03/15/2025
Although we know Jesus for His love, mercy, and obedience to God’s will, we are still saddened by the thought of His pain, suffering, and death for us. There was a time leading up to the Cross, when as He was preparing to take on the sins of the world, He and His disciples were uncertain and afraid of what lay ahead. But as Jesus walked with them towards Jerusalem and Calvary, He prepared them for what lay ahead. We are much like His disciples, and are often worried and afraid of what is happening around us, but if we will continue to walk with Him He will reassure us too.
“And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,”
Mark 10:32 ESV
When Jesus faced the sins of all mankind He became stern and determined to defeat them. He spoke of His coming struggle with His disciples and had an air about Him that was different from what He had shown them before. What was about to happen frightened them, but at the same time His strength and demeanor amazed them.
When we are living in sin, we become comfortable in them as if they were our friends, but when we are preparing to remove ourselves from them, and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we struggle against them, and in that moment, as we draw closer to Christ, we find ourselves becoming resolute in our desire to overcome those sins. As we face our sin we begin to tell those we love what we are preparing to do, and finally we accept Jesus as our savior, and redeemer.
We are following a pattern very similar to that of Jesus, yet unlike our sins that often creep up on us slowly over time, the sins of the world came on Jesus suddenly and all at once. We couldn't possibly face such an onslaught, but for our part, the sins we do face seem just as daunting to us, and obeying God’s will just as frightening. Jesus had His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and we will have ours too.
“And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.”
Luke 22:41-43 ESV
When we face our own sins as we walk towards conversion, we too take on an air of dread mixed with determination for victory. We become serious in our demeanor as that moment approaches, and if it weren't for the love, and knowledge that God is with us, we would feel overwhelming fear. Jesus felt these things just as we do, His humanity was every bit as dependent on the power of God for strength as ours is. Do we pray and receive strength as He did?
There is a phrase used in the Bible that describes how Jesus must have looked to His disciple that day. This saying comes from Isaiah 50 which is a most incredible prophetic description of the suffering of Jesus. Verse 7 reads this way...
“For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
Isaiah 50:7 KJV
Setting one’s face like a flint. This is a bold description that describes a sharp, gleaming, but stern look; it is hard and unbending... it draws on the image of a knife, arrowhead, or axe that is formed for the task of cutting and severing meat from bone, or hewing wood. God is near to us and our face of stone reveal that He has strengthened us, and we will not be bent, nor broken. Do we trust in His strength? Do we believe that we are made strong enough to overcome our sin through our faith in Jesus?
“18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.”
Psalm 34:18-20 ESV
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV
Yes, the apostles saw a different man walking before them. In this moment Jesus was unlike the teacher He had been before, and in this moment He was unlike the man who would wash their feet, serve the first communion, or join them on the road to Emmaus. This was Jesus who was preparing Himself to suffer, die, defeat sin, and rise from the grave. This was Jesus who was preparing to face the sorrows and atrocities of the world and use His body as an ointment to cure and soothe them.
This determination and resolve to defeat sin that was finalized in the Garden of Gethsemane is often called "the discipline of dismay." Pastor Oswald Chambers wrote of it using these words...
"The discipline of dismay is essential in the life of discipleship. The danger is to get back to a little fire of our own and kindle enthusiasm at it (cf. Isaiah 1:10-11). When the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come that following of Jesus which is unmistakable joy." - Oswald Chambers
We too will undergo this discipline of dismay; that time when we struggle to reach the resolve needed to let go of our sins, and grasp firmly to our faith in Jesus Christ... or later, following our conversion, to let go of the life we knew and answer a calling that takes us far out of our comfort zone. In those times we too will be required to set our faces like flint and walk with those we know and love... quietly seeking God and perhaps even asking Him to "take this cup from me." Is Jesus preparing us for seasons such as this? Are we being prepared to face our own disciplines of dismay?
Prayer:
Father, comfort me as I undergo the discipline of dismay, and give me the courage and resolve of Jesus as I walk on in your will. Give me the faith to drink from the cup when you place it before me. Lord, we are approaching Easter, and what better time to consider these things and the example of faith that your Son, Jesus Christ, presents to us. We thank you father for the suffering He underwent because we realize the joy that followed, as His fire was rekindled, and He rejoined you once again. We wish to feel that same joy Father, and although we too walk in life and will suffer, we hold fast to your promise of eternity and the fullness of joy we will have in you. As we walk alone before the rest, dealing with our dismay, we know that you are with us and revealing to us your will for our coming days... let our stride be sure, and our faces set like flint in our resolve to serve you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who strengthens us against temptation and sin. Holy are you who delivers us from evil. Merciful and full of grace are you who resurrects us with Christ and lifts us on the strong wings of angels. We praise you before all creation Abba and give you all the honor and glory for our salvation and redemption. Show us in dreams, visions, and whispers what lies before for us Holy Father, so that we will be able to assure ourselves and our friends of the goodness what lies ahead for us in Christ Jesus. We pray today that our discipline of dismay will erupt into your incredible and absolute peace and joy as we stand before you on our day of resurrection. Help us to pray as we should so that all men will be drawn to Christ, saved, and lifted up by Him to stand in your presence. Open their hearts as we pray today and give us the words such that they will claim Amen with us to them.
And all those who believe will say… Amen, and Amen!
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 ESV
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:40 ESV
Rich Forbes