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The Desire of Ages
To the heart of Christ it was a bitter task to press His way against
the fears, disappointment, and unbelief of His beloved disciples. It was
hard to lead them forward to the anguish and despair that awaited them
at Jerusalem. And Satan was at hand to press his temptations upon the
Son of man. Why should He now go to Jerusalem, to certain death?
All around Him were souls hungering for the bread of life. On every
hand were suffering ones waiting for His word of healing. The work to
be wrought by the gospel of His grace was but just begun. And He was
full of the vigor of manhood’s prime. Why not go forward to the vast
fields of the world with the words of His grace, the touch of His healing
power? Why not take to Himself the joy of giving light and gladness
to those darkened and sorrowing millions? Why leave the harvest
gathering to His disciples, so weak in faith, so dull of understanding,
so slow to act? Why face death now, and leave the work in its infancy?
The foe who in the wilderness had confronted Christ assailed Him now
with fierce and subtle temptations. Had Jesus yielded for a moment,
had He changed His course in the least particular to save Himself,
Satan’s agencies would have triumphed, and the world would have
been lost.
But Jesus had “steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” The
one law of His life was the Father’s will. In the visit to the temple in
His boyhood, He had said to Mary, “Wist ye not that I must be about
My Father’s business?”
Luke 2:49
. At Cana, when Mary desired Him
to reveal His miraculous power, His answer was, “Mine hour is not
yet come.”
John 2:4
. With the same words He replied to His brothers
when they urged Him to go to the feast. But in God’s great plan the
hour had been appointed for the offering of Himself for the sins of
men, and that hour was soon to strike. He would not fail nor falter. His
steps are turned toward Jerusalem, where His foes have long plotted
to take His life; now He will lay it down. He set His face steadfastly
to go to persecution, denial, rejection, condemnation, and death.
And He “sent messengers before His face: and they went, and
entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him.” But
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the people refused to receive Him, because He was on His way to
Jerusalem. This they interpreted as meaning that Christ showed a
preference for the Jews, whom they hated with intense bitterness. Had
He come to restore the temple and worship upon Mount Gerizim, they
would gladly have received Him; but He was going to Jerusalem, and