Today’s reading is on John 18.
This passage is one of those that really blows me away with just how much God really is in control of any situation. With John’s focus on Jesus as Messiah, I feel amazed at how gracefully Jesus, fully man, trusted His assigned role of “lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” It lays out all we need to know about trusting God in verse 4: “Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward“ – when those who sought Him hard came to seize Him, He knew gruesome death awaited; but He knew exactly how God sent Him to bear witness to the truth of God’s salvation plan, and obeyed His calling as such. Just as Jesus knew completely what would unfold, we know we can trust that through everything that has ever happened and will ever happen, God knows exactly what He’s doing.
Jesus was not without trials brought on against Him in this passage. He was faithful in God’s plan when confronted with non-believers who shunned even the most direct and straightforward display of His power. When his trusted disciple Simon Peter rejected his association with Jesus, He still protected them, ensuring their safety until their faith would be strong enough for the persecution they’d endure. He held fast to God’s fairness and righteousness when the priests of Jerusalem chained Him, beat Him, and harassed Him unjustly. He even held His head high when the notoriously ruthless Pontius Pilate tried to convene on His behalf and God’s own followers rejected His truth and demanded His death nonetheless. Through all the forces of evil in the world fighting against God’s will, Jesus knew God would prevail, and held firm in His knowledge that God had it in control. Knowing this, how could I possibly not hold firm in the face of adversity towards His will, and believe He shall make a way for me every day when I follow His calling? I’m reminded of Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
In a recent reading, I was asked to pray over Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, oh God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” That came to mind when thinking about the Israelites, carefully following the externally visible rules of their religion, but rejecting God’s message and the Messiah’s call in their hearts and actions. These are not the actions of people trusting in the Lord, but putting faith in their own understanding. It can be easy for our sinful pride to cloud our judgement when confronted with God’s word and the weight of our own sin, lashing out against the Truth and the Savior as the crowds in this passage did. Instead, I lift up Psalm 139 as a prayer today against such selfishness, that God could search my heart, show me the errors in my ways, and lead me instead to trust wholly in His command for me as Jesus did. Just as our Savior knew, so do we know God will be with us every step of the way.