Sunday is Coming!

John 18:1-11:
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?"  They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go."  This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one."  Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"

One of the things that amazes me about Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion is the disciples' response to those events. Peter sliced the ear off the servant of the high priest. The disciples ran away. All except for Peter, who when confronted, quickly denied he ever knew Jesus. They were frightened, confused and completely disillusioned.

I'd like to say, I would have responded differently, but because I'm human, I most likely would have reacted in the same way.

The scripture makes it clear that Jesus was fully aware of what was about to happen. We know that's true because of the many other times he tried to teach his disciples truths about why he came.

The disciples loved Jesus. They had put all of their faith and their trust in Jesus. All of their hopes for the future were in Him.  What they thought that future might hold was very different from what Jesus had planned for them but nevertheless, all of their hopes were pinned on Him. They fully believed that He was God's Son, the promised Messiah, sent to deliver them.

The events of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion are pivotal in all of history. The entire Old Testament points to this time. God had put this plan in place from the very beginning.

Yet as the events of those days unfolded, the disciples saw with human eyes what was happening and they responded with typical human responses. They were terrified. They didn't understand. Everything was dark. They were discouraged. It seemed as if all that they had been hoping in had come to a crashing, devastating end. They felt alone and abandoned.

But, they were blind to reality. The reality that God was powerfully at work at that very moment,  executing the biggest plan that he had ever had for mankind. All they saw were the terrifying events as they unfolded around them. And all they could respond to was their limited understanding of what they saw.

Is this not just like us so much of the time? When things look the darkest and we feel like we're at the end of our rope and there's no hope? The truth is, that so often THAT is the time in our lives when God is most powerfully at work.

If you had the chance to go back in history to that time in the garden when Jesus was arrested, knowing what you know,  what would you say to those frightened, dismayed disciples? If you could have stood at the foot of the cross watching Jesus die an agonizing death, what would you say to Mary, his mother?

I would imagine your words to them could be summed up with, "Don't be afraid. God is at work this very second. Trust Him. Rest in Him. Wait and you will be amazed at what He's doing and what He's going to do. He's with you right now. He loves you. Let Him hold you."

In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see;

For t’was on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

To pardon and sanctify me.

(From “The Old Rugged Cross”, written by George Bennard)

In Bob Goff's words:
"Darkness fell. His friends scattered. Hope seemed lost. But heaven just started counting to three."

Today is Friday. Sunday is coming!