In The Garden

After Jesus’ last dinner with the twelve, Jesus led them to a Garden just outside Jerusalem.  He had a few more things he wanted to say to them, apart from Judas who betrayed him  “I am leaving you, and you can’t go with me now, but later you will go with me.”  One of disciples responded, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus replied, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  Don’t be sad that I am going.  I am going to the Father to prepare a place for you. 

“It is good for you that I am going, actually.  If I didn’t leave, then you couldn’t receive the Holy Spirit.  No mater how long I am gone, the Holy Spirit will be with you to remind you of all that I taught and to give you all the truth you need.  The Holy Spirit will convict the world of their sin and their need to come to the Father.  But through him I will be with you always.

“The most important thing for you to do is to love each other.  Everyone will know you are my disciple if you love each other.  The greatest love is this: that you love each other.  You must follow my commands—that is how you will show your love for me.  And the command I most want you to follow is to love one another.  If you obey my commands then you will know that the Father loves you.”

Then Jesus stopped and prayed, “Father, glorify your Son that he may glorify you.  I have glorified You on earth.  I have given these your word and have done all that you asked me.  Now glorify me so that I may have the glory that I had before, with You.  Watch over these whom you have given me, may none of them fall away.  Make them holy.  Also I ask for those who will believe later.  Make them one in You, Father.  May they be one as you and I are one.”

Then Jesus became sad, and said, “You eight stay here and rest.  Peter, James and John, follow me.”  Jesus walked with them to the other side of the garden and said, “My soul is grieved, even to the point of death.  Stay here.  Watch and pray.  I will be over there, praying.”  Jesus, alone,  then cried out to the Father and said, “Abba! All things are possible for you!  Please remove this cup from me!”  After some time, then Jesus cried again, “Father, please take away this cup.  But not my will, but yours be done.”

Jesus walked back to check on the three disciples, and he found them asleep.  “Why are you sleeping?  You will never be prepared for the trial you are to undergo like this!  The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Stay awake and pray!”  Jesus went back to pray, and after a time, he came back and found the disciples sleeping again.  He left them and prayed more.  Then he returned and said, “Wake up!  It is time!  The betrayer is here, and the Son of Man will be handed over to sinners.”

Some soldiers came into the garden with Judas Iscariot.  Judas came up to Jesus and kissed him, saying, “Hello, Master.”  Jesus said, “So you will hand me over with a kiss?  How ironic.”  The kiss was the soldier’s signal, and they came and grabbed Jesus.  The disciples just woke them up, and were still groggy when they saw Jesus captured. 

Simon, remembering his words, grabbed his sword and started thrashing everyone around him.  He hit no one except the slave of the high priest, whose ear he cut off.  Jesus yelled, “That is enough!  Whoever lives by the sword will die by the sword.  And if I am not taken in this way, how will the Scriptures be fulfilled?”  Then Jesus picked the ear off of the ground and placed it back, healing the slave.

Then Jesus turned to the crowd arresting him and said, “I have been in the Temple every day, teaching.  But you are capturing me now, in secret with threat of violence.  Why are you treating me like a rebel against the proper authorities?  But all of this was done to fulfill the Scriptures.”  Confused as to what they should do, all of the disciples ran away.  And the soldiers and the crowd took Jesus to the High Priest’s house.

Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mark 14:38 

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.  John 15:12-14