Humans resist the truth when it doesn’t fit with what they desire to be true. When God’s will is disagreeable to human sensibilities, it is often repressed until it actually comes to pass. In its place resides the will of man until it is inevitably crushed and supplanted.
During that same momentous day, Jesus went to Gethsemane with His disciples. After taking Peter, John, and James to the side, he intimated, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38), revealing that His own humanity was being intensely pressured by the thought of what was to transpire at the Cross. Nonetheless, Jesus was a man whose will was aligned with our Father’s - He never faltered. “Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done’” (Matthew 26:42). His crucifixion was distasteful to His flesh - “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41b) - and yet, Jesus persisted in fulfilling prophecy.
Even when Judas Iscariot betrayed Him at Gethsemane, Jesus said, “Friend, do what you came to do” (Matthew 26:50a). He wasn’t startled because He knew that what was happening to Him was supposed to happen. While His disciples were still living in denial, Jesus wasn’t. This is why Peter tried to stop it from happening (recall, this was not a novel failure for Peter - “But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man’” - Matthew 16:23).
And behold, one of those [Peter, according to John 18:10] who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
— Matthew 26:51-56
I had my “aha” moment when I read, in verses 53-54, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” Take a moment and ponder what Jesus said here. Put the scene into perspective, into God’s perspective. What do you see? I see Jesus saying (please excuse my laymanship), “C’mon, guys, are you serious right now? Have you forgotten who I am? I could wipe the floor with everyone here and not even bat an eyelash! I’m doing this because it is my Father’s will; this is good and righteous. I’m doing this for you!”
In order to “fit” it into his own will, man must twist and pervert the very nature of the purpose of God’s will, attempting to affect the outcomes of it, even. Case in point, Peter apparently felt like Jesus was too weak to defend Himself and therefore needed him to come to the rescue. God doesn’t need rescuing, we do. Jesus was hardly weak in that moment in Gethsemane.
The strongest human to ever live was also the humblest. Might there be a connection worth noting here? Paul reveals it clearly in Holy Scripture.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
— 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Jesus, though He was tempted to do otherwise, did the right thing. His eyes were set on the Cross, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The salvation of mankind rested on His shoulders, as foretold by the prophecies. It was untenable for Him to waver, even though the errant expectations of everyone around Him enticed Him to do just that. His strength was on full display in Gethsemane and those closest to Him perceived it as weakness because they expected Him to respond differently to evil. Let that sink in…
Through a human lens, Jesus looked weak - a man dragged off to die on a cross. Through the divine lens, this “weakness” is the greatest illustration of human strength in all of human history. Let us never forget that Jesus controls history. Don’t be fooled by appearances. Jesus wanted to be crucified, and His Father wanted this, too…for you, my friend…for your salvation. “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10). That seems paradoxical to the human flesh - to crush someone you love - but salvation has a cost. Jesus, thank God, was strong enough to purchase our salvation on His Cross. While His tormentors thought they dominated Him, they didn’t realize that He was actually letting them. They expected their will to conquer Him, but Jesus proved Himself the Victor.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.
— John 10:17-18
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
