He Knew the Cross Was Coming—And Still He Rode In
What If Surrender Was the Strongest Thing You Could Do?
Whether you’re feeling steady or stretched thin, I want to invite you to pause—and look again at the One who rode in, knowing the cross was coming.
"My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me."
-Psalm 31:15
Surrendered
This is the week Jesus rode in knowing the cross waited. In Luke 19, the crowd roared with praise, waving branches and shouting, “Blessed is the King!”—yet He wept, not for Himself, but for a people who would miss their moment. The same voices that cried Hosanna would soon cry Crucify. And still, He rode forward. Why? Because our God is not afraid of betrayal, suffering, or sorrow. He is a King of courageous surrender. Psalm 118 declares His love endures forever—and Holy Week proves it. This is not a passive love. It is a love with fire in its eyes and resolve in its heart. A love that chooses the cross.
In Isaiah 50, we glimpse the inner life of the Suffering Servant—one who listens to the Father every moment, and still offers His back to be struck. He sets His face like flint—not because He’s hard-hearted, but because He’s wholehearted. In Philippians 2, we see the mystery unfold: though He was equal with God, Jesus did not cling to power. He poured Himself out, emptied Himself, and humbled Himself to the lowest place. This is not weakness—it is divine strength wrapped in human skin. American Christianity often craves ease and comfort, but the way of Christ is cruciform. To follow Him is not to escape the pain of life—it is to discover purpose inside it.
And so we come to the foot of the cross in Luke 22–23 and the cry of Psalm 31: “My times are in Your hands.” This is the cry of courageous surrender. Jesus didn’t just suffer—He entrusted Himself fully to the Father. Even in His final breath, He modeled what it means to worship in the dark. And this changes everything. We are not called to a sanitized, safe faith. We are called to follow a King who kneels to serve, who bleeds to redeem, who walks through fire and does not flinch. This Holy Week, let’s not just remember His surrender—let’s respond with our own. Not a resignation to pain, but a bold trust in the One who redeems it. The cross is not the end. It’s the doorway to resurrection. And resurrection always begins with surrender.
Reflection
Where in your life are you being asked to ride forward—even when the outcome is uncertain or costly? Like Jesus entering Jerusalem, what step of obedience feels hard but holy?
Are there places in your life where you’ve been clinging to control, rather than trusting your times to God’s hands? What might courageous surrender look like practically this week?
What kind of strength do you admire most: the world’s version (loud, visible) or Jesus’ version (humble, sacrificial)? And how is that shaping your choices—at work, online, in your relationships?
Where have you felt pressure to hide your pain or “be strong”—instead of inviting God into your weakness? How might you practice holy honesty with Him this week?
What might need to “die” in your life so that resurrection can begin? Is it a mindset, an expectation, an addiction to approval?
Prayer
Father, thank You for the way You came—for riding in knowing what it would cost, for loving us with a strength that didn’t run from pain. I worship You not just for Your power, but for Your humility, for choosing surrender over control, and the cross over comfort. You didn’t flinch, and I’m in awe of that. Help me to trust You with my own story—to believe that my times are in Your hands, even when the road feels uncertain. Thank You for being with me in it all.
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