“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” Galatians 6:9 As I was writing the Lord spoke to my heart that this was the verse my heart needed to meditate on. I could see the reason He spoke this to me. I have had times of growing weary and focusing on my problems instead of Him. Then I ask the Lord to show me how to share this with Easter week. He gave me many verses and thoughts and I will share them with you. As I thought of Jesus’ life I thought of so many times He could have grown weary in well doing – in doing what He knew He was to do and loving others. The last years of His life people came against Him constantly. As you read the Word you see times when He was tired and worn out but always knew what His focus was – His Father. He ALWAYS went to His Father – great times and difficult times. He knew where to keep His focus. My focus this week is the last week of Jesus’ life. We will start by reading parts of John 16-18. These are the words of Jesus. John 16:23-24, 32-33 And when that time comes, you will ask nothing of Me - you will need to ask Me no questions. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that My Father will grant you whatever you ask in My Name as presenting all that I Am. Up to this time you have not asked a single thing in My Name as presenting all that I Am; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy, gladness and delight may be full and complete. We have been studying the name of Jesus on Thursdays. Here Jesus says that we ask nothing of Him in His name. When we understand Him and Who He is and ask in His name the Father whatever we ask for. I think that is an amazing promise, It says keep asking. Don’t grow weary. But take notice, the hour is coming, and it has arrived, when you will all be dispersed and scattered, every man to his own home, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted! For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you. Here Jesus could have grown weary because He knew He would be left alone – the others would leave Him. What if He would have quit at this point? Where would we be now?
Monday: Chapter 17: When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify and exalt and honor and magnify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify and extol and honor and magnify You. Just as You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh - all humankind, now glorify Him so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life: it means to know, to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand You, the only true and real God, and likewise to know Him, Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah Whom You have sent. I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. O just and righteous Father, although the world has not known You and has failed to recognize You and has never acknowledged You, I have known You continually; and these men understand and know that You have sent Me. I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self, and I will continue to make You known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them felt in their hearts and that I Myself may be in them. Jesus spent His life on earth letting others know about His Father. He says eternal life is to know, to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand the only true and real God, and likewise to know Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah. Jesus had completed His work on earth and could have grown weary and discouraged and quit right here because what He came to do wasn’t received.
Tuesday: Chapter 18; Having said these things, Jesus went out with His disciples beyond the winter torrent of the Kidron, in the ravine. There was a garden there, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who was betraying Him and delivering Him up, also knew the place, because Jesus had often retired there with His disciples. So Judas, obtaining and taking charge of the band of soldiers and some guards of the high priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was about to befall Him, went out to them and said, Whom are you seeking? Whom do you want? They answered Him, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus said to them, I am He. Judas, who was betraying Him, was also standing with them. When Jesus said to them, I am He, they went backwards, drew back, lurched backward and fell to the ground. Then again He asked them, Whom are you seeking? And they said, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus answered, I told you that I am He. So, if you want Me, if it is only I for Whom you are looking, let these men go their way. Judas, one of His disciples whom He had taught and loved was betraying Him. Jesus knew this would happen and had to happen for the scriptures to be fulfilled but He still could have grown weary. Remember Jesus was a man just like we are and had to totally rely on the strength of His Father to keep going. He felt every feeling we have felt. He was probably a bit weary here.
Wednesday: Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Therefore, Jesus said to Peter, Put the sword back into the sheath! The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it? So the troops and their captain and the guards of the Jews seized Jesus and bound Him. And they brought Him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was expedient and for their welfare that one man should die for - instead of and in behalf of the people. Now Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. And that disciple was known to the high priest, and so he entered along with Jesus into the court of the palace of the high priest; Jesus knew the cup that was before Him was death on the cross but He also knew that He would rise again and return to His Father. He knew what was beyond these weary feelings. Don’t we know His promises beyond our weary feelings? We do if we are focusing on our Father. He has given us everything and His promises are true and for us. If we can see beyond the weariness we will see what we will reap if we don’t give up.
Thursday: But Peter was standing outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door and brought Peter inside. Then the maid who was in charge at the door said to Peter, You are not also one of the disciples of this [a]Man, are you? He said, I am not! Now the servants and the guards had made a fire of coals, for it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. And Peter was with them, standing and warming himself. Peter, a disciple that was so close to Him, denies that he knew Jesus. “Peter said to Him, Even if I must die with You, I will not deny or disown You!” Matthew 26:35 But Simon Peter still was standing and was warming himself. They said to him, You are not also one of His disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not! One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said, Did I not see you in the garden with Him? And again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. Peter denies his Friend three times at a time when Jesus was needing his support.
Friday: Then the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching. Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue and in the temple area, where the Jews congregate and assemble; and I have spoken nothing secretly. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. See! They know what I said. But when He said this, one of the attendants who stood by struck Jesus, saying, Is that how [b]You answer the high priest? Jesus replied, If I have said anything wrong - if I have spoken abusively, if there was evil in what I said tell what was wrong with it. But if I spoke rightly and properly, why do you strike Me? Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Jesus could have grown so weary and given up when He is struck for saying the truth. Isn’t that how it goes sometimes? We have given and given, helped and helped, loved and loved and we get a slap in the face because someone doesn’t like what we have done or said. Another great moment for Jesus to grow weary and quit but He knew the prize at the end and that prize was for us not Himself! He went through all this and did not quit because He loved us and He loved those hurting Him.
Saturday: Matthew 26:38-45 “Then He said to them My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me. And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will - not what I desire, but as You will and desire. And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, What! Are you so utterly unable to stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? All of you must keep awake, give strict attention, be cautious and active and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again a second time He went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass by unless I drink it, Your will be done. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were weighed down with sleep. So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, using the same words. Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of especially wicked sinners whose way or nature it is to act in opposition to God. What if He would have grown so weary He lost His courage and fainted? He knew that what He had sown He would reap. “Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself (reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials), so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. You have not struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your own blood.” Hebrew 12:3-4
As you celebrate His Life be encouraged because He did all this for you – for me. He endured the cross, He kept going when He wanted to quit because He knew the results of His death, His burial and His resurrection. He knew that is what would give us the power and strength to keep going when things looked tough because He is now in us and doing all things through us. Wow! I will never look at growing weary the same again. Love to you all and rejoice in His Resurrection and Love!!!!