WHO IS IN CHARGE AROUND HERE?

 

March 27, 2024

WHO IS IN CHARGE AROUND HERE?

Matthew 26:1-5, 14-25



26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”


REFLECTION


Even as the reality of the cross grew closer, its shadow cast over the events we just read, when Jesus’ life was slipping away from him, he stayed remarkably in command of the situation around him. He predicted his arrest and crucifixion before the religious leaders had even met to conspire against him. He knew that Judas, one of his trusted disciples, would betray him. I always think about Judas in this setting and how disturbing and alarming it must have been for him, to know that Jesus could see right through him and knew his intentions.

Our Bible testifies to the plots and schemes that humans have, however, the truth that leaps off the page is that God’s plan always prevails. Nothing can interfere with what God has purposed to do. There is a comfort in that knowledge, isn’t there?

What we discover in the Bible is that central to God’s purpose and plan is that Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son of God, would be delivered up to be crucified. In fact, the from the Genesis 3 onward everything is building toward this moment.

Jesus meal at Passover, with his disciples held important significance, as this meal was a sign that pointed to the purpose of Jesus’ death. You may recall that The Passover was an annual celebration of Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt. At this meal what we are led to see is that Jesus’ death would be the new Passover. Those who put their confidence and trust in him experience the ultimate Exodus, deliverance from the slavery of sin. In this Exodus, the deliverance results in the privilege of living in the freedom of God's love always.

The takeaway from these verses today is this, when life seems chaotic, when things seem not to make sense, great comfort can be found in remembering Jesus’ own experience at the end of his life. Sure, people plotted against him and seemingly succeeded in executing their plan, but they could not prevent the plan of God. What comfort there is in knowing that nothing can interfere with the plan of our Good and Loving God who is in control! Isn’t that what we confess? That our only comfort in life and in death is that we belong to our FAITHFUL savior. One of the profound realities in the Bible is that God is at work in all the specifics for his good purposes. By looking to Jesus, we discover what is central to God’s plan for us: through Jesus’ death we find life, through his blood shed for us, we experience the ultimate exodus to the freedom of living in his love. Thanks be to God!



Let Us Pray

God, thank you that you are in control of our lives, especially for the comfort of knowing that when we feel desperately out of control, you are at work. Enable us, to focus on Jesus and to live daily in the freedom of your love, wholeheartedly devoted to you. In Jesus Name, Amen.