Luke 22:35-38…
The cross and the crown…
To understand these words of Jesus we need to look at the passage Jesus cited as the basis for His words (Isaiah 53:12). The hope of the disciples was based upon their understanding of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, whom they knew Jesus was. But they didn’t as yet understand all the prophecies that pointed to Messiah, like Isaiah 53. This text was not recognized as messianic until later, because the people didn’t expect the Messiah as a suffering servant, only as a triumphant king. Men would reject Jesus because He would not conform to their expectations about the Messiah.
What the disciples did not understand was that the glorious kingdom of righteousness was to be brought about by a “king” who was rejected as a sinner, a criminal. The cross was God’s means of gaining the crown. All of this was revealed through this prophecy of Isaiah. Yet the disciples failed to grasp it, because they were looking at matters through the eyes of their own ambition.
If Jesus was to be rejected, this also meant that His disciples would be. Jesus wanted to focus the disciples’ attention on the change which was occurring in the minds of the people toward the Messiah. When the disciples first went out witnessing, they were popular, but now they would be despised. The people would not like what they see, even as Isaiah predicted. Jesus was not advocating violence. He was simply saying that instead of expecting popularity, they would experience persecution. They must prepare for rejection.
So must we. Our labor is not in vain, but it is always the cross before the crown.
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