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bowed before the Father's will. He had done this earlier. When rejection instead of
acceptance by Israel was made manifest He said "Even so Father: for so it seemed good
in Thy sight", and called upon all who labour and are heavy laden to take His yoke upon
them and learn of Him, for said He "I am meek and lowly of heart". We can get some
confirmation of this by observing the balancing members of the structure of Matthew's
Gospel:
Matthew
A | 1: 1 - 3: 17. Birth to Baptism.
Ministry of John the Baptist.
"Born King of the Jews."
B | 4: 1-16. Threefold Temptation of the King. Triumph.
B | 26: 36-44. Threefold agony of the King-Priest. Triumph.
A | xxvii, 28: Baptism of suffering to Birth in Resurrection.
Ministry of those who are to baptize all nations.
"This is Jesus the King of the Jews."
This structure is not complete, but the temptation in the wilderness and the agony in
the garden perfectly correspond. Will any one dare to suggest that the word "triumph" be
altered to temporary hesitation, drawing back or any other derogatory expression? Christ
as surely triumphed over the attack of the Devil in the garden, as He had overcome the
same Tempter in the wilderness. The word "agony" agonia, which is so closely
associated with this awful experience in the garden, provides us with the word "race" of
Heb. 12: 1 where the Greek word is agon. After an unprecedented list of suffering and
endurance (Heb. 11: 33-38) in which there is no hint that any drew back, the reader is
exhorted to "look away unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith". There is no hint
that He drew back for an instant, but rather "for the joy that was set before Him, endured
the cross, despising the shame" and this is followed by an exhortation to:
"Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be
wearied and faint in your minds" (Heb. 12: 3),
adding the pregnant words,
"Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin" (Heb. 12: 4).
Three passages of Hebrews are linked together:
"It became Him . . . . . to make the Captain (archegos) of their salvation--PERFECT
(teleioo) THROUGH SUFFERINGS" (Heb. 2: 10).
"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;
and being made PERFECT (teleioo), He became the author of eternal salvation unto all
them that obey Him" (Heb. 5: 8, 9).
"Looking unto Jesus the Captain (archegos) and PERFECTER (teleiotes) of faith"
(Heb. 12: 2 not AV JP).
It is of the very essence of the words translated "perfect" that one goes right on to the
end (telos), "forgetting the things that are behind". Can we believe that Paul could say,