Matthew 26:47-56 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
In the above scene, we see Jesus arrested. He is betrayed for money by his “friend,” Judas. Judas unknowingly carries out the words of the prophets. Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would be just a man born in a time of stress in Israel. He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:2-4) Judas, a chosen disciple, saw Jesus as a man, one who probably never would overcome the powers arrayed against him. He knew Jesus had special powers, but many prophets of old had special powers, yet they all died without establishing a glorious kingdom—none of them became a king. They lived for a while and then disappeared in death. Judas was out to gain something from his discipleship. He probably felt Jesus’ talk of a kingdom on earth was not going to happen soon; the powers against this reality were too strong. Rome and the elite in Israel were too powerful for this weak band of men to gain a foothold on power. Consequently, Judas, the friend of Jesus, betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, maybe at best worth four months of work. Even though he knew the elite in Israel despised Jesus, we must assume that Judas thought they would not kill Jesus, just arrest him and punish him for being a disruption in the Jewish society. But his realization that they were going to kill Jesus, his companion for three years, brought him to suicide. This cup Jesus was going to drink that night was in the plan of God. Do what you came for, friend. Judas’ act was the first step of that plan that night. Peter was in the midst of disrupting God’s plan by drawing a sword and cutting off the high priest’s servant’s ear. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) (John 18:10) Jesus had to drink the cup of suffering fully, so He told Peter to put away his sword. Because Jesus was going to be the Lamb of God and the only Lamb of God, He told the mob to let the disciples go. They could not pay the price for the sins of the people; only He who was born of a virgin birth could pay that penalty. “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” (John 18:8-9) The disciples fled into the night, their lives spared, but later they would pay the price of persecution and death preaching the Good News of the Lamb of God who came to save sinners.
Jesus went to the cross as the Lamb of God. He would turn the world upside down that night, for He who knew no sin would become sin, to carry the punishment of God on sin to the cross. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7-9) The plan of God would take Jesus, the Messiah, who is holy, without blemish or fault, to the cross, to die in place of mankind. He died for man’s incessant rebellious nature to his Creator, God. Judas started the plan of God that night; Peter tried to prevent it, but the will of God would be carried out in those dark hours. We see Jesus following the footsteps of King David who had twice spared the life of his enemy, King Saul. (See 1 Samuel 23:14-24: 22; 26) Jesus would spare the lives of God’s enemies. It is said of David that he did the will of God in his life. Now Jesus will take that throne of David of faithful obedience to God by willingly going to the cross as a sin sacrifice. The elite of Israel were afraid of the people, so they needed to arrest Jesus when He was alone with his disciples and at night where there would be no interference from the people who had allegiance to Jesus. They came to Jesus as a vengeful mob with the intentions to take him away to the high priest and other authorities. Jesus castigates them for their ferociousness. Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? The mob’s anger probably surprised Judas too, contributing to his suicide. But the will of God would be carried out that night. The anger of the mob had to be there, the willingness of Judas to betray Jesus had to have hardened his heart. Everything had to fall into place for God’s intentions were to sacrifice Jesus for the sins of the world. This has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Jesus understood what was happening that night, and before his accusers He would not answer their accusations. He frustrated King Herod because Jesus failed to defend himself from the claims against him. His failure to defend himself left him open to ridicule, mocking, and flogging. Jesus knew he would pay the full price for man’s rebellion, even his death on the cross, but He willingly allowed God to bruise him for the redemption of men.
We know as John wrote, God is love. Christ went to the cross because Christ is love. The Holy Spirit dwells in us because He is love. We have been captured by love. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10) Love was in the Garden that night when the mob arrested Jesus. The angry mob thought they had victory over this notorious troublemaker, Jesus. But they did not capture Jesus: Love captured the Lord as He surrendered his will to his Father God. God’s plan of love was to be carried out all the way to the resurrection. We who are the captives to this love ought to give our lives in reciprocation to God’s love. The Bible exhorts us to love even our enemies, the mob of this world. Are we willing? Are our minds fully convinced of what Jesus did for us that night or are we considering Judas’ way of living for self, to gain this world? If we sell out Jesus to have better lives on earth, we will lose our eternal souls. What the prophets’ said, came true that night. Every word in the scriptures will come true. We cannot deny the love of God for our souls by living our lives unto ourselves. If so, we betray Jesus’ work on the cross. By living our own lives for ourselves, we put Jesus again on the cross, exposed to the shame of being weak and helpless in our lives. But He is not weak and helpless. He came to change the world and us, and that is what He has done. Paul talks to us about our reasonable sacrifice to Jesus, to be his ambassadors in this world of angry and dying people. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) How do we measure up to God’s will in our lives, by becoming his servants. If we love others as we love God: with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, we will fulfill the will of God in our lives. Our testimony should be, “Jesus saves!” He saves the world from sin and judgment. Jesus saves the world from a finite life ending in the grave. Jesus’ bones did not rot in the grave as David’s did. No, his bones are not in some tomb, for He rose again, and He lives forever. Your souls will live forever because of HIS RESURRECTION POWER at work in you. Jesus lives forever. HE SAVES! God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Dear friends who sit around this breakfast table, you are seated with Jesus in heavenly places because you are completely holy, blameless, and without one fault because of what Jesus did for you. Walk confidently in that new life today. Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment