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THE SAYINGS OF THE CRUCIFIXION (1)

 

Jesus Foretells His Death

Matthew 26:31-32; Mark 14:27-28

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.  I have spoken on various brotherhood lectureships.

1.    They all have a theme for the week.

2.    Sometimes, as I study, themes for lectureships come to my mind.

3.    One of them has been:  “The Sayings of the Crucifixion.”

 

B.   The Sayings of the Crucifixion

1.    This would cover the period from when Jesus left the upper room and entered the Garden of Gethsemane until Jesus ascends to the right hand of God.

2.    This time period could be called:  “From the Garden to Glory.”

3.    This study would look at all of the individual statements made by various individuals as recorded in the closing chapters of the gospels until the opening chapter of Acts.

 

C.  Matthew and Mark close the upper room account with similar words (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26).

 

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

 

D.  The first saying follows immediately after these words.  It was spoken by Jesus.  We have entitled it:  “Jesus Foretells His Death” (Matt. 26:31-32; Mark 14:27-28).

 

Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night:  for it is written.  I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be sacattered abroad.  But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

 

I.         THE PREDICTION OF JESUS (Matt. 10:31a)

 

All ye shall be offended because of me this night…

 

A.  The Who:  “All ye”

1.    The Lord had selected twelve men to be His apostles (Matt. 10:2-4).

2.    Only eleven were with Jesus at this time.  Judas had gone from their presence to do his dastardly deed (John 12:30).

3.    Jesus foretold that all eleven would be “offended.” 

a.    Not one of them would be able to withstand the trials of the night.

b.    Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50

 

And they all forsook him, and fled.

 

 

B.   The What:  “shall be offended”

1.    Offended

a.    Strong (4624):  to entrap, that is, to trip up…entice to sin, apostasy

b.    Thayer

1)     To put a stumbling block or impediment in the way

2)    To entice to sin

3)     To cause a person to begin to distrust or desert one when he ought to trust

4)     To cause to fall away

c.    Vine:  to put a snare or stumbling block in the way, to cause to trip or fall

2.    It would be Jesus’ arrest that would cause this

a.    It would happen late in the night.

b.    Judas would head the charge.

c.    A mob would come upon the Lord and His disciples.

d.   Jesus would not resist.

e.    He would be led before the high priest of the Jewish council.

 

C.  The Why:  “because of me”

1.    The mob would come for Jesus.

2.    The charges would be against Jesus.

3.    As their teacher and leader, He would put them in harm’s way it would appear.

4.    They will want nothing to do with him, none of them.

 

D.  The When:  “this night”

1.    There was not much more time.

2.    The meetings were coming to a conclusion.

3.    The mob was being assembled.

4.    The leaders of the Jews were making all the preparations for a trial.

 

II.       THE PROPHECY (Matt. 26:31b)

 

A.  Jesus tells His disciples that what is about to happen is a fulfillment of a divine prophecy uttered by Zechariah (Zech. 13:17).

 

Awake, O sword against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts:  smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered:  and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.

 

B.   It is not surprising that Jesus appealed to an OT prophecy about His ministry.

1.    The OT is filled with predictive prophecy about the life of Jesus.  In fact, there are over 300 prophecies about the Christ in those 39 books.

2.    Three verses:

a.    John 5:39

 

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:  and they are they which testify of me.

 

b.    Luke 24:44

 

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

 

c.    Matthew 5:17-18

 

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:  I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 

C.  The application of the prophecy.

1.    Jesus is the shepherd.

a.    In John 10, Jesus refers to Himself as “the good shepherd” two times (John 10:11, 14).

b.    A shepherd oversees, leads, tends, and protects his flock.  If the need arises, he will give his life for the sheep (John 10:11, 15).

2.    The shepherd was to be smitten.  This is a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus (Mark 15:25).

3.    His sheep would be scattered abroad.

a.    His sheep are the apostles.

b.    They would not remain true.  They would flee from Him at His arrest (Mark 14:50).

4.    NOE:  This prophecy sets forth what some might think of as impossible events.  Jesus would be slain and His disciples would forsake Him.  QUESTION:  What is the possibility of Zechariah’s knowing this in 520 B.C.?

 

III.      THE PROMISE (Matt. 26:32)

 

But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

 

A.  When Jesus spake of His death to His disciples, He also told of His resurrection.

1.    See Matthew 16:21, 20:19

 

From that time forth began Jesus to shew his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

 

2.    Jesus’ resurrection was just as certain as His crucifixion.

3.    These words should have filled the disciples with great hope.  Later, we will wonder if they really heard this part of the Master’s message.’

 

B.   I will go before you into Galilee.

1.    It is interesting that the angels who appeared unto the women at the tomb, repeated this same statement (Matt. 28:7; Mark 16:7).

 

But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee:  there ye shall see him, as he said unto you.

 

2.    The disciples, however, did not obey these words.  Instead, they remained at Jerusalem.

a.    Why?  Unbelief

1)     They did not believe the women (Matt. 16:11).

2)    They did not believe the two disciples who saw Jesus as they walked in the country (Mark 16:13).

b.    Their unbelief caused Jesus to upbraid them when He appeared unto them (Mark 16:14).

 

Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

 

3.    They would eventually go into Galilee.  There Jesus appeared unto them the third time (John 21:1-14, esp. v. 14).

 

This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.  If there is one lesson that should be learned from this account, it would be “take heed lest ye fall.”

1.    These men had been with Jesus for several years.

2.    They believed His claims.

3.    They were His disciples and His friends.

4.    Yet, the Lord predicts that they will fall away.

5.    I Corinthians 10:12

 

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

 

B.   Our study of “The Sayings of the Crucifixion” starts off with a wonderful summary statement of the events to come by our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

C.  Jesus packs a punch with His words.

 

D.  In our next lesson, we will see how His disciples react to His statement.