This autumn it is one year since I finished my big tour of John's Gospel. The journey lasted for approximately 2,5 years. One of the things I discovered during the study was how important it was for John to reveal that Jesus the whole time knew exactly the purpose of his life. This implies that he also knew what laid ahead of him - and yet he went! (1)
I do not know if Paul had Jesus in mind when he chose a similar strategy. Paul certainly did not know everything, but sufficient to know that going up to Jerusalem would involve suffering. And yet he went:
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”The quotation is from Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders on the beach at Miletus. It was a tearful farewell, and only one of many stops on the way to Jerusalem. At the places he stopped, the disciples “urged by the Spirit” warned him not to go up to the city (2). Yes, he knew, and yet he went. It is a little mystery that Paul was compelled by the Spirit to go, and that disciples urged by the same Spirit begged him to stop. It is likely that I will write more about this later.
Acts 20:22-24
Today 'manna':
Obedience can also involve sacrifice!---------------------------------
(1) John 13:1
(2) Acts 21:4
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