“Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to meet them….” John 18:4

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite verses. It is John 18:4. “Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to meet them…”

I want everyone to pause for a moment and really take in what this verse means. Jesus was being confronted by a group of soldiers who were about to arrest Him. He knew in minute detail what was going to happen to Him next. He knew He was going to be arrested, mocked, spit upon by His own creation. He knew His beard was going to be plucked out. He knew how many times He was going to be slapped in the face, and not only that, He knew every person who was going to do it. He knew His flesh was going to be torn to pieces and every ounce of blood was going to be poured out of HIs body. He knew that His hands and His feet were going to be pierced through and that a crown of thorns would be dug into His precious head. He knew the disciples were goin to flee and that Peter was going to deny Him three times. He knew Judas had sold Him for the price of a slave. He knew the weight of the sins of the whole world was going to be placed on His shoulders and He knew that His Father, with Whom He had perfect fellowship from all eternity, was going to turn HIs back on Him in His deepest hour of agony.

Knowing all of this Jesus stepped forward. These words are overwhelming to me. Jesus stepped forward because He knew that His pain and His agony was going to save a wretch like me. He stepped forward out of love because He wanted so badly to have a personal relationship with me and He knew that the only way to do that was not to shun the cross but to step forward to endure the cross for my sake and yours. Oh, the depths of love!!!!! He didn’t even just stand still and wait for the soldiers to come and get Him… He went forward.

I believe that if the Lord chose to show me all that I was going to face in my life, which is absolutely nothing compared to the sufferings of Jesus, I would run the opposite direction. I would say, “No Lord, this is too much for me to handle. I can’t do this.” However, the Lord in His wisdom and mercy, just asks me to walk forward one step of faith at a time not knowing what the future holds but knowing Who holds my future.

In light of what Jesus did for me I pray that I can go forward and, in His power, endure the cross that He has so lovingly chosen for me to bear. I pray I will never look back, nor turn back, but “keep my eyes of Jesus the Author and Perfecter of my faith Who for the joy set before Him endured His cross, despising the shame and is now sitting at the right hand of glory.” (Her 12:2)

My friends, Jesus went forward for us. Is it too much to ask that we go forward for Him?