Welcome to Day 17 of Journey to the Cross, a forty-day devotional in preparation for Easter. Today we begin looking at the places along the path. Let’s first look at what is said of John the Baptist in Luke 3.

“He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth, and everyone will see the salvation of God.”

Luke 3:3-6

Journeys take you from place to place. Some destinations are pleasant, while others are not so much. Jesus journeyed to many places on His way to the cross, sharing truth and divine love everywhere He went.

There are some places that few want to visit. Have you ever seen a brochure advertising “Come Experience the Warmth of Antarctica?” What about “Relax in Death Valley?” “Get Lost in the Bermuda Triangle?” No travel agent would create a brochure with titles like these. There are some places people just don’t want to visit.

Even the places we want to visit have sides that we don’t want to visit. I remember when I went to Taipei, the people wanted to show us all of the touristy places. We stayed in the Grand Hotel for the first couple of days, went to a cultural museum, and visited Taipei 101. My friend and I later resided at the YMCA as we worked with one of the churches in the city. We were told that the Grand Hotel and the YMCA were some of the few housing options where we wouldn’t have prostitutes soliciting us in the middle of the night and we didn’t have to worry about gang violence. While we stayed in an inhospitable location, we were safe and didn’t have to worry about it. It was a place few ventured to stay.

Jesus was willing to journey to the most inhospitable places on earth. Early in His ministry, Jesus went into the wilderness where He was tempted by Satan. Three years after that, He set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Jesus knew death awaited in Jerusalem. He knew it led to a hill, the place of the skull. He knew it led to the cross of Calvary. Jesus willingly entered a region no one voluntarily visits. He set His face toward death and journeyed on, through the cross, through the grave, and victorious on the other side as He rose from the dead. By His journey, He opened the door to eternal life for you. We come again to Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God has gone to the ends of the earth and beyond to have a relationship with you. He will accompany you on your life journey, through the depths of depression, the caverns of cancer, and the highest peaks of frustration. Wherever you find yourself today, you are not alone. When you walk with God, you will never be alone.

As you pray today, say something like: “Father God, You have gone to extraordinary lengths to be with me. Thank You for sending Your Son for me and for giving me the gift of Your Spirit. Through Him, You are always with me. Thank You for Your everlasting presence.”

Thank you for joining me today for Day 17. Come back tomorrow as we look at God’s mercy flowing down.