DAY #47: February 16, 2009 - Matthew 26:26-46

As we continue in Matthew, we see Jesus and the disciples were eating. Jesus took the loaf of unleavened bread, asked God’s blessing on it, and broke it in pieces. Jesus took two traditional parts of the Passover meal, the passing of bread and the drinking of wine, and gave them new meaning as representations of his body and blood. He used the bread and wine to explain the significance of what he was about to do on the cross. Jesus told the disciples to take it and eat the bread for it was his body. Jesus portrayed the sacrifice he would make and the spiritual benefit that would be passed on to those who had a personal relationship with him. This was Jesus’ pledge of his personal presence with all his disciples whenever they would partake of this meal.

As with the bread, Jesus spoke words in figurative language. “This is my blood” means “this wine represents my blood.” Jesus’ blood, shed on behalf of the sins of many, began a covenant between God and people. In Old Testament times, God had agreed to forgive people’s sins if they would bring animals for the priests to sacrifice. When this sacrificial system was inaugurated, the agreement between God and human beings was sealed with the blood of animals (Exodus 24:8). But animal blood did not in itself remove sin, and animal sacrifices had to be repeated day by day and year after year.

Under this new covenant, Jesus would die in the place of sinners. Unlike the blood of animals, Jesus’ blood would truly remove the sins of all who would put their faith in him. And Jesus’ sacrifice would never have to be repeated; it would be good for all eternity (Hebrews 9:23-28). The old covenant was a shadow of the new, pointing forward to the day when Jesus himself would be the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Rather than an unblemished lamb slain on the altar, the perfect Lamb of God was slain on the cross, a sinless sacrifice to forgive sins once and for all. Jesus explained that his blood would be poured out, referring to a violent death. Those who accept Christ’s sacrifice and believe in him receive forgiveness. Now all people can come directly to God through faith because Jesus’ death has made us acceptable in God’s eyes (Romans 3:21-24). The Lord’s Supper commemorates Christ’s death on the cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sins, and it points to the coming of his Kingdom in glory. When we partake of it, we show our deep gratitude for Christ’s work on our behalf, and our faith is strengthened.

Jesus then predicted once again that the disciples would turn away from him. Jesus would go to the cross alone. Jesus himself explained that the disciples’ desertion would also occur just as it had been predicted in Scripture, specifically Zechariah 13:7. In Zechariah, God commanded that the Shepherd be struck down. As a result, the sheep would be scattered. Without a shepherd, the sheep would go through a period of great trial and be refined. The refining process would strengthen them and create a new, faithful people for God. The disciples would be staggered by what would happen to Jesus, but his death would ultimately produce their salvation and regather the sheep.

After predicting the disciples’ desertion, Jesus predicted their reunion after his resurrection. Jesus promised that he would go ahead of them to Galilee and meet them all there.
Although all the disciples protested Jesus’ words, Peter, always ready to speak up, declared that his allegiance to Jesus would prove to be much stronger than that of all the other disciples. He knew that Jesus had said to him, “Upon this rock I will build my church”, and may have assumed that he would be immune to such faithlessness.

Jesus’ words to Peter were solemn. Instead of being the only loyal disciple, Peter would in fact prove to be more disloyal than the other ten. Not only would he desert Jesus, but he would also deny him three times before the night was over, that is before the rooster crowed at dawn’s first light. Peter did not think it possible for him to actually deny any relationship with Jesus. Not only Peter, but all the disciples, declared that they would die before denying Jesus. A few hours later, however, they all would scatter.

After eating the meal, the disciples left Jerusalem and went out to a favorite meeting place. This gardenlike enclosure called Gethsemane, meaning “olive press,” was probably an orchard of olive trees with a press for extracting oil. The garden was in the Kidron Valley just outside the eastern wall of Jerusalem and just below the Mount of Olives. Jesus told eight of the disciples to sit down and wait, probably near the garden’s entrance, while he went farther in to pray. The disciples must have been physically and emotionally exhausted from trying to comprehend what would transpire. Instead of watching, they gave in to their exhaustion and fell asleep.

Jesus then took the other three disciples, Peter, James, and John, farther into the garden with him. To these closest friends, Jesus revealed that he was filled with anguish and deep distress over his approaching death because he would be forsaken by the Father, would have to bear the sins of the world, and would face a terrible execution. The divine course was set, but Jesus, in his human nature, still struggled (Hebrews 5:7-9). As the time of this event neared, it became even more horrifying. Jesus naturally recoiled from the prospect.

Jesus went still farther into the garden to be alone with God. He threw himself on the ground before God in deep spiritual anguish, praying that this cup of suffering might be taken away. In the Old Testament, “cup” stood for the trial of suffering and the wrath of God (Isaiah 51:17). So Jesus referred to the suffering that he must endure as the “cup” he would be required to drink. This was a bitter cup. The physical suffering would be horrible enough (Hebrews 5:7-9), but God’s Son also had to accept the cup of spiritual suffering—bearing our sin and being separated from God.

Yet Jesus humbly submitted to the Father’s will. He went ahead with the mission for which he had come. Jesus expressed his true feelings as a human being, but he was not denying or rebelling against God’s will. He reaffirmed his desire to do what God wanted by saying, “Yet I want your will, not mine.” God did not take away the “cup,” for the cup was his will. Jesus got up from his prayer to return to the three disciples. He had told them to stay and keep watch. But instead of showing support for Jesus by remaining awake with him and praying for strength in the coming hours, they had fallen asleep. 

Jesus told the disciples that this was the time to keep alert and pray, for very soon they would face difficult temptations. Jesus was not only asking that they pray for him, but also that they pray for themselves. Jesus knew that these men would need extra strength to face the temptation ahead—temptation to run away or to deny their relationship with him. The disciples were about to see Jesus die. Would they still think he was the Messiah? The disciples would soon face confusion, fear, loneliness, guilt, and the temptation to conclude that they had been deceived.

Jesus added, “Though the spirit is willing, the body is weak.” Their inner desires and intentions would be, as they had previously boasted, to never deny Jesus and to die with him. Yet their human inadequacies, with all their fears and failures, would make it difficult to carry out those good intentions.

Jesus left the three disciples and returned to his prayer time with the Father. After much time in prayer, Jesus was ready to face his time, which conveyed that all he had predicted about his death was about to happen (John 12:23-24).  Now he was prepared to face his betrayer and those who were coming to arrest him.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I have read this passage so many times, and my initial reaction is always the same. How could these guys fall asleep on Jesus in his time of need? How could they be such flakes? How could they be so undisciplined? So lazy? How could they have so little focus? 

Then I wonder, how many times is this me? How many times have I fallen asleep at the switch? Missed an opportunity to love someone for Christ? How many times have I missed the heart of Jesus? Failed to be there for Him? I don't want to sound like Peter Lord, but by Your grace and mercy, help be true to you all the way to the last day that I draw breath.

PRAYER

Lord, today, I pray that you will find me faithful. I pray that you will find me standing with you to the end. Lord, help us build a church where people get this. Build a church at COV where folks will be there to the end. Solid, mature, people of faith who are not tossed back and forth by life's circumstances. Folks who are solid, not fickle.