Vast crowds had milled around our Lord that last week He spent on earth prior to the Cross. On the last night of all He had withdrawn Himself with His disciples to the upper room, seen in those wonderful five chapters of John 13 to 17. He is away from the crowds, alone with His disciples. But soon one of those twelve left the company and went out “…and it was night” (Jn. 13:30). Judas went forth on his nefarious errand of betraying Him with whom he had walked for three years or more. Now there were just 12 left in that room, listening to those matchless truths pouring from the lips of their—and our—Saviour.
And then Jesus went forth with His disciples over the brook Kidron into the garden of Gethsemane (Jn. 18:1). In that garden Jesus prayed, taking with Him three disciples, Peter, James and John, thus leaving the other eight behind. But now our Lord goes still farther, for now He leaves those three as well, going a little farther (Mk. 14:55).
Is He now alone? Not quite. Hear Him: “Ye shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me” (Jn. 16:32). No, there are two left—the Son and the Father. Listen: He is talking to Him as we hear these tremendous words: “Abba Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt” (Mk. 14:36).
So far we have traced His Via Dolorosa from the multitude to twelve to three to Two. But we have not reached the climax yet. Hear our Lord the next day on the Cross: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Now He is alone. The night before He went only a little farther when He left the three disciples and communed with His Father—just the Two of them. But at Calvary He went, not a little, but an infinite distance farther, as far as hell is from heaven, away into the outer darkness and distance from God. Now He has reached the depth of woe—from the multitude to twelve to three to Two to One.
But, praise His holy Name, we may now trace that path in reverse. On the Cross, in those three dark hours, He was alone and forsaken, but before He dismissed His spirit, the Father was with Him again—now there are Two—for we hear Him say: “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.”
And further, He comes back to the “three,” even as He did in Gethsemane. Those “three” picture the nucleus of the Church, for after His death the Church was formed. Thus we have His promise: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt. 18:20).
It won’t be long till Christ will come back to receive His Bride to be with Him forever. But He is not done yet. He will also regather the people of Israel. But that is not all. Listen to His Father as He addresses His Son, the Servant of Jehovah: “And He said, It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6).
While this includes the Church, it also encompasses the multitudes saved during the Tribulation and on into the Millennium, “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9).
Thus from being alone at the Cross He returns first to the Father, then to the Church, then to Israel and finally to the whole world. Yes, from One Seed that died so He would not abide alone there shall come such a harvest that it will fill the universe with His glory. To Him be all the praise!
Written by August Van Ryn