Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

Mark 14:53-55 records the beginning of Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas and the Sandedrin, the ruling council in Israel: “And they led Jesus away to the thigh priest [Caiaphas]: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put Him to death; and found none.” Poor Peter persists in making poor choices. Following Jesus “afar off” is not really following Him. Sitting down with the enemy is perilous, as the great British preacher Charles Spurgeon pointed out: “When a servant of Christ by his own choice sits with the servants of the wicked, sin and sorrow speedily follow.” Let us remember that Jesus had earlier that evening warned all of His disciples that they would abandon Him: “All ye shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered’” (Mark 14:27). Then, when Peter protested, Jesus said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, ‘That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice’” (Mark 14:30). Despite this extraordinarily specific warning, Peter soon places himself in a position of temptation. I know of Christians (and I do not doubt their salvation – that is not for me to decide) who regularly put themselves in compromising situations. However, Peter’s failure should immediately stop any of us from thinking that we are too strong to fail. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12).

Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

The Gospel of Mark does not include Jesus’ appearance before Annas (John 18:12-14, 19-23) but moves quickly to Jesus’ trial before Calaphas (the son-in-law of Anna) and the Sanhedrin, the ruling council in Israel: “And they led Jesus away to the high priest [Caiaphas]: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elder and the scribes. And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put Him to death; and found none” (Mark 14:53-55). This trial was illegal throughout. The Sanhedrin, made up of around seventy leaders (not all of whom were present – Luke 23:51), could not initiate legal proceedings, but it breaks its own rules immediately. Furthermore, it could not try a capital crime at night, as it does here. Moreover, it could meet at the Temple only, in a public session. “There is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9c), not even so-called lawfare. Mankind’s sinful heart is ever in view; the Sanhedrin’s settled hatred of Jesus is a compelling example of this sad truth. The contrast between the Sanhedrin and the Savior reminds us that there is no spiritual middle ground: we either stand with Jesus or follow the forces of wickedness.

Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This fundamental truth is at work in the betrayal, arrest, and abandonment of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:26-52). As we have already considered, we can “come short” in the areas of affection and of anger. We also can “come short” in the area of aloofness. An extreme example of drawing away from Jesus is found in verse 50: “And they all forsook Him, and fled.” The Bible says, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things! (Romans 10:15), but the disciples’ feet fail to do anything good in the Garden. Ephesians 6:15 speaks of “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,” but the disciples, unprepared through prayerlessness, fail to stand firm. Oh, it is so easy to back down from the aggressive world, to melt away, to fade away! I am like most Christians; I do not like confrontation. However, I must “preach the gospel,” and the good news of salvation through faith in the finished work of Jesus is inherently confrontational. We are confronted with our innate sinfulness and with our helplessness in approaching God, Who is righteous and holy. Clearly, we need to take our stand alongside Jesus, God the Son, for any distance from Him is dangerous for us.

Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

The betrayal, arrest, and abandonment of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:26-52) are reminders of the sad truth of Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” As we saw yesterday, we can “come short” in the area of affection. Another problem is anger. Peter really loved his Lord, but he fails Him when he does not pray (verses 32-41a). Then, Peter again fails when he takes up a sword (verse 47; John 18:10), requiring Jesus’ stern words: “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:52). The sword has thus become a proverbial symbol of anger. None of us are likely to ever use an actual sword, but anger alone is sufficient to chop off an ear – with words, of course, not a sword. Likely all of us have been attacked verbally. For example, every pastor that I know well has been openly and loudly criticized; somehow, some people think that they have an obligation to engage in such vitriol against devoted ministers of the Gospel. The point is a simple one: we can “come short” in the area of anger. As a practical matter, it is difficult to remain angry while praying. It is possible that anger could rise during a prayer meeting, but I have never experienced or seen that outcome. Jesus provided the antidote for Peter’s potential anger by encouraging him to pray. That lesson is for all of us as well.

Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

We continue with applications drawn from Mark 14:26-52, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. None of us would want to betray our Lord, but Romans 3:23 states absolutely, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In this sense, all mankind is guilty of betrayal against Jesus; we have all “come short” of His holy standard. Thus, we can “come short” in the area of affection. Infamously, Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss (verses 44-45). This lengthy kiss on the cheek looked like an expression of genuine affection, but it was actually a signal to the armed mob to seize the Savior. Thus, this kiss becomes an ultimate symbol of hypocrisy. There is a vast difference between saying that Jesus is Savior and that He is my Savior. The former is lip service, a meaningless platitude, as fake as Judas’s kiss. The latter is personal and eternally meaningful. We can “come short of the glory of God” if our lips say what is not in our hearts. We can also “come short” if we do not say with our lips what is truly in our hearts. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10). Our Savior God’s gracious expectation for us is that our lips and heart match perfectly.

Those of you who know me know that I love music even though I am not musical myself. I listen to good music as often as I can. It is beneficial to the brain, valuable to the vocabulary, and strengthening to the soul. Isaiah 12:2-3 is a lovely passage that includes this soaring statement of surety: “The Lord JEHOVAH [YAHWEH] is my strength and my song.” This could be translated, “God is my mountaintop and my music.” Yes, He is! Each Monday, I want to study this subject and suggest a song to listen to. Anyone reading this devotional has easy access to any song. (I am an exception because I do not go on a computer or other information device.) If you do not like my suggestion (and we all have different tastes), you can think of or search for one that speaks to you. Then, it can become a source of encouragement throughout the week.

Psalm 46:1 is one of the verses that I memorized as a child: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present in trouble.” The Bible is clear that Christians will have trouble in this wicked world: “Yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (II Timothy 3:12). Scripture encourages us to pray about these ongoing and obvious difficulties: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). A simple song that tells us to pray when “Mr. Trouble” comes around is “Ain’t Too Proud to Pray,” written and sung by Rickey Medlocke, backed by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

INTRODUCTION – Jesus is coming back for His own. “Of that day and hour knoweth no man” (Matthew 24:36a), but He will keep all of His promises, including what we call the Rapture (from a Latin word meaning “caught up”). Last week we considered five right responses to the reality of the Rapture – thinking about heaven often, worshiping with other believers, trusting the Word of God, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, and comforting the grieving. Let us continue this study today.

1. WE ARE TO INCREASE IN LOVE

I Thessalonians 3:12-13 exhorts, “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” The connection between “love” and “holiness” is a distinctive of the Christian faith: love that seeks the best for others is a reflection of the holy standard established by our Savior God, demonstrated most clearly at the Cross. As a practical matter, we know that we have a limited time to show love, perhaps considerably more limited than we anticipate right now. As I often suggest, let us start with those closest to us. We can find ways daily to give evidence of this genuine love.

2. WE ARE TO AVOID A CRITICAL SPIRIT

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (I Corinthians 4:5). We have limited knowledge; let us not pretentiously pretend otherwise. Assuming the worst of someone else is one of the worst things any of us can do. Think of how the Pharisees treated Jesus; which side do we want to be on? Of course, we do not want to be apologists for bad behavior or enablers of sin. However, a rush to judgment is a fall into worldliness, inconsistent with our expectation of the Lord’s return.

3. WE ARE TO SEEK GOOD WORKS

“An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Matthew 12:39a). We are to be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:13-14). The word “zealous” indicates an enthusiasm, an active seeking out of opportunities to do “good works.” Sometimes we struggle to help certain people. What do we do? Pray. Sincere prayer is itself a good work, and it also leads us into God’s goodness and into His good way. “I being in the way, the LORD led me” (Genesis 24:27c).

4. WE ARE TO ENDURE SUFFERING

I Peter 1:7 tells us “that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Real life includes suffering; real life also includes the Rapture. Our struggles are temporary (“for a season” – verse 6); our salvation is eternal (“that fadeth not away” – verse 4). Logically, this sin-cursed world cannot be a perfect place for us; we need to learn to endure suffering and to yearn for an end to it. The Rapture of the Church will provide exactly what we need.

5. WE ARE TO DEVELOP PATIENCE

Practical James, the half brother of Jesus, writes, “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (5:8). Patience implies waiting. “Nigh” tells us that the Lord’s return could occur at any moment. Each day that passes without “the coming of the Lord,” though, necessitates learning to wait – really to trust.

CONCLUSION – Do we trust Jesus to come back at just the right time? Let us remember that He came at the perfect time to die on the Cross for our sins (Galatians 4:4-6). When He does return, may we be found faithful – increasing in love, avoiding a critical spirit, seeking good works, enduring suffering, developing patience.

Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

Before we move to Mark 14:53, let us summarize a bit by contrasting Jesus’ actions and those of His closest followers. The disciples consistently demonstrate real weakness. Their eyes are so weak that they cannot keep them open to pray: “Their eyes were heavy” (verse 40). Their lips are weak, bragging that they would “not deny Thee in any wise” (verse 31). Their hands are so weak that they had to clasp swords (verse 47) instead of clasping them in prayer. They have weak feet: “And they all forsook Him, and fled” (verse 50); they show good foot speed, but winning the race requires running in the right direction. We are weak, but Romans 5:6 gives us great encouragement: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Unlike the feeble disciples, Jesus demonstrates real strength to save us. His strong eyes are closed in prayer (verses 35-41a). He is lying prostrate on the ground praying while His followers sleep nearby. His lips are strong, speaking only the truth, including truth that no one wants to hear, truth about our failure (verse 27, 30). His strong lips also utter a simple statement of submission: “Nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt” (verse 36b). His hands are stronger than the hands that hold sharp swords, for He heals Malchus: Jesus “touched his ear, and healed him” (Luke 22:51). His strong feet go to meet Judas and the mob: “Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth Me is at hand” (verse 42). He continues to move in the right direction – toward the Cross. May we acknowledge our inherent weakness – and collapse into the strength of Jesus.

Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

As the disciples flee in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:50), an unusual event occurs: “And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked” (verses 51-52). This “young man” was not one of the Twelve, reminding us that a number of people of sincere faith were following Jesus. For example, Jesus appeared to “five hundred brethren” after His Resurrection (I Corinthians 15:6) and “about an hundred and twenty” believers regularly met in the Upper Room after Jesus’ Ascension (Acts 1:15). We do not know the name of this “young man”; because of the embarrassing specificity, tradition holds that it was Mark himself. Given the darkness of night in the ancient world (with no artificial lighting), no one other than the individual in question could have provided the humiliating details. The key point is that by the end of verse 52 all of Jesus’ followers have deserted Him. All alone, He proceeds to His trial and to His Cross. Yes, “Jesus walked this lonesome valley; He had to walk it by Himself.” Only a man Who is fully God could stand alone and still be victorious. Jesus is that One.

Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)

Mark 14:50 is a pithy commentary on Jesus’ disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And they all forsook Him, and fled.” This spare statement of fact fulfills Jesus’ prophecy, given only a short time before: “All ye shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered’” (Mark 14:27). Even though Jesus had told them exactly what would happen, the disciples are unprepared for these dizzying events. They failed to fully prepare by sleeping when Jesus had directed them to pray (Mark 14:32-41a); thus, they fail to stand with the Savior. Luke 18:1 establishes a crucial principle for all Christians: “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint [give up].” All of us face challenging times. The only question is how we will deal with hard circumstances: will they weaken us or strengthen us? Without payer, we will “faint”; like the disciples who flee, we will be weaker spiritually. With prayer, though, we will become stronger in our faith. A reasonable response to these truths is to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17), to be ready to pray at any time and to lean upon prayer as a vital part of being a Christian.