BIBLES * Bulldogs * & Beards

Matthew 26:47-56 - While He was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize Him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed Him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. 51 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. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled. From the beginning, Jesus knew Judas was the one who would give Him up. Still, Jesus taught him the ways of God; he modeled for him the way of humility. Judas heard Jesus’ call to love God and neighbor; he watched as Jesus had compassion on the sick, poor and hungry. How could Judas not see that this is indeed the Christ of God? Have you ever felt completely betrayed, has someone you trusted thrown you under the bus? Betrayal, rejection, abandonment hurt deeply. Do we have a Saviour that knows the pain that we suffer? Many had seen him teaching in the temple; they knew he was a man of peace, a teacher with authority. Such a man would be easy for temple guards to overpower and take into custody. So why the mob; why wait until the dead of night? “Jesus was conscious that God’s plan was being worked out and nobody, not Peter, not Judas, not the mob, nor anyone else was going to keep that plan from being fulfilled.” “Jesus is going to the cross because He has chosen to go to the cross.” Was the cross plan B? Matthew 26:56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled. When the moment of truth came, not even Peter was bold enough to stay with Jesus. Is it easy for us to overestimate our own faithfulness? “If the actions of the disciples in v56 teach us anything, they teach us not to trust in ourselves, but to wholly lean on Jesus.”