IT IS DONE 5

The Way Prepared

When traveling…

How many of you like a detailed plan on where you are going, how you are going to get there and what you will do when you get there?

How many of you like a basic plan but allow for spontaneity along the way, you kinda know what you will do when you get there but will see what happens and how you feel on the day to see what you will do?

Maybe you are a little bit of both …

Isn’t this true of how we travel through life … especially for us as Christians … it doesn’t matter whether we are planners or wanders … are we leaving room for the plans God has for our lives?

Proverbs 16:9 TPT

Within your heart you can make plans for your future, but the Lord chooses the steps you take to get there.

What It is Done series has meant for me…

God has done all He needs to do in preparing the way for us.

Ephesians 1:3-8 TPT

“Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts! And in love he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence. For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One, so that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace —for the same love he has for the Beloved, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure! Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been given the treasures of redemption by his blood—the total cancellation of our sins—all because of the cascading riches of his grace. This superabundant grace is already powerfully working in us, releasing all forms of wisdom and practical understanding.”

Through His grace, Jesus ensured that a way was made for us to walk unhindered into a glorious relationship with God. His journey, to some, would look inconvenient, but it was intentional and a unique way to give us life.

The journey to “It Is Done,” and all that means for us cost Jesus dearly.

Story of Simon

Today I would like to take you through some of the final events that led up to Jesus’s death.

Jesus had just entered the city riding a donkey, it was, like today, Palm Sunday.

We all know the story, palm branches, cheering, and celebrating the King’s arrival.

Maybe they could get what they had been planning for.

Maybe their comfort would be restored and reestablished as the world’s leading nation again. Maybe their oppressors would be overthrown, and they would be free…

Jesus’ journey was not comfortable or convenient. It was the total opposite of what the people thought it should be.

Just a few days later, the reality of Jesus’ plans being so different than what was expected caused the crowds to turn on Him.

Mark 14:65 NLT

Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

Mark 15:15 NLT

So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Mark 15:17, 19 NLT

They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head.

And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship.

After all of this, Jesus is still to face death as he is led out to be crucified.

John 19:16-17 NLT

Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

Jesus has been whipped, repeatedly punched and beaten with