Good morning,
“But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” Mt. 26:56
The climb from up Jericho to Jerusalem had really been hard for Jesus and his followers. The climb wasn’t that steep, but the sense of foreboding wouldn’t go away. Jesus had been warning them about the danger ahead, and the idea of his warnings actually coming true kept growing in the ups and downs that followed them once they got there. Jesus’ power in raising the dead and a noisy parade into Jerusalem seems so good, but the hate and threats that came with these successes only raised the pressure higher. The night of the Passover meal brought confusion and tension as Jesus laid out what to expect next. The disciples were so exhausted that even when Jesus asked some of them to stay awake and pray, they fell sound asleep. When a dangerous gang of thugs showed up to take Jesus away, the frightened disciples got ready to fight. Jesus stunned them when he announced, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Mt. 26:53,54)
It seems to me that we are living in much of the same setting today. We have had the warnings of Jesus and the prophets in the Old Testament and the New Testament all pointing to the return of Jesus as the promised Messiah and the King of the Earth. For generations now the Evangelical community has been fascinated with the thought that Jesus is coming back soon. Israel is now a nation again and a lot of the present conflicts around the world are focused on getting rid of the people of the Book and the people who call themselves God’s Chosen People. The last 60 or 70 years has seen an explosion of missions to all the world which is now fiercely being opposed by people who are sure that their own version of the Messiah will come and put Jesus to work for their own set of beliefs. I personally feel that we now have a number of believers who are a lot like Peter who rebuked Jesus for following the plan as Peter understood it. We often hear, “We just need to pray for revival. That will solve our problem.” That idea can work, but we need to remember what the Lord said through the Psalmist Asaph. “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.” Jesus came to die on the cross just at the right time. When Jesus comes back to earth again, he will be coming back as the King at just the right time. Jesus warned us that these days and years of judgment would be hard and scary. God went on to say through Asaph, “When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.” Dear Lord, please help us to stand on the firm foundation of your promises based on your eternal perfect plan.
Psalms 75:2 God says, “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked. 3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.”
Roy Wisner
