The Joy of Glory

Mark 9:30-32
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Reflection
Do you know what is coming? Do you know what will happen later today… or tomorrow… or a year from now?

We like to think that we know the future, but when we are at our most honest with ourselves… we know that we have no control over what unfolds next. Such a thought can be terrifying… unless…

Unless there is totally trustworthy someone who does know the future… and not only knows it, but rules over it!

Oh what an amazing comfort that we know and love the God who rules over all of time from beginning to end! Still… don’t we wish he would tell us what is coming? I mean, if he just laid the future out for us, that would seem to make things easier… wouldn’t it?

In Mark 9, we see one of many instances where Jesus tells his disciples what is coming in the future, namely, his death. And, what is absolutely clear is that they could not fully grasp what he was saying. It seems so clear to us in retrospect, but their minds were unable to imagine things yet to come. I believe that is true for all of us. Even if God were to lay out the future for us, I don’t think we could understand that kind of knowledge which makes sense to God alone.

Further, I believe that Christ has done the same thing for us that he did for the disciples in Mark 9. In his word, Jesus has told us enough about the future for us to know that he knows it! He rules over it! And he can be trusted!

At the heart of Jesus telling his disciples about his coming cross was an invitation for them to trust him no matter what was about to unfold. It was an invitation for them to believe that he knew and ruled over the future and that was enough.

Jesus extends the same invitation to you and to me. In his word, he has told us enough to prove that he can be trusted! We can trust him with our today, with our tomorrow, and with our forever.

Do you know what is coming? Do you know what will happen later today… or tomorrow… or a year from now?

Christ does! The real question for us is… do we trust him?

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.