"Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
John 16:32-33
Part 1
Today: Jesus Prepared His Men for His Death
The life and ministry of Jesus Christ over the last three and one-half years has been building toward this dark hour. The time has come for Jesus to die for the sin of the world. The disciples have been in the “upper room” celebrating Jesus’ last Passover with Him. Judas left early to go finish his betrayal of Jesus. With the eleven men there, Jesus instituted the “Lord’s Supper.” As they left the room and headed to the Mount of Olives, He gave them His last instructions. Tomorrow, the day after the “upper room,” Jesus will go to the cross and “give Himself a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This is the reason He has come to earth, “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). His Father has sent Him to mankind for this purpose.
During His time with them, Jesus has prepared His disciples well, but they do not yet have a clear understanding of what will happen. He has taught them,
“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).
In Matthew’s Gospel, three times, he plainly told His Disciples that He will die, be buried, and rise again. They could not fully comprehend His words to them.
“From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21).
After His transfiguration, Jesus gave special instructions to Peter, James, and John.
“And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead” (Matthew 17:9).
And a little later, possibly the next day or so, Jesus talked openly with the twelve.
“And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry” (Matthew 17:22-23).
And finally, on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells them one last time,
“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again” (Matthew 20:18-19).
After they have finished in the “upper room,” they sang a hymn and went out” (Matthew 26:30). And as they are walking to the garden, Jesus said to them,
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
He will unselfishly illustrate this principle, for tomorrow He will go to the cross and be the sacrifice for all sinners’ sin. But before His arrest, Jesus has a few more essential things to tell them…
Jesus wants His disciples to be prepared for what will lie ahead for them over the next few days. What will His last words to them be? Come back tomorrow, and we will look at those words. See you then!
Quote: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).