Dear Luke,
I understand your trepidation in
the face of all the Jesus describes. If
the predictions of Christ were to suddenly come true all at once, even the most
ardent followers of Christ would probably confess some amount of fear. We proclaim hope, but the reality of our
human limitations means that we aren’t as strong as we should be. The sound of the feet of our enemies in
pursuit of us will make even the strongest heart quiver for a moment,
questioning the truths and decisions that have led us to this point. I am sure that some might falter and denounce
the faith, but I pray for the courage to stay faithful, to remain focused, so
that my life may witness to the fact that my faith in Christ is the most
important thing.
I know that you say you are not
strong enough to face these challenges.
You may well expect me to say this, but I must give it voice—if you are
in Christ, it is not your strength that will bring you through the challenges. I do not depend on my feeble strength to help
me face whatever may come. Rather, I
depend on Christ. So if you choose him,
do so not on an assessment of your own strengths and capabilities. Do so because you choose to rely on him and
his strength. He is able.
This talk of his strength makes it
all the more amazing that we begin to turn toward the resolution of the drama
to which we have been building. I
believe that Jesus Christ is more powerful than any other being or force in
creation, which means that he chose to lay down his life. The actions of others in this sequence are
necessary, but would not reach the conclusion they do if it were not for the
active choice of Christ to succumb to their devious plots. Please, Luke, keep this in mind as we
traverse these last, painful steps.
Jesus chose to allow this to happen.
He was not overtaken or outwitted by sinister forces. He allowed their plan to succeed because that
was the way it needed to occur.
The festival of Unleavened Bread
had drawn near, which is better known as Passover. It celebrates the liberation of the Hebrew
people from slavery in Egypt many years ago.
The people dwelled in slavery for over four hundred years before God
delivered them through a series of plagues.
As Moses was leading them out, there was a meal they ate to fuel their
journey just before the angel of death passed over their houses, saving them
from the destruction that was visited upon the Egyptian homes. The Jewish people gather every year to
remember this event.
As energy was building toward this
event, the ones who opposed Jesus, the priests and scribes, were also building
their energy toward eliminating Jesus from their lives. They were still afraid of the people, but the
manner in which Jesus spoke about them fueled such anger within them that they
would only allow their fear of the people to corral their actions for so
long. The time had come, and the last
log was set on the fire when Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples of
Jesus, approached the chief priests and temple police about how he might help
them in their efforts. He had given in
to the temptations of Satan and saw his betrayal as a chance to enrich his own
lot. It is shameful to think of a man
betraying his friend and leader, but Judas thought the reward would be worth
the cost. The eagerness with which he was
received by the chief priests must have only fed his greed. An agreement was struck, and Judas began to
keep his eyes open for the chance to betray Jesus when the crowds were not a
danger. Judas had probably seen Jesus
seek out solitude many times before, and one of these occurrences would provide
the perfect opportunity for Jesus’ arrest, far from the eyes of a crowd that
might leap at the chance to protect Jesus from those who opposed him.
Wheels begin to turn, and while
Jesus, I believe, could have stopped them, he chooses to let them turn, so that
his life might serve a greater purpose than just education. I still have trouble fathoming the power
Jesus contains and the choice that he makes, and yet when I contemplate the
eternity with him that was made possible by this choice, I can only praise him,
for my heart is nearly drowned in gratitude for the love he pours out upon us
all.
Sincerely,
Theophilus
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