Stages of the Cross: Week 2 - Tuesday

Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures." At that point, all the disciples deserted Him and fled. Matthew 26:55-56

Just as Jesus finished praying to God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, He got up and prepared to be arrested. He said to His disciples in Matthew 26:46, "Up, let's get going. Look, My betrayer is here." He knew that His disciple, Judas, was coming with leading religious rulers to arrest Him. From there, He would eventually be killed on a cross. Yet He willingly went, fully obedient to God because He knew that was what He was being called to do.

Shortly after He told His disciples that His betrayal and arrest were imminent in Matthew 26, Judas and a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs arrived. These men had been sent by a number of religious leaders. Because the men wouldn't be able to recognize Jesus, Judas told them that he would greet Jesus with a kiss so that they would know who to arrest. As planned, the moment came, and Judas walked up to Jesus, greeted Him, and gave Him a kiss. Jesus could have rebuked Judas and kept this plan to hand Jesus over to be arrested from working, but instead, He said to him in verse 60, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for." He called Judas "friend." What kindness, humility, and submission to God's will Jesus demonstrated by His interaction with Judas in these verses.

After this interaction with Jesus, the men who had come with Judas grabbed Jesus and arrested Him. As this happened, Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of one of the men who had come with Judas. Jesus made it clear that fighting and violence was not the right answer. He healed the man's ear and told His disciples that He had power to be rescued from the situation. Verse 53 explains that Jesus could have called on thousands of angels to be sent to protect Him instantly, but everything that was happening was happing just as Scripture had said it would happen. He questioned the crowd, saying, "Why are you arresting me with swords and clubs? Why didn't you come to the Temple to arrest me? I taught there every day" (verse 55). Then, after saying these words, every single one of the disciples left Him and fled. Don't miss this, friends. Jesus' best friends completely deserted Him. Can you imagine the loneliness and grief Jesus must have felt in that moment, arrested, knowing that death was imminent, and completely abandoned by His friends? He said it Himself that He could have stopped this situation from happening at any time. Yet, He willingly allowed all of these things to happen, even though they meant suffering at His expense, so that we could one day have restored relationships with Him.

Jesus willingly gave Himself freely so that we could find hope and peace. Like the disciples, some of us have deserted and run away from Him. If you find yourself in that place today, it is time to come home.

Moving Toward Action

Take a few moments and go on a walk, meditating on everything Jesus went through on the night of His arrest so that you could one day have a restored relationship with God. As you are walking, talk with God. Thank Him for the sacrifice Jesus made, knowing full well the pain and grief He would face as He rescued humanity from their sins. My friend, He loves you so very, very much.

Going Deeper

Read Matthew 26:47-56 (NLT)