“[Jesus Again Predicts His Death] Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matthew 20:17-19 (NIV)
I imagine the disciples were listening.
Thinking that they would be a part of something big. To be observers of a significant moment, but not really realizing that this JESUS…
who they have been walking with, talking with, sharing a friendship with, sleeping alongside and sharing meals with…. would be the SON of Man.
They thought they would just go see something deeply moving to the soul.
A significant moment in time that they would be witnesses to.
Can you imagine for a minute…Jesus?
Knowing the cross and it’s terrible torture it holds for the accused.
It was something HE knew. HE KNEW. He knew.
I know a lady right now who is on hospice dying. She knows in her heart she is going to a better place.
Yet she doesn’t fully know the suffering that is ahead.
No one does till we are there in the reality of the moment.
Was it like that for Him? For Jesus.
He knew the task was ahead. That it was going to be hard and painful.
Yet he also knew it had to be done. He knew HE would win. He knew the final outcome.
He wasn’t always willing.
IN the garden he prayed….FATHER is there a different way?…
FATHER are you listening? Can you take it from me?
Silence answered HIS prayer. silence….. answered his prayer.
silence… answered his prayer.
Have you ever been in a a deeply silent moment?
Remember how empty it feels?
Today it rained.
It rained hard and it was cold.
The wind blowing in many directions.
I could see the ladies weeping at the foot of the cross.
Crying as tears mingled with rain falling down faces so filled with sorrow.
Weeping for a loved one.
Clinging to an old rugged cross with drops of
HIS blood dripping down. dripping down….dripping down….
In rain. In sorrow. IN DEEP DESPAIR. dripping down… mingled in rain…
Jesus… now bruised and battered.
Jesus SO loved and so hated in one afternoon.
The agony of death. The agony of ‘the FATHER rejecting the Son.’
The FATHER rejecting the SON. rejecting His SON….. rejecting… turning his back… from the son…who was so close to Him.
Father… why are you rejecting me…?
Daddy…… I need you……bring me comfort…
why are you rejecting me??
Haven’t we all felt rejection some time in our lives?
Father… I ask you to forgive them…
Do we have unforgiveness that needs to be dealt with?
Father Forgive them………Forgive them…..
For they know not what they are doing….
it is a pleading of the heart that is full of agony and pain and love and agony again.
JESUS. Our hope.
Jesus… our peace.
Jesus… our redeemer.
Can you imagine for a minute what it would have been like to have walked with him.
Talked with HIM. Eat with him. Laugh with him and experience the miracles that HE did.
When He prayed… he made demons flee.
When HE prayed it would bring chills down ones back.
Can you imagine the intimacy of prayer for HE knew the Father.
I wish I was one of them. For I know I would kneel at his feet.
I would WASH his feet as the lady did.
I would never leave.
I would weep at HIS DEATH. Just as they did.
I would grieve DEEPLY.
But I would also know… the ending to the story.
Although HE was beaten beyond his capacity.
HE was not defeated.
Sunday is coming.
