Synoptic Gospels 4: Lord and Lamb (6)
Pray Psalm 72.8-11.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
Sing 72.8-11.
(Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
And let the Righteous rule the earth, and let His foes bow low;
let nations praise His matchless worth, and all His bidding do.
Read Matthew 17.22, 23; Mark 9.30-32; Luke 9.43-45; meditate on Matthew 17.22, 23.
Preparation
1. What did Jesus say was about to happen?
2. How did His disciples respond?
Meditation
In his commentary on verse 17, Calvin wrote, “The nearer that the time of his death approached, the more frequently did Christ warn his disciples, lest that melancholy spectacle might give a violent shock to their faith.” Three of the disciples had just seen Him in His glory. All had witnessed the mighty work of healing an epileptic boy. They had inquired of Jesus how they might be able to have such power. It seems Jesus felt they many have been losing focus.
Jesus had come, as He insisted, to “bring near” the Kingdom of God (Matt. 4.17). He brought the disciples to the very shore of the Kingdom sea and pointed them to the fast-approaching horizon. The Kingdom would come when the Spirit fell, and when the Gospel began to make all things new. As John the Baptist prepared the world for Jesus, so Jesus was preparing the world for the coming of the Kingdom. But it would take a “melancholy spectacle” of glory to bring that new reality to the world.
Because the coming of the Kingdom would not happen without the cross and the resurrection. These were the great works of reconciling the world to God which Jesus had come to do. Everything depended on this, and from those events forward, the coming of the Kingdom depended on understanding, embracing, and living in those realities. “Stay focused!” Jesus seems to be saying to His disciples.
And even at that, they could only hear a portion of what He said. They “were exceedingly sorrowful” and even afraid (Mk. 9.32; Lk. 9.45) Why? Because He was going to rise from the dead? No, because He was going to die. That much they could understand, and so they could believe it might happen. They had not paid attention when Jesus raised the dead girl to know that death is not the end for Jesus, but merely the portal to resurrection and the Kingdom. The glory in the face of Jesus (2 Cor. 4.6) is in all His Word. We need to make sure we listen well.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.Yes, they were exceedingly sorrowful to know of their Friend’s impending death.
No, they did not fully understand how a person could raise themselves from the dead.
And of course, they were afraid to ask Him to explain.
The full impact of this knowledge was hidden from them; they could not even perceive its meaning.
For me, it would be like being in basic math class, and maybe I’ve learned my times tables, but a new teacher comes into class and begins expounding upon the wonders of physics and calculus and I truly cannot comprehend it. It isn’t that I don’t want to know, it’s just that the information is truly “hidden” from my understanding.
The Old Testament was pointing to this event—this death and resurrection. This hope of salvation. This Son of Righteousness to take away the sins of the world—those sins for which no animal sacrifice could fully atone. But the disciples couldn’t perceive something they had never seen before.
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His Name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David
and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward,
even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Is. 9.6, 7).
And here He is. The Child born. The Ruler Son. The Prince of Peace has finally appeared, saying:
“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matt. 13.16, 17).
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (Jn. 8.56).
And now the disciples see Him; but they cannot believe what will happen. Not only are they sad that Jesus is about to die; but these are people who have given up everything to follow Him; and they must have also been a little terrified about their futures. All the questions that can run through persons’ minds when they are faced with a crisis. These were men not yet filled with the Holy Spirit grappling with some weighty issues. We can cut them some slack. But what about us? What is our excuse?
We have seen what prophets longed to see. We have seen Jesus killed and resurrected. We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit. These truths are not hidden from us. We do perceive their truth and factuality. We are on the other side of these events.
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1.7).
And Jesus is saying to us, still, just as He schooled His disciples of yore: “Stay focused!”
Keep on the Jesus Path. Stay in His Word. Stay with The Word. Follow Him. Obey His commandments.
Love Him. Serve Him. Rejoice to be His.
“‘But to you who fear My Name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings;
and you shall go forth like stall-fed calves, you shall trample the wicked,
for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,’ says the LORD of hosts.
‘Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD’” (Mal. 4.2-5). And He did.
God always keeps His Promises—even the Melancholy Spectacle of the death and resurrection of His Son.
Reflection
1. What are some things that could cause you to “lose focus”?
2. How can prayer help you to keep focused throughout the day?
3. How can you help other believers to stay focused today?
What outward debasement and Divine glory was the life of the Redeemer! And all his humiliation ended in his exaltation. Let us learn to endure the cross, to despise riches and worldly honors, and to be content with his will. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 17.22, 23
Pray Psalm 72.15-19.
The cross was the way to the crown. The glory of suffering to the glory of reign. The promise of death to the promise of life everlasting. Give thanks to Jesus for all His glory, and devote the day ahead in the service of His Name.
Sing 72.15-19.
(Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
Let Christ be praised and all the gold of Sheba be His right;
let blessings to His Name be told, and prayers made both day and night.
And let the earth abound with grain, let fields His fame proclaim;
and may our King forever reign and nations bless His great Name.
Now bless the God of Israel Who wondrous works performs.
And bless His Name, His glory tell both now and forevermore!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast begins a new series on Monday as we work our way through the book, Understanding the Times. In our twice-weekly Crosfigell column we have begun a new series on Brendan, called “The Navigator.” Why was he called that? Join us and find out. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
