Morning By Morning #81

You will be scattered, each to his own home.

You will leave me all alone.

John 16:32

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

A select few were privy to Jesus’ sorrows in Gethsemane, for the majority of His disciples were not sufficiently mature in grace to be allowed to behold the mysteries of His agony. With their minds still focused on the Passover feast, they represent the majority of people who live according to the letter of the law but who are mere babies when it comes to understanding the spirit of the gospel.

Only twelve—no, eleven—had the privilege of entering Gethsemane to see “this strange sight” (Ex. 3:3). And of the eleven, eight were left at a distance, having fellowship with the Master but not the intimate kind enjoyed by those who are greatly loved. Then only the three most highly favored disciples were allowed to approach the veil of our Lord’s mysterious sorrow. Yet even they were kept at a distance, for Jesus “withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them” (Luke 22:41), not allowing them to intrude within the veil. Christ had to tread “the winepress alone” (Isa. 63:3), without anyone—disciple or not—with Him.

“Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” (Matt. 26:37), James and John, represent the few experienced and prominent saints. We think of them as fathers of our faith, for they transacted business on great and stormy seas. Thus, to some degree they understand the magnitude of the huge waves of the Redeemer’s suffering. A select few souls are granted the opportunity, for the good of others and in order that they themselves will be strengthened for future service and tremendous conflict, to enter the inner circle and hear the pleading of the suffering High Priest. Through this they experience “the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. 3:10).

Yet even these select few cannot penetrate the secret places of the Savior’s suffering. A remarkable statement in Greek Orthodox liturgy refers to the Lord’s agony as “Your unknown sufferings.” Yes, there was an inner sanctum of our Master’s grief totally closed to human knowledge and fellowship.

In that place Jesus was left “all alone.” Yet it was there He was more than ever an “indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15). Wasn’t the renowned hymnist Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) correct when he wrote these words:

And all the unknown joys he gives,

Were bought with agonies unknown.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

When Jesus taught “a hard teaching,” “many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:60, 66). Jesus then asked “the Twelve,” “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (v. 67).

From this we learn Jesus had His “many,” but within the many Jesus had His twelve, one of whom betrayed Him, leaving eleven. Of the eleven, only three were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration and inside Gethsemane. Of the three, only one (John) referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). Hundreds to twelve to eleven to three to one!

Who of us desires to be “the one” if it requires suffering? May we have this view: “Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 4:13).