JESUS' CHALLENGE

 

Jesus’ Challenge – Matt 26:1-5 – Sept 8, 2013

 

Today we are talking about Jesus’ challenge but this is not for us but for Him.  If you knew the date and time of your death how would you prepare?  What would you do?  Who would you want to see?  What last minutes things would you want to accomplish?

 

In this passage we find out several things.

 

Jesus had just giving the disciples an answer to their question about the end of the age and the sign of His coming.

 

 

1.     He tells them that in two days the Passover would be upon them so Matthew 24

      was told on the Wednesday.

2. Then he told them that in two days he was going to be handed over to the religious leaders and crucified.
3. He knew the time, the place, the method of death and the hour He was going to die. 
4. His life purpose was about to be complete.  How does someone handle such detail in advance.  You can prepare but still how do you prepare?  Especially such a horrible means and method of death.  To me this is mind boggling.

 

 

Mean while the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the home of the high priest who name was Caiaphas.  He had said earlier that only one man had to die for the all. 

 

Their meeting had a two fold purpose

1. To arrest Jesus in some sly or deceitful way.
2. To kill Him.

 

 

They knew it should not be during the Passover because it would cause a riot among the people but we knew God had something else in mind as well as satan.

 

The cosmic battle of the age was about to be played out.  The stakes were high on both sides.  If satan won man would still be in bondage and if God won mankind would be free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what was Jesus’ challenge? 

 

1. As a man of free will, would He do the will of God.
2. This question would be settled in Gethsame but would take three intense sessions of prayer.
3. Will you do the will of God because it will always cost everything?  Time, talents, resources.  Past, present future.  Your will, dreams, desires and wants.  It will cost you family, friends and relationships.  It will cost your reputation, future employment because of standards and morality.  You will have new enemies such as the world, the flesh and the devil. 
4. But whatever you lose it will be given back to you 30, 60 and 100 fold in this life and the next.  So Jesus challenge is actually is our challenge.  Are you willing to pay it and look at the eternal and abundant life before you in Christ?