In Job 2:7, we read, “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” I think most of us realize that Satan can attack people physically by robbing them of their health; however, the surprising revelation is how he can also work through believers in Christ to undermine God’s purposes or even attack fellow believers. For example, when Jesus explained that He would have to die on the cross, Peter spoke up and said, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22); and Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and proclaimed, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).
The Lord has been bringing a verse to mind: “Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Zechariah 13:7). The Lord has reminded me of this verse over and over again; so much so, that I had to look it up and see what the Bible has to say. What I discovered are some insights into how the devil worked through believers to see Jesus betrayed and crucified; and how Satan is working even today to undermine the leadership of churches, in order to see the Lord’s shepherds discredited and their ministry made fruitless. The devil loves to see pastors crucified and churches disbanded; and in this message I am going to show you how this happens. And I must point out how this is an appropriate time of the year to look at this passage, being that it ties into Easter.
Satan Wants to Scatter the Sheep (vv. 27-31)
27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” 30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” 31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.
Jesus declared, “I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (v. 27). This statement is derived from Zechariah chapter 13, verse 7. Zechariah prophesied of a time when a mother and father would kill their own child for preaching the truth, and of a time when pastors would deny their calling and quit the ministry for fear of being persecuted (Zechariah 13:3-6). This was the state of the world in which Jesus found Himself; and it’s the state of the world in which we live today.
Paul warned young Timothy of the last days, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). When Jesus quoted Zechariah, He spoke of a time when people would not endure sound doctrine; and a time when people would believe that they knew better than God and His chosen spiritual leaders. It is under such conditions that Jesus would be betrayed; and it’s under these same conditions that shepherds are betrayed today.
Peter and all the other disciples adamantly declared how they would never deny Jesus. This is probably how they really felt inside, and this is how a lot of people feel about their spiritual leaders today; but if we let our guard down, we can easily be deceived into denying both Christ and His chosen leaders.
Deception comes from no other place than the devil. In John 8:44, Jesus said of the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
When the devil is working his deceptive and divisive schemes, he wants us to get caught up in blaming other people, but we must not forget that it’s a spiritual war. Paul said, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). Remember, it’s Satan who works to strike the shepherd; and his ultimate goal is to scatter the sheep.
The Sheep Failed to Watch and Pray (vv. 37-42)
37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Allow me to back up and share verses 32-33, to remind us how Jesus and the disciples got here: “Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.” Jesus and His disciples had just observed the Passover; and they made their way from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus then chose His top three leaders, who had stood with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration and who were tried and true, to watch with Him while He prayed; and when Jesus returned, He found them sound asleep.
This description of the disciples being asleep sounds a lot like the church today. Rick Warren, in his book The Purpose Driven Church, says, “I believe the church is a sleeping giant. Each Sunday, church pews are filled with members who are doing nothing with their faith except ‘keeping’ it.”(1) The church today is asleep and apathetic; and sleeping leads not only to spiritual inactivity, but to being caught off guard by the attacks of the enemy, especially when the enemy has infiltrated our ranks.
In verse 38, Jesus told His disciples what must be done to avoid temptation: “Watch and pray.” The spirit is indeed willing. We all know that we should be watching and praying. We talk about the need to lift up our church in prayer, and to lift up our pastor in prayer; however, we refuse to be diligent in getting down on our knees before Almighty God. We also fail to watch and pay close attention on a spiritual level to what’s going on in our church, concerning such matters as doctrine and relationships; and if we’re not careful, we will soon fall into temptation and sin.
We read that Jesus returned a second time and found them asleep again, and they didn’t know how to answer Him; meaning, they had no good reason to be asleep. In fact, they were so far from being in tune with the Holy Spirit that they were clueless as to what they should be doing, and so they looked at Jesus with blank stares. How many of us are asleep on the job in our relationship with the Lord, when we should be watching; watching for where God is at work so we can join Him; and watching for the attacks of the enemy so we can head them off? Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Nothing in this world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”(2)
We read that Jesus came again a third time, and He found them still fast asleep. In their spirit they knew what was right, and they sincerely wanted what Jesus wanted, but their flesh always won out. They instead did what was contrary to God’s plans. To this, Jesus said, “It is enough!” (v. 41). This statement could mean that He was fed up; but it could also mean, “Now, you are going to reap what you have sown.”
They had sown the seeds of apathy and complacency. They didn’t take a stand for what Jesus told them they should be doing. If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. What one disciple fell for was betrayal, and the others fell prey to fear, which led to running away instead of standing with their leader. Jesus told them, “My betrayer is at hand” (v. 42). He knew their lack of watchfulness would lead to the betrayer sneaking up and catching them by surprise, and that’s exactly what happened. Judas was waiting just around the corner; but Peter, James and John didn’t know it, for they were asleep.
The Sheep Betrayed Their Leader (vv. 43-46)
43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.” 45 As soon as He had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.
Jesus was betrayed by someone close to Him; a dear friend. It has been accurately stated that familiarity breeds contempt. The common pattern we see is that people will follow a leader, and perhaps even befriend him, because they are excited by a fresh new face and new insight; but later, as they begin to identify his weaknesses, they become disappointed. When people place their leader on too high of a pedestal, and then their bubble of adoration somehow pops, they can be tempted to turn on that leader.
Judas betrayed Jesus with the acknowledgement of “Rabbi” and with a kiss. The term “Rabbi” means “teacher,” and to call someone Rabbi was a sign of great respect. The same can be said of a kiss, for we read in Smith’s Bible Dictionary that “the kiss on the cheek [was] a mark of respect or an act of salutation.”(3) Betrayal often comes disguised by words of respect and actions of praise, which hide ulterior motives. Judas pretended to be on board with the program; however, he secretly rallied the troops to his side and rose up to accuse Jesus.
Deception, blame and accusation come from the devil, for Revelation 12:9 says, he “deceives the whole world,” and Revelation 12:10 calls him “the accuser of our brethren.” Satan is the great accuser, and Judas became his minion to blame and betray the Son of God; and as Jesus was being manhandled, only one came to His defense to fight, and that was Peter who drew his sword to attack one of the high priests servants, and then cut off his ear (Mark 14:47; see John 18:10). The others just stood by and watched everything unfold; they didn’t say or do anything in His defense.
The Sheep Began to Flee Naked (vv. 50-52)
50 Then they all forsook Him and fled. 51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
We read here that “they all forsook Him and fled” (v. 50). Think about how Jesus was betrayed. Just one individual stirred up all the trouble. It was just one person who met in secret behind His back, and then brought along the troops. It was one trouble-maker who took down the entire brotherhood of disciples. This is how conflict usually arises; it’s usually just a small minority, but those who know what is right and true often fail to confront those who are in the wrong.
Granted, in the account here, Jesus didn’t approve of them fighting back. Why? In John 18:11, Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” Jesus knew He needed to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. He didn’t want His disciples to fight back, because He didn’t want them to stand in the way of His ultimate purpose.
All too often, when one or two individuals speak loudly, the fellowship will disband, because it’s easier to run away than to stand. But notice what happens when we flee. Our garment of praise falls to the ground, or perhaps we cast it aside; and then we are left naked. Revelation 16:15, in the Amplified Version, says, “Blessed is he who stays awake and who guards his clothes, so that he may not be naked and [have the shame of being] seen exposed!” So, let me ask you something: “Are we, as a congregation, staying awake and guarding the spiritual covering of this church?” If not, then we are naked, vulnerable to attack, and could soon be exposed to ridicule and shame.
The Sheep Denied Their Leader (vv. 66-72)
66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” 71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” 72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.
Verses 53-54 set us up for the scene which unfolds here. These verses tell us, “And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.” So, here we see Peter who was doing his best to remain faithful and stick with Jesus to the very end, following Him right into the courtyard where He was being interrogated; however, when he was questioned by a servant girl about knowing Jesus, Peter had succumb to fear, and he too denied ever knowing the Lord.
Whereas, it was only Judas who initially betrayed and denied Jesus; once God’s people refused to watch and pray, and after they were blindsided and ran away, they too began to deny, and thus betray, their spiritual leader. Peter had earlier declared, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (v. 31), and yet he still denied Jesus. The point at which betrayal and accusation enter the picture is when people begin choosing sides to save their own life, and the natural course is to choose the path of least resistance. When conflict arises, people all too often deny their leader; both before each other and the community; and this is the point at which he is led away to be crucified!
Time of Reflection
So, where does the account go from here? Does it end in hopelessness and despair? If we look to Jesus’ source of inspiration back in Zechariah, we find some words of insight and encouragement. In Zechariah 13:7-9, we read this: “Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered . . . and it shall come to pass in all the land,” says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people;’ and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God’.”
Jesus’ disciples had fled the scene, but they rejoined with each other after His resurrection. The betrayal, arrest and crucifixion of their leader had been a time of extreme testing of their faith; and when it was all said and done, they resolved to never again deny Jesus; which we know led to a bold missionary movement and unprecedented growth in the New Testament church. The disciples had fallen into the crucible and were tried by fire, and refined as wholly committed followers of Jesus Christ, who would unashamedly declare, “The Lord is my God” (Zechariah 13:9). You see, those who remain faithful amidst conflict will be refined into a holy people who will do great things for the glory of the Lord.
Sometimes the Lord allows such tragedy to happen in order to refine His people, and to sort out His true followers. God allowed His Son, Jesus, to be betrayed, beaten and crucified for a purpose, and that purpose was so He could die for the sins of all mankind; so He could become the Lamb of God, and the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins. He also died so that people would be held accountable for their sins; for it is through His righteous standard that we are able to contrast His holiness with our sin, and to know that we are indeed sinners in need of a Savior. It is those who admit their guilt and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord, who become God’s faithful remnant; the purified one-third, of which He will declare, “This is My people” (Zechariah 13:9). Therefore, I wish to invite you to come today and confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
NOTES
(1) Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), p. 365.
(2) http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/ignorance.html (Accessed March 11, 2013).
(3) http://topicalbible.org/k/kiss.htm (Accessed March 12, 2013).
