March 4 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Mark 14:43–52

Devotional

Upon the arrest of Jesus, He is deserted. All His disciples run away from Him. The last one who comes is a young man with a linen garment. He finally chooses to run away as well. Reader, have you run away from the Savior? We run away from the Lord Jesus because of our self-love. We run away from Him because of our sins. We choose that which is evil in His sight. Have you seen yourself as one who has forsaken Christ? Do you have sorrow in your heart because you run away from Him? If that is the case, then your sins become wounds that hurt and you learn to loathe yourself.

There is comfort in our text for such people. The comfort is that Christ, the Surety, continues His work in spite of His people. The Surety does all His work all alone. There is no one with Him. That is why salvation is possible for the chief of sinners.

When you understand these things, then sin becomes dreadful to you. You are humbled. You become small and your sins become very costly. Your sins cost the Surety such suffering. Then you see that nothing can be expected of you, for He did it all. You could never do anything to earn your own salvation and all you did you spoiled with your own clumsy hands. Now Jesus is a Surety for such people.

Jesus continues His way alone on the path of suffering. He continues that path for such runaway people. They can run away as far as they want but they can never run away from His heart. The disciples let go of Jesus, but He did not let go of them and that is why they are saved. Later on, John understood this and said, “We love him because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The disciples thought they had to do much for Jesus, but later they understood that Jesus had to do everything for them. They thought they could die for Jesus but later on they understood that Jesus had to die for them. We also let go of Jesus. But He does not let go of us!

Here the Surety is alone because the church does not want to go along. What an uncovering truth this is: the church does not want to travel the road of sorrow with Christ. But in reality, the church cannot come along for then His work would not be perfect. Finally, the church is not allowed to come along because God pours out His wrath on the Surety and He must suffer alone in outer darkness. That is how God’s justice must be satisfied.

When the disciples flee and the young man in the linen cloth flees, it is God’s plan. The Surety has to suffer alone. He has to be alone so that there can be an everlasting communion with God and with all the saints. By His death on the cross, communion is restored. The church can now sing, “God is with me, whom shall I fear?” God’s people can sing forever, “My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation” (Ps. 22:25).

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.