Ash Wednesday - Facing Jerusalem

As Lent begins, we should take time to reflect on the goal of Lent. Too often our observance of religious holidays is dictated by retail marketing. We begin to prepare for Easter when the Cadbury Cream Eggs roll out or when sales for Easter item begin. Of course, this means that the Easter season begins sometime between Christmas and Valentines Day. We are often carried along by the calendar and artificial events that do nothing but distract us. But our observance of the Resurrection should be guided by our own desire to strengthen our faith and our walk with the Lord. So, we must first be intentional about Easter.

Luke 9:51 "And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem"
Luke 9:51 marks the beginning of the travel narrative in the Gospel of Luke. New Testament scholars use this term to refer to the change in Luke's narrative of his Gospel. From this point forward Jesus is traveling toward Jerusalem and the Cross. In this short verse, though, we find several important ideas for us to dwell on. First, the ultimate goal of Jesus is to be received up - in other words, the time for his ascension. God's plan was for the Cross to precede the Ascension, but Jesus always planned to return to the Father. The events of the Crucifixion cannot be separated from the Resurrection, the Ascension of Christ and his ongoing work of Intercession. Second, Jesus intentionally went to Jerusalem and the Cross. The Cross was not an accident or mistake. It was not plan B or some failed pipe-dream. I like the wording of the King James Version in this passage: he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. The imagery is striking as Jesus turns to face Jerusalem. Jerusalem: the city set aside to honor and worship God. Yet, also the city that killed the prophets and rebelled against God countless time. In obedience to his Father and for the sake of our salvation, Jesus intentionally turned to the city of his execution. Thanks be to God that it is also the city of Christ's triumph over death and the grave.

We can complain about the commercialization of Easter. We can stumble along guided by the calendar. Or we can intentionally prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Just as Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, we can set our face toward Easter. As Jesus turned toward Jerusalem he saw the pain and bitterness that awaited him. He saw his death on a cross. As we look toward Easter we see a time to celebrate the salvation that Jesus provided on that cross.We see a time to rejoice in our Savior and share the Good News of Easter.