Beholding Jesus

The disciples and Jesus are enjoying a peaceful evening after eating together.  They are a band of brothers strolling along.  Intermittent outbursts of laughter can be heard. Suddenly the mood has changed.  Jesus stops walking and asks the disciples to stay where they are, near the entrance of the garden of Gethsemane.  Well only some of the disciples have to stay behind.  Peter, James and John follow Jesus. 

            As the four of them continue in the garden Jesus becomes greatly troubled. Without question Jesus never did anything unless God told Him first. So perhaps as they walked Jesus was receiving a download of His next hours from the Holy Spirit. Jesus can’t take the sorrow and decides He must leave the three disciples behind and continue walking alone. He tells them to stay behind, but to keep watch.  “Watch what?” “What for Jesus’ betrayer He spoke of?” “Watch for the other disciples?” “Watch for soldiers?” “Watch Jesus pray?”  Maybe Jesus wanted them to watch all of these things.  Whatever the reason was the disciples were told to watch, but they failed miserably. Jesus left them and as He walked further He fell to the ground as He was overcome with great grief.  Jesus begins pleading with and begging God to take the need for Him to die a sinners death away from Him.  “God, isn’t there any other way?” “God, can you please come up with a less painful plan to save those we made in our image?” But Jesus’ battle with His Father was futile and He submitted to His Father’s will.

            Sometimes I wrestle with whether I should be pleading with God about situations.  I can see here though that Jesus cried out to God asking for a different outcome and God isn’t angry, but He is delighted in His Son.  Delighted that His Son would even come to Him with His concerns.  Just one glimpse of our hearts and God is ravished by us. Jesus ultimately gives up His will for the will of the Father.  As long as I too submit to God’s authority, He really doesn’t mind that I come before Him asking questions and pleading for different outcomes.

            It would seem that Jesus is done pleading with God because He rises and goes to the three disciples He left back a bit.  As He approaches He can see that they are slumped over sleeping!  The disciples may have thought from prior experiences of Jesus going off to pray that they had many hours and so what would the harm be in taking a nap.  They were mistaken.  Jesus startles them out of their slumber when He speaks and asks them again to watch and pray.  Jesus tells them that they must watch and pray because if they aren’t doing those things they will be tempted and fall away.  Jesus knew that their desire was to watch and pray because He knew the Spirit within them, but He also knew the weaknesses of the flesh.  Therefore Jesus warned them to be aware of the flesh rising up higher than the Spirit.

            It had seemed that Jesus was done praying, but He went back alone not just one more time, but twice, perhaps He had to try just a few more times to change the plan of His Father.  The third time Jesus returns to the three disciples He had quite enough of their lack of focus.  Jesus was human and so not only was He frustrated with His disciples weakness, but He had just received knowledge that His time had come and that His betrayer was soon approaching.

            The soldiers showed up with torches to light their path and weapons in case their was any trouble.  When they approached the disciples, they told them they were seeking Jesus.  Jesus answered immediately, “I am He.”  Sounds like a simple statement, right?  But oh the power in that simple declaration!  So much power that the soldiers drew back and fell to the ground! The very power of His declaration of who He was manifested right after one of Jesus’ weakest moments.  We can never under estimate the power of Jesus’ name.  We truly have all authority in His name. 

            It seems when the soldiers fell to the ground they forgot that Jesus already told them that He was the one they were looking for because they asked Him again.  Perhaps they were a bit rattled by the power behind Jesus’ words.  This time when Jesus answers He tells them to let the disciples go.  I’ve always thought Peter was protecting Jesus (and it’s possible He really was), but when Peter grabbed His sword and cut the ear of the high priests servant off, I wonder if it was out of fear that he too would be arrested.  Either way, Jesus tells Peter that it is alright and that Jesus is ready to do what He was brought to the earth to do.

            The soldiers took Jesus into custody bringing Him to Annas, Caiaphas’ father-in-law.  The disciples were left standing there in the garden not sure what to do.  They knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong, but were they sure? Jesus went willingly.  Was there something they didn’t know about?  How could that be though?  The disciples were with Jesus all the time.  All they knew for sure was that their leader was gone.  Their walk back to town was much different than the one going to the garden.  No laughter in the air, just silence.

            When Annas asked Jesus a question He responded with a question.  Jesus’ “ministry style” was often in this way.  Even in my life, Jesus always seem to make me think about the question I am asking by answering with a question that will make us think and come to the conclusion He was hoping for.  I know that I am seldom appreciative of the question response and I just like the officer tend to slap Jesus in the face with accusations that He doesn’t care about the details of my life, when in essence He is drawing me to a conclusion I can trust because I had something to do with it. 

            Jesus still has said nothing wrong and so He was sent off to Caiaphas and then on to Pilate.  Pilate was unhappy with Jesus’ answers and so he asked Him plainly, “What have you done?”  Jesus’ answer comes in peace, gentleness and humility. He tells them that He has done nothing wrong as His kingdom that He rules over is not of this world.  He isn’t trying to take their earthly kingdom from them.  Pilate didn’t understand, but he knew that Jesus had not done anything wrong.

            Pilate not sure what to do with the indignant people outside knew he had to please them somehow even though he had no desire to convict this Man.  They Jesus beat him and twisted sharp long thorns together and set it on Jesus’ head.  As they pushed it down upon His head, the thorns pierced His skin, His skull.  Blood gushing from His head as Jesus screams out in unimaginable pain.  Then in a mocking manner they put a purple robe of royalty on Him and mockingly shouted to Him, “Hail, the King of the Jews!” One after the other passed by slapping the face of the very one who’s face they will one day behold as King, bowing down and worship before Him.  They brought Jesus out to the crowds and all of their hate and anger towards this one person because they felt threatened by Him rose within them and they screamed, “Crucify Him!”

            Jesus didn’t fight because He knew this must be done that people from every nation, tongue and tribe may be saved from eternal damnation. Jesus could have easily called multitudes of angels to kill the people, soldiers and save Himself at any moment.  But Jesus willfully stood before the people, innocent and yet condemned.  In reading these passages I realize all of the opportunities Jesus had to state His case and that makes it even more amazing to me that Jesus stood His ground selflessly for humanities sake.  Each time Jesus was asked a question Satan must have been waiting with great anticipation for Him to mess up just once and destroy the chance for humanity to be freed from the grip of death. Jesus never wavered resulting in His saints having everlasting life reigning and ruling with Him.

            Jesus withstood beatings, scourging, nails in His hands and feet, cattails striping His back and more.  He did that all for me.  He endured that so I can come into the fullness of who God originally created me to be.  Now I live glory to glory as I come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.