He Knew the Cross Was Coming: A Holy Week Reflection on Trusting God’s Preparation
How Jesus prepared His disciples—and how He prepares us today
He knew what was coming. And He walked toward it anyway.
As I sit with Holy Week, I keep returning to one quiet, overwhelming truth:
He knew.
Not just in a general sense…
but fully.
The betrayal.
The suffering.
The cross.
And still… He walked forward.
In John 13, we find Jesus at the table with His disciples. It is a moment filled with meaning, not only because of what is about to unfold, but because of what He already understands. Knowing that Judas would betray Him, Jesus still kneels and washes his feet. There is no resistance in Him, no attempt to change the course of events. What we see instead is a steady, surrendered obedience—one that is rooted not in circumstance, but in complete trust in the Father.
He wasn’t reacting.
He was fulfilling.
That same posture carries into the garden in John 18. When those who came to arrest Him approached, Jesus did not withdraw or hide. He stepped forward and identified Himself.
“I am He.”
Not forced.
Not overtaken.
Willing.
By the time we reach John 19, and He declares, “It is finished,” we begin to understand that this was never a moment of defeat. It was the completion of something that had been set in motion long before that day.
Long before the cross, it was written.
In Isaiah 53, we are given a glimpse into the suffering He would carry. He would be despised and rejected, a man acquainted with grief, pierced and crushed—not for His own sin, but for ours. When we hold this alongside the Gospel accounts, it becomes clear that the cross was not an interruption to God’s plan, but the very center of it.
This wasn’t chaos.
This was redemption unfolding.
And yet, even in the weight of all He carried, Jesus did not neglect the hearts of His disciples. He knew they would struggle to understand what was coming, and so He prepared them.
In John 14, He speaks gently: “Let not your hearts be troubled…”
In John 16, He tells them plainly that trouble will come—but so will victory.
They didn’t fully understand.
But He was preparing them anyway.
And that is where this becomes personal.
Because if He prepared them…
He is preparing us.
There are seasons when life feels unclear. Moments where we don’t fully understand what God is doing, or why things are unfolding the way they are. Holy Week reminds us that uncertainty is not the same as absence. Just because we cannot see clearly does not mean God is not working intentionally.
He prepares us quietly.
Through His Word.
Through conviction.
Through peace that doesn’t quite match our circumstances.
Not always with answers.
But always with purpose.
I’ve been thinking about this in the language of cultivation.
In Ecclesiastes 3, we are reminded that there is a season for everything.
And in John 15, Jesus tells us that the Father prunes what will bear fruit.
Even that.
Is preparation.
Because nothing in His hands is wasted.
Not the waiting.
Not the pruning.
Not the unseen work beneath the surface.
What feels slow…
is often where He is doing His deepest work.
Holy Week brings us back to this truth:
Jesus didn’t just endure the cross.
He walked toward it.
With full awareness.
With complete surrender.
With unwavering love.
And because of that…
We are not walking blindly.
We are being led.
So today, I find myself asking:
Where is He preparing me…
even if I don’t fully understand it yet?
And am I willing to trust His timing—
the planting,
the pruning,
the waiting—
so that what grows is not just for me…
but for His Kingdom?
If you are in a season that feels uncertain, let this settle in your heart:
He sees what’s ahead.
He knows what’s coming.
And He is already preparing you.
Stay close.
Trust His leading.
And let Him finish what He has started.
🌿
If this post stirred something in you, consider sharing it with a friend who may be asking similar questions.
And if you find yourself wanting to walk this more slowly—more prayerfully—there is space for that.
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Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
So good!!
I've read through the different scriptures surrounding the Passover Feast, The Last Supper, and Jesus being the Messiah. This time of year is extremely important and special. I'm studying the scriptures this year through the lense of food and health. I've also realized that many lessons are taught by watching what Jesus did, and what he said to whom.
I am in awe how Jesus knew, was preparing and prepared, plus told his disciples what was going to happen, because it was written. Because Jesus knew his Identity and what He had to do, and he did this all for me and you.
Great article. It makes me think how I can walk better in my identity. Plus, how grateful I am for Him.