An essential element to any successful venture is complete alignment in pursuit of a clear purpose. A wholly dialed in, on-point entity, is much like a seaworthy vessel, the wind at her back, filled with dedicated sailors, directed by a precisely calibrated compass. While alignment with purpose is important to successfully navigate good times, it is imperative to staying the course when the seas are high and the storms roll in. In the most tumultuous time in the life of Christ, His final hours, we see Jesus impacted by this powerful principal.
In Gethsemane, with the weight of the world's sin looming over His soldiers, the Wrath of God due sin coming, intense physical torture lurking in the shadows, and the horror of separation from His Father lying in wait, Christ prays. "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me..." Should this occur mankind would remain eternally bound in sins chains. At that moment, when quitting must have seemed a viable option, it's as if He looks up to the Father, regains resolve then says, "Yet I want YOUR WILL to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39) In the garden we see Christ pulled through intense temptation by realigning with purpose.
Fists, a cat of nine tails, mocking, injustice, an angry mob and so much more preceded the ascent up Golgotha. Atop skull mountain nails, suffocation, piercing, and humiliation were unleashed. Yet, amid all the madness a resoluteness seems to guide Jesus down to the most minute detail. As Christ gasps for air suspended on a bloody cross we find it written, "...to FULFILL SCRIPTURE He said, 'I am thirsty.'" (John 19:28) At Calvary, Amid the chaos, we see re-alignment to purpose bring clarity and make sense of the madness as it directs Christs every action.
Surrounding the crucifixion, we find many players with diverse agendas. Mary mourning, Pharisees gloating, Simon assisting, and soldiers executing. Yet with all the disparate noise, it is as if an invisible conductor is behind the scene composing a symphony. In one striking verse, soldiers are looking to accelerate the process of death by breaking the legs of the three men being crucified that day. "But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn't break his legs." (John 19:33) But behind all these seemingly random acts the Bible explains the timing by saying, "These things happened in FULFILLMENT of the SCRIPTURES that say, 'Not one of his bones will be broken...'" (John 19:36a) In the face of seemingly random events, we find Gods purposes aligning the parts by orchestrating all the players.
Once you experience the power of a fully-aligned enterprise undiluted in the pursuit of its purpose, it is hard to settle for anything less. In Jesus we have clear purpose calling out to us, the question for Christ followers is simple, are we fully aligned?
- Micah McElveen