Luke 22- Amazing Grace

We see the flaws and failures of Jesus' disciples throughout this chapter. Judas makes the decision to betray Jesus. The disciples get into an argument at the Passover meal, over which of them is the greatest. They fall asleep while Jesus is praying, even though he's instructed them to pray as well. And Peter, who had said only hours before that he was ready to go with Jesus to prison and death, denies that he even knows Jesus.

I have often wondered how much we're like Jesus' disciples. How often do we focus on the wrong thing while completely missing the point? How often do we just not get it? How often do we not see the seriousness of a situation? How often do we betray Jesus, setting aside our devotion to him in order to pursue our own selfish desires? How often do we deny that we even know him because we're afraid of what people will say or think or do?

This is one of the things that I find most amazing about Jesus. He knew what was coming. He knew that the disciples still didn't really get it. He knew he was going to be betrayed and denied by his own followers. I'd be willing to bet that he knew his followers throughout history would do the same, that we would still be imperfect and that we would still screw it up. And at the same time he knew what he was about to go through, he knew how he was going to suffer and die, and he knew why. And he chose to do it anyway, knowing that he, God in the flesh, was suffering all these things for imperfect, screwed up people- people like his disciples, people like us. He made the ultimate sacrifice to offer forgiveness and redemption to people who had done nothing at all to deserve it, because he loved us that much. That is what grace is all about. And it is truly amazing.