8 Days until Easter

8 Days until Easter

The last hours of His life on earth highlight the enormous goodness of His character.  Jesus was perfect and good.  He was the Son of God, who came down to earth in human flesh, with all the pain and temptation that a human takes on.  Yet through the pain and temptation, He remained spotless, pure in mind, body and spirit; without a blemish from sin.

Jesus knew that the tide of His blood would pour out and His anguish would be all but insufferable.  It took both physical and spiritual endurance to outlast the cruelty that preceded the sacrifice.  His will to serve His Father and His utmost love for us, far exceeded His desire to avoid the anguish set before Him.

Praying in the garden, His soul being swallowed up in agony, He wanted His friends, but they failed Him.  They thought they had what it would take to stick by His side.  But, no.  They fell asleep when He asked for their presence.  When trouble came, they ran.  When pressure became heavy, they denied Him.  When He turned to the 12 who had pledged their commitment and protection, He was left standing alone.  How often does He want me present, to only find me asleep?  How often when the pressure gets thick and the burden gets heavy do I run? 

Of His twelve, it was Judas who bailed on his commitment in such a horrendous way.  Judas was a close friend of Jesus, yet the night before Christ was to die for our sins, he betrayed Him with a kiss, letting the soldiers know which one of the men in the garden was Jesus.  A kiss.  A way to welcome someone in the most intimate sense.  An action that expresses love.  Good gracious, WHY?!  Because Judas allowed sin and Satan in his life.  Judas challenges us to remain faithful in our walk with Christ, to stay committed to our relationship with our Savior.  Sin can so easily knock us off course and fog our judgement. This man whom Jesus loved unconditionally, whose feet had been washed just hours before, betrayed Jesus in exchange for money and led the group to arrest Him.

But Jesus takes this opportunity to show love.  Goodness.  Real goodness.  How does Jesus respond to Judas’s poison-laced kiss?  

“Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The One I will kiss is the man; seize Him.”  And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!”  And he kissed Him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.”  Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.” -Matthew 26:48-50

Rat!  Snake!  Scum!  Low life!  Monster!  Traitor!  Those are just the first few terms that pop up in my head when I think of how I would have addressed Judas in the garden.  Notice that Matthew referred to him as “the betrayer”.  I’m not going to lie, when I read that verse, I said, “I’m with you Matthew!!  He’s not even worthy to be called by name”.  But do you know how good Jesus is?  He’s so incredibly good, so overwhelmingly merciful, so full of love that He calls His betrayer, “Friend”.  Oh my word.  “Friend”.  The wicked soul who poured out venom with a kiss was still loved by Jesus.

And His goodness just continued throughout the night.  As Jesus was being seized, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the men.  And how does Jesus respond?

“And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back into its place.  For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” -Matthew 26:51-53

“But Jesus said, “No more of this!”  And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.”  -Luke 22:51

Christ was led down from the garden where he had prayed to be tried by the high priest, along with the scribes and elders, but not before He would take an opportunity to teach a lesson and show love and compassion and forgiveness and mercy.  It baffles me.  He’s being betrayed by one and abandoned by the rest of His twelve disciples.  He’s being seized to be led to His death.  He’s being falsely accused.  And how does He respond?  Calmly.  Patiently.  Humbly.  Everything and everyone is crashing around Him and He takes the time to remind Peter what is right.  He takes the time to heal the one who is seizing Him.  He takes the time to shine His light in the darkness.

Peter had fled at the scene, but had followed Jesus at a distance.  This part of the story tugs on my heart.  Peter had spent the night with his dearest Friend, the One he knew was the Messiah.  Peter's feet were probably still fresh from being cleansed by the Man he followed at a distance.  As he watched Jesus go inside to face the council, he stayed out in the courtyard.  While Peter was comforted by the warmth of the fire that was burning, did he look down at his feet and feel faint when he thought about the muck that was once there, but had been washed clean by the Man being falsely persecuted a few feet away?  Peter's purpose for following Jesus to the courtyard wasn't to betray Him.  I'm sure that he had hoped he could help.  But when it came down to it, he did not have the courage to stand for his Lord.  When Peter was asked if he was with Jesus, he denied even knowing Him. Have I done this?  Have I followed Christ at a distance, so that I'm comfortable and not too close to the persecution?  Have I denied Him with my actions, when Christianity isn't popular in the situation?  I have.  I cannot expect to have the courage to stand for Christ if I follow Him at a distance.  He has washed the muck from my heart so that I can remain right there with Him.

Now back to the goodness that was on display by Jesus in those last hours.  While Peter was by the fire, Jesus was being tried by the high priest, chief priests and council--and they were out for blood.  The religious leaders stood proudly in their fancy garb, perfectly kempt and puffed with self-righteous attitudes.  Jesus stood there with His hair matted from sweat and tears, His robe drenched in blood and slumped in humility. At first, they tried to find a false testimony in Him, but they couldn't find anything.  Nope, because He had not done anything wrong.  The only thing they had against  Him was the testimony of false witnesses.  As these people spoke against Jesus, He remained silent. He didn’t take the opportunity to put them in their place.  He didn’t defend Himself against their treacherous accusations.  He stood there peacefully and quietly. Finally, the high priest asked Him if He was Christ the Son of God.  That was the question that gained a response.  Jesus responded, "You say that I am (Luke 22:70)".  From His lips He proclaimed Who He was.  And so it began, the brutality of the suffering He would begin to endure to pay the ransom for our sins.  For my sins.  For your sins.

With His proclamation, they condemned Him as deserving of death.  The room closed in on Him as the crowd blindfolded Him and began to spit on Him and beat Him.

In all of His enormous goodness, He spent the night before His death in a tragic and violent scene of false accusations and beatings.

Lord, I know you endured this for me.  Help me to never quiver in my profession of You.  Admitting Who you were, brought on Your sentence.  I pray that I will always be a profession of You in everything I do.  No matter the circumstance or consequence, keep me strong in You so that my every action and every word screams of my Savior, who died to save the world.