Betrayed, falsely accused, and brutally beaten—if that weren’t enough, Jesus was also denied by those closest to Him. Gripped by fear the disciples abandoned Jesus once He was taken captive and led to the judgement halls.
Matthew 26:31-35
Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
Most of us have never felt the threat of death. But just as Jesus had foretold, when faced with the possibility, the disciples disappeared—that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Jesus was sinless (without sin). Mocked and shamed, He bored the penalty of our wrong doings past, present and future. Injustice to the extreme, He endured the pain of mankind's punishment. As a lamb led to slaughter, He opened not His mouth. And the men he loved, lived with and taught—fled.
As much as I'd like to blame them, I can't. Truth is, I would've done the same thing. They didn’t know and couldn’t comprehend. The manner in which all of these events transpired was in accordance to God’s plan. Thanks to Jesus' obedience and willingness to die a sinner's death on earth, each of us has the right to live eternally with God in heaven.
In hindsight, now we can see and understand just how far-reaching God’s love really is. Now that we know better, we must do better. Many of us complain about the most trivial inconveniences. As we remember the resurrection, let's be grateful for everything that Jesus Christ has done for us and be willing to sacrifice ourselves for the wellbeing of others.
Challenge:
- Remember the Resurrection of Christ
- Don't Deny the Savior
- Be willing to sacrifice your time, treasure and talent for others
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