December 10: Isaiah 50:7 / Luke 9:51

Jesus would not be deterred…or detoured.

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

This verse begins the largest section of the Gospel of Luke and provides the theme: Jesus was heading to Jerusalem, knowing it was there he would be crucified. Nothing would deter him from the cross. And nothing would detour him, either.

While on the way, he told his disciples he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (Matthew 16:21).

In response, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16-22-23)

Jesus was born in order to die. When we see the Christmas Tree, we do well to keep in view the Calvary Tree. Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. Jesus knew the prophecy in Isaiah 50:7 was for him: I have set my face like flint. And he could do that because the prophecy also said: the Lord God helps me.

Let us always be grateful to the Father that nothing would keep the Son from following the plan, for his glory and for our good.

Pastor Cory Dahl
First Baptist – Sturgeon Bay



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