Day 33 - The Arrest

Today's reading is from Mark 14.

This reading is occupied with various things: the anointing of Jesus by the woman of expensive perfume; and the first Lord's Supper Jesus had with his disciples; the prediction of Jesus of the disciples denial and abandonment of him; the agony of Jesus in the garden of Gesthemane; and finally his arrest by the Jewish authorities.

What Jesus does is prepare his disciples for the inevitability of what is about to occur. He knows that he will be arrested, falsely accused, tried and convicted and then killed. He knows this is to occur; but they do not yet comprehend what his final work is to be. So, in many ways, all of the things early on are to make them aware later on that all that happened was supposed to happen.

Among the things that occurred that evening we can see the coming "agony" of Jesus in Gethsemane. Mark 14:34-36 (NIV)
34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

The "hour" was the entire event that was about to occur. His prayer was not to escape it; but that he wanted to submit to the awfulness of it and get through it as he should. Gethsemane was a picture into the humanity of Jesus, and the reality of Philippians 2 when Paul said, "he emptied himself". There he gave up all authority and deity was restrained...set aside to accomplish this work of righteousness on the cross.

The arrest to follow and the first appearance before Caiaphas was not going the way the Jewish leaders had envisioned...that is until Caiaphas himself asked the question: Mark 14:61-64 (NIV)
61 ...Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
63 The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked.
64 "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death.


With two words Jesus seals his fate and yet speaks from the beginning of time who he is: "I Am"
Yahweh is that word and it is the truth of who he is and yet the words bring about the very thing the Jewish leaders needed...here was "a man" declaring himself to be "God"...that is enough.

Down through the ages this remains the stumbling block that stops many people, or ushers many into the Kingdom...is this man, Jesus, truly God? If a person answers unequivocally yes! then the truth is within them.
What Peter does afterwards Jesus reminds him, and us, he was going to do. It was not pre-determined that he would do this; it was Peter's choice and yet Jesus prepared him before hand for what he could not conceive of actually ever doing. We all need the grace that comes with our denials, and we all need the truth that comes in our confession: Jesus, our Savior, is Lord, and that is all I need.

Peace


If you're reading through-the-bible-in-a-year with me, today's readings are in 1 Kings 12, 13, 14