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Andrew Bell: Passion in the Bible

I have never quite understood why many preachers and churches start thinking about Easter by looking at Jesus being tempted in the desert. I figure that is way too early in Jesus’ ministry - it’s at the beginning of the Gospels while Easter is at the end. I think that the whole Easter or Passion story starts in Luke’s Gospel Chapter 9 verse 51. This is for me the start of Jesus’ journey to the cross. To save you having to get out your Bibles, here is how the NIV puts it:

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

Go figure - you are on your way to heaven and you take a detour which you know is going to end up with you being nailed to a cross.

The Good News Bible says ‘he made up his mind.’ The Living New Testament says ‘with an iron will.’ The King James uses the words: ‘he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem’ and the NRSV (bet you don’t know what that stands for) says the same thing.

Now that’s passion. When there is a tough job to be done - and there are better things on offer - but you choose to tough it out anyway. This scripture should be tattooed (not really) onto every Youth Leader. I mean you can look at Jesus being whipped by the guards and wearing the crown of thorns and being stabbed with the spear on the cross - all of that is sacrificial love. It can make a disciple out of you. But I discover real passion in a Jesus who before he is arrested - when he could quite easily have shot through - chooses to go to Jerusalem.

Andrew Bell

Andrew is one of 7 ‘Andrews’ in the PYM database. He’s also the Global Mission guru for the Presbyterian Church and contributes regularly to Fuel. If you’re planning an overseas mission trip with your group or want to talk Global Mission, get in touch with Andrew – his contact details are below.

Rev Andrew Bell
Global Mission Office
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
100 St Heliers Bay Road
St Heliers
Auckland 1005
New Zealand
Email: globalmission@presbyterian.org.nz

Tel: 64 9 575 3998 (o)64 9 575 4827 (f) 027 27 123 06 (m)