Devotional
When Jesus told His disciples, “Where I am going, you cannot come,” they must have felt excluded, perhaps even rejected. But Jesus wasn’t pushing them away—He was protecting them. He was heading to the cross, to face suffering and death that only He could endure. Jesus’ path led to Calvary, where He would take upon Himself the punishment for our sins. It was a journey He had to walk alone, not because He didn’t want us with Him, but because He loved us too much to let us face what only He could bear. This is the ultimate expression of love—not that we go where Jesus goes, but that Jesus goes where we cannot. He enters into our suffering, takes our punishment, and bears our shame so that we don’t have to. And because of this sacrificial journey, we can now follow Him everywhere else. Because He went to the cross alone, we never have to be alone again. Because He was forsaken, we are forever accepted. Because He died, we can live. This is the pattern of sacrificial love that we’re called to emulate. Not that we can atone for others’ sins—only Christ could do that. But we can sacrifice our comfort, our preferences, our rights, and even our well-being for the good of others. We can put their needs above our own. We can choose the harder path if it means bringing life and healing to those we love.
Bible Verse
“Jesus said, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.'” – John 13:33
Reflection Question
What comfort or preference might God be asking you to sacrifice for the good of someone else in your life?
Quote
“Jesus said, I’m going to the cross for you, and I’m going to forgive all of your sins so that every other place I go, you can come with me.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the sacrificial love of Jesus, who went where I could not go and bore what I could not bear. Help me to follow His example of sacrificial love in my relationships. Give me the courage to put others’ needs before my own comfort and to walk the harder path when love requires it. Let my life reflect the selfless love of Christ. Amen.
