“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. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples left Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:55-56 ESV)
Mob scenes are not places where you find a lot of logic. But here we see Jesus trying to get His arresters to think—just for a moment. Why? He knew He wasn’t going to escape. No common sense would save Him now.
But thinking clearly just might save some of the people attacking Him. Oh, probably not in the moment—but Jesus’ words might come back to them in the middle of some sleepless night. And they would wonder: “Why did we go out there armed to the teeth? Did my leaders lie to me?”
That tiny crack of doubt might let in some light. It might even, through the work of the Holy Spirit, let in repentance—and the dawning of faith in Jesus their Savior.
Most of us have been lied to before. Most of us know what it’s like to fall into sin because we’re confused or befuddled or because someone has stoked our emotions so high that our brains aren’t working anymore. And then we can do terrible things.
But in Jesus, there is forgiveness for us, destroying the darkness and taking away our guilt. When we trust in the One who laid down His life for us, we are free—free to see the truth and to love the Lord who is Truth eternal.
We Pray: Lord, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Be all those things for me, too. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* When do you do your best thinking?
* When do you do your worst? Why?
* When has the Lord led you to a new and better understanding of a situation in your life?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 23, 2023
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
