The world for Christ was not a place of ease and self-aggrandizement. He was not watching for an opportunity to seize its power and its glory. It held out no such prize for Him. It was the place into which His Father had sent Him. He had been given for the life of the world, to work out the great plan of redemption. He was accomplishing His work for the fallen race. But He was not to be presumptuous, not to rush into danger, not to hasten a crisis. Each event in His work had its appointed hour. He must wait patiently. He knew that He was to receive the world's hatred; He knew that His work would result in His death; but to prematurely expose Himself would not be the will of His Father.

For Kristus var verden ikke et sted til velvære og selvforherligelse. Han var ikke på vagt for at finde en lejlighed til at komme i besiddelse af dens magt og dens ære. For ham frembød den intet værd af denne art. Den var det sted, hvortil hans Fader havde sendt ham. Han var blevet givet hen for verdens liv, for at udvirke den store frelsesplan. Han udførte sit arbejde for den faldne slægt. Men han skulle ikke være overmodig, ikke styrte sig ud i fare, ikke haste mod et kritisk vendepunkt. Hver begivenhed under hans gerning havde sin fastsatte time. Han måtte møde verdens had. Han vidste, at hans opgave ville medføre hans død; men at udsætte sig herfor, før tiden var inde, ville ikke være hans Faders vilje.