Delivered Into

A small section of transition is found in Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43-45 (read it, please). Jesus is traveling with his apostles south from the region of Caesarea Philippi to the regions of familiar Galilee. The experiences of the past couple of weeks were some of the most dramatic and memorable of Jesus' ministry. Now he begins his trek toward Jerusalem and death and resurrection. It seems from the text that he stays in more remote areas wanting to spend some quality time with the apostles, teaching and telling them of the things to come. He is only about six months away from his crucifixion, and so it must be the Fall of the year. It is not clear if he allows His disciples to go see their families who lived in the area (all but Judas' family who were in Judea). Though not the first time he taught them about death, burial and resurrection, He does impress on them the seriousness of what will soon happen. (See Matt.16:21-26 and Matt.17:9-13)

In our present context the three synoptics use the same phrase, i.e. "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." He will be taken into custody, arrested. Remember they have just witnessed a really bad demon obey Jesus immediately. His power was unmistakable.So how could any man take him into custody? We will come back to that. Remember Samson. When he had his God-given strength no one could take him in. He was unarrestable. It was only when the outward source of his strength was taken away, his hair, that he was as weak as a child. Yet, while in custody he killed more than when free. The apostle Paul was also delivered over to the the Romans (Acts 28:17), and yet the gospel was not chained. In Matthew 11:27 Jesus says, "All things have been handed over to Me by my Father." The one to whom all things have been delivered is to be delivered into the hands of men. How can this be?  How can mere men arrest Jesus? Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. All power and authority are His. He rules all men. He is power incarnate. Yet, He will be delivered? Such a plan seems so backward. Generals do not surrender. Captains go down with the ship. Jesus will be delivered. But how? Paul tells us in Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

Do you see this? Jesus' own Father turned Him in. Judas may have been an instrument to identify Jesus, but it was God who delivered Him up to the hands of men. Peter says in Acts 2:23 that Jesus was delivered up by the "predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God." The Deliverer will be delivered up. God Himself was to turn His own Son in. Did this give Satan hope that perhaps God was rejecting His own Son and might be looking for another to take His place? God turned Him in so He would not have to turn us in.