PREMEDITATED SACRIFICE

Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

Matthew 20:18-19

[i] 18"See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."

Little Lori Ann was 14 when she slipped into the back row of our rowdy, fun and growing youth group. The patch over her eye gave it away immediately as I looked at her precious innocent face. Lori was the girl with facial cancer. The surgeon had to remove her eye to try to save her life. Over the next two years, the cancer spread throughout her face and neck. As she walked steadily towards death, her faith grew stronger. We became very close and talked as a father and daughter would about death, heaven and Christ's provision for eternal life. Lori grew to love her Savior.

The week before her death, her doctor came into her room and told her that they had done all they could. The medicines weren't working. Soon the tumors would take over. With faith like an 80-year-old saint, Lori looking at her doctor and without a whimper said, "I appreciate all you've done, but don't worry, I won't die when the medicine runs out, I'll die when Jesus takes me home."

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Lori's last words before she closed her eye for the last time were to her mom as she softly whispered, "Mom, I hope some day you'll know Jesus like I do."

QUESTIONS:
1. If Jesus knew when He'd die and how He'd die, why didn't He change the plan and run?
2. What do you think His disciples thought when he told them the fate that was ahead of Him?
3. How can a 16-year-old like my friend Lori have such great faith?

LIFELINE:
Just before Lori died, she said to her mom, "Mom, I hope you can get to know Jesus the way I do." Faith is shared most intimately at home.