Strange topic for Good Friday and Easter but I believe it is very relevant.  It is really not about Jesus failing, but rather people’s perception of Jesus failing them and there agenda, so there for He failed.

Passages are from Luke 19:28-47
As Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Sunday of Holy week, what we call palm Sunday, the crowds of people were praising him and crying out ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.!’  They believed their new king, their deliverer was coming to overthrow the Roman oppression, to rule and reign in a earthly kingdom. But Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. Because they did not understand who he was, they did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them.  Soon after is where Jesus failed them the first time.  Jesus did not go to the seat of the government to overthrow Pontius Pilot, the Roman governor over Jerusalem, no, he went to the temple.  In their eyes surely Jesus made a wrong turn. Instead he entered the temple.  Jesus did not come to overthrow the ways of the world, but to overthrow the ways that His Fathers house had been corrupted with and misused to their glory, not Gods.
 
The religious leaders were so angry they wanted to kill him.
 
John 13:1-17
Jesus failed once again when he ate the last supper with his disciples.  He was their leader, their Rabbi, their teacher, the one to be looked up to and served. After they finished their meal Jesus got up and began to wash the feet of his disciples.  This was a job that was to be done by the most lowly of servants whenever people would enter the house.  None of the disciples did this because they were busy arguing about who would be the greatest in the new kingdom Jesus would establish.  James and John even sent their mother to petition Jesus to have them sit at his right and left side in his kingdom. But Jesus being fully confident in who he was in the Father became their servant and washed all of their feet. Peter was adoment that Jesus, his leader, would not do such a thing for him but Jesus convinced him to allow him to do so. Jesus had told them before he did not come to be served but to serve.  He also told them that this was an example for them to follow.  They wanted to be served as leaders, not be servant leaders.
 
Matthew 26:36-56
After the last supper Jesus and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  Imagine the shock and horror of the disciples at the events that occurred. Jesus told them “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” A leader can not be weak and vulnerable, he has to be strong and lead the charge. How about when Judas comes leading the Roman soldiers to come and arrest Jesus and he puts up no struggle or fight but just surrenders to them.  What fate is in store for them if their leader so easily gives up.  They all fled for fear of their own safety and left Jesus alone.
 
Matthew 27:32ff
The greatest failure or disappointment truly had to come as Jesus was sentenced to be put to death, death on a cross, crucifixion.  This was not just a temporary set back, a slight deviation from their plans and purpose for what Jesus was to do and what he was to be for them, this was an end to their dream, their hope for deliverance.  The candidate who they had backed, who they gave up everything for, who they spent the last three years of their life following and learning from and fully believing was going to be the next ruler, was now going to be crucified.  How could this happen, where had this all gone wrong.  How could this Jesus so let them down?  They had to have so many questions.  It wasn’t that they were not told told time and again by Jesus that this had to happen to him, and that it was all God’s plan and doing and man was only fulfilling what had been prophesied centuries earlier. But they never heard, never understood or comprehended what was said because they were so focused on what they wanted him to be for them.
 
Often times we can think that God has failed us because he does not do things according to our ways and plans.  We can believe he has let us down or doesn’t care about us because things do not go our way.There is nothing further from the truth.
 
God loves us so much that he allowed his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that our relationship with him could be restored.  There is no greater love.  God will never fail us, he will never forsake us or leave us.  But it may very well at times appear that God is not working things out, because he is not doing it our way.
 
Always remember, God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and God’s ways are greater than our ways. And most of all remember that Jesus Christ rose on the third day and paid the price for all of our sins and he conquered death. He is the victor and  he died so we can live in victory by him  And as he rose from the dead all that put their faith in him will rise again to live eternally with him and rule and reign.
 
Just A Thought,
Dave Roberts