relationships (Matthew 27:24-54) The Evidence of Love

(Matthew 27:24-66)

24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.” 25 And all the people replied, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort to Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on Him, and took the reed and beat Him on the head. 31 And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they compelled to carry His cross.

33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him wine mixed with bile to drink; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink it.

35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37 And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

38 At that time two rebels were being crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those passing by were speaking abusively to Him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He has trusted in God; let God rescue Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the rebels who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him in the same way.

45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabaktanei?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49 But the rest of them said, “Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 Also the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now as for the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the other things that were happening, they became extremely frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Unless one's spiritual eyes and ears are opened, a person will not recognize the Lord Jesus as the Son of God... part of the Trinity, meaning, God, Himself.  Even if there is a big sign over His head saying "This is Jesus the King" - the King of kings, and Lord of lords.  

In verse 42, the spiritual leaders were mocking Jesus and claiming that if Jesus was able to save Himself in that moment - THEN - they would believe.  But what they clearly could not understand is God's agape, unconditional, sacrificial love.  What a lot of unbelievers do is try to create gods in their own image.  Since everyone's sinful nature is to be prideful, selfish and self-sufficient, then their gods are going to reflect that.  But Jesus is not selfish or prideful.  

The Lord God IS sufficient, though!  Being sovereign, He is all-powerful, all-knowing and everywhere present!   He is also holy, and therefore cannot have a relationship with sin.  But because God desires to have a personal relationship with us, He came in flesh to take our place in death to pay the price for all sins.  We can imagine all the physical and emotional suffering that Jesus endured here, but imagine, the holy Lord God took on all sins, of all people, of all time, onto Himself.  

It is in that moment of taking on sin, that Jesus cries out (in verse 46).  How could God forsake Himself?.  Obviously we cannot capture the depth and entirety of it all, but I think of it this way: because God is omnipresent, part of Himself is able to come in flesh.  Consider this illustration. our body (represents God being everywhere), and our hand (represents Jesus in flesh on earth), and the hand having to touch something gross (represents Jesus taking on all sin), and us having to look away (represents God forsaking His Son).

Being omnipotent, Jesus could have saved Himself, but then none of us would be able to be saved from our sins.  And no one actually killed Jesus, as verse 50 says, Jesus willingly, selflessly, sacrificially, gave up His Spirit.  And when that happened, the earth shook, tombs opened, and believers who had passed away, came to life.  And most poignant was the temple's veil tearing - from the TOP - down.  This tapestry, which was 60 feet high, 30 feet wide and about 4 inches thick, was so strong that teams of horses tied to opposite sides could not tear it.

There is great significance in the temple's veil being torn.  One could see it as when one is in great mourning or distress, in those cultures, they would tear their clothes.  But an even greater significance is that this veil was there to keep people from going into the holy of holies and thereby dying instantly.  Even the priest who would be chosen to enter at certain times, would prepare himself spiritually.  And, they would tie a rope around his waist in case he died in there, so that they could safely pull him out.  The veil tearing from the top down also demonstrates how God comes down to us!  And God does it FOR us!  Because God wants to save and help us!

Well - Jesus' death - in paying the price for all sins - makes it possible for anyone to approach the Holy of holies to receive eternal life, when we humble our hearts and repent of our sins to accept Jesus' forgiveness and salvation.  Such great things happened at this event, that some people recognized it as "something".  Others, like the one rebel next to Jesus, became a believer even before Jesus gave up His spirit and all these other things happened (Luke 23:39-49).  

It is not necessary to have seen this event, or see Jesus in flesh.  We can see Jesus in Spirit, in His word, and in our lives.  The greatest miracle we can ever experience first hand is our salvation, because Jesus gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit, to change us from the inside out.  And as we ask and allow, He will continue to work for us, in us and through us.  I've also witnessed this miracle recently in the radically changed life of our granddaughter!  These events are so undeniable!  And the Lord's presence in one's close relationship with Him is so very evident!

relationships (Matthew 27:11-24) Love That Is Reasonable

(Matthew 27:11-66)

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “So You are the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not offer any answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?” 14 And still He did not answer him in regard to even a single charge, so the governor was greatly amazed.

15 Now at the Passover Feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over.

19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death. 21 And the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23 But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Jesus only confirmed the truth, that He was (and is) the King of the Jews, but He refused to give any answer to all of the false allegations, even though in that court, a defendant who offered no defense was normally convicted by default.  Jesus knew everything that was going to happen, and knew that it all had to, in order to accomplish His work on the cross, to pay for all sins, for all people, of all time.  Everything He did was out of His great love for all people, and His desire to have a personal relationship with each and everyone of us.  Anyone who repents and believes in Him, will receive eternal life and His indwelling Holy Spirit, who will change us from the inside out, to have spiritual peace, joy and hope, and help us understand His truth and His will.

Satan and his realm, on the other hand, desires to distort, deceive, divide and destroy, and his path only leads to eternal death and punishment.  Satan will do whatever he can to keep people away from the Lord, which includes inciting people towards having "Jesus-derangement-syndrome".  We can see how easy it is to rile up people and create a mob mentality, even in our own society today, where good is "suddenly" seen as bad, and bad is good, and violence is only amping up.

The governor, Pilate, was not a believer, but was an astute politician.  While representing Rome and needing to adhere to their laws, governors had to manage different regions without enabling angry mobs which could rise up and become problems.  Therefore, the governors typically respected the surrounding customs.  Interestingly enough, and probably because he was able to remain more objective, Pilate could see that Jesus was completely innocent and righteous.  By offering up one of the most nefarious criminals to be released, he was hoping that the people would be reasonable, and ask that Jesus be released instead.  But in frenetic events and times, people will become unreasonable.

When and if we ever find ourselves hating someone or hating a specific group of people, we better stop and pray through this.  If there is actual proof of any wrongdoing, we are to hate the words and actions, but not the person.  God tells us to forgive our enemies and love them.  If forgiving them is difficult, ask God to forgive them for you.  

If there isn't any proof of any wrongdoing, that means we have been led to believe in the lies, and we need to confess.  If we have hurt anyone along the way, we will have to apologize to them.  And we will have to forgive those who have been spreading the lies and inciting people to anger and hatred.  Let's beware, so that we do not get caught up in a movement which goes against our Lord and Savior.

The closer we grow in our relationship with Jesus, the more we will know Him.  And the more we know Him, the less likely we will become deceived.  The Lord loves us and has a much better way for us to live.  No matter what is happening to us or around us, God has a purpose for us.  So, as we strive in our obedience, with Him leading the way and equipping us with His love, strength and wisdom, we will experience His spiritual peace, joy, hope and blessings.

relationships (Matthew 27:1-10) Combating Suicide with Certain Hope

(Matthew 27:1-10)

1 Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; 2 and they bound Him and led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.

3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You shall see to it yourself!” 5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and left; and he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them in the temple treasury, since it is money paid for blood.” 7 And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. 8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the One whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; 10 and they gave them for the Potter’s Field, just as the Lord directed me.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

This is a very heavy topic, and I'm fairly certainly that most of us have struggled with some form of depression that came with suicidal thoughts.  Even as believers, this is very possible.  But there is hope.  Before we continue on with what God wants for our lives, lets look at what was going on with Judas Iscariot.  

We see here that Judas felt remorse, but he never repented of his sins.  Even the Pharisees didn't know the way to salvation, because all they knew was religion, which is made up of empty do's and don't, done in one's own strength and wisdom.  So, they told Judas to go, see to it for himself.  Judas had tried to undo his great sin by simply returning the money he received to betray Jesus.  That didn't work.  It never would have.  He still felt the weight of his guilt, which would have been very, very heavy.  Feeling like there wasn't any way to live with that, or deal with it, he hung himself.  He did to himself what he deserved.

We know Judas Iscariot never became a believer.  Remember, in God's love, God will never force anyone to love Him back, and will never force anyone to be obedient.  We see that Judas Iscariot made his own choice, even though he had so many opportunities.  This fact is covered in the following verse, where the disciples are asking the Lord who should be the one to replace Judas as a disciple (apostle).

(Acts 1:24-25)  And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

Once someone becomes a believer, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, so no matter what we do or don't do, we cannot lose our salvation.  Well, even though Jesus called Judas Iscariot to be a disciple, obviously, Judas rejected the Lord and His calling.  Judas is called the "son of destruction" (some versions use "perdition"), which means a physical, spiritual or eternal ruin or loss; with pernicious ways that lead to a perishing waste, death and damnation, which consists of eternal misery in hell.

(John 17:12)  While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Being omniscient, Jesus always knew all of this, and still allowed it to happen, because In His love, He has given everyone a free will.  As well, Jesus allowed it to happen, and used this action of evil intent, to bring about His will.  The Lord's plan was always to come to earth in flesh to accomplish His work on the cross, to die in our place, even for those who ultimately reject Him and His invitation to accept His free gift of salvation.  

Even though Judas Iscariot was a disciple, right there, working and living beside Jesus Christ Himself, he never realized the value of having a personal relationship with the Lord.  Judas was only ever going through the motions for those three years.  To us who know and love Jesus, this would seem so very strange, but throughout all the ages, there are those who see being a spiritual leader of some sort, as just some form of occupation.  In fact, some would see this as an "easy" occupation, especially if they have the power and position to take advantage of desperate people who are seeking answers for their lives.  Just tell them whatever they want to hear, and they will love you - the spiritual leader, that is.  

Psychologically, that is how it works.. Spiritually, this is NOT how it works.  Spiritual leaders of God's Church are to be actual believers, practicing what they preach, and humbly pointing others towards the Lord God!  We are sinners who deserve death and are destined to death, unless we humbly go to the Lord, repent of our sins and accept His free gift of forgiveness, eternal life and certain hope.

Never think that you are beyond saving!  Even Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus had not been beyond saving.  He just chose not to accept the Lord's calling and invitation.  Apostle Paul had also committed horrible acts of betrayal.  As a Pharisee, first known as Saul, he was on the war path to destroy God's Church, and have as many Christians killed as possible.  But, when Jesus met him on the road, and called him and invited him to receive His salvation, he accepted.  Paul was the one to replace Judas as the twelfth disciple (Apostle)!

Only Jesus can save us, because He with His own life - paid the ransom for our lives.  And in His grace, we cannot lose our salvation, even if we committed suicide.  But understand, He cares for us immensely, and wants the best for us.  God has a plan and a purpose for us and our life.  He desires to use us in mighty ways, in His will.  So when and as we work and live alongside Him, in His strength and wisdom, we will experience His certain hope, joy and peace.

relationships (Matthew 26:69-75) Staying Near

(Matthew 26:69-75)

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a slave woman came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another slave woman saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “You really are one of them as well, since even the way you talk gives you away.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the Man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the statement that Jesus had made: “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Peter's bitter weeping was more than just about denying the Lord three times, lying and making false oaths.  Remember, he had promised Jesus that he would NEVER deny Him, even if it meant that he had to die with Jesus!   And probably because he thought he might be able to do something to help Jesus, he followed after.  

One problem with striking out on our own, in our own thinking and strength, is that as believers we will still stick out as being different.  This is when the temptation will arise to "blend in more", which will lead towards compromising the very things we should be holding dear.  And with this, we will see the biblical truth play out...

(Proverbs 16:18)  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.

That is the problem.  So what is the solution?  How do we prevent this from happening?  I mean, quite simply, never promise that we will never disobey God.  And never promise that we will never hurt a loved one.  We will.  The closer we are to someone, the more likely we will hurt them in some way.  But we can certainly minimalize the collateral damages, and that involves far more than just saying, "I will TRY to obey God", and "I will TRY to never hurt a loved one."

Let's keep in mind that there is a spiritual battle that wages war in our world, as well as in our flesh.  So we need to always bring out "the big guns":

• stay close to the Lord, and always continue drawing closer and closer to Him in our personal relationship
• in this case, even though Peter had followed after Jesus to stay near Him physically, we have to know that our walk with the Lord is spiritual.  
• it is not about do's and don'ts or physically appearances, but about the condition of our heart and our relationship with Jesus
• study and know God's word
• just like Peter, hearing the truths of the Lord is not enough
• it is about us allowing the Lord and His word to change us from the inside out, so that we are able to apply His truths appropriately
• talk to the Lord constantly, for everything, asking Him for His wisdom, strength and guidance
• remember, even though Jesus had been telling the disciples that He would be crucified soon, Peter had neglected to ask the Lord what they should do when all of that would happen
• instead of telling the Lord what we will do for Him and asking Him to bless our efforts, we should be asking Him what He wants us to do, and in this we know that He will equip, help and bless us
• be in the world, not of the world
• Peter went to hang out with the unbelievers, most likely, truly thinking that he had everything under control.  Remember, leading up to this, instead of being in prayer with Jesus, he went to sleep
• anytime and especially when we go out into the world, we can be and should be asking the Lord for His help and guidance, to know which locations and which people to avoid, and to know where we should be and to whom we should be speaking to
• then, wherever we find ourselves, we can should be asking the Lord for His help and guidance, so that we can remain steadfastly Christ-like, ready to share the gospel as He gives us opportunities

relationships (Matthew 26:59-68) Love and Grace Exemplified

(Matthew 26:59-68)

59 Now the chief priests and the entire Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You offer no answer for what these men are testifying against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I place You under oath by the living God, to tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

67 Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Who actually deserves death here?!!!  Sin is so contrary, to the point that it will make people unreasonable and illogical.  If they want someone dead, their hatred will look for clever enough lies to try to convince themselves and others that their desires and actions are justified.  So, when Jesus is asked why He doesn't offer any answers to all the false allegations brought against Him, He simply remains silent.  When they ask Him a real question, He answers them.  But of course, they only see what they want to see.

What we see - is a stark juxtaposition of love and hate.  The earthly powers-that-be hate the sovereign heavenly power of love that is before them.  Why?  Unless inherently, they actually realize that Jesus' answer is true.  They will face the Lord who sits on His heavenly throne - who is ultimately Judge of all.  And here on earth, at some point when Jesus returns, He will remove evil and unbelievers from the earth, no longer to rule over others.

For unbelievers, it is all about maintaining their power, wealth and control, with intentions and attempts to remove all obstacles or even the possible threats that might stand in their way.  And that would even include those whose ideas conflict with theirs.  The more selfish those with power, wealth and control become, the more likely they will go to radical, evil lengths to remove those with opposing views.

Meanwhile, the Lord, and those who believe in the Lord and His way, is all about love.  Because the Lord God is love, and has created everyone with a free will, He will never force anyone to love Him back, and He will never force anyone to obey Him, even those who have chosen to love and believe in Him.

In the same way as Jesus exemplifies in these verses, we ought to love others.  I'm pretty sure that we've all experienced something like this where a group of peers are bringing forward ridiculous accusations based on lies and misunderstandings.  It's not easy to love, forgive and be gracious and patient, but for one's own spiritual peace and well-being, it is necessary.  Also necessary, is to be asking God to help us in all of this, and help us sort these situations out.  

Besides experiencing this Himself to the utmost degree -  the Lord is sovereign!  This knowledge has brought me a lot of comfort and courage!  And in a personal relationship with Him, we must thank Him for this!  We should want to thank Him for this, over and over and over again!  Remember, the Lord Jesus went through all of this for our sake, because He loves us!

relationships (Matthew 26:57-59) Who is Leading Whom?

(Matthew 26:57-59)

57 Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58 But Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and he came inside and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

I was about to gloss over these two verses, but a few things struck me.  Notice that the guards and officials were leading Jesus towards their corrupt leaders.  If anyone of them KNEW the Lord Jesus Christ personally, they would have been sickened by their actions.  They were actually, literally arresting the Holy One Who is Truth and Love - the Righteous Judge - the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present, Almighty God!!!  I keep imagining someone leading a hungry lion along by a leash made of a single strand of hair, thinking that they have complete control of the entire situation.  Unbelievers have no idea ! ! !

Okay, but now, we also see Peter, who DOES know the Lord Jesus.  While all the other disciples have fled, yes, he was brave to follow after.  But was it really the right thing to do?  In all the times that Jesus had told the disciples that this was going to happen, WHY did they not ask Him, "So when this does occur, what do You want us to do?"  Maybe at the mention of death, and especially a gruesome one at that, the disciples went into denial, or did that thing when one plugs their ears and sings out, "La-la-la-la-la..."  

Ignorance is bliss, until reality hits!  And then what?  Typically, in these cases, we are very unprepared, and then we start grasping at straws.  "Let's first try this."  "Oh, maybe this will work."  Seriously, why do we, as believers, so often think that it is up to us to figure out every detail?  Or - any detail at all - actually.  So instead of trying to think up something that God might be pleased with, and then asking Him to help me carry that out, I'm trying to remember to ask God, "What do YOU want me to do now?" and then ask Him to help me carry THAT out.

Here is the visual difference.  As believers, are we trying to lead God along with us, thinking that we have some control over the situations?  Or, since our faith is supposed to be all about putting the Lord first in our lives, are we allowing Him to take the lead?!

relationships (Matthew 26:31-56) Being There vs Betrayal

(Matthew 26:31-56)

31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 But Peter replied to Him, “Even if they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away!” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” All the disciples said the same thing as well.

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!”

47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign previously, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; arrest Him.” 49 And immediately Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.

51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a man inciting a revolt? Every day I used to sit within the temple grounds teaching, and you did not arrest Me. 56 But all this has taken place so that the Scriptures of the prophets will be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

When we love someone, the last thing we want to do is betray them, but then, how can we not see that it is a betrayal for simply not being there for someone in their hour of need?  "Oh, I would NEVER!!!" they all said.  Yet Jesus knew they would.  All of them.  They could not even stay awake for just a little while to pray, even after seeing their Teacher, their Friend, their Lord, grieving and distressed, asking that they remain present in spirit.  And still, Jesus kept warning them, not so much for His sake, but for theirs.  Jesus doesn't need our help, but He appreciates our willingness to help.  

Just because the Lord knows already that His children will still struggle with sin, doesn't mean that we should go ahead and sin.  Because our faith is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord, it all comes down to us having a willing heart, with sincere intentions, and being available.  That way, when we do sin, we will quickly recognize our mistakes, and ask the Lord to help us sort it all out appropriately, in His will.

Even in this stressful moment, as Jesus knew full well what was all about to happen, He healed the ear of the man who was there to arrest Him.  What Jesus was being led to, was what needed to happen.  If there had been any other way!  But there wasn't.  And the Lord Jesus was willing, because of His great love for all people!  Where there is sin, there is death.  And to give anyone eternal life, required a ransom payment... Jesus' death in exchange for ours.  Even though we are not worthy.  Even though many will still reject Him.  Even though the ones who choose to love Him back, will periodically betray Him, stray away, and disobey Him.

How dysfunctional we are!  How undeserving we are!  Therefore, how blessed are we to be able to accept such a merciful, gracious and precious gift!