And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

Luke 9:51

The time of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee was coming to an end, and now it was time for Him to begin the final phase of His earthly ministry by going to Jerusalem. Most likely the timing of this passage is just before the Feast of Tabernacles, and so it would be about six months until Jesus would be crucified, buried, and raise from the dead. And then another 50 days until His ascension back to His thrown. So, though the wording may seem like the time for His passion was near, it was not immediate.

Having said that, Jesus knew why He needed to go to Jerusalem and what would eventually happen after He shows Himself openly there. Not only did He know what was going to happen, He was determined to go and have those things done to Him for the sake of the elect! 

This attitude was prophesied by Isaiah many years before:

For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Isaiah 50:7

Jesus knew that, to the world, what was going to happen would be shameful, but He also knew that He would not be ashamed because His work on the cross would accomplish redemption. He was never afraid. He never doubted what He needed to do, and He never doubted that He would finish the work!

When we face trials and tribulations we need to have the same faith in God that Jesus had in the Father. We should face our sorrows knowing that they are not the end of the story for Christ died to save us from the sorrow and the cause of it. This is the glorious hope found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should cry out with the Apostle Paul:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 1:16-17

Oh Father, let us live and walk by faith in the confidence of the finished redemptive work of Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!