“I have a baptism to undergo and what constraint I am under until it is
completed!” (Luke 12:50). As Jesus journeys towards Jerusalem and into the
hornet’s nest of opposition, he knows what awaits him. He is not caught by
surprise, but fully anticipates what he must go through.

He calls it a baptism. On another occasion he says to his disciples who are
looking for some glory, “can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with
the baptism I am baptised with?” (Mark 10:38). Again, baptism is not what
we may immediately think of. What is baptism here? It is used to refer to
the traumatic torture Jesus was soon to endure.

Have you ever been in a situation where you know inside what is the right
thing to do but you also know it is the hardest thing to do and you would
much prefer to avoid it?

That’s the situation Jesus was in as he journeyed towards the cross. I saw
someone in that situation a couple of weeks ago and I was proud of the way
they followed through on what they knew they were meant to do.

What do you call such action? I would call it courage. Jesus showed
courage. My friend showed courage. When we are baptised into Jesus we are
baptised into a lifestyle which requires courage.

Where might this be required of you at this point? For some people it takes
courage to contact or connect with the church if they haven’t done so
before. It may take courage to speak to the boss at work if you are asked
to be dishonest. It takes courage to be a bit different from the crowd, to
go against the flow when the flows going in the wrong direction! It may
take courage to speak the truth with love, or to face up to aspects of your
life which you need to admit to or do something about, an addiction you
have or ways of speaking or relating that pull others down.

It takes courage to do something you haven’t done before, to leave a secure
job to pursue a calling you have. It takes courage to release control over
people and over yourself and to trust God for the future. Think of the
courage it takes when you are persecuted on account of your faith. It takes
courage to change, even when change is positive. It takes courage for a
church to be outward-focused in mission and service and not simply in survival.

It takes courage to be baptised. It takes courage to live out that baptism
of dying daily to self and living daily to Christ. The Christian life is
not an easy escape from the challenges of life, it is an invitation to
courageously confront the realities of life.

As Jesus journeyed to the cross he displayed courage, the like of which has
never been seen. As we journey with him, in our weakness and fear, may he
fill us with the courage to follow and obey, whatever may be required of
each of us at this time.