Jesus knew what he was doing, and he still does! (Verity Hyde)
I grew up in a church like BCC, but went to Catholic primary school.
I remember feeling that the lead up to Easter was really sad and solemn.
Christmas was joyful and exciting, Easter was sad.
I felt sorry for Jesus as a child that all of these horrible things happened to him.
The stations of the cross really made an impression on me as a child…
…from the triumphal entry where the people cried ‘Hosanna’ to perhaps those same people shouting with anger and vitriol ‘crucify him’
Poor Jesus that he was subject to such physical torture.
As I grew older it gradually dawned on me – Jesus didn’t just have all this happen to him, he allowed it to happen, he provoked it through his actions and words.
My daily reading this week has reminded me this again.
Luke 4 – after his baptism and temptation as he is gaining attention through his teaching
He speaks in the synagogue and the people are initially amazed – further along in the chapter – his words have ruffled feathers and all the people become furious and drive him out of town to the brow of a hill with the intent to throw him off – but he walks right through the crowd
It reminded me – Jesus was totally in step with how his story was to unfold – if the people were in control and Jesus was someone who things happened to, he might have met his end now.
And as his ministry progressed, Jesus suffering did not catch him by surprise – he not only knew about them, he spoke about them to others.
Just before the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11) we see in Mark 10:32-34 Jesus predicts his death for the third time.
All the way through the gospels we see Jesus displaying incredible foreknowledge of highly specific events
Mark 11:2 – instructing the disciples to go and find the donkey
Jesus completely understood what was going on here – he knew that by riding on a donkey he was fulfilling the prophecy in Zecheriah 9:9-10
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious lowly and riding on a donkey
HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING, AND HE STILL DOES
He knew about – the donkey, Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, disciples desertion, his scourging, humiliation and execution
He announced these things – as if to say ‘I am the Lord of history – I know it all, I make it happen’
Jesus was not the hapless victim of events that spun out of his control, he was and is sovereign, he CHOSE to go the cross and obey his father – legions of angels were at his disposal – him, the darling of heaven, could have called on them at any time
And we know that even just before his last supper he also told of the events as they were to happen…
Mark 14:12-16 and 22-25
