Mark 14, The Message

27-28 Jesus told them, “You’re all going to feel that your world is falling apart and that it’s my fault. There’s a Scripture that says,

I will strike the shepherd;
The sheep will go helter-skelter.
“But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee.”

29 Peter blurted out, “Even if everyone else is ashamed of you when things fall to pieces, I won’t be.”

30 Jesus said, “Don’t be so sure. Today, this very night in fact, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

31 He blustered in protest, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” All the others said the same thing.

Jesus words here are so powerful! “You will FEEL your world is falling apart” and that it’s my fault.” Wow. Sit and meditate on just those words for a moment. Isn’t that our first reaction to our own “crashes” in this world? We FEEL. We blame God, ourselves or others. We ask why. We do this because we want to fix “it” as quickly as possible. Sometimes there is no fix. Sometimes we just have to go through something to gain more life by losing what is not good for us.

Jesus has more words that are just as powerful and commonly overlooked…”BUT after I’m raised up…(HE is the victor over death!)…I will go ahead of you…He is THERE before, during and after our crashes in life…LEADING THE WAY! Jesus, Messiah, our Emmanuel…God with us!…to “Galilee”…the place where we will meet up for life eternal, for peace everlasting, a place where we will finally see Him face to face. We WILL get to the other side of life’s stuff and be victorious with Him! Amazing love, mercy and grace will follow us.

Whatever we are going through, know this, God is there with us, leading the way through it, around it, or over it, but He is with us. If we let Him have His way, He will pick up all the pieces that fell apart and put them back together again in a brand new way, with all new stuff in us…in ways beyond our wildest dreams! He is our Savior, our One and Only Savior. The world cannot give us the kind of peace He can give us. Let Him lead the way…then follow!

Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word takes our thoughts in a different direction than the normal sermons on this passage. We pray for those whose lives are in disarray this morning who need to know, without a doubt, that You are there with them. You are there for me and I thank You and praise You for leading the way through my own life stuff. I repent of grumblings, complaining and asking why and worse yet, blaming You for where You led me! I regret those times. It was a miserable state of feeling. Lord, help us not to trust these temporary feelings and place all our trust in You…at ALL times. In Jesus Name, Amen

My hope is built on nothing less,
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand…