They Just Didn't Get It - Do We?

“Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.  Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

These were the words of Peter (paraphrased from Matthew 26:31-35) when the Lord told His disciples they would falter in their faith in Him that night.  Peter was not alone.  All of the disciples said the same thing and I have no doubt in my heart they meant it.  Jesus then takes the inner circle with Him to pray in the Garden.  He asks them to come along and watch/be alert as He prayed.  Jesus knew it was near the time of the betrayal and His death.  He knew.  The disciples didn't know.  They didn't get it.  They kept falling off to sleep.  And sure enough, when taken by the soldiers, the disciples scattered. The only one that followed to see what happened (Peter), vehemently denied relationship with Him when questioned.

I wonder if it would have made a difference if they knew in advance all that would happen.  Maybe if they had known that Jesus would be interrogated, spit on, ridiculed, beaten and humiliated, they would have been more cautious with their declarations of standing with Him.  Perhaps if they understood that He was going to be unjustly convicted and crucified, they would have made more of an effort to be awake with Him in the Garden.  Maybe if they understood the repercussions throughout eternity, they would have made different choices.

They just didn't get it.  They didn't see the big picture.  Do we?

Jesus told us, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.  Be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (paraphrased Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8). 

As Jesus spoke these words,  He was preparing to return to His Father.  After He rose from the dead, I am sure His disciples felt like He, and they, were unstoppable.  It was the ultimate miracle and I am sure they were hyped.  Pretty much the way we feel when we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  You know the way we feel when we are reminded that Jesus chooses to use us for His glory.  It's the fearsome elation we feel when we accept His call upon our lives.  Our hearts scream, we are all in.  But have we faltered?

Jesus told us to go.  He told us to be His witnesses.  Yet many of us choose the life of comfort in a safe job, comfortable home and welcoming spiritual gathering place.  We read together, study together, pray together, sing together and give together.  We worship our King , but at the same time are we falling asleep on what He asked us to do?  Are we seeing the big picture?  What if we knew more?

Will it make a difference to you to know that there are over 7 billion people in the world and over 2/3rds of them have never heard the Gospel?  Does it matter that approximately 155,000 people die each day in the world without knowing Christ (and many not having heard the Gospel)?  Are you surprised to know 8 out 10 people in the world and 20% of Americans say they don't know a Christian?  Do you realize that more than 90% of Christian Outreach targets Christians and not non-Christians?  Does it matter that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of our behavior?

2 Corinthians 5:10(NKJV)
¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

Are we going to fall asleep like the early disciples in the garden instead of doing what Jesus asks?  Are we going to deny Him by disobedience?  What we do now, in these moments,  impacts eternity. 

In those moments, the early disciples just didn't get it.  Do we?