All in God's Plan

When Jesus had finished praying, John tells us that he left with his disciples. They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to an olive grove where Jesus and his disciples had met before. It was here that Judas continued in his betrayal of the Lord by leading an arrest party to where Jesus was. There were soldiers, officials from the chief priests and some Pharisees, all carrying torches and lanterns and weapons. 

John 18 tells the story and there are couple of verses in particular we need to think about.  The first one comes immediately after Jesus has been confronted by those who came to arrest him.  Verse 4 says, "Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it you seek?'"

 

When they said they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus speaks again, "I am he." The exchange in conversation continued and Peter on impulse, drew out his sword and struck a servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. Jesus commanded Peter to put away his sword. Then comes the second verse  we want to examine.  In verse 11 Jesus asks Peter, "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Peter, in coming to the defense of Jesus, was actually interfering in the plans of the Lord. Scripture already has told us Jesus knew all that was happening. The events leading up to his death on the cross had been carefully planned since before creation. Those events will include his arrest and trials. Peter, or anyone else, who tried to stop those events would find themselves going against the divine plan.

This part of the story causes us to stop and think for a moment, to see if we, like Peter, get in the way of God.  I have heard Christians say if they had been present when someone came to arrest Jesus, they would have fought to keep it from happening. 

Let's remind ourselves of several things. Jesus is in the process of giving himself for our sins. He is taking our place in an execution we deserve. Scripture describes him as the one "slain from the foundation of the world."  That means that Jesus, the creative power of the universe, has been spending his earthly life to fulfill God's plan for saving man. I wish there was another way and Jesus wouldn't have to go to the cross. The very thought of someone belonging to spiritual royalty subjecting himself to such pain and torture and ridicule goes against our grain. But we must remember, "God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us."

God's way is obviously the right way. Any time we try to improve on His way, we make a big mistake. Perhaps this is why in the scheme of things we are continually called up to empty ourselves of self, and take up our cross, and follow Jesus. That is a call for total and absolute surrender to Him.

This week, more than any other time, we devote ourselves to the Lord, we place our trust in Him, we welcome his presence within us. 

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