Jesus' Priorities in the Hours Leading up to the Cross, Part 2

Do you have a “bucket list” of things that you would like to do before you “kick the bucket”? If so, it would probably include things that are important to you—things that reflect what you value. These could be travel, enjoyment, family, or desired experiences. Maybe there are places you’d like to visit, sights you’d like to see, adventures, experiences, tastes, sounds, and pleasures you’d love to partake of while you have the chance.

But what about Jesus? He knew he was about to die. Did he have a “Bucket List” of things he would like to do in his final days? Yes! As we read the gospel accounts of his passion week, we see that he showed his priorities and values by what was on his list of things to do while he was still on earth. (See: Mark 11 & 12, John 13-16 etc.)

1. His Entry Procession: Jesus entered Jerusalem with pageantry in fulfillment of prophecy. But he didn’t come as a victorious warrior king on a valiant warhorse; he came on a humble donkey—a servant king.

2. He cursed the fig tree. It had all the appearance and trapping of a fruitful life, but alas, all the cosmetics were merely a fa?ade—a camouflage for a fruitless existence. Jesus found this intolerable.

3. He cleansed the temple. One of Jesus’s last acts on earth before he departed through death was to take a whip to those who were using a religious system to make money out of, and to oppress, genuine worshippers.

4. He restored teaching, prayer, and healing to God’s people.

5. He stirred up his haters, and gave them one last opportunity to renounce their resistance to truth.

6. He taught faith to his disciples. This was when he did his famous teaching on faith, speaking to the mountain, and believing prayer.

7. But he emphasized forgiveness. He was just about to die to make forgiveness and reconciliation possible; it was uppermost in his mind, and he invested his valuable time to emphasize it to his disciples (Mark 11:25-26).

8. He enjoyed some fellowship and worship with his close followers (John 12).

9. He invested in one final exclusive session with his 12 disciples (John 13-16).

10. He took his three closest followers to a place important to him—the Garden of Gethsemane. Finally, he went to intimate prayer with his Father; and from him, Jesus drew strength to go to the cross for us all.

Jesus’s bucket list shows his heart, his values, and the importance he placed on fulfilling his Father’s assignment with excellence. It reveals that he esteemed: living God’s word, humility and submission, faith, zeal for God’s house, prayer, imparting God’s word, forgiveness, fellowship, worship, discipleship, and intimate communion with God. This Easter, let’s allow his values to become ours as we freshly gaze upon his life, his dedication, and his submission to his Father—the humble obedience that led him to embrace crucifixion for others.

Jesus made sure he sent and introduced his replacement:

One of the main points Jesus made in the last supper with his 12 disciples was about the One who would come after him:

(John 14:15-16 NLT) “If you love me, obey my commandments. (16) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”

Note that this is conditional; it begins with “if”— “if you love me, obey my commandments.” This implies that what follows is conditional on loving him, and thus being obedient to him:

(John 14:16-18 NKJV) “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (18) I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

The Advocate/Helper is the “Spirit of Truth”—the Holy Spirit. So, he will help us and encourage, back, sponsor, promote, and support us. What else did Jesus say he would do?

Teach:

(John 14:26 NLT) But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

Testify about Jesus:

(John 15:26 NLT) “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”

Convict the World:

(John 16:7-11 NKJV) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ( And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) of sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; (11) of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

Guide You into All Truth—Including Things to Come:

(John 16:13-15 NKJV) “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own [authority], but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (14) He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (15) All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

We noted earlier that this is conditional upon our love for him. “If you love me … I will ask … and he will give you … the Spirit of truth.”

If we speak the truth in our hearts—avoiding deception and denial; and if we love Jesus—the Living Word to the point of obeying him, God will send us his Holy Spirit. Then we will have all we need to flourish amid the failing world system. Love Jesus today with all of your heart, will, mind, and strength, and get to know the Holy Spirit—expecting him to teach and guide you … into all truth etc.