SCRIP-BITS

Matthew 26:56    But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.
 
Ah Friends, what a bunch of cowards! With friends like them, who needs enemies eh? (smile) They’d been hanging out with Jesus all this time, talking big, but as soon as the lynch mob sent out by the chief priests and elders showed up, they lost their gumption. Granted, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants. Only to have Jesus rejoin it and rebuke him. ‘Put up again thy sword…for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’ (vs.52) Wise words that we should all heed Friends. Whatever weapon we use to destroy others, that same weapon will most likely destroy us. Jesus was also insinuating that His kingdom would not be manifested by force before His death. As He subsequently asked. ‘Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? ‘ Wow! I like that bit of braggadocio. Now, since each legion of Roman soldiers had six thousand soldiers, that means Jesus would have had 72 thousand angels at His behest. Brother! What a fighting machine! But yuh know Friends, when we talk about obedience and obedient people, we’ve got to look at Jesus, for He epitomizes it. Though He could have had immediate, abundant help to extricate Him from that tenuous situation, He restrained Himself, ready to obey His Father’s will instead. Don’t think He wasn’t nervous and scared, remember He was in human form, and knew the pain of the torturous death He would suffer, for our sakes, would be terribly excruciating. But He’d already made His peace with that, after unsuccessfully asking the Father to abort the mission, by saying ‘O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.’ (vs.42) That’s why He asked the disciples, ‘But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?’ If He didn’t see it through, the scriptures would not be fulfilled, making a mockery of God’s Word from the beginning of time, turning all the prophecies of all the prophets into mere words, blown like chaff on the wind. He couldn’t do that. Likewise Friends, we, as believers in Christ have a great responsibility to uphold His ministry, and all that He lived and died for. We can’t, as the disciples did, simply run away at the first sign of difficulty. We’ve got to stand strong and face the music like He did. Otherwise we’d be unworthy of being called a Christian, His follower. Friends, yuh see how Jesus had it real rough. He came to die for us, an innocent victim, used as a scapegoat for worthless, ungrateful sinners. But He didn’t shirk His responsibility, although He had every right to. I doubt any of us will have it even half as hard. So after all He suffered in our name, how can we now deny Him, or run away when things get a bit rough eh? We will experience fear, but just like the Father sent the Holy Spirit to help Jesus in His time of need, He’ll send His spirit to help us in tough times. He did His Father’s work without question. Friends, let’s try and do His bidding without too much murmuring or complaining nuh. Life’s never going to be a bed of roses, but if we persevere, go bravely, with a right and willing heart, led by the Sprit, we’ll succeed, just like Jesus did. Much LOVE!…to truly follow Jesus…like Him…we’ve got to take up our cross…and walk…