Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Matthew 26:33

Then all the disciples left Him and fled. Matthew 26:56

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:16 – 20

I find nothing very appealing following the scenes in the Upper Room.   Jesus is suffering in ways we hardly begin to understand.  In a few hours all the sins of the world, horrible as it sounds, all confessed sin, past present and future will fall on Jesus of Nazareth.  At this point I can only stand in astonishment for I cannot begin to fathom what is about to happen, or what has already puzzled me  – Jesus almost dying of sorrow in the Garden – uncontested arrest – the deplorable Jewish inquisition and so on.  After all this and more we read that all the disciples deserted him and fled.  That tight, small band of followers of Jesus fell apart, each to his own little “disappointment chamber,” confused and frightened – heartbroken.

Peter who was outspoken about his determination never to leave Jesus, denied, can you believe it, he ever knew Jesus at all.  It is no wonder the sun went dark, the earth shook and strange things happened. If Peter collapses, what of the rest?

The story does not end there, fortunately.  It proceeds – Jesus takes upon himself the sins of the world.  As a sacrifice He died to atone for all confessed sin.  Then He rose from the grave, inviting all mankind to be reconciled to God through faith in his cleansing blood.

The eleven clustered around Jesus once again, now reinstated.  The new day has come. There on a hill in Galilee of the nations, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18 – 20.