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The Foreshadowing of the Cross
This chapter is based on Matthew 16:13-28; Mark 8:27-38; Luke
9:18-27.
Even before Christ took humanity upon Himself, He saw the
whole length of the path He must travel to save the lost. Every
grief that tore His heart, every insult heaped on His head, every
deprivation He was called to endure He saw clearly before He laid
aside His crown and royal robe and stepped down from the throne to
clothe His divinity with humanity. He knew the anguish that would
come upon Him, and yet He said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of
the Book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O My God,
and Your law is within My heart.”
Psalm 40:7, 8
.
His earthly life was full of labor and self-sacrifice, but He was
cheered by the possibility that by giving His life, He would win the
world back to its loyalty to God. Although He must first receive the
baptism of blood, although the sins of the world were to press on
His innocent soul, although the shadow of an unspeakable distress
was upon Him, yet for the joy set before Him, He chose to endure
the cross.
The time was near when His chosen companions in ministry must
see the One they loved and trusted hung on the cross of Calvary.
Soon He must leave them to face the world without the comfort of
His visible presence. Bitter hate and unbelief would persecute them,
and He wanted to prepare them for their trials.
Jesus and His disciples had now come into one of the towns near
Caesarea Philippi. They were beyond Galilee, in a region where idol
worship was widespread. Around them they saw forms of supersti-
tion that existed in all parts of the world. Jesus wanted their exposure
to these things to lead the disciples to feel their responsibility to the
heathen.
He was about to tell them of the suffering in store for Him. But
first He prayed that their hearts would be prepared to receive His
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