He Set His Face Toward Jerusalem

The Courage of Christ and the Call to Discipleship

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today, I invite you to reflect on a powerful moment in the life of Jesus—one that reveals His unwavering resolve, deep obedience to the Father, and profound love for humanity. It’s found in Luke 9:51:

As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51, NIV

This verse marks a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry. From this point forward, the Gospel of Luke shifts in tone—Jesus begins His journey to the cross. But what does it mean that He “resolutely set out” or “set His face” toward Jerusalem? And what can we, as His disciples, learn from it?

1. Jesus’ Courage Was Prophetic and Purposeful

Jesus’ determination to go to Jerusalem was not reckless—it was rooted in the divine plan foretold in the Scriptures. The prophets had spoken of the Messiah who would suffer and be rejected (Isaiah 53:3–7), who would bear the sin of many and make intercession for transgressors.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth;He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,so He did not open His mouth.

Isaiah 53:7, NIV

Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem—betrayal, torture, humiliation, and death. Still, He chose obedience.

For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

John 6:38, NIV

This was not a journey of chance. It was the unfolding of God’s eternal redemptive plan. Jesus was not a victim of circumstance—He was the obedient Son, fulfilling His mission.

2. Resistance from the World—and His Own

As Jesus moved toward Jerusalem, resistance came from all directions:

The Samaritans rejected Him (Luke 9:53), not out of hatred, but due to the historic division between Jews and Samaritans and because Jesus was heading to a place they considered spiritually corrupt.

His disciples misunderstood His mission. When James and John asked to call down fire from heaven (Luke 9:54), they echoed Elijah’s act in 2 Kings 1. But Jesus rebuked them because His mission was not to destroy, but to save:

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Luke 19:10, NIV

Even His closest friends—the disciples—struggled to grasp His path. When Jesus spoke of His death, Peter rebuked Him, prompting Jesus to say:

Get behind Me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.

Mark 8:33, NIV

This reveals a crucial truth: The way of God often offends human logic, comfort, and expectations.

3. Jesus Took Up His Cross Long Before Calvary

We often think Jesus took up His cross only on the day He carried it physically (Luke 23:26), but spiritually, He had already embraced the cross when He resolved to go to Jerusalem. His commitment began long before the nails pierced His hands.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15:13, NIV

This is why He calls us to a similar surrender:

Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.

Luke 9:23, NIV

Taking up the cross isn’t merely about suffering; it’s about deliberate obedience to God, even when it costs us everything.

4. Spiritual Determination: “He Set His Face”

The phrase “He set His face” (Greek: stērizō to prosōpon) implies a deliberate, unwavering focus. This was not passive acceptance—it was active submission to God’s will. It recalls the steadfastness of the prophets, like Ezekiel:

I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint.

Ezekiel 3:9, NIV

Jesus was resolved—not because He desired death, but because He desired our salvation more than His own comfort. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed:

Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.

Luke 22:42, NIV

That is divine determination fueled by love.

5. The Cost of Discipleship: We Must Also Set Our Faces

We, too, will face moments when obeying God costs us relationships, reputation, security, or comfort. We must not wait for perfect conditions to follow Christ. Faithfulness doesn’t always feel safe—but it is always right.

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1–2, NIV

We cannot afford to wait until:

The world approves of us,

Our friends support us,

Or our flesh feels ready.

Instead, we must, like Jesus, set our faces, trusting that the cross leads to resurrection.

6. Final Encouragement: Glory Lies Ahead

Though the road to Jerusalem was full of rejection and suffering, it led to glory. After the cross came the resurrection. After Gethsemane came the garden tomb—and then the empty grave. This is the pattern of the Kingdom: suffering before glory, obedience before reward, the cross before the crown.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name.

Philippians 2:8–9, NIV

This is our hope, too. When we set our faces in obedience to God, even through hardship, we are not forsaken. We are following in the footsteps of our Savior.

Conclusion

Let us not wait for the right moment or favorable circumstances. Let us resolve, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to follow Jesus with fixed eyes and unwavering hearts.

Like our Lord, may we set our faces toward our God-given purpose—whatever the cost—and trust Him for the victory.