[After predicting Peter’s denial of him,] Jesus asked [the disciples], “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?”
“No,” they replied.
“But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”
“Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.”
“That’s enough,” he said.
Key Thought
Jesus knew it was now time for him to face the path of rejection, suffering, and death. The disciples didn’t have a clue about what was going to happen to him, even though he had repeatedly warned them. In other words, Jesus knew he must face his rejection, suffering, and death alone and abandoned. For us today, this story can be a great comfort for two reasons:
Jesus understands what it means to be abandoned by friends and left to face suffering and rejection all alone. When we face that kind of challenge, we can trust that he understands our pain, and we can know that he will never abandon us.The LORD remade and reclaimed the disciples so they were useful to the Kingdom even though they had blown it — they didn’t keep their promises and they forsook him when they were threatened. We can know that our own lapses do not disqualify us from being useful to him. If we are genuinely penitent, he can remake and reclaim us as well.
Today’s Prayer
Heavenly Father, I am deeply grieved that Jesus had to die for my sins and to do it facing his horrors all alone, without his friends to support him. Yet, dear God, I am comforted in those times when I feel alone to face my problems because I know he cares, understands, and stands with me in those moments of trial. In addition, dear God, I thank you that, just as he remade his disciples after their time of weakness, he has remade me and continues to transform me to be more like him. I praise you for your plan of grace, and I praise your Son and my Savior for his sacrificial and steadfast love. In his name. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Romans 8:31-39Mark 14:45-50Hebrews 13:5-6Ⓒ 1996-2023 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.