Dear Christian friends:

During these special midweek Lenten services it is my plan to preach on the general theme: His Love, Our Response. It is my hope and prayer that we will develop more appreciation of God's love in Jesus and also develop our ability to respond to His love by living for Him.

How can that happen? By examining our lives in the light of Jesus' suffering and death. As we do this we will learn better how much God really loves us in Jesus. This Lenten season can be much more of a blessing to us. God's Spirit will inspire us to respond to His love by living for Him.

That is what happened to Jesus' disciples. When they examined their lives in the light of Jesus' death, they were inspired to live for Him. But they first must understand Jesus' death. We, also, need to understand Jesus' death. Then we will know God's love and can respond to it.


It is difficult to understand Jesus' death. Jesus' twelve disciples did not understand Jesus' death. They did not understand why Jesus must die. So Jesus tried to explain to them about His death. He said to them, "I will be with you only a little while (short time) ... where I am going you cannot come."

When Jesus told this Peter did not understand. He asked Jesus, "Lord, where are you going?" He means to say, "Why can't we go with You?" Jesus explains to him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." Jesus knew that Peter and the others cannot understand that tomorrow He must suffer and die on the cross and then go up to heaven. The same way children do not understand about death.

The disciples did not understand Jesus' death and they also refused to accept that Jesus might die. They, don't want to accept that Jesus must die for their sins. Because they did not understand that their Lord must suffer and die for the world's sins, they refused to accept Jesus' death.

One time before Jesus told them that He must go up to Jerusalem and there suffer and die and the third day arise from death. Peter began to scold Jesus and say, "Never Lord, this must not happen to you." (Matthew 16:21-27)

But Jesus now did not worry about their failure to understand. He knew that later on they will understand. They will understand when He goes up to heaven and sends the Holy Spirit to them on Pentecost. Then they will understand God's love which led Him to send His only Son into the world.

Then they will respond to His love and go and preach the Good News to all nations. They will themselves suffer much and finally die in order to do His work here in the world. Jesus knew that where He is going they can't follow now, but they will follow later and be with Him in heaven's glory forever. Do we understand about Jesus' death? Many people today do not understand about Jesus' death.

Daniel Waswa who lived in Kenya, Africa did not understand about Jesus' death. He made a wooden cross. Then he carried it up a hill and let his wife crucify him. He said, "I am dying for the sins of all people in Kenya." After crucifying her husband the wife died because she was so shocked.

Daniel Waswa neighbors finally freed him from his cross, but he died later from an infection. Isn't that terrible? Yes! Foolish, but true! But people continue coming to that place where Daniel died and pray to him, asking him to forgive their sins. These people, the same as Daniel Waswa, do not understand Jesus' death. They do not understand that Jesus has already suffered and paid for their sins.

Do we understand Jesus' death? I fear many of us do not yet fully understand. Many of our members are not here tonight. They don't want to thank Jesus and worship Him. They don't want to confess their sins. They don't care to offer gifts and thanks. They like better to watch TV or sit and gossip. Many of us do not think Christ's death is important. Same as the twelve disciples, we don't want to understand the meaning of Jesus' death. We fail to read and study our Bible. We fail to pray and worship God at home. We fail to be good disciples and managers of God's gifts. We fail to love one another. Our hearts often are cold and empty. We often have no love in our hearts to respond to His love. Perhaps we ask: "Must I respond?"

Well, what if Jesus had not gone where no one else can go? What would happen to us if Jesus had refused to die on the cross? Perhaps Jesus listened to Satan's temptations. Perhaps Jesus listened to Peter and did not go up to Jerusalem. Perhaps Jesus doesn't want to accept our sins and suffer our punishment on the cross! What will happen to us? Thank God Jesus did not listen to Satan and Peter! Thank God Jesus did not flee from the cross!

Jesus did go. He went where the disciples and no other man can go. He went for us. Jesus is now leaving. No man can follow Him. No man can carry his own sins, certainly not the sins of the world. Now we begin to see God's purpose in sending His Son. Only His Son can go. When Jesus died on the cross He suffered God's holy anger against sin and sinners. Only Jesus could do that and arise in victory! Truly, no other man can go where Jesus went.

However, only a man could go. God's condemnation of sin was upon man, not Himself. A man must suffer that condemnation. Again we see God's purpose. God knew that the Man, Jesus was the only One who could suffer that, because He is both God and Man in one person. Only Jesus had the power and the love to forget the "Hosannas" of Palm Sunday and accept the "Crucify Him" of Good Friday.

This shows the real purpose of God sending His Son to us, to show His love, for "God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This love of God we will proclaim during Lent as we study our Lord's bitter suffering and death.

Today we remember God's love as we answered Peter's question: "Lord, where are You going?" In future weeks we will study other questions of Jesus' suffering and death. Each Wednesday we will learn a little better that Jesus accepted all this trouble, anguish and pain for us. He did this so that we can be free from fearing death, free from Satan's rule! Each Wednesday we will understand better where Jesus went and why He went.

We know where Jesus has gone: to the cross and grave and triumphantly to the Father's right hand. Therefore, we can in response follow. Follow Him in His journey as we carry our crosses in life. We can follow Him as we help others carry their crosses. We can follow Him to our home in heaven, to our home with our Father. God help us!

Amen.