Bulletin:
February 16, 2025 Matthew 26:47-56
When Everything is Falling Apart…
Trust God’s Plan Fits His Timing. (47-52)
What does it look like for you to trust God in the spot where He has you right now?
- step out as He’s leading you to?
- to step back and let Him work?
Assume God’s Restraint is for His Purpose. (53-54)
What has you wondering, “Why isn’t God swinging in and fixing this?”
How is Jesus’ submission to the Almighty’s plan a comfort or a challenge to you?
Anticipate God’s Glory in Him Fulfilling His Word. (55-56)
In what area of your life do you need to take God at His Word?
Manuscript:
I read recently about a man who went to the doctor for a check-up. The doctor contacted him after his visit, "I have some bad news and some really bad news." The man responded "Oh no, what’s the bad news?" The doctor shared, "Your tests revealed you have 24 hours to live." "What?!” the patient said. “What could be worse than that?"
The doctor hesitated and said, "I forgot to call you yesterday."
This morning, we’re looking at Matthew 26 in which it seems like - Everything is Falling Apart
Title: “When Everything is Falling Apart…”
If you recall, we’re at the place in Matthew where everything seems to be falling apart.
Jesus has eaten the Passover meal with His disciples.
They’ve walked to the Graden of Gethsemane.
Jesus has been pouring His heart out and surrendering His will to the dreaded plan of being crucified.
And all the while, Judas has been gone to the religious leaders to take their guards to find Jesus.
Let’s look at when it must’ve seemed like everything was falling apart in Matthew 26:47-52
47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
We can imagine the disciples were shocked and feeling like their world was ending.
They’d dedicated three years to following Jesus as the Messiah.
They expected Him to eventually be exalted as the Savior of Israel.
They were NOT expecting Him to be with them one moment and swept away by betrayal the next.
Of course, we know from hindsight that Jesus’ arrest would accomplish God’s plan of redemption.
Like the disciples, the challenge for us as we walk with God today is remembering that God is still at work according to His plan and for His glory.
One day we will see God’s purpose in the moments that seem like everything is falling apart.
Hopefully, we can learn to respond more like Jesus - knowing and trusting that God is at work.
For now, learning from what we see in our passage, When it seems like everything is falling apart we can..
Trust God’s Plan Fits His Timing
Assume God’s Restraint is for His Purpose.
Anticipate God’s Glory is in Fulfilling His Word.
First, when it seems like everything is falling apart…
1. TRUST GOD’S PLAN FITS HIS TIMING (47-52)
47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
This mob guided by Judas shows up as Jesus tells His disciples,
“Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
We’re told in John 18 that Judas “knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.”
Judas is referred to again as one of the twelve.
This emphasizes the fulfilment of Jesus’ prediction in v. 21 in the upper room.
The original reader would be shocked once again thinking, “I didn’t think it was possible, but here it is.”
The great crowd of armed men would most likely be the police force of the temple guard.
They would’ve been sent with Judas to help arrest Jesus and deal with any uprising.
We can’t ignore the amazing facts that John includes in 18:4-7
4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
This scene is a sad one.
It also depicts Judas’ man-of-the-hour moment, doing what he had agreed to do.
He would betray His Messiah with a kiss, showing the men with him who to arrest.
In most cases, the kiss would’ve been a sign of respect.
But it was also a terrible insult to the respected person if they didn’t welcome it.
It’s like someone putting their arm around their enemies shoulder, saying, “Hey, old buddy, old pal!”
The Bible Exposition Commentary - “It is tragic to see how Judas cheapened everything that he touched.”
Once again, Judas refers to Jesus as Rabbi as is all he ever called Him (rather than Lord).
Jesus’ response is seen in v. 50
50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
Jesus calls Judas Friend - the form that would mean more of an acquaintance.
And He basically told him to “get on with it.”
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
As he likes to do, John “outs” Peter as the one swinging the sword around.
He also includes the name of the servant of the high priest.
Luke, the physician, includes Jesus’ action as the Great Physician.
He just, you know, puts the guy’s ear back on. That’s all.
How amazing is it that these men didn’t turn around like so many others and tell their bosses,
“We’ve never seen anything like what this man did.”
It’s more evidence that they only accomplished this mission because God had decided the time was right.
Jesus takes the moment of Peter’s sword swinging chaos to teach one more principle for the night.
He tells Peter that all who take the sword will perish by the sword
Jesus isn’t teaching passivism across the board.
He is stating a fact.
Whatever is accomplished by force can be erased by greater force.
We’ve seen a lot of executive orders made by recent presidents.
We’ve seen them made at a greater pace in the last 6 weeks.
The truth still stands - “Live by the executive order. Die by the executive order.”
This means that whatever is accomplished by the stroke of a pen can be removed by the same.
And this is what Jesus meant talking to Peter about using the sword to accomplish God’s work.
What’s accomplished by force, can be undone just as easily.
God’s plan is going to be carried out in God’s ways.
And (as those who wait for God to accomplish His plan in His timing) we can feel hung out to dry
The Psalmists share how they remind themselves of this truth
This isn’t necessarily easy when they can see their enemy, but they must trust the invisible God.
As we read in -
* Psalm 27:1 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Even in times of great expansion and growth, we do well to recall what’s written in -
* Psalm 127:1–2 1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Whether you feel like life is driving on easy street or the wheels seem to be falling off, let me ask you -
What does it look like for you to trust God in the spot where He has you right now?
step out as He’s leading you to?
to step back and let Him work?
Secondly, when it seems like everything is falling apart…
2. ASSUME GOD’S RESTRAINT IS FOR HIS PURPOSE. (53-54)
53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
Jesus lets Peter and the other disciples know that, while He is surrendering, He’s not helpless.
While He’s meek, He’s not powerless.
He mentions that He could ask God the Father to send (at once) twelve legions of angels.
If this is according to the number of soldiers in a Roman legion, this means 72,000 angels.
Quote - IVP - “A human force of this size could have easily crushed the whole temple guard and the Roman garrison in the fortress Antonia; such an angelic force could have easily defeated any human army raised against them.”
* 2 Kings 19:35 35 That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!
I appreciate something I read from Paul Tripp recently.
He said to think of a strong man demonstration.
“Imagine a strong man who performs at a state fair by bending bars of steel.
The first bar he picks up is a half inch in diameter.
He bends it to a ninety degree angle and it breaks.
Then he picks up an inch-thick bar and bends it until the ends of the bar touch,
but still it does not break.
Which bar endured the most pressure?
The obvious answer is the second bar.
It absorbed the full force of the man's strength and did not break.
On earth, Christ was like that second bar.
Because he never gave in,
because he did not run away,
because he never went where temptation would lead,
but stood strong until that moment of temptation was over,
he endured the full power of temptation.
Christ endured stress, pain, suffering, and sacrifice of an intensity that we will never face because he did not break.
He stood strong against sin for us.
He endured everything the world could throw at him.”
The fact that Jesus could call down 12,000 angels didn’t make the situation easier.
It actually made it harder for Him.
He could’ve escaped but endured instead.
?-So, why didn’t Jesus do all He could to not be arrested?
54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
The only way for the OT prophecy about Jesus to be fulfilled would be by Jesus being arrested, mistreated, and killed.
This was how He might be the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 -
This is how it happened that He would be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities.
This would be the route that upon him would be the chastisement that brought us peace
And that we would be healed with his wounds, until God would lay on him the iniquity of us all.
Why do we see Jesus so determined to fulfill the Scriptures?
He had surrendered His desires to the plan of God - the purchase of our redemption (last week’s message)
John18:11 includes what Jesus had chosen to willingly drink - the cup of God’s justice toward sin -
“Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Hernán Cortés was a Spanish explorer.
He’s known for burning his ships in 1519 after landing in Mexico.
Why? - to force his crew to commit to succeed in their exploration of the new land.
According to legend, Cortés told his men,
“You see the boats going up in smoke. That means we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice—we win, or we perish!”
What does the phrase mean today?
The phrase "burn the ships" is used today to mean a wholehearted commitment to a course of action
Jesus committed Himself to carry out the will of the Father by going to the cross.
He had “burned the ships” and basically told Peter,
“I’m not going to let you get in the way of me doing what I’ve committed to do.”
So, Jesus could’ve wiped out any adversary and stayed safe.
Combining this fact with how He instead decided to follow through with the plan for our redemption,
In seeking to live like Christ, we should Assume God’s Restraint is for His Purpose
According to Romans 8:28 God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him.
But that “good” is the conformity to the image of Christ (v.29)
So, when God withholds the comfortable context or the provision of possessions, it must be for the good He is accomplishing in us.
What has you wondering, “Why isn’t God swinging in and fixing this?”
How is Jesus’ submission to the Almighty’s plan a comfort or a challenge to you?
Lastly, when it seems like everything is falling apart…
3. ANTICIPATE GOD’S GLORY IN HIM FULFILLING HIS WORD. (55-56)
55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
In the previous verses, Jesus addresses His disciples, here He speaks to His captors.
Jesus isn’t protesting His arrest.
It’s more like He’s pointing out the irony to the well-armed temple guards.
He’s saying, “You’re coming at me like I’m going to fight or run from you like my life depends on it.”
But here I am giving myself up willingly.
You’re treating me like I’m trying to lead some big rebellion.
Yet nothing I’ve done has been in secret.
And you’ve had plenty of opportunity to grab me.
The Intervarsity Press Bible Background Commentary states,
“This attitude of Jesus makes the show of force by the Jewish leaders quite inappropriate.”
It seems that Jesus’ question highlights that these men may think they’re getting away with their evil deeds in the cloak of darkness.
But the truth is that they’re arresting Jesus at this time (not because they couldn’t at other times) but because God’s plan was for His arrest to occur on this night and in this way.
You can see this in His statement to them like they’re God’s puppets.
56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
If Jesus wanted to be sarcastic, He could say, “It’s like the Father WANTS me to fall into your hands now.”
Jesus was on a divine timetable.
He wasn’t about protecting Himself but about fulfilling God’s redemption plan, fulfilling Scripture.
All the disciples left Jesus and ran like roosters with their heads cut off.
Of course, this was a part of God’s plan as Jesus had just told them would happen.
On their way to Gethsemane, He referenced Zechariah 13:7, saying,
“Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.”
A good friend of mine and Kelly’s used to say, “God said it. I believe it. That’s good enough for me.”
Having lived her teenaged years in rebellion and shame, she was now seeking to read God’s Word, recognize how it told her to live, and obey it without question.
This statement she made, “God said it. I believe it. That’s good enough for me”
It embodies how Jesus lived and how we can follow His steps.
We can Anticipate God’s Glory is in Fulfilling His Word, by obeying God’s Word without having to test for ourselves if it’s true.
How many men would’ve kept from ruining their lives if they had listen and obeyed -
Proverbs 7:25–27 25 Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. 26 For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. 27 Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.
How many marriages would be solid if husband and wife would pursue what we’re told in -
Ephesians 5:33 [Husbands], let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
How many teenagers would be free of guilt, shame, and emotional scars if they’d heeded -
Ephesians 6:1 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
How many people wouldn’t have ruined their lives chasing wealth because of listening to -
1 Timothy 6:6–9 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
It’s been said that “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person who isn’t!”
I agree with this if the person is obeying what they read. I’d say it’s because they’ve
anticipated that God’s glory is in fulfilling His Word.
In what area of your life do you need to take God at His Word?
For some, difficulties and suffering in the world make them think God is punishing them for something.
For others, they think God isn’t able to do anything about the problems they face.
Others wonder if he simply does not care.
I read a story written by a man who got to know a fellow student named John, who lost sight at 13.
One day, he asked John, “How did it make you feel when you lost your sight?”
This is the story his blind friend told him,
“I felt like my life was over.
I felt helpless. I hated God.
“For the first six months, I did nothing to improve my lot in life.
I would eat all my meals alone in my room.
One day, my father entered my room and said, ‘John, winter’s coming, and the storm windows need to be up — that’s your job. I want those hung by the time I get back this evening!’
Then he turned, walked out of the room.
I got so angry.
I thought, Who does he think I am? I’m blind!
I was so angry I decided to do it.
I felt my way to the garage, found the windows, located the necessary tools, and found the ladder, muttering under my breath, ‘I’ll show them. When I fall, then they’ll have a blind and paralyzed son!’”
John continued, “I got the windows up.
But I found out later that every moment was my father was never more than four or five feet away.”
Jesus didn’t go through this horrible experience any differently than the challenges we face.
He didn’t use the angels that were at His disposal.
He went through it knowing that He was doing the will of the Father, with the Father by His side.
And because of the work of Christ, knowing Christ as our Savior, we have God with us as well.
Even when it seems like everything is falling apart, we can actually grow closer to the One that holds it all together.
