As the lord and master of his twelve apostles, Jesus was responsible for directing their behavior at the last day, the day when he was handed over to the chief priests, to suffer many things of them, and to be killed.
Jesus orchestrated the behavior of the twelve so that none of them would be lost.
Here is the general instruction Jesus gave the twelve for what they should do at the last day:
“If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
The first act of Jesus at the last day was to raise him up again who was lost—Judas Iscariot.
Jesus effected the salvation of Judas when he washed his feet. He cleansed him and thereby cast out the prince of this world. (John 12:31; John 13:1-15)
Next, Jesus announced whom he chose to deliver him by paraphrasing Psalms 41:9:
“I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture might be fulfilled, he who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.” (John 13:18)
Judas, of course, is the one who had lifted up his heel against him, so Jesus chose Judas to eat with him. (To eat with him is to cooperate with him.)
Note: Judas lifted up his heel against Jesus when he made a covenant to hand him over to the chief priests, after the devil put it into his heart. Therefore, Judas was a good choice for Jesus because Judas had already made arrangements to hand him over, and had been looking for an opportunity to do so, until Jesus washed his feet. Because so much work remained to be done within the next 24 hours, it was expedient for Jesus to take advantage of the work which the devil had already done.)
The foot washing had removed from Judas all desire to hand over Jesus.
Therefore, after the foot washing, Judas would have reneged gladly on his obligation under the covenant he made to hand over Jesus.
What is more, after Jesus signaled his choice of who should deliver him, that is, after Jesus gave Judas the sop, Satan entered into Judas for the second time.
Now, Judas was absolutely opposed to handing over Jesus.
Judas experienced the influence of Satan as part of himself, as had Simon Peter when Jesus first began to show them the things that should happen. Satan was opposed to those things of God which Jesus said should happen. (Matthew 16:21-23)
Therefore, as Jesus had instructed, if Judas was to come after him, he would have to deny himself—he would have to overcome the influence of Satan.
The covenant which Judas made to deliver Jesus, after the devil put it into his heart, now became the cross which he had to take up in order to follow Jesus.
Woe unto Judas, for he would see the evil work that was done under the sun. And indeed, he saw Jesus condemned.
Having orchestrated the behavior of Judas at the last day, it remained for Jesus to orchestrate the behavior of the eleven.
In order to understand what the eleven would have to do to deny themselves, we must know who they were.
The eleven were, as they said they were, men who would die with Jesus.
Moreover, they were men for whom it would have been an honor to die with Jesus.
Jesus knew this thing about them.
But Jesus did not want any of them to die with him, so he orchestrated their behavior to accomplish not what they wanted, but what he wanted—to fulfill the words which he spoke, “Of all of them which you gave me, I have lost none.”
Jesus knew the eleven would be offended by his orchestration for their behavior at the scene of his arrest. “All of you shall be offended because of me this night,” began Jesus.(Matthew 26:31)
Jesus required more of them than just to deny themselves. He required more of them than just to suppress their desire to die with him.
Jesus, you see, required that they scatter.
“For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad,” finished Jesus.
In other words, not only did Jesus require of them to forego the honor of dying with him, he also required of them to behave like cowards and flee.
Scattering became the cross which Jesus directed the eleven to take up in order to follow him.
Ten of them would be able to follow Jesus with the orchestration which he had thus far provided, but one of them would not: Simon Peter.
“Though all men shall be offended because of you, yet will I never be offended,” objected Peter to the face of Jesus.
Jesus knew that Peter would not be able to deny himself with just the orchestration which he had provided thus far.
Jesus knew he would have to give Peter another opportunity to follow him.
“Truly I say unto you, that this night, before the cock crow, you shall deny me three times,” declared Jesus to the face of Peter.
Peter, of course, objected again.
But Jesus had now prayed for Peter:
“Simon. Simon. Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith (in me) fail not.” (Luke 22:31,32)
Since Peter was not able to deny himself and take up the cross of scattering, Jesus directed Peter to take up the cross of denials.
The prayer of Jesus was effective, and Peter was able at last to deny himself, and to take up his cross of denials, and to follow Jesus.
Because the cross which Peter took up in order to follow Jesus consisted of denials of Jesus, a legend was born that Peter was crucified upside down.
And the words were fulfilled which Jesus spoke, “Of all of them which you gave me, I have lost none.” (John 18:9)
And the one that was lost, Jesus saved. (Matthew 18:11)
No comments:
Post a Comment