Matt. 26
What is so profoundly interesting to us in this chapter is, that we get what was in the mind of Christ. His spirit gives this wonderful moral picture of immense value to us- perfect calmness and real power. His soul is going through that which is coming upon Him, so that when He has to deal with other persons He is never disturbed. We see in Him what is so hard for us to have- not indifference, not the least stiffening of His mind against it, but so with. His Father about it, that there is not the smallest trace of disturbance in His spirit, no indifference or stiffness of heart, but the soul reached by the sense of what is upon Him. We have to trace in ourselves a certain hardness or indifference, unable to be free from the effects of it, and so turn from it, "sleeping for sorrow," or take a sword, or take to flight.
It is beautiful for us to see Him feeling everything perfectly-not only as a divine Person, but in perfect manhood. He learned obedience by the things that He suffered. The world never in that sense possessed Him. Two things marked Christ-obedience and dependence, prayer and doing the Father's will. In Peter we do not see obedience and dependence, but confidence in nature. Two characteristics marked him-he does his own will, and there is no dependence on the Lord. With the Lord Jesus, there was the going through the difficulties with God beforehand; and when they came, there was quietness and perfect self-command; for all had been really gone through.
There is nothing so firm as obedience, and nothing so humble-perfect firmness, because I know I am obeying-perfect lowliness, because I know I am dependent. If I am in sorrow, like Christ, in the presence of God I am awake; but if I am asleep then, when I come before man, I take the sword and act according to nature. Asleep when we should be with God about the trial; acting out of place when with man. Christ, when man came, was unmoved by his wickedness, because He had gone through the reality with God-betrayed by the nearest to Him; and as for the priests, all they would do was to plead against Him. Christ being there shows out man. Here was One always perfect, fully conscious of all that was coming upon Him. in perfect submission going as man to God about it; and when the judgment comes, He goes as a Lamb to the slaughter. He was not actually on the cross, but was looking at it (v. 39). He drank other bitter cups as man, but He never asked that any might pass from Him but this; and here was a cup that His piety desired might pass. He ought to have felt it-His very perfection made Him shrink from drinking that cup of wrath for man's sins. But He did drink it all with perfect meekness; and looking forward to it (the forsaking of God), He prays, in Psalm 22, "Be not Thou far from Me." He rehearses it all and turns to God. As to any comfort for His spirit, He had only sleeping disciples. It is terrible, when we think of it, how man showed himself. But it is good for our souls to have Christ before us here.
In the Psalm we see Him turning round and looking for some to take pity, but He found none; none could go through that-death coming with wrath. And if there were only a shadow of that, man could not go through it. He felt all that, and we see His perfection in it-see what His spirit and mind were in passing through it. Has it got hold of your hearts? have your souls been with Him thus? As regards us, nothing stopped Him in His devotedness to save us. If you want to see perfection of love, if you want to see devotedness of love, go and see the Lord suffering in our stead -feed on it. If you want to know the love of Christ, it passes knowledge; by divine teaching we may apprehend it. It is blessed to see His grace in the midst of evil. Being with God perfectly, He had the right word for everyone. It humbles us; yet to see that He was perfect is joy to the heart.