FAITHFUL TILL THE END (Good Friday, 1989).
Text: Matthew 26:39-42
.
There is truly no spot more interesting---more intriguing to the Christian than the Garden of Gethsemane where Christ went to pray in His final hours before His crucifixion. This scripture is very educational in helping us to understand the internal struggle that Christ had within.
Have you ever heard the expression "It is easier said than done"? Of course you have at some time or another. We as Christians talk about having faith that we carry with us wherever we go. But, it is during the tough times when we have to walk on the faith that we have. It is easy to trust God when we do not feel threatened. But, it seems difficult to trust God when our physical, or emotional or spiritual well being is threatened because we are not the ones in control. And almost any major crisis that we face reminds us of that fact.
We usually have two choices in dealing with those tough times. We either contemplate the thoughts of taking action, or we take part in the action of relying on our faith in God. There is an old saying "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". But, is our "going" within the will of God? Or, is our "going" contrary to the will of God?
God‘s own Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior followed the will of His Father. In doing so, He was making it possible for us to be set free from the slavery and power of sin. Now this was not an easy thing to do by any means. In order for that mission of that act of atonement to be completed, Christ had to endure crucifixion on the cross as the payment for the sins of humanity from that time up to this present time. We cannot even begin to comprehend the intensity of His suffering as He paid the price for our sins on the cross. In His last hours, Christ struggled with God's will, His own flesh and acquiesced to God’s will.
CHRIST STRUGGLING WITH GOD'S WILL
Jesus began his ministry at the age of thirty (Luke 3:23) . All of the time that preceded the beginning of His ministry was spent in preparation. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness which made Him terribly hungry. At the end of that fort day period, Satan appeared in Jesus's presence and tried to persuade Him with three temptations. First, to satisfy His hunger by turning stones to bread. Secondly, Satan wanted Him to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of a temple, reminding Him that angels would not let any harm come to Him. And the third temptation was the biggest of all. Satan offered Him all the kingdoms of the world, if only He would fall down and worship him, and Jesus refused all three of these (Matthew 4:1-11). At first Jesus's ministry was easy because He was popular. But, as time went on, there was a strong and growing opposition to Him and His ministry.
Christ was born to die, which was His greatest purpose. He had foreknowledge of His fate in the prophesies that were being fulfilled throughout the course of His ministry. All along Jesus knew that the day was coming when He would die a sinner's death, even though He was without sin. Furthermore, Christ also reminded His disciples at the Last Supper of what His death would mean. In His own words breaking the bread, He said "This is my body given for you? do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19 NIV) . "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20 NIV).
JESUS'S STRUGGLE WITH HIS OWN FLESHED
Following the Last Supper, Christ faced His biggest struggle of all---the struggle with His own flesh. Christ was both fully human and fully divine. But, his humanity was in great tension with His divinity. three times Jesus prayed asking that this cup to be taken away (Matthew 26:39). But, Jesus also said, "nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). What Jesus was asking God to do was to let His will be achieved but by some other way. After His disciples failed to watch and pray with Him, Jesus said that His hour had come. By the word "hour" Jesus did not mean sixty minutes. What Jesus meant by "hour" which is hora in Greek, was that the definite point of time for His suffering had come (Vine's Expository Words On The New Testament, McLean: MacDonald Publishing Company, p. 575). Though Jesus wanted the cup of suffering to pass, it did not pass because there was no other way that God’s will could be fulfilled.
"As Albert Drecker left his box to close the drawbridge over the Passaic River for a train to cross, his little boy of ten came running after him, and fell into the river. A scream from the child reached the father' s ears, just as he was closing the bridge, and the train was i view passing along. To leave the bridge would involve the loss of many 1ives, to stand at the post would sacrifice the life of his boy. He stood at his post, the train passed over in safety, but when he turned to look for his child he had sunk. It was his only duty, but it was bravely done. He sacrificed his son to save the train and its passengers. It was the limit of human love. The love of God is greater. He gave His Son to die for His enemies" (John Ritchie. 500 Gospel Sermon Illustrations. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1987, p. 11).
JESUS’S ACQUIESCENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD
As Christ resolved to meet his fate which was death. However, His disciples were not about to let Him be handed over without conflict. In Matthew 26:52, the Bible tells us that one of the disciples drew a sword and cut off the right ear of Malchus who was one of the adversaries in the mob that came to arrest Jesus. John 18:10 tells us that disciple was Peter. Christ, in turn, simply told Jesus that that was not His way because "those who live by the sword will perish by it" (Matthew 26:52).
In Luke's Gospel, Luke 22:36-38, Jesus did not intend for his meaning of the metaphor of the sword to be taken literally. But, His disciples misunderstood Him: Jesus "... said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one" (Luke 22:36 NIV) . "The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That is enough," he replied" (Luke 22:38 NIV). By "enough" Jesus did not mean sufficient. By "enough" Jesus meant that they had missed His point.
When Peter used the sword, attacking Malchus, he behaved "foolishly" as Warren Wiersbe points out. Why is that? It is because of the fact that he was "using a physical weapon to fight a spiritual battle" (Warren Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989, 162). Wiersbe said "He used the wrong weapon, at the wrong time, for the wrong purpose, with the wrong motive. Had not Jesus healed Malchus, Peter would have been arrested as well; and there might have been four crosses on Calvary" (p. 162) .
Jesus’ disciples deserted him following His arrest. These were the same disciples who made remarks like Peter who said, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will" (NIV). Or Thomas who said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John 11:16 NIV). But, after Jesus's arrest, Thomas was nowhere to be found. And Peter followed but from "... a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest" (Matthew 26:58 NIV). And just as Jesus told him that he would, Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed (Matthew 26:75).
Jesus was faithful till the end. It was bad enough that Judas betrayed Him, while Peter, James and John fell asleep on Him while He had asked them to pray with Him. But, it was even worse when His disciples abandoned Him. And while He was on the cross He became sin for us though He was without sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness God (Second Corinthinas 5:21). And as He became sin for us, God turned His back on Jesus, because God could not bear to look at the sins of humanity (Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46). Before Jesus got arrested and carried away, He told His disciples that the swords were not necessary because He had twelve legions of angels at His request (Matthew 26:53). "A legion was a division of the Roman army amounting to more than six thousand men" (Albert Barnes. Barnes' Notes On The New Testament. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1962, p. 131). But, Jesus did not request them, because that was against His mission. He could have called for those angels, but He did not .He was faithful and obedient, even to the point of death on the cross (Philipians 2:8).
CONCLUSION
Every Christian will have to make a choice when it comes to bearing the cup. Either we will choose the cup or the sword (Wiersbe p. 98). Will we yield to God's will even if it means we will suffer for it? Our Lord did. And so have many who have followed His example. They may not get crucified, but they will suffer. The way of the sword is not the way of our Lord. Although Christians will suffer. God will never put on any Christian more than he/she can bear. Christ was faithful to His mission, even up to the end. Are we who call ourselves Christians faithful to the task that He has given us?
