TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

During this time of remembering Jesus’ death and celebrating His resurrection, we often want to give the crucifixion honorable mention and quickly move to the victory of the empty tomb. When we allow ourselves to pause and consider the pain and agony of His death, it is hard to get pass the horror of the physical torture that Jesus suffered for us. But what about the mental agony of “He who knew no sin”, bearing our sins? Consider His anguish as the One who “so loved the world” looked down from the cross and saw only a handful of followers watching from afar. After 3 1/2 years of preaching, miracles and sacrifice, was this His entire congregation? Had they gone in search of a more exciting program, a more dynamic speaker or a more “seeker-friendly” message? What had happened to the multitudes that came for the loaves and fishes?

The beginning of the exodus of Jesus’ followers is recorded in John 6:66-68. “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Jesus could continue His ministry with the assurance that there would always be His mother and at least 12 men or 11 since as God; He knew Judas would betray Him. Jesus could always depend on Peter. It was Peter who recognized that Jesus was the Son of the Living God. Peter who said, “I have no other place to go.” We hear from Peter again assuring Jesus that he would “NEVER deny Him.” The same Peter who was given the Keys to the Kingdom. Now, jump ahead to “Trial Day” and where is Peter? We find him outside with the other spectators loudly proclaiming, “Don’t look at me, I don’t know Him.”

Jesus looks down from the cross expecting to see some of the 5,000 that were fed from a little boys lunch, or maybe Blind Bartemaeus, surely at least 1 of the 10 lepers would come to mourn, John 19:25-26 explains Jesus’ view from the cross, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!"  Only 4 people? During His final hour, Jesus had more accusers than followers. The loneliness must have been overwhelming.

Would I have been at the foot of the cross? Like Peter, I assure myself that I would never leave, where else would I go, He has the words of eternal life. But what happens when life gets tough, when my plans and dreams get shattered, when it seems there is no harvest after years of sowing seed and watering tender plants? Am I like Peter standing afar off warming his hands or do you find me kneeling with John and the 3 women; faithful to the end? Lord, I want to be a Simon of Cyrene carrying your cross or a Joseph of Arimathaea, ministering to your Body. In the good times and bad, during harvest or famine, whether it rains or the sun shines, “To whom shall I go, You have the Words of Eternal life.”