We speak all things about Christ and exalt Him, which is most excellent because of what He has done for us. For this reason, God the Father has given Him, Jesus, who is the Christ and Redeemer, a name that is above all names, so that at His Name, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.
But as He was on His way with the cross to be crucified, where He received that name, what was on His mind in that lingering hour that seemed like hours as it went by, as Jesus took one agonizing step after another? While He had already proven to be the perfect, unblemished sacrifice, now He was on the way to pay the price, but the cross was not in His thoughts then. What was in His thoughts then?
Luke 23 gives us a glimpse into His heart at that time. His thoughts were on the future troubles because of the rejection of the price that He was about to pay. Think for a moment: Jesus is in tremendous pain on His way to be crucified, but in that moment, His thoughts were filled with compassion for the struggles and problems of His generation because of their rejection of Him.
In His dying moments, He was not thinking of revenge on those killing Him out of envy but was allowing Himself to be crushed by them while He could only see our struggles today and weep for us.
Accompanying Bible Verses:
- **Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV):** “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- **Luke 23:34 (NIV):** “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”
- **Isaiah 53:3 (NIV):** “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”
