Determined (Monday)

Luke 22:22

“For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

As Jesus reclined at the table with His disciples on the night of His betrayal, He spoke of what was about to unfold. He was going to suffer and die in obedience to God’s will, but He did not speak of these events with surprise or resistance. Instead, He declared, “The Son of Man is going as it has been determined.” Jesus knew His path to the cross was not the result of political tension, human schemes, or random tragedy. It was the fulfillment of what God had planned from the beginning.

Throughout Scripture, the suffering and sacrificial death of the Messiah were foretold. Isaiah 53:10 says, “But the Lord desired to crush Him, causing Him grief; if He renders Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.” This was not divine cruelty, but divine love. It was the predetermined means of redeeming a sinful world.

Even Jesus’ own words reveal that He lived with an awareness of this divine plan. In Mark 10:45, He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” In Luke 24:26, after the resurrection, He reminded the disciples, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?” This had to happen because it was rooted in the will of the Father and prophesied by the prophets.

The cross was not a backup plan. It was the predetermined plan of God. The betrayal, the arrest, the trial, and the crucifixion all unfolded under His sovereign hand. Even as evil men acted freely, God’s redemptive purpose prevailed.

Jesus, the Son of Man, “went” according to the plan. He was not passive. He walked toward the cross with full knowledge of what awaited Him. In obedience and with great love for us, He willingly fulfilled the perfect plan of God.

How does knowing that the cross was determined by God affect the way you view the suffering of Christ?

In what ways are you tempted to view hardships as random or meaningless, rather than divinely overseen?

Lord, thank You that nothing in the life of Christ was accidental. Before the foundation of the world, You set Your love upon us and ordained a path of redemption. Thank You that Jesus, knowing the suffering ahead, walked in obedience for my sake. Help me to trust that Your purposes are good and that Your plans are always wise, even when they seem hidden. May I follow Jesus with the same surrender. Amen.