by Tammy Phillips
April 15,2024
Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem.” (Luke 13:22 NLT)
Christians often think of Jesus as a Superman with superpowers. God is all powerful and almighty, but the word stepped from heaven into the feet of a baby who grew up to be a man, a human like you and me. He had to endure to win. He had to endure to the end. I do not believe there is anything Jesus asks us to do that he himself did not have to endure.
Right now, my “cross” to bear is self-discipline, exercise and making the right food choices. Woah. I have it so hard. NOT!
Jesus chose to go to the cross and take on all sin, death, filth, dirt, and darkness. He did not take off a day. He did not say, “I need a mental health day to deal with all this crap. I need a vacation before the cross.” He did not complain nor make excuses about not having time to pray, read the word or spend time with God. He worked all day every day and still got up early, went off and found time to pray. He kept exercising because he had to walk most places he went. He kept walking and going. They did not have cars, planes, nor trains. He kept on teaching and healing. He kept pressing on to Jerusalem. He KNEW what was waiting for him in Jerusalem. He kept pressing on to his destiny. He knew and kept pressing into his purpose and the plan to save the world. MY SUPERHERO! He led and showed us the way.
Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author (Chief, Captain, Prince, Pioneer) and Finisher (Perfector, Completer, Goal Accomplisher and Champion) of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before Him ENDURED the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2 Tammy’s Interpretative Version)
FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM, HE ENDURED!
What is your cross?
For the joy of goal weight, I must endure discipline, exercise, denial of “bad” food and the choice of right foods.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Mat 16:24 NKJV). Looking at the Greek meaning of words in this verse, I interpret it as follows:
If anyone wants to follow or come after me, you must deny yourself, turn from your selfish ways, set aside selfish interest, and TAKE UP YOUR CROSS (be willing to endure whatever…) and FOLLOW ME, join Me on the same road, be the same with Me, cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to Me, and die to self.
Jesus pressed on. Look how he responded to the Pharisees who told him to get out of town because Herod wanted to kill him:
“Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third [day] I shall be perfected.’”(Luke 13:31-32 NKJV).
Each day He kept pressing on, walking, working, teaching, casting out demons, healing, not quitting, not complaining, not whining, not compromising, enduring, standing, doing the right thing, focusing on the goal, dying to self, and completing his assignment.
Jesus was weak, tired, thirsty, betrayed, beaten, spit on, mocked, harassed, humiliated, insulted, sorrowful, shamed, slapped, scourged, stripped naked, and HE DID not want to, but he did. He did not give up. He did not quit. He kept his word. He kept on going all the way to and through the cross. Hallelujah! And we think we have it bad?
I enCOURAGE you to press on. Keep on! Hold on. Endure on. Follow Him! Pick up your cross and follow Him.
“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”(Luke 14:27 NKJV)
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it”. (Mat 10:38-39 NKJV)
Viva Magenta: Live. Breathe. Be pressing on!
Complete in Him 