Jesus’ Example: Faithful to the End

It is easy to start. It is much harder to finish. Many people want to live for God, but after awhile temptation pulls them off track. Do you know how to do a job without getting sidetracked? Can you complete an assignment without giving up? Faithful people are hard to find.

There was one person that never failed. He passed every test and died with a perfect record. That is why we count on Him to help us today.

Jesus was given a very difficult assignment:

• come to earth and live as a man
• be rejected and hated by the people He had created
• then be put to death

Most important! Show God’s love. Never do wrong or give up.

All Jesus’ enemies wanted Him to fail. Remember how He was tempted? “You can be comfortable and popular,” the devil said. It sounded good, but Jesus knew that He must obey, no matter what. He must be true. And because He chose God first, God helped Him to be faithful.

It wasn’t easy. Jesus got excited… and tired… and hungry. The crowds either begged for help or made fun of Him. Even His own followers didn’t listen very well. But Jesus kept loving them, kept being patient with them and helping them. When He felt like giving up, He prayed for more of God’s love.

Jesus prayed when people hated Him. He prayed for grace to be kind to those that spit in His face. And when Jesus was beaten and hung up to die like a criminal, He didn’t even give in to one hateful thought. Instead, He forgave them. To the last heartbeat Jesus poured out the love of God for us. Don’t you think He was glad when He could say, “It is finished,”* (John 19:30) and know that He had been faithful to the end?

How did Jesus stay true? In Hebrews 12 it says that Jesus, “for the joy set before him endured the cross.”* (Hebrews 12:2) He kept looking at God’s smile! When the tests came Jesus prayed for help, and did God ever fail Him? Never! And do you know what? If you trust and obey the God that doesn’t fail, He will help you be faithful to the end, too.