The Trail Ahead

 

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:32-34 ESV).

 

Although it’s not the oldest or the longest US long-distance footpath, the Appalachian Trail is regarded as the granddaddy of them all, in part because it’s the most user-friendly. The trail passes through and near numerous towns and crosses plenty of roads, so planning a trip on it is generally less complicated than either the Pacific Coast Trail or the Continental Divide Trail. Many trail towns and businesses along the way cater for hikers, with hostels, shuttle services and restaurants running hiker specials. Navigation is easy too: the entire trail is marked by white blazes painted on trees, fence posts, bridge pylons and, occasionally, sidewalks. There are more than 250 three-sided sleeping shelters spaced about a day’s walk from one another, which saves hikers the weight of a tent and provides a community feel to the trail. Many hikers start the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain in Georgia (pictured here). Only a fraction, however, complete the entire trail. To make it all the way up Mount Katahdin in Maine at the end of the trail, the destination must become an unshakable goal.

 

Though Jesus meandered through Galilee and Judea during his ministry, he had one final, unshakable destination in mind, and it was deadly. When he told his disciples he was going to Jerusalem, they were astonished. They knew only too well the ugly jealousy and hatred that the religious leaders had for Jesus. They feared for his life, not to mention their own. Though he had told them about this before, Jesus’ disciples hadn’t grasped the purpose of his mission. He was going to fulfill the Scriptures’ promise of a suffering servant, who would take the sins of fallen humanity on his shoulders (cf. Isaiah 52:13-53:12). He went to Jerusalem to die on a cross in order to give us new life and eternal hope. Thank God that he didn’t quit!

 

We all face hardships in this journey of life. When we feel like quitting, we need to remind ourselves that Jesus kept marching toward his destination. And now that we are freed from sin and death through him, we can know that we will reach the end of the trail!