The Power and Purpose of The Cross
The story of the journey to the Cross will help us manage the inevitability of disappointment when our expectations for others fall short. Sometimes those disappointments can turn into offense which can block our faith; therefore, blocking our blessings from God.
1. Garden of Gethsemane
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Luke 22:41-46
The intense suffering Jesus went through in the garden was just the beginning. He already knew what was coming and began to feel the weight of it all—so much that He prayed with such deep emotion that He sweat drops of blood. He was about to be betrayed by one of His own disciples, and soon, He would face the greatest betrayal of all—the very world He came to save.
In that moment, Jesus was in a fragile and lonely place. Even His closest friends, the disciples, had fallen asleep when He needed them most. But He faced it all and overcame, so when we go through our own valleys—when it feels like no one sees or understands—Jesus does. And He doesn’t just understand, He walks with us, strengthens us, and leads us out stronger on the other side. We don’t stay in the sorrow. With Him, we rise in victory.
2. Pressing Forward in Faith
Jesus fully understood His mission on the Cross—to pay the price for our sin. And because He pressed forward, we can too. He didn’t just tell us what to do; He showed us how to do it. In the garden, He was strengthened by angels, but now, we have something even greater—we have Jesus living inside of us. We have a relationship with our Heavenly Father and the constant help of the Holy Spirit.
King David also faced betrayal. When his own men turned on him in a time of loss, he looked to God for strength. That’s our example—when we face hurt or betrayal, we don’t have to stay there. We look up, we press forward, and we lean into the strength that comes from our relationship with God.
3. Remember God’s Faithfulness
People won’t always be there when we need them most. When that happens, we can do what King David did. The Bible says he strengthened himself in the Lord by remembering God’s faithfulness. God had helped him defeat the bear, the lion, and Goliath. After all that, David knew God would see him through any situation. Once he chose to move past his sorrow and turn to his Father, he was able to press forward. That is exactly what we are to do today: remember the faithfulness of God when situations get tough. God will always see us through.
4. Satan’s Arrows
The enemy’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy, but we don’t have to fear. He may send arrows of doubt, disappointment, and betrayal, trying to weaken us, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us to stand firm. We are to guard our hearts and hold up our shield of faith, just like Jesus did. He faced every challenge with the heart of a lion, never allowing setbacks to stop Him from fulfilling His purpose. We can do the same—no matter what comes our way, we can press forward with boldness, knowing God is with us.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We can move forward with joy and confidence, knowing that God is faithful and He gives us the strength to overcome anything.
As we focus on His provision and align our hearts with His purpose, we can do anything God has called us to do.
Jesus lives in us, and with Him, we can embrace every season in faith, expectation, and victory.
