A WEEK TO REMEMBER -- PART 8 ON THE WAY TO GETHSEMANE

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Friday, 14 NISAN

After the Last Supper, Jesus began a farewell address to his disciples. The disciples really didn’t fully understand this and they kept interrupting and questioning, especially Peter, who insisted he would never deny Jesus and the others also agreed they would stand with him, even in the face of death. Well, we’ll see.

Eventually they sang a hymn and then all left the Upper Room for the walk over to the Mount of Olives and Jesus continued to speak as they went.

ON THE WAY TO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

John 15 & 16

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 

Jesus continued talking as he and the disciples journey from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here we can see allusions back to the drinking of the wine in Communion, for Jesus calls himself the vine. He is the vine and we are the branches

People who say they like Jesus because he is not like the Old Testament God, who they see as hard, overlook these passages. The Father is the ultimate overseer, even in the New Testament. Jesus calls the Father “the vinedresser.” The branches, like the fig tree are expected to bear fruit, which they cannot do unless they abide in the vine, which is Jesus. Notice that the vinedresser takes away any branches that fail to bear fruit, but he also prunes every branch that does so it can produce more. Keep that in mine when you feel you are going through things. You may be made ready to produce more. God may be pruning to shape you.

You want this attention from God. Whoever is God’s Sons (and Daughters) he disciplines. If you reject abiding in Jesus and resist God’s pruning, you will wither and fail to bear fruit and be tossed aside.Eventually you will be gathered up, tossed into the fire to burn.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples here and by extension to Christians, including us. So I raise some questions.

What do you view as produced fruit?

Some look at this and say it is the number of people we have drawn to Jesus and saved. But we don’t draw people to God, God draws people to himself:  John 6: 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.  We also cannot save anyone, only Christ can save. There are people who brag of how many they have saved and put notches on there belt. 

Now I know some, maybe many will disagree with me, but it seems what we have been commanded to do is go make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus’ commands, preparing them to go and do likewise. Since I was saved 43 years ago and attended a number of churches I think there has been a lot of neglect in fully doing this. I have seen many instances of people coming forward and making a profession of Christ, but once done I have seen far less of the other. Baptism is many times done, but the making them into disciples and teaching them to obey has too often fallen by the way. 

But how can we best accomplish this? By being an example of the fruits of the Spirit.These fruits are listed in Galatians 5: 22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

It is by these Fruits of the Spirit we develop a way to show our love of Christ and of one another, and our neighbor. These Fruits go against our human nature, so without abiding in Christ we certainly wouldn’t grow them and it is only through the pruning discipline of God that we grow them abundantly. And what happens if we develop these fruits and show our obedience to God? We become an offense to the world.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Notice that Christ says he chose them out of the world.

John 15;16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.

In John 13:34-35, right after Jesus had basically exposed Judas, he gave a new commandment to the disciples.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So by these two reasons the world will recognize we Christians as different from the world. We love one and another, and we display the nine Fruits of the Spirit in our daily living.  We must live by these things, because they are continuous, and difficult to counterfeit. Certainly the sacraments are important commands as well and through them we identify with Christ, but they can be appropriated and faked by insincere people. But it is very difficult to consistently live the Fruits of the Spirit as a phony.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.  But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  Whoever hates me hates my Father also.  If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.  But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

Here is why we preach and teach and tell people we meet about the Gospel of Christ, even in the face of persecution or ridicule. It is not because we want to have some kind of bragging rights, it is because of what Paul has written to us all in Romans 11:13-17.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

We are more than just the watchers on the wall, we are also the sounders of the trumpet call of salvation. But why should our call be believed if we are not striving to live by the Fruits of the Spirit?

But where do we find the strength for this in this world?

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

We can because we have within us a great resource of knowledge and strength, the Holy Spirit.

Again in this passage we have a reference to the Trinity. God the son, will send from God the father, the Helper, God the Spirit.

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

What do we hear when we see those like Isis, who call for the death of any who do not bow to Islam? They think they are doing it as a service to God and be rewarded for the effort.  What kind of reward is it to be martyred so you can receive 72 virgins? Is that in itself simply the sin of sexual immorality?

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Another reason the world will hate us is because we are filled with the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit and the world does not like to face their sins and unrighteousness. Now the world is saying it is not healthy to be married, but it is to have multiple sex partners, for instant. You say otherwise and you are called intolerant or judgmental or worse.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me. Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus Intercessory Prayer

John 17

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Here Jesus emphasizes and verifies his eternal existence with God even before the world was created.

 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.  And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Sanctification is to set apart for a purpose, in this case a divine purpose.  It is also the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. When we accept Christ we become saved and the Holy Spirit entered us and we become free to live the life God desires for us. It is a continuous process to make us Holy.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

Here is Jesus extending his prayer to us. It is for all who come to belief in Jesus from the words of the Apostles and those who follow them.

The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Christ’s Agony in the Garden

Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:40-46, John 18:1

 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.

This brook is a wadi near the Temple Mount that goes through the Kidron Valley on the Old City of Jerusalem’s eastern side. It would generally be dry, except in the rainy season.

They entered a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives called Gethsemane. The Garden covers just over a quarter acre. It sits near the Temple and is a natural part of the route from the Temple to the summit and Bethany beyond. The name means “Oil Press” and it still is where oil is pressed from the ancient olive trees located within it.

We are about to see a test of the Apostles resolve with all the promises they had made previously of never deserting or letting Jesus down. especially Peter who said he would lay down his life for Jesus. Note, that once again he takes his three longest disciples and the ones he had taken to the Transfiguration, Peter, James and John.

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he  said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, he began to be greatly distressed, sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”  “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”  And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw.

And going a little farther he fell on the ground on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, this hour might pass from me. Abba, Father, all things are possible for you, if you are willing let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer and he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.

And he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

And Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, saying the same words, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy. and they did not know what to answer him. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 

"And Then he came to the disciples the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Sleep and take your rest later on. It is enough; see, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Despite their earlier braggadocio that they would never leave or deny Jesus, here they can’t even stand watch for one hour.

Jesus is coming again and has told us to stay awake. 

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:42-44)

There are other passages warning us to stay awake and be watchful. How am I doing and how are you doing with this? Are we awake and alert? Are we doing this out of love?

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16: 13-14)

Jesus Arrested

Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22: 47-53, John  18:2-12

Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people; the man called Judas, one of  the twelve, was leading them and he drew near to Jesus to kiss him. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him. and lead him away under guard.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!”, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” And he kissed him. 

Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken:  “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”

Who is in charge on this night?

Was it Judas? He had rounded up this band or soldiers, priests and others, but I doubt he was much in control of them. I think Judas was probably shaking in his sandals. He came near to Jesus because he had told this mob that the one he would kiss would be Jesus, but in doing so he had to come face to face. I wonder if Judas stomach churned a bit when Jesus’ eyes fell upon him. Could Judas gaze back? Judas actually seems to hesitate, since Jesus finally has to say to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” What did Judas think still being called Friend?

Jesus is calm and collected. “Whom do you seek?” They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth”. He answered, “I am he”. Actually the Greek was “Ego eimi”, which in this form was an emphatic “I am”.And when he answered thus these men stepped back and fell on the ground. That is a very interesting response. What power was in that statement of “I AM”?  Thus he had to ask a second time, Whom do you seek?” And again when they said Jesus of Nazareth, he answered, “I am.”

 And then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And behold, one of those who were with Jesus, Simon Peter, stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

Then Jesus said to Peter, No more of this!. Put your sword back into its place. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me? For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?“ 

And he touched [Malchus] ear and healed him. 

Naturally, it was Peter who took rash and foolish action that could have easily got them all killed if Jesus hadn’t calmed the situation.

Jesus is very calm throughout, but his disciples weren’t. They were probably very nervous and Peter didn’t react at all well. As usual, he simply plunged ahead unthinking and cut off the ear of Malchus. This was a very bad move. I am sure at this point the soldiers in the crowd were about to seize and slaughter the disciples.  Most likely, they had already began laying hands on them until Jesus spoke, telling all to stop, ordering Peter to put away the weapon, and most importantly healing Malchus ear.

Now, as to legions of Angels, a Roman legion varied from time to time, but was originally 5,000 men. Mathmatically, more than 12 legions of  Angels would have been upward of 60,000. The math isn’t important. This was simply a term meaning there could be an awful lot of Angels.

”At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Then all the disciples left him and fled.

During Jesus statement there was most likely a brief period of calmness, of which, the disciples took advantage to run for their lives, deserting Jesus in their haste at self-preservation. Ha, so much for any pledges to die for him.

Still the crowd managed to get a hold of one young man, whose rather scanty attire was ripped from his body leaving him to run into the night naked.

And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

A somewhat odd and intriguing passage. History has left us in the dark as to whom this young man was, let alone why he was dressed only in a linen cloth. 

Popular speculation is that this was John Mark, the young man who accompanied Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas was his cousin. When Paul and Barnabas come to some difference and split apart, John Mark went with his cousin. 

John Mark is considered the writer of the Gospel of Mark and this seems to be the only real reason many assume he was the young man who fled naked the night Jesus was arrested, because this incident is only recorded in Mark. 

Now some other speculate this person may of been John, since he was a young man at the time, or even his brother James.

Perhaps the closest thing to this was certain procedures practiced by the Temple Guard among themselves. If a guard assigned to guard duty fell asleep and was caught, he might be smacked with a stick, although there was a worse punishment. he would have been striped naked, his clothes burned and forced to run off naked. You can find something of a allusion to this is in Revelation 16:15:  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (KJV)   This translates somewhat different in other versions , such as the English Standard:  (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

This seems more a warning to be ready than a punishment. However some look at this passage and project back to when Jesus asked his three Apostles to stay awake while he prayed, then came back to find them asleep. There is nothing saying Jesus either hit them with a stick or striped them of their clothes.

This incident in Mark remains something of a puzzle. 

This now brings us to a very early hour, somewhere just before 1:00 AM perhaps, as Jesus is arrested and led away deserted by his own.