Morning by Morning, March 30 - Jesus “Set His Face” Toward the Suffering of the Cross for Us Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by the heart and lead me by Your hand into all You have for me today -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ... “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). No holding back. No distractions. No retreat. You knew in Your heart what was set before You in Jerusalem. As the old hymn expresses so well: On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross The emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. But You were determined to go. Just as the Prophet Isaiah had declared nearly eight hundred years before of You and Your heart of determination that day: “The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. ‘For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:5-7) No one took Your life from You. You willing laid down Your life for us, in obedience to the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit on behalf of every soul that our sins could be forgiven and our lives could be full and fulfilled in You for all eternity if we would trust in You and what You did for us. As You said: “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:17-19). You set Your face like flint toward Jerusalem, toward that old rugged cross, in determination, in obedience, and in love. You knew the cost, You knew the suffering -- not just the physical suffering of the scourging and crucifixion, not just the emotional suffering of the ridicule and mockery of rejection, but most of all the spiritual suffering that You would take upon Yourself all the sins of the world to be separated from the Father in that dimension of Your Being as the suffering Son of Man for us and all that would separate us from God in that moment You gave up Your spirit and poured out Your Blood and declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Because You set Your face like flint to go the cross for us, we can determine by Your grace to set our face toward You. By the power of Your grace, only available to us through Your suffering and death and resurrection, we can embrace the calling and challenge of Your Word in the power of Your Spirit, surrounded by the faithful witness of the generations who have gone before us: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Fill my heart with that determination today -- this day and every day -- to set my face toward You, just like You set Your face toward all You willingly suffered and endured for me. Let that bring You joy, that You may receive Your full reward of the joy that was set before You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. My friend, may you set your face toward Jesus and embrace all the grace He made available to you through the suffering of His cross, in Jesus' name. God bless you! Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
Please share this word to encourage a friend! Anyone can sign up for free at: https://messiah-ministries.org | 
