Have you ever imagined what your future looks like? I think we all have a great desire inside of us to know what our future hold for us. I know that among my female friends, they tend to enjoy reading horoscopes and taking all sorts of tests that can predict one’s future partner, family, career, etc. They usually do not take these results seriously, but just to satisfy their curiosity or find some sort of joy in “knowing” their future.
But, have you ever thought about what if you really knew your future? From the large amounts of fiction that I have read, I think the reactions of a person who knows his/her future are likely as follows:
1. Taking revenge against people whom one knows would betray or hurt him/ her. Otherwise, the very least one would do is to stay away from them. (When facing our enemies, not reacting is probably the kindest thing we could do.)
2. Taking advantage of the “fore-knowledge” to reap as many benefits as possible. It may be wealth, fame, or power.
3. Avoiding all the bad people, unfortunate events, etc that will come to them
and more…
These reactions listed above seem normal. As a human, these are our natural reactions. However, do you know there were people in history who in fact knew their future? Let us take a look at their reactions:
2 Peter 1:13-15
I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
Here, Peter is talking about his “departure” which is his death. What did Jesus make clear to him about it?
John 21:18
Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
The next line in verse 19 goes:
Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Jesus prophesised to Peter about Peter’s death. Jesus told Peter to “follow me”. According to reports of the early church, Peter died of crucifixion, hanging upside down on the Cross. So, Peter knew his death as Jesus had already told him. But, instead of avoiding it and running away, he chose to obey and follow the path that Jesus told him to walk. This is his obedience to suffer and die.
And let us look at another person:
Acts 21:10-11
After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
This is a prophecy about Paul when he was going to return to Jerusalem. And Paul’s response was:
Acts 21:13
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
From the above, we have seen the disciples and apostles of Jesus who knew that their future assured suffering, but they did not run or hide. Nor did they try to fight whoever was going to hurt them.
Why? To simply imitate Christ.
Luke 18:32-33
He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
Luke 22:42
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Jesus is the Son of God, He humbled Himself by coming down from Heaven in the form of human. He took an earthly body and became like us. He was not of noble birth in Man’s perspective, and He lived a life of humility and suffering. Jesus knew about the sins in Man and He knew that He would be murdered by them. Yet, for the sake of our salvation, He still came unto earth and carried the cross for our sins. He had so much love for all mankind that His love overcame all the suffering and death that He had to face.
The disciples had seen and understood this love. Touched by this love, they hence chose to follow the ways of Christ.
May the great love of Christ come upon us today and touch our hearts – the love of the one, who knew of His destiny of death, yet laid down His life for us, out of love.