2/20,27/08 - Midweek Lent - Mark 14:42-52

NO ONE GOT IT BUT CHRIST
- We think we know what needs to be done
- Only Jesus knows what needs to be done

There were many people involved with the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. People from different backgrounds with different intentions with different motivations. The chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law had a hand in those infamous events. In the garden itself was the mob, Judas Iscariot, Peter is singled out by the gospel writer, the other 10 disciples were there, and another young follower is mentioned. But out of all those people, no one got it but Christ. No one understood what really needed to be done except Christ. He was the only one out of all those involved who knew what was happening and why! The rest of them thought they knew what needed to be done, but their actions were based on what they wanted instead of the Word.
Our text for tonight’s consideration is Mark 14:42-52: “Rise! Let us go! [Jesus said], Here comes my betrayer!” 43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then everyone deserted him and fled. 51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
There were many people doing many different things in this story, but no one got it but Christ. The chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law thought they knew what needed to be done: they thought Jesus needed to be arrested so that people would stop following him and turn back to the laws of Jewish tradition. But people didn’t need to stop following Jesus. And they didn’t. And they never will. The mob thought they needed to arrest Jesus so that he would stop his preaching against the law of Moses and his blatant blasphemy. But Jesus didn’t need to be stopped doing that either. Judas thought he needed to hand Jesus over to his enemies because that’s what he was paid to do! He wanted to keep those 30 silver coins. But Judas didn’t need to keep that money in order to be happy - in fact, it caused him to hang himself in despair. The apostle Peter thought he knew what needed to be done. His Savior was being arrested, after all! A violent crowd was coming at Jesus with clubs and swords and so Peter drew his own sword and swung at the nearest person - and he swung to kill, narrowly missing the head of the high priest’s servant and just slicing off his ear. But Jesus didn’t need to be protected. He could take care of himself, he didn’t need Peter’s help. And the rest of the disciples along with that young man in his underwear: they thought they needed to run away so that they would not be arrested and possibly lose their lives. But they didn’t need to run away to save themselves. They didn’t need to be afraid. Because the one who had fed them and over 5000 others with only a plate full of food, the one who had raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after four days in a grave, the one who had commanded the winds and the waves of the Sea of Galilee to immediately stop was standing right there with them. There lives didn’t depend on how fast their legs could carry them, their lives rested in the hands of their Lord.
Everyone thought they knew what needed to be done, but no one got it. No one really understood what needed to be done expect for the Lord. And nothing has changed today. We, the Lord’s disciples, always think we know what needs to be done when a problem arises in this life. But we always forget that the Lord is the one who always knows. Even about the most trivial things in our lives we rely on our own abilities and strengths. If something stops working at your house - whether it be your car or your dishwasher or your computer or your alarm clock - you think you know what needs to be done, don’t you? And so you try this and you try that, you turn this knob and press that button, maybe you even look at the instruction manual… without once taking it to the Lord in prayer. Why is it always a last resort to ask the one who always knows what needs to be done in every situation?
But maybe the problem is a little more serious in your life: maybe there’s a problem with one of your family members or relatives. The relationship is strained because of this problem with this person, and you think you know what needs to be done. And so you try this and you try that, you say these words and attempt that approach, you try all different kinds of things… without once going to the Lord’s Word with that person to see what he has to say about it. Why don’t we dig into his Word first and save ourselves the trouble? Because we think we know what needs to be done! We’re proud people. We like to think that we have everything under control and there isn’t all that much that we can’t do! Because we’ve been through this type of situation before. We’ve dealt with this kind of thing before. We’ve seen how to fix this particular problem before… How mistaken we are! How hopeless and helpless we are without the Lord. You would think that we, his disciples, we realize that. You would think that we would know by now that he knows everything. But time and time again we demonstrate that we just don’t get it. We try everything and then when nothing works we finally go to the Lord in prayer or read what he says to us in his Word and see if he can get us out of the hole we’ve dug for ourselves. I’m not going to say that any of us are like Judas or one of the members of the mob. But we certainly are like Peter, or another of the disciples, or that young man who fled from the scene naked. We are so caught up in what we know and what we can do and what we think will work that we forget that our Lord is the only one who understands what needs to be done in our lives. Jesus is the only one who gets it.
“Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts,” Jesus said to his enemies there in the garden, “but you did not arrest me. But the Scripture must be fulfilled.” The only thing that needed to happen that night was the fulfillment of Scripture. And Jesus doesn’t specify here exactly what portion of the Bible he means, but he is probably referring to Zechariah 13 - a verse he quoted to his disciples right before they went out to the Garden of Gethsemane: “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declare the LORD Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” The Lord had told his disciples this just hours before and they still didn’t get it! They still didn’t understand why this was all happening. And you can be sure that the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law knew this passage as well. They knew that passage but they really didn’t know it. They didn’t understand. They didn’t get it. But Jesus did.
And it’s a good thing. It’s a good thing the Lord knew what had to happen and why. Because our salvation depended on it! The Lord had to go through this in order for Scripture to be fulfilled. It had to happen this way. This was the path to the cross. And there was no way around it. That’s why he struggled so much in prayer before the mob arrived. He knew this was the way it would happen. He knew it would be painful and unbearable if he was just a mere man. But he also wanted to go through with it because it was for our sake. He went through this for us. For our forgiveness and for our salvation. And no one knew it had to be that way at that time expect Christ.
The Lord let Judas and the mob and the chief priests think they had accomplished what they wanted to do for a moment, but nothing turned out the way they had planned. The chief priests intended to stamp out all of his followers by sending Jesus to his death. But his death is the reason we follow him. The mob arrested Jesus to suppress his teachings, but his arrest is one of the things we teach the most. Judas betrayed him to gain a few bucks, but in doing so he lost everything. Jesus had his own plans. And he used the sinful intentions and the evil desires of those around him to make sure that plan was carried out. Nothing was going to stop him from saving us. Nothing was going to prevent him from bleeding on that cross. Because he knew we needed it. He knew he was our only hope for forgiveness and he was not going to let us down. He looked forward to his wounds because by them he knew we would be healed. He looked forward to his death because by it our eternal death would be canceled. He looked forward to his resurrection because by it our resurrection would be assured.
Jesus got it. Jesus understood what needed to be done and why - and he still does - in every aspect of your life right now. And so keep going back to your Lord, in prayer and in his Word, because he is the one who knew what needed to be done for your salvation - and he didn’t let anything stop him from doing. He is the one who knows what needs to be done for your life now as well. And nothing will stop him from doing that either.
Amen.

“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Phil 4:7