When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
—Matthew 17:22
As Jesus approached the end of His earthly ministry, He began to spell out to the disciples what lay ahead.
We are so familiar with the events of the last week of Jesus’ life on earth that we cannot fully appreciate the disciples’ confusion and apprehension. They had observed Jesus manifesting the power of God over disease, demon oppression, and even the physical elements again and again. How could the Son of God fall into the hands of violent men? He had bested the Pharisees and teachers of the law time and time again in debate and controversy. He had the support of huge crowds that gathered, bringing their sick to be healed and to hear His teachings. Who could lay a hand upon the Messiah? After successfully resisting the opposition of the religious establishment for three years, how could it end like this?
But this is the substance of the gospel, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. The Messiah, Jesus, would submit to betrayal into the hands of those who hated Him.
In reality, it is our sin that held Him spiked to the heavy wooden beam as it was raised by the Roman soldiers and placed atop the post that stood upright in the ground. He underwent all of this for you and for me, so that the debt of our sin could be paid in full.
Jesus is the Savior of the world; He died for the sins of humankind. Forgiveness is possible because Jesus bore the wrath of God on our behalf. He took our sin upon Himself, and in exchange He gave us His perfect righteousness. Therefore, we are restored into relationship with our heavenly Father, by placing our faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross.
Questions for reflection and discussion: When faced with temptation, how should the fact that your sin held Jesus to the cross influence your decision-making? How much do you value the mercy that God has extended to you because of Jesus?
Church Bible Reading Plan: Exodus 19; Luke 22