At some point–no one can really say when–they just started trusting him. They understood he just knows what he’s doing. His coaching career spanned several decades, countless players, and multiple deep postseason runs. Those who played and coached for him learned to simply do what he told them, to buy in, to trust. Amazingly, the things he told them would happen, did. The things he told them were necessary for success, were. Because of who he was and what he had done, they trusted what he said.
After John the Baptist exited the scene in Matthew 4, Jesus began his movement toward public ministry. It wasn’t a direct path to a pulpit or to the cross, but a somewhat circuitous route through Galilee, out of Nazareth, and into Capernaum.
Why not go directly to Jerusalem and take over? We aren’t given all those answers, but we are told in Matthew 4:12-16 that the Lord’s first movements were to fulfill prophecy about him from the Old Testament.
In short, he did what he did because God had said it would happen and to prove that God can be trusted.
God said the people to whom Jesus first went would no longer live in darkness, but would welcome a great light. Enter the Light of the World. God knew what he was doing. And God knows what he’s doing.
Over and over in the Scripture, we see the great plan of God unfold in the smallest things…even where Jesus went was part of the plan. God had not forgotten his promises. He had not moved on from what he said previously.
He was faithful then and he is faithful now. At some point, we just need to start trusting him. He knows what he’s doing, even when the route is winding.
He knows what he’s doing. He is faithful to his word. Trust him.
Lord Jesus, thank you for your faithfulness. Teach me to trust you. Amen.
