Gospel Reflections #137: ONLY JESUS KEEPS HIS PROMISES

Mark 14:27 All of you will stumble over Me. For it is written, "I will strike the shepherd. And the sheep will be scattered."

At the Last Supper with His disciples, after Jesus had made it clear that the Passover meal originally signified His sacrifice and explained that the cup was the blood of the covenant to be shed for many, He went out with His disciples to the Mount of Olives, where He said Jesus said that after He had shed the blood of the covenant, His disciples would forsake Him.

The disciples did not understand what he meant. Jesus did not stop or change His plans because of the reaction of such disciples. It is Jesus' character and love. Even in the face of our opposition, rejection, provocation, and attacks, Jesus patiently endured and poured out His unchanging love to us, not condemnation or criticism. His greatest love is the death of the cross.

No matter what we do, and knowing that the disciples would abandon Him, Jesus persevered in His death on the cross. And after these words, He said, "But after I am resurrected, I will go before you into Galilee. Jesus is saying that when He is resurrected, He will be the first to go to see His disciples who betrayed Him.

Jesus tells the disciples in advance what is going to happen and gives them hope so that they will not remain stumped. He is the God who does the same for us. Even though there are painful facts, it does not end there; there is hope. Jesus comes to us from His own side. It doesn't matter to Jesus how much we have betrayed him or how much we have not grown as we should. The important thing is that Jesus is the one who always keeps his promises and comes to meet us!

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This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of Jesus. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from the Gospel that has filled her heart.