Sunday, March 25, 2018 - The Disciples Forsook Him and Fled!
Pastor Roger C. Marcos
March 25, 2018
Last Sunday, sermon is all about the centrality of Christ willingness to suffer in our behalf according to the scriptures. Yes, indeed HE WENT TO THE CROSS ON PORPOSE-LEAVE AN EXAMPLE- ATONE FOR OUR SINS.
When we think about Jesus life on earth- it’s hard to comprehend Imagine, chapter 26 of Matthew talked about the past approaching event called the Passover in verse 2 say’s THE SON OF MAN WILL BE HANDED OVER TO BE CRUCIFIED. As He prepare Himself for the incoming crucifixion He was anointed at first at Bethany a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of a very expensive perfume which she poured on Jesus head.
Today, I will speak about one of the painful part in His life ministry.. as Jesus ended His lonely time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. He awakened the sleeping Disciples.
Mat. 26:46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
All the Disciples must have looked alike there in the darkness of Gethsemane. Judas had told the Temple guards, 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Mat. 26:48
Judas kissed Jesus on the cheek. “Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him”
Mat. 26:50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
“Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus” (John 18:10). Jesus “touched his ear, and healed him” (Luke 22:51). Then Jesus told Peter to put away his sword. Jesus said to him, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? [72,000 angels!] But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”
(Matthew 26:53-54). Jesus then turned to those who had come to arrest Him and said, “Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and [clubs] for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me” (Matthew 26:55). This brings us to our text,
“But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled” Matthew 26:56
These events described by the prophets hundreds of years earlier. ‘In order that the Scriptures of the prophets...should be fulfilled.’ God is carrying out his prophetic plans, Jesus is thus voluntarily putting himself into his captor’s hands...Now verse 56 was fulfilled. As Jesus [was] led away, all the disciples fled”
Our text say’s “ALL THE DISCIPLES FORESOOK AND FLED”-the Greek word translated forsook in the KJV MEANS “ABANDON”.
Think For a Moment what’s the reasons why the Disciples forsook Jesus and fled. WHY THEY ABANDON HIM?
I. First, DISCIPLES Forsook Jesus and Fled to Fulfill the Scriptures.
“But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled” Matthew 26:56
Our text says, “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled...” This includes the prophecy of the Disciples forsaking Him and running away.
Zechariah 13:6-7 says, “What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends... smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered”.
Concerning those words “smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered,”
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that Zechariah 13:7 prophesied the Disciples forsaking Him and fleeing.
In Matthew 26:31 Christ said, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad”.
Again, Mark 14:27
The Disciples forsaking Him and running away was a fulfillment of that prophecy in Zechariah 13:7.
“But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled” Matthew 26:56
II. Second, Disciples Forsook Jesus and Fled Because of A Fallen Race.
The human race is a fallen race. We must never forget that. We are a sinner - because WE are part of a sinful race - a child of Adam. The Bible says,
“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men” Romans 5:12
That is why all people are born “Dead in Sins” Ephesians 2:3. 3All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
That is why all people are “by nature the children of wrath” Ephesians 2:3 By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
That is why WE are a sinner by nature. Don’t blame everything on the Devil! The Devil could not enslave us if we were not sinners by nature. All of Adam’s descendants are sinners by nature. You are a sinner by nature.
The Disciples had carnal minds which were “enmity against God” (Romans 8:7). Thus they rejected the Gospel each time Christ preached it to them. The same way you reject the Gospel!
Rom. 8:7 And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their human nature; for they do not obey God's law, and in fact they cannot obey it
Christ repeated five times the fact that He was going to Jerusalem to die.
Matthew 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life.”
Mat. 17:12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased. In the same way they will also mistreat the Son of Man.”
Mat. 17:22-23 22When the disciples all came together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be handed over to those 23who will kill him; but three days later he will be raised to life.” The disciples became very sad.
Mat. 20:18-19 18“Listen,” he told them, “we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death 19and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life.”
Mat. 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In spite of this intensive instruction, the disciples failed to grasp the significance of [the Gospel] until after His resurrection.
Why didn’t the Disciples “grasp the significance” of the Gospel? The answer is simple,
“If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost” II Corinthians 4:3
3For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost
John 20:22, said that the Disciples were not born again (regenerated) until they encountered the resurrected Christ, and He breathed on them, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”
22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:22
“Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled” (Matthew 26:56).
Conclusion:
Without the Blood of Jesus I would not be standing before you today! Without the Blood of Jesus We are not here either today.
Can You Place Your TRUST in CHRIST As Your SAVIOR!
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door. I will go in... Rev. 3:20
What Are You Waiting For?