way.... Their Savior was walking in front of them. And He was the One who was really going to suffer.

Can you stop and take that in? Will you be resolved to thank this Savior who is leading you, shielding you, and has shown such unfathomable love?

Sure. We are walking toward Jerusalem. The disciples walked to Jerusalem. But Jesus stood in their place to be the sacrifice.

Watch this chain of events. Jesus was resolved to walk the path set before Him. A path that He even asked to be taken away from Him if possible (Matthew 26:39). A path that held pain, anguish, rejection, betrayal, and for a short time the seeming triumph of His persecutors. But Jesus was resolved. He was willing. One step at a time. The disciples were following, they were resolved, yet they were unable to to handle what reality they faced. And so Jesus walked before them, and He's walking before you today too.

Please read Matthew 21:1-9. Jesus entry into Jerusalem was TRIUMPHANT! He was hailed as a King. And yet... this was a direct invitation wasn't It, to those who “Stone the prophets”. Suddenly a man rode into town being hailed as a King. Matthew 21:10-11 says, “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

“And you... who do you say that I am?” Are you resolved to follow... Even to Jerusalem? We've seen Peter told at least 3 times now what he was walking toward. Nobody ever said that following Christ would be easy. No one. But we know that the road to Jerusalem was the ONLY path to LIFE, to VICTORY, and to the SALVATION of all who believe.

PRAISE YOU JESUS FOR LOVING US ENOUGH TO WALK TO JERUSALEM! PRAISE YOU JESUS FOR YOUR EXAMPLE AND YOUR UNFAILING, UNWAVERING, UNENDING LOVE!

For today: Please think about this. Jesus is ALWAYS about the work of saving others. Always.

He is our Father.

He is leading us, protecting us, loving us, and making us who we can be through Him.

Yet at the same time, He's always about the work of saving His children. So He's always on that road to Jerusalem. Will you follow Him or not?

We don't get to pick the path and ask Jesus to follow US there. We can't accept the gift of salvation and then act like it's only for us, and only to serve us!

What if Jesus had gone down a different path for the comfort of His disciples, and no one had experienced His salvation. Do you really want God to change His path? Are you resolved to follow your Savior?

For discussion: What are some practical ways that you can recklessly follow your Savior?