It has been difficult to keep up with blog posts since I began transitioning to my new pastor position, but I hope to make that up over the course of the next forty days. Today is Ash Wednesday, which traditionally begins a period of fasting for forty days until Easter. However, what I plan to do is offer you a small bite for this time to reflect and prepare for worship on Resurrection Sunday by reflecting on Jesus’s path to the cross. Over the next forty days, I am going through the devotional Journey to the Cross by A. Trevor Sutton. As I reflect on my study, I plan to share my observations or illustrations of the passage with you.

We will begin with a passage of Scripture to read. Today’s reading comes from the Gospel of John, Chapter 1, verses 1-14.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

— Jn 1:1-14 CSB

When I lived in Fort Worth, Six Flags Over Texas and its affiliate Hurricane Harbor were only about fifteen miles from my house. So, my family had season tickets to both. One day after talking about it for a couple of weeks, we decided to go to hurricane harbor. What we didn’t realize was that it was going to be completely packed because it was a minor holiday. Upon seeing the vast crowd, we decided not to stay and to try our luck at Six Flags instead. We discovered it was the same story there. Instead of attending either one, we drove around aimlessly for a few hours before heading back home. Our plan A turned into a Plan B, which then fell apart and resulted in aimless wandering until we got frustrated and returned to our apartment.

Thankfully God is not like me and my family in this respect. He carefully prepared and planned Jesus’s journey to the cross even before his birth. His way to the cross was God’s plan from the very beginning of time. When God formed His creation, He knew that people would eventually rebel against him. He knew that sin would come, and it would bring death. So, He had a rescue plan in place that would reverse sin’s curse through the death of his only begotten Son. From the beginning, Jesus planned to travel to the cross so that He could give you the gift of eternal life.

Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Are you still living under your wage of sin or have you accepted the gift of God?

Spend a few minutes in prayer thanking God for planning Jesus’s journey to the cross for you.

Come back tomorrow for Day 2!