Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try, it’s still not good enough? You keep chasing after the things you think will make you happy or successful, but you always wind up disappointed. There seems to be an emptiness inside that nothing in this world can truly fill. In this story of Jesus’ arrest, we see three pictures of humanity that reveal our deepest needs and where true fulfillment is found.
Humanity At Our Worst
We see Judas and the Roman soldiers coming to arrest Jesus. This represents humanity at our worst, loving darkness rather than light.
Humanity At Our Best
We see Peter attempting to follow Jesus and stand up for him. This represents humanity doing our best but still coming up short.
Humanity At Our Truest
We see Jesus willingly submitting to arrest. His perfect sacrifice represents humanity at our truest, united with Christ.
Our Best Is Not Enough
The speaker argues that neither humanity at our worst nor our best is sufficient. We need Jesus, who is enough. His sacrifice provides the way for us to be made right with God.
Looking to Jesus
The conclusion is that we must look to Jesus to find the life God intends for us. Our own efforts and righteousness cannot save us.
So our best efforts will always come up short. Only Jesus – his perfect life, his atoning death and his victory over sin and death – can provide what our souls truly long for. When we turn from ourselves and our futile efforts, and place our trust in him, we find the life God intended for us all along. Jesus alone is enough.
As we go from here, may we stop chasing after the things of this world that can never satisfy. May we lose our lives in Christ, die to our self-righteousness, and find life through him. May we trust in Jesus – his life, his death and his resurrection – and discover that he truly is all we need.