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very long. Remember how they tried to throw Him over the
        cliff?
               The  Father  sent  the  Son  into  the  wilderness  to  be
        tempted. That was only forty days. That’s part of the journey
        but  it’s not  the goal.  Luke 4:14&15, “And Jesus returned to
        Galilee in the power of the Spirit; and news about Him spread
        through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in
        their synagogues and was praised by all.” You might say that
        His goal was Galilee. That’s where He did His teaching and
        where  He  let  the  Father  do  His  miracles.  That  wasn’t  His
        destination. That was three and a half years. Well, you might
        say  that  His  destination  was  the  cross.  He  came  to  save  the
        world.
               Listen to Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to
        seek and to save that which was lost.” When we talk about His
        goal, I don’t want to take the cross, His death, His resurrection
        and just say, “That’s part of the journey.” In Gethsemane He
        sweat drops of blood. There I think He became sin for us. On
        the cross He shed His life’s blood. He took what we deserved.
        He crushed eternity into three hours. And when He rose again
        from the dead, that was part of His journey. “The wages of sin
        is death.” If one sin was not forgiven He would still be dead.
               I  don’t  want  to  play  with  this  but  I  want  you  to
        understand  God’s  plan.  On  the  journey,  He  had  to  go  to
        Gethsemane but He was only there for a few hours. He had to
        go to the cross but He was only there for six hours. He had to
        go into the grave but that was only three days. He’s still on a
        journey. That was not His destination. He provided a righteous
        ground for people to get saved. So, you say that His journey
        took Him to Bethlehem and Nazareth. That’s His journey. But
        even after the resurrection He wasn’t finished.
               Matthew 26:32, “But after I have been raised, I will go
        before you to Galilee.” When He arose, the angels told them,
        Matthew 28:7 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He
        has risen from the dead; and behold He is going before you into
        Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”  Matt.
        28:16&17, “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to
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