When most people think about the point of no return, they tend to think about it from a negative perspective. For example, Romans 1:28 says some sinful acts cause God to give people over to a reprobate mind. I shudder when I think about that. Or Hosea 4:17, where the Bible says, “Ephriam is joined to idols. Leave him alone.” Or 1 Samuel 16:14, where the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit troubled him. It’s heartbreaking to even contemplate such a thing.

But rather than the negative, my thoughts went in another direction. Nazareth is remembered as the hometown of Jesus. It was there that Gabriel appeared to a young virgin named Mary. Even though she probably didn’t fully understand what he told her, she nevertheless submitted to his message.

I always enjoy my visits to Nazareth. It was a small village 2,000 years ago and not a very noteworthy place. In fact, it was common for people to ask, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” And yet, from an obscure village of less than 300 people, the most significant event the world has ever known began to unfold.

In my mind, I can see Jesus as a barefooted boy running all over the place, playing with his friends. But all too quickly, especially for Mary, He becomes a man and sets out to complete the mission that caused Him to be clothed in flesh.

In Luke chapter 4, Jesus is back home. While visiting His mom, He was given an opportunity to preach in the synagogue where He grew up. Jesus begins by reading from what we know as Isaiah, chapter 61. Luke 4:18-21, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

The sermon angered the people in His hometown to the extent that they took Him to a cliff, intending to kill him. I have stood on that hill and wondered what it must have been like. Probably some of the same ones He had grown up with and played with as a boy are ready to kill Him.

Their hatred overshadowed any childhood friendships. How dare He claim to be the Messiah. While Jesus allowed them to take Him to the cliff, at some point, He simply turned and walked away, and they were powerless to stop Him. Jesus had reached a point of no return. There was no turning back. The mission that brought Him into this world had begun in earnest.

As Christians, there must be a point of no return for us. As the song says, “I have decided, to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back.” Can you put a name to your “point of no return?”