You can click HERE to read the passage.
So again we read in this passage that there are those who are trying to kill Jesus – and again, one last time, he slips through their grasp. Jesus knows that His time is at hand. He will soon face the cross. He will soon experience the most devastating time of His life… being isolated from God and an object of His wrath. So where does He go?
“He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained.” (v.40)
Jesus went back to where it all began. Back to the place where He was baptized. Back to the place where He heard God’s voice clearly affirming His mission: “You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
Life is hard. It is often confusing. People hurt us. Things don’t turn out as we planned or hoped. We face tragedy. We experience loss and despair and humiliation and grief. And sometimes God is silent.
It is good during these times to go back – to go back and be reminded of those times when God’s voice was loud and clear and unmistakeable. To be reminded that we belong to Him; to be reminded all over again of His magnanimous love for us; to be reminded that we are objects of His delight and pleasure. For Jesus this was synonymous with a place. So He sought that place out. And He was buoyed with a steadfast courage to face what lay ahead of Him – no matter how difficult it was going to be.
For me, when I am struggling with life, I go back in my memory and allow God’s Spirit to remind me of those times when His voice gave definition to my life. I have written about this elsewhere. If interested you can go HERE or HERE to read about some defining God moments in my life. Moments that serve as markers for me when my path seems cloudy or my days seem dark. And as I remember, God fuels me with joy for the journey, hope for the future, and a confidence that He will be with me every step of the way… just as He was with Jesus as He began His trek to Jerusalem and toward the cross.
“Father, I am very grateful that whenever I need courage to deal with life You remind me of those times when Your voice was loud and clear as well as giving me fresh manna each day from Your Word to fuel me for the tasks ahead.”
Next Week’s Passage: John 11:1-44