Nearing the End...

God has a plan for all of us, including His own Son:

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise." -Mark 10:33-34, NAB

The foreshadowing of this verse is very clear - Jesus is nearing the end of His ministry and will soon face persecution.  He was not speaking in parables; He could not be more straightforward.  Within days, Jesus would fulfill His purpose through His death on the cross.

Knowing what was about to happen, Jesus could have turned around at any moment.  He simply could have decided to not go to Jerusalem, yet He went anyway.  When faced with death, Jesus did not run away.  Christ knew that everything He had worked for was about to culminate in these next few days.

Through these daily Bible verses, we have worked our way through the Gospel of Mark.  We have followed Jesus' ministry from the beginning, and now, we are nearing its end.  Like many narrative stories, the climax of Christ's life is foretold before it happens.  Moral of the story:  God had a plan for Jesus, and He has one for us, as well.

Do you know God's plan for you?  Are you running from your fate, or like Jesus, are you willing to accept whatever the Father has planned for you - good or bad? Following God's will for our lives can be one of the most difficult aspects of our faith, especially when we face the unknown.  Regardless of our fears, we must go forward.

Life is full of struggles and trials.  Jesus knew the path He was on would lead Him to certain death, but He also knew that it was God's will.  For that reason alone, Jesus did not hesitate.  Would you do the same?  When life throws difficult situations your way, what will you do?