Matthew 26:57-68
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
57 ‘Those who had arrested
Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law
and the elders had assembled. 58 But
Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He
entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
59 The chief priests and
the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that
they could put him to death. 60 But
they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came
forward 61 and
declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild
it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest
stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this
testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained
silent.
The high priest said to
him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are
the Christ, the Son of God.”
64 “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you:
In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the
Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest
tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any
more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they
answered.
67 Then they spit in his
face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to
us, Christ. Who hit you.”’
Recently I have gone
through some things in this old life that just didn’t make any sense at
all. I finally determined that the
reason I am going through it is because it is the will of the Father. I have told Him that I want to serve Him, to
please Him, and that I love Him. If that
is the case, and my heart is where it should be, I have to know that this is
the will of the Father. Looking at Jesus
and His circumstances convinces me even more that I am in the will of the
Father. We saw in the previous
scriptures that Jesus did not want to be crucified, He even prayed that not His
will but the Father’s will be done. He
had sweat drops like blood, He was in anguish; but He followed the will of the
Father.
None of this makes
sense. He was a man of many miracles, He
spoke words of wisdom, He cared for the lowly and now there are people who are
testifying against Him. Many false
witnesses trying to discount Him but they all had conflicting stories. Then, they found two that could agree. Jesus was quiet throughout this ordeal until
He was asked if He were the Son of God and then He didn’t merely answer but
gave them a bit of a warning that they would see Him again at judgment
day. That didn’t seem to faze them in
the least, just made them angrier.
I have never in my life
been beat up, spat upon, ridiculed in such a way that Christ endured. My troubles seem but a speck compared to what
Jesus suffered and this is just the beginning for Him. Yet when I have troubles I cry to the Lord
and He still cares for me. I can’t fathom
how GREAT of a GOD we have! He cares for
us, He is our Shepherd! Look at what He says, as recorded in John during His
ministry.
John 10:14-18, New International
Version 1984 (NIV1984) 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows
me and I know the Father —and
I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep
pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall
be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my
life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own
accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
This command I received from my Father.”
Jesus withstood the ridicules, He
remained silent when He heard false acquisitions brought up against Him. He spoke the truth and the truth was not believed
and the truth did not set Him free from His captures but it set Him free to
please the Father. The point I get out
of all of this today is this: Not always
will God’s way seem to be the best way in my eyes but He is the One that sees
the future, not I. If I want to please
my Father I need to trust Him, understand that when things don’t make sense to
me, they make sense to Him. To be
Christ-like does not always mean that life will be easy because it was not easy
for Christ but to be Christ-like means to leave it all on the line for our
Father in Heaven. Rejoice when things don’t
make sense, that means the Father is at work.
Seek Him and know that He is
God. There is no one that can be trusted
enough with our lives than the Father because He is the good shepherd and He
cares for His flock.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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