“ Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” – Matthew 21:8-11.
Halftime in sports is crucial for a variety of reasons, primarily offering a strategic and physical advantage to teams. They provide an opportunity for coaches to assess the game, make necessary adjustments to strategy, and offer a breather for players to recover and refuel.
Jesus has been busy. Numerous miracles have been performed. Hundreds of people have been healed. Lazarus has been raised from the dead. When Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem, the crowd is waiting, shouting “Hosanna.” Everyone is expecting Jesus to soon proclaim Himself as the King. The disciples probably thought this was half-time and the second half was going to be epic. It’s the Passover meal, and they are celebrating the feast that honors God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt. In the midst of high fives and smiles Jesus tells them that one of the people there will betray Him (Mark 14:18-20). Then he says all of you will desert me (Mark 14:27-31). They were probably taken back, and Peter declared emphatically. “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all the others vowed the same.
Think about this half-time talk. The 12-man team is going to fall apart because they are not ready to handle the latter part of the game. Their opponent is probably too much for them to handle. And you have to finish the game without your leader because Jesus is arrested in the garden. How does his “team” react? They did exactly what Jesus said they would do, including Peter. The realization of defeat settled in and the old life-style came back John 21:3:” Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” Peter seemed to be throwing in the towel and reluctantly going back to their old life. But they had forgotten about the new coach Jesus had promised them.
In John 16:7, Jesus says, “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate[a] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.” Jesus had tried to prepare them: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you” (John 14:16-17).
He left them with a power. We see that power manifested in the team. Peter preached a sermon under the power of the Holy Spirit that resulted in the birth of the church. And what a second half it has been.
Discussion Questions:
- If it’s halftime, what should we do going forward?