Helping the Impotent Disciples Matthew 26: 31 – 35 Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” (26:31)

Introduction Four elements of Jesus’ own preparation for His sacrificial death Experiencing the final Passovervv. 17 – 25 Establishing the Lord’s Suppervv. 26 – 30 Helping the impotent disciplesvv. 31 – 35 Praying to the Fathervv. 36 – 39

Introduction Disciples – model believers, men of supreme faith, endured every hardship and persecution for their Lord Not so... until after Pentecost On the last night of Jesus’ earthly life: – They were self-confident of their loyalty and bravery – But, their actions showed they were fearful, cowardly, and impotent – Impotent means – powerless, weak, helpless Christians like to think of themselves as being spiritually strong, but those who are mature know than in themselves they are weak.

Introduction Setting – After the Passover dinner and Last Supper – On the Mount of Olives Jesus told the disciples of their imminent desertion Their failure to live up to their own expectations would be a profound and unforgettable lesson – Along with the reality of the resurrection – And the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell them – Would change the course of their lives – Impotent disciples Model believers – The needed “Poverty of spirit” – an honest awareness of their own weakness

Jesus’ Omniscience (vv ) Jesus predicted the disciples would soon face an obstacle that would make them stumble and fall away from their loyalty to Him He knew they would all fall away; not one would remain strong and loyal He knew they would fall away on account of their fear of being associated with Him (Me) He knew they would flee that very night Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee. (26:31-32)

Contrast Jesus with the Disciples Jesus Distinctly divine Faced the cross with courage and valor He faced sin, death, and Satan for all mankind The Disciples Typically human Deserted Jesus in fear and cowardice Risked nothing for Jesus Zechariah 13:7 - “For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” o Jesus quoted Old Testament prophecy o Assured the disciples that their abandonment of Him was part of the eternal plan of God

Jesus Omniscience (vv ) Jesus encouraged the disciples – “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Jesus faced death with supreme courage because: – He knew that He had supreme power over death – “After I have risen” Disciples were still afraid of death, and even imprisonment or humiliation

The Disciples’ Ignorance (vv ) Peter wanted to defend his loyal character – Proud – Self-confident – Convinced of the strength of his love for Jesus – Believed himself to be the truest of the true Jesus singled out Peter as one who not only would desert Him but would even deny Him Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. (26:33-35)

The Disciples’ Ignorance (vv ) Peter’s pride was manifested in three ways – He contradicted the Lord, as he had done at other times – He considered himself better than all the other disciples – He trusted in his own strength – “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Sharing Peter’s misguided self-confidence, all the disciples said the same. The disciples were ignorant of many things – Their own weakness and Satan’s strength – The great power that fear would soon have over them – They would not accept Jesus’ interpretation of the Old Testament prophecy The disciples were willfully ignorant – they persisted in trusting their own understanding above the Lord’s

Believers’ Similarity with Disciples Believers parade their ignorance when they claim to be – Wise – Courageous – Self-sufficient The Lord allows them to learn the hard way that they are really – Foolish – Cowardly – Weak

Conclusion After Pentecost the disciples were changed men – Indwelling Holy Spirit was the source of their new-found courage and dedication – The lesson they learned so bitterly had a lasting effect on them Their own ignorance and foolish self-sufficiency Christ’s divine omniscience and gracious sufficiency – They had experienced His mercy so intimately and so profoundly that they were determined to never forsake Him again – But, they knew in themselves, they were as weak as ever – Their only prospect for faithfulness was total obedience to and dependence on Him