TEACHINGS of JESUS
from: the Gospel of Matthew
(originally written 1998 )
Offense of the Cross: denial & scattered (Mat 26:31-35)
Then Jesus said to them, You all will be offended in Me during this night. For it has been written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. (vs31)
This is a rather interesting expression Jesus proclaims. Remember a couple of lessons ago we considered the fact that Jesus' crucifixion involved joint culpability between God's "elect" (Israel) and the "world" (Rome); they were -both- 'guilty'.
Now, Jesus is saying that His own disciples will be "offended" because of Him. What does this mean? Does this mean that Jesus is going to "hurt their feelings"? No. There is an "offense" to the cross. (Gal5:11) What does the cross represent? It is a place of sin. It is a place where all the sin/s of every human being were laid upon Jesus. Every person who comes to God in repentance, receives God's grace because of that one act of Christ on the cross. When Paul proclaimed that God desires "all men everywhere to repent" (Acts17:30), if it were the case that "all men" actually -did- repent, Jesus' redemption on the cross would cover them -all-. Forget the heretical notion of "limited atonement" as taught by some of the 'great men'!! It says, "Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of -ALL- of us". (Is53:6) But to accomplish this "full atonement", the cross is also a place of judgment. God judging sin, in the person of His own Son, "who Himself bore in His body our sins, on the tree.." (1Pt2:24)
The word "offended" carries many shades of meaning; most appropriate in this case being... "stumble, fall, entice to sin, cause to fall away, begin to distrust and desert one he ought to trust and obey." Think about it a moment, if it is truly the case that we -all- have gone a-wandering from God (Ps14:3), then, Jesus could not have His disciples being "buddies" with Him as He is crucified; or even being crucified along with Him. Jesus was not a 'cult' leader. His followers were not yet qualified to partake in His sufferings (Col1:24) because they were not yet "in Christ" through His death, since He had not yet died. His place as "firstfruit" (1Cor15:20,23) was not yet fulfilled. In His death it was prophesied, "Behold, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow." (Lam1:12) The thing that would 'satisfy' Jehovah regarding sin would be the "travail of His soul" (Is53:11-12) When we read Psalm 22, we read of His travails "alone".
If His disciples had -not- been offended and abandoned Him, it would have indicated some measure of 'perfectness' to them; somehow not fully needing saving. But He had come to die for -them-, too. As He died, they needed to be "sinners". Their faith in Him would be shaken. "..we were hoping that He is the One going to redeem Israel.." (Lk24:21) And Peter says, "I am going out to fish" (Jn21:3) and the rest, "we're coming with you." Where Jesus had called them away from that to "fish for men", their faith has wavered, and they are about to take up their former lives as fishermen.
Notice about Peter, that while Peter was the one who confidently affirmed, "You are the Christ" (Mt16:16), Jesus in foretelling Peter's denial as He is saying that the disciples will "begin to distrust" in Him, "I entreated concerning you that your faith might not fail.." (Lk22:32) Peter might utter words of denial, and his faith will begin to falter, but he will not completely fall. And so Jesus exhorts him, "And when you have turned back, confirm your brothers".
Also notice, even though John was the only one who didn't abandon Jesus, but followed along into the judgment hall, he did not yet believe. That did not come until after the resurrection when he and Peter ran to the empty tomb, and when John saw the burial clothes lying as they were, it says of John, "..he saw and believed." (Jn20:8 )
I cannot even begin to fathom what must have been the thoughts of the hearts and minds of these disciples through these next few days. We are only given glimpses into what it might have been like. We often like to judge Peter for his brash boasts of self-confidence that he would never deny the Lord; and maybe we would think he had it coming when the Lord would promise that he would deny before the rooster crowed the next morning; and shake our heads and sigh with a "Yup, yup, yup!" as he goes off to weep bitterly after he has denied the Lord. But notice that "all the disciples said the same" (vs35), and when Jesus is taken in the garden, they "all" fled, too, "forsaking Him". (vs56)
But notice that Jesus does not 'judge' them for this. He knows it will happen, and is simply stating the facts. He hadn't come that time to judge, but to save. (Jn12:47) Again, when it is past, they will know that He predicted it, and that it happened just as He said it would. He is I AM. For Peter He prays that his faith does not fail. And generically, He states that when it is all said and done, and He is resurrected (another thing they haven't a clue about), "I will go before you into Galilee." (vs32)
"..knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep;
for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Let us
walk decently, as in the day...putting on the Lord Jesus Christ..
...redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Romans 13:11-14~ Ephesians 5:16
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