Dave spoke this morning from Matthew 17:22-23 on the subject of destiny. Often, we ask ourselves the question ‘What will tomorrow bring?’, and even try to find out the answers ourselves. Some ways of doing this – horoscopes, consulting mediums etc. – are wrong, but Jesus knew that His destiny was to die. He told His disciples this on many occasions, but they failed to understand. Jesus was steadfast, knowing that God’s plan for His life meant increasing opposition and ultimately a painful death.
This was not simply random or the consequence of evil men, but part of God’s plan for our salvation. Christ’s suffering worked for our benefit. He was punished for our sin by death, but this led to our freedom and life. Jesus was condemned and suffered not only the physical agonies of crucifixion but the sense of being cut off from God. He embraced this as His future (Heb 12:2), knowing what it would achieve for us.
Our destiny, therefore, is not a mystery. Our destiny ultimately is determined by our relationship with Jesus, by the decisions we make to follow the truth and to embrace Him.
