When we see TEN chapters of Luke encompassing the last few days of Christ's life taking up more than a third of the text in the entire book; and similar patterns in all the Gospels; the magnitude of the narrative is exponentially ratched up in terms of the stress on the Messiah; the amount of challenges; as well as the increase in variety of things preached; rebukes to the Pharisees; etc.
I think it is good to ponder on this reality carefully. Christ had already had numerous (some say 10) attempts at being killed at this point; whether attempting to throw Him off a cliff; or stoning as the most popular methodology. He knew through Divine wisdom that He was destined to die at Calvary; thus any earlier attempts to kill Him would be in vain. Nonetheless; He certainly didn't seek to take a break before facing the inevitable-until Gethsemane when He sweat drops of blood and undoutably had angelic strengthening in what was a battle of life and death according to scripture. God would later use others to help carry the cross when His strength failed.
Turning to the ministry with His Disciples; He would at this time emphasize the prophecy of future events (as seen in Matthew 24 for instance). Up until the end; it seemed the Disciples didn't get it as to His need to die (as evidenced by the account of Peter striking the ear of the High Priest when the soldiers came). He also had to deal with the rapid decay from the triumphal entry with the donkey and the "Hosanna's" from the crowd to the rapid shift to "crucify Him" just a week later. He had the betrayal of Judas Iscariot (prophesied in Psalm 41:9); the abandonment of all the Disciples in Gethsemene; and all the sufferings to come in the cruel series of trials leading up to the agony of the Crucifixion; whose physical torments would pale to taking on the sins of men and the wrath of God for us.
He was the suffering servant to the end mindful of others.
When we see TEN chapters of Luke encompassing the last few days of Christ's life taking up more than a third of the text in the entire book; and similar patterns in all the Gospels; the magnitude of the narrative is exponentially ratched up in terms of the stress on the Messiah; the amount of challenges; as well as the increase in variety of things preached; rebukes to the Pharisees; etc.
I think it is good to ponder on this reality carefully. Christ had already had numerous (some say 10) attempts at being killed at this point; whether attempting to throw Him off a cliff; or stoning as the most popular methodology. He knew through Divine wisdom that He was destined to die at Calvary; thus any earlier attempts to kill Him would be in vain. Nonetheless; He certainly didn't seek to take a break before facing the inevitable-until Gethsemane when He sweat drops of blood and undoutably had angelic strengthening in what was a battle of life and death according to scripture. God would later use others to help carry the cross when His strength failed.
Turning to the ministry with His Disciples; He would at this time emphasize the prophecy of future events (as seen in Matthew 24 for instance). Up until the end; it seemed the Disciples didn't get it as to His need to die (as evidenced by the account of Peter striking the ear of the High Priest when the soldiers came). He also had to deal with the rapid decay from the triumphal entry with the donkey and the "Hosanna's" from the crowd to the rapid shift to "crucify Him" just a week later. He had the betrayal of Judas Iscariot (prophesied in Psalm 41:9); the abandonment of all the Disciples in Gethsemene; and all the sufferings to come in the cruel series of trials leading up to the agony of the Crucifixion; whose physical torments would pale to taking on the sins of men and the wrath of God for us.
He was the suffering servant to the end mindful of others.
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