In general, people only take someone at their word when they’ve proven themselves to be truthful. Personally, I will never trust whoever it is who keeps labeling packages “easy open.” It turns out that label actually means “easy teeth broken, easy knife wound, and easy open-ended account with Wile E. Coyote’s ACME Corporation.”
Jesus Christ, however, was a man of his word.
Jesus prophesied to his Apostles that he would be crucified and resurrected. If he had never been resurrected, his apostles could have reasonably concluded that he was a false prophet. On the contrary, Christianity continued as a movement in which its adherents risked their own lives evangelizing passionately about Jesus and his resurrection.
Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:17-19)
It can’t be “easy” or pleasant to prophesy something bad that’s about to happen to you. Sometimes I predict negative things, such as “I’ll never remember this” or “I’m gonna stub my toe on that.” But to prophesy your own death, knowing with all certainty that it will happen in just the way you describe?
Jesus knew he must suffer and die, just like he knew his resurrection was guaranteed. He could share the prophecy with his Apostles because he knew it was the truth. And because he knew what his resurrection would accomplish for them.
Even though he went to the cross willingly, it obviously wasn’t easy for him.
Isn’t there any other way, God? I’ll open every so-called “easy open” package on the planet with only a butter knife and a prayer…
Jesus had already told his Apostles that his suffering and crucifixion were inevitable. He couldn’t back down on his word now, or he would be a liar, and there would be no redemption for mankind.
In the end, Jesus knew that scripture must be fulfilled, and he loved us enough to go through with it. Thankfully, God gave him a truly “easy open” tomb.
ABCs of God 