His Cross Our HopeSample

I watched my son walk away from me and close the door behind him. A physical barrier was now in place between us. I longed to open the door, to rush in and talk to him, but I knew he needed to discover this truth for himself. He wouldn’t see Jesus as His Lord and Savior until he was ready, no matter what I said.

And it broke my heart. This isn’t what I wanted. I wanted him to know Jesus as I do.

I can’t even begin to imagine how it must have grieved Jesus as He approached Jerusalem. How He longed for them to see Him for Who He was – Who He is. If only their hearts had been softened, their ears and eyes open. Now, He was in front of them, and they didn’t even recognize Him.

The Bible tells us how Jesus longed to care for His people like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but they were not willing (see Luke 13:34). Perhaps they had set in their mind what they wanted the Messiah to look like and be, but when He didn’t fit their ideal, they didn’t want Him.

Isn’t it interesting how our expectations can prevent us from receiving something better? The people of Israel wanted immediate redemption, but they could only see through earthly eyes; their hearts weren’t prepared to see Jesus as the One to bring redemption for eternity. He wasn’t what they wanted.

And it broke His heart.

Even though the prophets foretold the coming Messiah, the people weren’t willing to see it – to see Jesus. Each heart must be prepared to receive the message of Christ.

Is there someone in your life who needs to know about Jesus? Spend some time praying for them to know Him as Lord and Savior. Ask God how you can demonstrate His love for them in a way that is easily received.

~Kimi Miller

Blogger, speaker, and co-host of the Faith Over Fear podcast