Sin is a ruthless tyrant.
It is an ever present malady that bears a host of malignant ills. It is a siren song to Adam’s kin to which
they are inevitably drawn. In its vanity
fair of tempting devices it captivates those who choose to trifle with its plague
infested wares. No one can escape its
damning influence. No one, save One, can
resist. In Him alone is there hope of
deliverance.
The full measure of sin’s tyranny and tenacity was evidenced
in man’s response to the sinless Jesus.
In this sin-loving world the sinless One was unloved and disdained. Jesus was well aware of His pending death
(Matthew 26:1-2). He had spoken of it
often (Mark 9:30-32). It was the
prophesied and predictable response of the Tyrant’s friends.
The religious leaders gathered and plotted together to
arrest and kill Jesus (Matthew 26:3-5).
His crime? He had dared to expose
them for what they were, whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones (Matthew
23:27-28). The light had come into the
darkness and in sin the darkness revolted (Cf. John 3:19-21). His miraculous deeds were mis-attributed to
the devil (Cf. Matthew 12:24), while the devil himself led the religious
leaders to lead in a conspiracy against God.
Judas had walked with Jesus.
He had heard Him speak as no man spoke and seen Him do things that no
man had ever done before. Miracle after
miracle bore witness to Jesus’ true identity (Cf. John 20:30-31). Judas had been a witness to all of that, but
the sin tyrant’s influence runs deep.
The devil held him captive and led him down a dark and dreadful path
(Cf. 2 Timothy 2:26). In the preeminent
of all betrayals, Judas sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew
26:14-16, 47-50).
Jesus’ other disciples were not immune to sin’s tyrannical
influence. Jesus spoke of His sacrifice
for sins. He shared bread and spoke of
His body, the “bread of life.” He drank
with them and spoke of His blood, “to be poured out for many forgiveness of
sins” (Matthew 26:26-29). It is the
nature of sin in its tyranny to close eyes to truth, and the disciples were not
then understanding. As Jesus spoke of
sacrifice, they argued amongst themselves as to who was the greatest (Cf. Luke
22:23). Jesus prayed, they slept
(Matthew 26:36-46). Jesus was undeterred
in fulfilling the Father’s will, they scattered when the going got tough
(Matthew 26:42, 30-31).
Peter himself succumbed.
Jesus was Peter’s dear friend. Peter
had abandoned everything to follow after Jesus.
He had witnessed His miracles, sat at His feet, and even walked on water
with Him. When others deserted Jesus,
Peter stood firm (Cf. John 6:66, 68-69).
Jesus warned His disciples of another pending desertion, Peter pledged and
boldly asserted His allegiance (Matthew 26:30-35). But Peter’s pledge was three times
undone. The tyrant cannot be overcome by
weapons of earthly design (Cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-20). Indeed, self-confidence and bold assertion lie
in his arsenal. Peter won a battle of
sorts when he cut off a man’s ear (Matthew 26:51), but sin won the day when
Peter succumbed to the tyranny of sin (Matthew 26:69-75).
Jesus was arrested.
He could have “called twelve legions of angels” to intervene on His
behalf (Matthew 26:53). He threw the
arresting mob down to the ground at the mere utterance of three words (John
18:6). But He acquiesced to their wicked
plan and was led off to be tried by the tyrant’s friends. Jesus acquiesced to it all ‘til in death He
was done (Cf. John 19:30). The tyrant
thought the battle won, but the tyrant sin was indeed undone when Jesus bore
the sins of man and rose triumphant over all (Cf. Hebrews 2:14-15; Colossians
2:13-15).
Still the tyrant rants and raves. Still he offers to all his gruesome wares. Still he entwines and snares with shackles
and chains he would have us wear. But in
Jesus there is hope for slaves. He has
worked to set the captives free.
Wretched men we are within ourselves, but in Jesus there is victory (Cf.
Romans 7:24-25; 1 Corinthians 15:56-57).
Through Him alone the tyrant is silenced and undone.
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