Reflecting on our Reactions...

Matthew 26:51-56 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 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. 
The hour had come.  Jesus was finally being handed over to the officials for the death march to begin.   He had said it would happen, now it was.  How would His disciples react?  Were they prepared?  Also in view here is the reaction of this mob, this posse'.  They had seen him publicly, in the City, every day for the past several days.  Why arrest Him now, in this way?  We tend to let things simmer, then explode.  We do not prepare properly, and prayerfully, for what He has told us is sure to happen. We miss the big picture; God is in control, at work, and to be trusted.  At this point, none of them were trusting Him: His followers thought they had to protect Jesus or run, as if He could not longer protect them like He had in the storm, as if this small ragamuffin band must be greater than God.  And for all the things they had seen and truths they had heard, the crowds would not believe Who He was or what He had said.  How will we react to life today?  With Him or without Him?

no surprises to Jesus...

Matthew 26:47-50 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 
Throughout the journey into and around Jerusalem, it has become increasingly clear that there are no surprises to Jesus.  He knew the details about the donkey; getting a place for the Passover at the last minute was not a problem; He knew that Judas would betray him, and even when the moment was approaching.  It cause everyone else by surprise.  What a picture to us.  Nothing that will happen to us takes Him by surprise, only us.  So what should we do? Stay close and listen to Jesus.

Failing to pray is failing our Friend...

Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” 
We often think of Peter's coming failure as his "falling away," but he and the other disciples do a fine job of it here, failing to pray with Christ in His hardest hour.  He will come away from this strong enough emotionally for the spiritual battle He is about to win, but it would have been humanly comforting for Him to have his friends stand with Him in prayer.  Even more, He cared about them, and was warning them to be ready for what was to happen next, which they would not be, because they had not spent time in prayer.  Thus, they caused him double anguish - failing to support Him, and adding to that the burden of their failure to come.

We would do the same...

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
(Matthew 26:33-35 ESV)
We often remember Peter for this event, especially because it is so prominent in Mark's Gospel, which appears to be primarily from Peter's perspective.  Looking back, he realized how badly he had failed to be faithful to Jesus on that fateful night.  But ALL the disciples did the same.  They were coming off of a spiritual high in the upper room, climaxing with singing Psalms of worship about the greatness of God. How could they every fail? Only if they took their eyes off of Him, and stopped listening to Jesus, believing everything He said. And that is exactly what they did, and we do too.

React and Return...

Matthew 26:30-32 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 
By this time, the disciples are hopefully listening better, having been convinced that Jesus did indeed know what was going to happen; the Father had revealed it to Him.  Again, they did not like the words that they heard - they would fall and fail.  They would react to His capture with fear and run.  But as with each scary detail foretold, there was hope.  They would return.   Is that not a picture of our lives many times?  We fall and we fail, and in repentance return, admitting we failed to listen, obey and trust in Him?

Always looking to the next meal...

Matthew 26:26-29 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” 
One of the things I noticed when my parents retired is how much thought and talk takes place among retirees about the next meal.  As soon as the dishes of one meal are cleaned up, the next words about plans for the next meal.  In this case, however, the next meal is far into the future, but we are to keep looking forward to it - to Christ's return and our being with Him.  The Lord's supper is not just looking to the past and what Christ has done, but it also looks ahead in Hope to His coming again.

What our questions reveal...

Matthew 26:17-25 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” 
When Jesus made this announcement in the upper room with His disciples, all of them answered with the same question: "Is it I?"  There are, however, two distinct differences between the response of Judas and the rest.  First, it was a spontaneous, solemn response of the other 11 - conviction and self-examination wes their first response.  It was not until later that Judas asks.  Secondly, and more obviously, the others ask "is it I, LORD?", a sign of understanding more about who Jesus is, whereas Judas asks, "Is it I, Rabbi?", a much less passionate and convincing response.  Of course, these things went relatively unnoticed by the others that night, because their focus was on self-examination, and Judas' was on self-excusing.  What questions are you asking the LORD? What does the way you are asking reveal about your heart?