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Luke 22:39-53 If you don’t have a Bible, give it a quick read here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2022%3A39-533&version=NIV
Jesus’ compassion and concern for his disciples was extraordinary. But he was still very human and the horror of the hours that lay ahead of him weighed heavily. In response, he went to a garden on a hill side to pray. As we have noticed before, he and his disciples camped there frequently. There’s a relatable fragility in how Jesus needs to be alone with his father, but wants his disciples nearby. He loves them so much. He urges them to pray for their own hearts. He is still concerned for them, but he needs his father.
Look at this prayer! Every now and then when I am dealing with hard things, I pray a prayer that sounds a little like this one. “God, If I’m being honest, I just want you to rescue me, but I know your plan is the best, and I really do want your best, so I trust you to do the best thing, even if it’s not the thing I want.”
Yes, I frequently pray in run-on sentences.
Now that’s a hard prayer to pray. But I have confidence because of what the scriptures tell me, that God is going to use every circumstance of my life for good. I may not understand it any time soon, but he is always looking out for me. He is working for my good, for my best.
But when I look at Jesus, I think this is different. Yes, God desires relationship with us. Yes, those who receive the forgiveness God offers because of Jesus will spend eternity in his kingdom worshipping him. Those things are true, but do they make God’s life better in some way? Was Jesus’ death somehow accomplishing something that was lacking for him? Was there something Jesus needed? I really don’t think so. I think what Jesus was about to do gave him nothing. I think he did it, not for the way it would accomplish something for which he longed, but because we needed it. If we ever needed proof that God’s kingdom operated differently than kingdoms of our world, here it is. While every earthly kingdom builder is investing in their own power, prosperity and prestige, Jesus, the King above all kings, sacrificed everything so that we, having no intrinsic value or anything to add to his happiness, could be members of his kingdom. God decided to love us. This was the cost of doing so. God-the-son became human, and suffered the punishment of total rejection that our brokenness had earned so that humans could be treated as if we had never broken ourselves or our world. Why would he do that? I don’t know. I truly cannot fathom. But I am grateful.
I’m thankful for this tender picture of an angel being sent to give him strength. Heaven knew he needed it. His friends were so confused and sad from the things he had said, the exhaustion overtook them. When Jesus went to find them, they were sleeping. He encouraged them to keep praying, but time was running out. Judas, who had slipped away towards the end of the meal, was returning with an armed mob. He approached Jesus, greeting him with a kiss. Other gospel writers explain that he had pre-arranged this as a symbol to identify Jesus. Was that really necessary? Didn’t everyone know him? But perhaps in the low light of the garden in the evening, they wanted to be sure they got the right guy. Jesus calls him out as he approaches. “Really Judas? You’re going to keep up this charade to the very end?” And the rest of the disciples, God bless them, they’re still holding out hope for a revolution. “Can we fight now?” The answer is clearly no since the best they can do is lop off some poor guy’s ear. I love that Jesus not only calms the chaos but even stops to heal the man. Who does that? As he is being grabbed by an angry mob he notices someone else’s pain and relieves it. His composure is incomparable. And he doesn’t let the religious leader’s cowardice go unnoticed. He knows why they have stolen through the shadows rather than arresting him publicly. He knows, and he wants them to know he knows.
What grabs my attention is the way it just feels like Jesus is running this show. He handles Judas, his disciples, and even the mob with dignity and composure. No emotional outburst, no attempt at escape. It’s like he is making certain that everyone present is aware that he is there by choice.
