Friday, November 2, 2012

Jesus is arrested (Matthew 26:36-55; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-11)


Jesus takes the disciples to the Mount of Olives and then Gethsemane.  Jesus leaves the other disciples alone and takes Simon Peter, John, and James further off.  He orders them to stand watch for the betrayer and pray.  

Meanwhile, Jesus prays alone.  Jesus is in anguish.  He prays that God the Fathere would relieve him of this duty if it were all possible.  But Jesus asks that not his will, but God's will be done.  

This scene is very well remade in the Passion of the Christ in which the devil appears to Jesus as a snake.  At the end of the prayer, Jesus strikes the head of the snake with his heel, in reference to Genesis.

Jesus returns to the disciples standing guard.  They have fallen asleep.  He wakes them up and prays on his own.  They fall asleep two more times before a large crowd of soldiers, temple officials, and servants of the high priest appear.  They are led by Judas Iscariot.

Judas had arranged that he would kiss the person who is Jesus.  He does this and calls Jesus "Rabbi".

Simon Peter draws a sword and fights back.  This Was probably one of the swords that the group procured at the Last Supper.  Simon Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest.  Presumably, Simon Peter attempted to kill the man.

Jesus tells Jim to stand down and this was all in fulfillment of prophecy.  They are not to do armed resistance, but it still remains why Jesus wanted the two swords.

Jesus ends up healing the Malchus with a single touch.  This is a very powerful part of the arrest of Jesus.  Jesus demonstrates love and kindness to those sent to arrest him.  How could they not know that this man was kind, gentle, and not not deserving execution.

Jesus' disciples flee.  The Gospel of Mark includes a detail not found in the others.  One of the disciples is caught.  He escapes by struggling out of his clothes and flees naked.  One theory is that this totally random and misplaced detail shows the identity of the person who wrote this Gospel.  In other words, this naked fleeing man is Mark, the disciple.

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