“Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.” – Matthew 27:1-2

Upon first glance, one might think that Jesus was caught, that he was weak, that he was strong-armed into death. Why would the Son of the Most High God suffer so greatly? In the words of his captors, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself”. Ironically, his suffering indeed saves others and the cost of salvation was his submission to death on a cross. He tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that he has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. During Jesus’ three year ministry, he increasingly pointed toward His cross as that fulfillment.

“Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day, he will be raised to life.” – Matthew 20:17-19

Jesus knew. He knew details. The religious leaders thought they had caught him, but truly he gave himself up as the final Passover Lamb. God is sovereign. Jesus knew. He knew Mary’s lavish gift was preparation for his burial. He knew his betrayer’s heart.  He knew to prepare His disciples with the Last Supper. He knew to fortify himself with prayer to His Father in the garden.  He knew.  He knew Scripture:

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.  He had no beauty of majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;  the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;  and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;  he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away.  And who can speak of his descendants?  For he was cut off from the land of the living;  for the transgression of my people he was stricken.  He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in him mouth.  Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.  After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;  by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.  For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” – Isaiah 53

Jesus knew the details, they were well recorded in the Ancient Texts.  Perhaps he considered the twenty-second Psalm of David as he entered Gethsemane:

 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?…But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.  All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him.’…I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint…Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.  I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.  They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

Jesus knew the devastating details, yet proceeded in love. At his arrest, Jesus halts Peter’s battle plan with a miraculous healing of the servant of the high priest. He tells Peter, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

Jesus was in control of his betrayal, arrest, trials and crucifixion. In fact, he knew the exact scripture to quote in his response to the high priest’s charge that he is indeed, the Christ, the Son of God: “‘In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'” This statement was blasphemy to his captors, who were unable to see this man as their King.  It was his death sentence.

Full humiliation.  Complete loneliness.  Excruciating pain.  Our Lord embraced it for you and me.  He was not caught.  He was willing.  For He knew suffering and death was not the end of the story.  He knew the eternal story.