Half-time speeches are meant to motivate. My son Shane forever complains that the Panthers should make “adjustments” at
half-time. So half-time is when things happen to win games.
Today we are looking at Jesus half-time speech. Jesus and his “Fantastic Twelve” have been on a rather successful road trip. Numerous miracles have been performed. Hundreds of people have been healed. Lazarus has been raised from the dead. They have entered into Jerusalem where the crowd goes wild. The people cut down branches from nearby palm trees and lay them along the road and they shout out “hosanna, blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.” Everybody is expecting that Jesus will soon proclaim Himself to be the King
Then Jesus goes into the Temple and displays His power and majesty when He clears out the money-changers that everybody knew were crooked businessmen and should have been dealt with years ago.
It would seem they were shutting out the enemy in a very lopsided victory.
Then comes the half-time talk. It’s the Passover meal, the third one that they have had together. They are celebrating the feast that honors God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt. Perhaps they are rejoicing over the many victories that they have witnessed for the last three years.
In the midst of high fives and back slapping Jesus says
Mark 14:18-20 “I tell you the truth; one of you eating with me here will betray me.” Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?” He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me.”
Mark 14:27-31, “All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
“No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same.
Not exactly the kind of half-time speech you want to hear. “In the second half guys you all are going to fall apart. You are going into a part of the game that you are not prepared to handle. You are about to face your opponent in ways that will overwhelm you and fill you with despair. And you will need to finish this game without me by your side.
SECOND HALF BEGINS
Jesus is arrested in the garden. How does his “team” react?
Mark 14:50-52 Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked. (disgraced)
Mark 14:66-72 Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.” But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed. When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” But Peter denied it again. A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.
And what about Judas?
Matthew 27:3-5 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
Finally the realization of defeat settled in and the old life-style came back John 21:3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said.
Peter the team captain said “It’s over guys. We’ve lost. It’s time to go back to work.” But they had forgotten about the new coach.
THE NEW COACH ARRIVES
John 16:7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
Jesus had tried to prepare them for this day but they did not comprehend.
John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. …he lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 14:26-27
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
He left them with a power. It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that Mary conceived Jesus.(Matt 1:20) It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus did miracles and healed.
(Luke 4:14) It was the power of the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.(Romans 1:4)
In Acts 2:1-6 we see that power.
Acts 2:1-6 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
Peter preached a sermon under the power of the Holy Spirit that resulted in the birth of the church.
Acts 2:41-42 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
Game over and the “Fantastic Twelve” won.
But let’s back peddle to that half-time speech. In the midst of talk of betrayal and denial Jesus gave this speech also.
Mark 14:22-25 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”
And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”
Although the disciples could not see it, this was Jesus game plan, to have his body broken and his blood poured out so we could receive within us the power of the Holy Spirit.
He knew that these guys were going to deny him, to betray him, to run away, but he still embraced them.
He knows that this week we will deny him, we will betray him, we will turn from his teachings, but he still invites us as he did those twelve to come to the table. So come to the table and remember his sacrifice
