will be betrayed

^17-19Jesus, now well on the way up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve off to the side of the road and said, "Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive." -Matthew 20

I've been reading and rereading this scripture a lot lately, wondering many things, but mainly, I cannot stop asking myself:


What did the disciples think?


How did they respond to that?


What were their face expressions?


What did they say- if they even spoke at all?


Matthew doesn't answer any of these questions for me.
So, I sort of answer them for myself by putting myself in their place,


Imagining Jesus Christ, Son of God, My personal savior, turning to me and telling me about his soon-to-come, graphic, violent death for the salvation of the world.


...I'm not sure how I'd respond.


But I think we should keep in mind the kind of relationship the disciples had with Jesus.


I mean, these 12 guys (plus many other followers) were with Jesus throughout his entire 3 year ministry.


They were there when Jesus stood in the temple and spoke those astounding words "destroy this temple and I'll rebuild it in three days!"


They were by His side when he called a dead man out of his tomb.


They were there to watch Him restore sight to a blind man.


They hung on every word he spoke,


saw every step he took,


every act of love,


every compassionate look


and now...


...Now they were wondering if they were going to watch this totally dynamic, beautiful, God-in-the-flesh savior of the universe ...die.


I mean, did they wonder if that was even possible? Could "The Light of the World" perish on a cross?


How could this happen?


I can practically see the gears in their minds whirling.


And I can't say that I blame them; I'd probably feel the same way.


But, the disciples, though they feared to imagine it, did witness their worst nightmare come true before their very eye: They would watch their best friend and teacher give up his life on the cross; dying the most brutal, and horrific death imaginable.


Though, as, Jesus explained to them at the last supper in John's gospel; They didn't understand now, but they would understand later.
And that their sadness would soon transform into joy.


True.


But, this was their best friend telling them this. Telling them that they would soon watch Him die.


...And stunningly, the disciple's responses are not written. We have no idea how they reacted.


So within this 'Biblical Blackout' we have have this brilliant opportunity to turn the table here and put ourselves in their sandals.


The opportunity to look into Jesus' eyes and absorb His first person, preface of His own death. In His own words.


The death He would die...for us.