Day 28: Matthew 26
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS (26:1-54)
Matthew 26 and 27 are heavy passages. As we read these, we should read them slowly and carefully, trying to grasp the weight of what Jesus went through. Here, Jesus is preparing for the last supper. This would be the last time he spent with the disciples before the crucifixion. I have no doubt that the events to come would have been weighing heavily on his mind. He would be saying goodbye to the people he had walked with, and was about to willingly be tortured and killed.
Even at this stage, the disciples are still struggling to quite get it. As Jesus is anointed with oil before his burial, the disciples are still questioning things. These are still not perfect guys, with questions and uncertainties, even as we come to the end of Jesus' ministry. Not only are they still struggling to understand things, Jesus sits at the meal knowing that it is one of those present who will betray him, and possibly the closest one to him will deny him as he's giving his life.
It's not recorded here in Matthew, but John records that Jesus begins the meal by washing the disciples' feet. Here is Jesus, with the prospect of abandonment and death hanging over him, and he gets down and washes the disciples' feet. He takes the lowest job, getting in amongst all the dirt and filth that's been accumulated. For me, this is so significant as Jesus is actively taking charge of cleansing the disciples. He knows what needs to be done, and isn't afraid to be humbled, dealing with the stench and the dirt. As he does this knowing that many in the room will soon scatter and abandon him, he cleanses the unworthy. This is a crucial picture to have in mind at the start of the last supper. As Jesus tells the disciples to remember his body and his blood, we remember what Jesus went through to cleanse us all. We remember the pain he was to suffer. We remember the injustice he went through. We remember that we are unworthy, and we are reminded of how outrageous God's love is.
As we then move into Gethsemane, we see that Jesus' death is more than just an inevitable part of what he had to do. When I was younger I figured Jesus knew he had to die, that was the deal and he just accepted it. I think it's easy to lose sight of how horrible it must be to know that you are about to be abused, abandoned, beaten, and killed. I can't imagine how awful that must be even if you deserve it, but to go through that when you are blameless must be awful. To go through it at the hands of the very people you have come to show love to must be close to overwhelming.
We see that in Gethsemane. We see the potential of the cross weighing heavily on Jesus. We see him 'overwhelmed with sorrow', asking for disciples to stay and pray with him. He wants the people who mean most to him to be with him in this darkest of times. As Jesus prays, we get a sense of the intensity of the situation. Jesus is torn. He clearly doesn't want to go through what he is facing, he knows the scale of what is about to happen. As he wrestles with the pain which is to come, Jesus comes to the place where he asks God if there is any way it can be removed. I'm sure Jesus knows that there isn't, but this shows us how intense the feelings are.
As Jesus is wrestling with this, the people he trusts most are asleep. As Jesus goes through the intense sorrow, he must be feeling let down by those who are closest to him. This is similar to other times in his ministry, where people walk away from him, where people are healed and seemingly just disappear. Jesus must have felt disappointment so often as he dealt with people. However, as always, Jesus' love for people and his focus on what he must do are more important than the disappointment. Jesus goes back, and determines that he is ready to face what it is to come.
Take some time out today, just to appreciate Jesus. As we look at this, we know it's not a mindless, easy thing he did. It was a painful, conscious choice. He knew the cost, and was willing to go through with it for the sake of a flawed people. He is that great, and deserves our worship.
No comments:
Post a Comment