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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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