You can’t miss the urgency and passion with which Jesus carried out His ministry. Throughout His life on Earth, He was busy about the Father’s business.
As young as a twelve-year-old He said, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49).
Throughout Christ’s ministry, He spoke in musts, conveying the urgency He felt to do the will of the Father.
- “I must preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43).
- “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).
- “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22).
- “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:” (John 3:14)
I wonder how often these priorities characterize our days?
- Elevating the Father’s business above personal to do lists
- Witnessing and preaching the gospel
- Doing the will of the Father
- Cooperating with God’s purposes in our suffering
- Lifting up Jesus in every aspect of life
Like many of us, Jesus’ days were filled to the brim. He was passionate and lived with urgency to accomplish His priorities.
But unlike our default mode, Jesus’ priorities were perfectly in sync with the Father’s eternal purposes. We sometimes work with passion to accomplish our priorities.
If we would consistently make His priorities our priorities, we would daily accomplish that which is of eternal value.
