Last Supper The Garden and Trial

HOLY WEEK PART 2 THE LAST SUPPER THE GARDEN AND THE TRIAL
We are continuing in the Holy Week series with part two, after Jesus had had the incident with the money changers, and the ensuing debates and confrontations with the temple priests and leaders. We are now looking at the Last supper and the events leading up to Jesus’ arrest and trial. Rather than simply reading the Scriptures I will tell these events as a story. The story is being taken from the book, The Plan, which I wrote a few years ago, and which is now out of print and that is a very good thing as I am doing a complete re-edit, because I was not happy with the book for several reasons. I think I used just a bit too much dialogue for a start, and I had also used different names for many of the characters to depict their character roles, instead of just calling them by their Biblical names. For instance the disciple Peter was called ‘rock disciple’ and Judas was ‘Troubled disciple’ and Pontius Pilate was ‘Proconsul’. This confused everyone - so hence the rewrite. I will do it as an eBook and it will be free of charge. That will be my atonement for trying to be too smart. So… Moving on…

…Then Jesus took the twelve aside and told them that he wanted to go and spend some time in prayer with his Father. He told them he wanted to share the Passover feast with them in the… evening and had already organized somewhere for them to have the meal, and Peter wanted to know where that place was.
Jesus told Peter that he wanted he and John to go to the city square where they would find a water carrier with a pitcher of water on his shoulder, and that he would be looking out for them. Jesus told the others to go off and spend some time in prayer and preparation for the event, while he would pray by himself, and meet them back at the place where they now were.

The two disciples found the man carrying the pitcher of water in the square just as Jesus had said, and they followed him as he entered a two storey building where they met the owner of the house and he led them to the room that had been prepared for them. This man had been instructed by God in a dream to set aside the room and he had obeyed without question.
After his time of prayer Jesus met with the others and they walked through the streets together the room. It was evening time and there was a large table set out with the Passover meal, and there they sat at the table with Jesus in the middle of them.

Passover was the festival time that celebrated the event of Moses bringing the Nation of Israel out of their slavery from Egypt. The Passover meal was not just a meal but a series of meals, interspersed with pauses for reflection and readings from the Scriptures in remembrance of the miraculous way God had freed them from their oppressors. After one of the meals, at which they ate roasted lamb and bitter herbs, Jesus stood up and went over to one of the sizeable washing bowls and taking off his outer robe he wrapped a large towel around himself and beckoned the disciples to come over to him.
Peter was curious and wanted to know what Jesus was doing. Jesus said that he was going to wash their feet. “Not mine,” exclaimed Peter. The other disciples were also curious and uneasy.
“Yes yours,” replied Jesus, “and all of the others too.” When he saw Peter balking and raising objections he stopped and stood up to face them all. He asked them if they remembered the time when they all became so angry with one another because James’ and John's mother wanted Jesus to give the highest places to her two sons next to him in his kingdom?”
They all nodded, remembering it well.
Nonetheless Jesus went over the lesson he had taught them that day, that if they wanted to have true authority they would serve one another, and if they thought that he had authority with them then they would let him serve them by washing their feet.
He began to wash the disciples’ feet, and when he came to Peter, Peter protested. And refused to let Jesus wash his feet.
“So you don’t want to be part of what I am doing?” Jesus said.
“Of course I do. I’m sorry. Please Lord, wash my hands and my head as well.”
“Just your feet Peter , here, in the bowl.” Jesus then continued to wash the feet of all the men, as they came forward one by one, some with tear streaked faces.

Heaven watched on silently and thousands of angels strained to see and to hear all that was being done and said in this most holy moment. They watched as their God cleansed a grimy unclean world from off those he loved, as he would for all who would let him do so down through the ages. When he had finished washing them he stood up again and said.
“Now you are clean, but not all of you.” One of them wanted to know what he meant, so he asked them to come back to the table with him, where they would continue their meal.

After they had sat down he asked for the bread and wine to be served, and then he said plainly,
“One of you will betray me.”
They were all shocked, and began to discuss this amongst themselves, but then their distress overwhelmed them so they began to ask him one by one, “Is it me Master?” they pleaded anxiously, without getting a reply. John knew the depth of love that he himself had for Jesus and did not even question his own heart as to whether he might be the one, so he simply asked,
“Who is it Lord?” Jesus saw their trouble and concern, so he said, “The one who dips his bread with me into the soup.” At that very moment Judas had his bread in the soup along with the bread in the hand of Jesus. The moment passed in the confusion and nothing appeared to register in the minds of the other disciples so Jesus let the moment pass, then Judas, feeling safe, said,
“Is it me Lord?”
“You said it.” Jesus handed him the piece of dipped bread from his own hand and said to him,
“Go and do what you have to do.”
Judas got up and grabbed the money bag and strode out, feeling euphoric with a heightened sense of mission in his newfound supremacy. The other disciples supposed that he had received instructions from their master concerning some arrangements about paying for the food, or giving to the poor that had been organized between them.

Jesus turned to the other disciples and took a large piece of bread from the bowl. They watched him as he broke it into twelve pieces, keeping one, and handing the rest around to the remaining eleven.
“This is my body. This has been broken into pieces but when we eat it, it becomes one piece again, because we are one. Whenever you and those who come after you do this in the future, you will join yourselves to one another and to me, and I will be there with you. Unless you have my life in you, you will not know what life really is.”
He took a cup of the ceremonial wine and drank from it, then passed it around for them all to drink. After they had finished it he said to them, ”This is my blood. Just as my body will be torn to pieces for you, so too will my blood be spilled for you. This is a sign of my life and of the new promise from God to give you and all of humanity our life to share, not just a life of rules and regulations, but our very divine life. Whenever people do this in the future I want them to remember that I died for them and that I will come back again at the end of time, in the full power and glory of my kingdom.”

Once again they recalled the things he had said to them about his coming back at the end of time. He had warned them of the things that would happen in the earth just before that mighty and awesome day when he would be seen by all the world coming in the clouds of heaven. They recalled his predictions of the earthquakes and natural disasters that would strike the earth, the rising tide of self interest and wars and terror, the epidemic of fear and hopelessness. They shuddered within themselves, and they were comforted by his presence.

The feast had come to an end and he stood and asked them to come with him into a garden near the olive grove, where he wanted them to pray with him. Jesus spoke to them.
“In a few hours the temple leaders will arrest me and I will be put on trial. After my arrest you will all become terrified and desert me, but it will fulfill the Scripture which says that when the shepherd is struck the sheep will run in all directions.”
Peter protested, “Even if everyone else deserts you I will never run,” and James and the others joined in the protest. Peter drew out his dagger, quickly followed by James.
“These are two daggers,” said Peter, seeing James's drawn dagger, “and I will die with you before I let anyone take you away.”
Jesus looked at Peter.
“Satan is out to get you Peter, and before the night is over you will separate yourself from me in fear but I will be praying for you that your faith will remain strong. You will hear a rooster crowing in the morning, and when you hear it, it will be a stark reminder of what I just told you. And for now, you can both put your daggers away.”
But Peter protested all the more, and Jesus let him talk on.

Jesus took the men to the garden area and asked Peter and John and James to accompany him further, motioning for the others to stay back. A little farther on he asked the three to wait and pray while he went on his own to pray to his Father. Finding a place, he fell on his face and began to quake inside with a peculiar dread. He would face torture and death in an unbearable and agonizing way. He would be totally alone, suffering the shame and reproach of a criminal. These thoughts tormented his mind and dried up his soul. Darkness tried to ride in on this torment. He began to sweat profusely, and he groaned, till he started to taste blood in his mouth. The blood dribbled down his chin, and then he saw droplets of blood on the backs of his hands. This was the cup of pain and sorrow that he was being asked to take. It was too much, and he begged for Father to take it away. He asked if there was some other way that he might accomplish what he had been sent to do, but he told Father that nonetheless he would do whatever he wanted him to. He staggered to his feet, and groped his way to where he had left the three. They were asleep.
Jesus groaned again, and waking them up he pleaded with them.
“Couldn't you have stayed awake and prayed? You know I am about to die, and I feel my life draining from me already, and I am almost overwhelmed by it. You need to pray too so that you will not be completely overwhelmed.”
They spluttered out their apologies. He moaned and went back to his place and cried out to Father again, to never forsake him, but still the agony fastened itself to his soul. He asked Father again if there was any other way, and again he yielded his will to his Father.

After more suffering that became more than he could bear, he returned to the three, but they had fallen asleep again. He pleaded with them again not to go to sleep. They didn’t know what to say. Sleep had become their escape from the heaviness of their grief and sorrow. Father watched from heaven and shared his son's agony, knowing that this was the darkest hour that his son had ever known. Heaven’s angels watched with him and shared his sorrow. Father sent one of these faithful beings to comfort his Son.
Jesus received the heavenly comfort then he sat up and looked to the heavens. “Father I have asked for you to take this cup from me, but because it is your will, I will go through whatever you wish.” He slumped back on his heels and buried his face in his hands and drew in strength.

Jesus found the three disciples asleep again, and just as he woke them there was the sound of a commotion a short distance away. The three men urged Jesus to come with them to a place of safety. ”No,” he said, “I have accepted Father's cup of suffering. We will go to meet this mob. Darkness is having its day and my betrayer is ready.”
Just then the other disciples came rushing to meet Jesus and the three. Together they all walked to where a large party of troops and officers of the High Priest were advancing with lanterns and clubs. When they got close, Judas broke out from among the advancing party and came to Jesus, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek.
“Is that a kiss of life or a kiss of death?” asked Jesus.
“This is the one,” said Judas, pulling away from Jesus and melting back into the throng. An officer of the High Priest grabbed hold of Jesus by the shoulder to take him away, when a dagger flashed and glinted in the moonlight. Blood spurted from the side of the face of the officer and he shrieked in shock and pain, as his ear fell to the ground at his feet. Jesus looked into the angry face of Peter who stood there with a bloody dagger in his hand. The troops fell back and watched in wonder as Jesus picked up the ear and placed it firmly back on the lacerated face of the officer. The wound healed immediately and a gasp went up from everybody.
“Put that dagger away Peter, I have angels that could do better than that, and wipe them all out in an instant.” He also gave a warning look to James who had his hand on the hilt of his dagger. He assured them that this had been written of him and was now coming to pass ( Psalm 41:9).
Instead of being confronted by a belligerent usurper who wanted to seize a throne and a kingdom, these soldiers were met by the Prince of peace, who stood calmly in front of them and surrendered himself willingly. The officers led Jesus away to the chambers of the High Priest and the disciples scattered in fear and distress, just as Jesus had predicted. Two disciples followed at a distance however, John and Peter, and they mingled with the crowd gathering outside the High Priest's chambers where Jesus was put through a preliminary interrogation. John even went inside the porch where the crowd was swarming, and where people were talking animatedly, warming themselves around a fire.

Jesus had just previously told Peter that Satan desired to have him and to attack him at the point of his weakest inner fear. Even though Peter could draw a dagger and physically attack a guard, he could not cope with the shame of being associated with someone who would damage his reputation of being a loyal Jew, and the temptation of this besetting sin revisited him at later times in his ministry.
Peter felt a spasm of horror hit him as the agent of destruction tried to overpower his being. He struggled against the violent evil force, but sensed a swirling sea of fear billowing somewhere beneath the faculties of his mind and will. He searched for faith but could only find fear. The fear became a terror and he was engulfed in the blackest moment of panic he had ever experienced, worse than any tempest at sea, or any phantom of some hideous dream, as everything and everyone about him became the source of some ghastly threat to his sense of who he wanted to be seen as by other people.
He shrunk back into a shadow and hid himself, and in doing so he bumped into a slightly built young servant girl, gathering wood for the fire. She pointed at him and called out to the people standing nearby.
“This is one of them, I saw him with the teacher – they’re both Galileans,” People began to come over to Peter and he cowered from them.
“You are one of them aren't you?” the young girl said again.
“No, never, I don't even know him. You must be mad.” He quaked inside himself. He was accused again of being one of Jesus' followers, and the third time he was accused he hurled back oaths and cursed them for being fools. By this time it was almost dawn, and the familiar sound of a rooster was heard crowing in the distance. Nobody took any notice, but Peter shrieked out in despair and fled from their midst, sobbing great sobs of desolation. He remembered the words of Jesus to him.

After the mockery of a trial before the High Priest and the council of elders , where Jesus was charged with blasphemy for threatening to destroy the Temple, Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate into the courtyard of the praetorium by the priests, the council, and hordes of the Jews. They demanded that Pontius Pilate come out to them and they shoved Jesus in front of him. He looked closely at Jesus for the first time and felt that his future was in this man's hands rather than the other way around. The crow Jews was growing in the courtyard below. They were quiet as they waited for the encounter. Pilate took Jesus inside, away from the eyes and ears of the crowd so that he could question him privately. He asked Jesus the most damning question he could devise, believing that Jesus would expertly deflect it.
“Are you king over your people?” he asked confidently.
“Yes I am,” answered Jesus, with dignity and humility, looking straight into Pilate’s eyes.
Pilate was staggered. He expected some deft manoeuvre of words but Jesus had just delivered his own verdict of guilty as far as the Jews were concerned.
“They are all accusing you, don't you have an answer? I am willing to listen to anything you say. Believe me I want justice for you, I do not wish you harm.”
Jesus remained silent and Pilate admired this man more than ever. He had not witnessed anything like this before.

Pilate went out and tried to plead with the crowd to let Jesus go free, but to no avail. He heard someone shout loudly above the others that Jesus was from Galilee and had caused trouble in the Lake Region as well as in the city.
“The Lake Region…Galilee…” Pilate repeated to himself. He stopped and thought quickly, and he knew he had the answer. He stood up and commanded silence. He addressed the leaders.
“Is this man indeed from Galilee?”
“Yes, that is where it all started,” They shouted back.
Pilate realized that the Lake Region was in Herod’s jurisdiction. Herod had more immediate responsibility for the Jews than he did, and the matter could be put into his hands, and he just happened to be in Jerusalem at this time for the feast of Passover. He shouted to the crowd.
“This man is in Herod's jurisdiction, not mine, so I am going to call him in to deal with it.” He felt relief sweep over him and he adjourned the hearing yet once more and returned to his rooms.

Jesus was sent to Herod’s palace in Jerusalem and Herod took control of the proceedings with relish. He had Jesus dressed up in mock royal robes and interrogated him, but Jesus did not say a word. He was punched and bullied by Herod’s guard of soldiers, but he received the indignation with total dignity and waited for Herod to give up his cruel game. Herod soon became bored with it all and sent Jesus back to Pontius Pilate.

Suddenly Pilate had a flash of brilliance. This was a special time of the year, the Feast of Passover, the time of the major festival of the Jews. Every year at this time Pontius Pilate had the authority to release a condemned criminal, no matter what his crimes were. He delayed the proceedings while he summonsed the worst criminal he had captive in the dungeon, a murderous killer, Barabbas, who was feared by the entire community. He would give them a choice - Jesus or Barabbas. He had Barabbas brought before the crowd and he was struck by the contrast between the two men standing before him. One man’s posture was cruel and menacing while the other man stood quiet and dignified, but the crowd’s one time hero had become a confusing embarrassment to them. Temple leaders had been going among the crowd stirring up the people against Jesus, using scorn or threats or whatever abusive tactic they could think of to turn the crowd’s baffled disappointment into resentment and rage. Their self proclaimed king had been reduced to a helpless bleeding failure before their eyes.
Pontius Pilate shouted loudly to the crowd. “Who would you like me to release to you?”
Shock hit his spleen like a dart as they clamored for Barabbas to be released - Barrabas, whose name ironically, means Son of the Father. He called for another adjournment.
Pilate remembered his wife telling him she had had dreadful dreams that had to do with Jesus and had sent a messenger to warn him to have nothing to do with Jesus. He wanted to wash his hands of the whole matter.
He went out there again to try and get some justice from the crowd.

Pilate stood nervously before the angry crowd. He held his hands out to them in a gesture of appeal.
“What do you want me to do with this man?” he pleaded.
“Crucify him,” shouted one of the temple leaders. Then the shout “crucify him” went up from the crowd.
Pilate shouted back at them.
“I find nothing wrong with this man, but if you want this to happen it must become your responsibility.”
One of the leaders yelled back at him.
“If you release this man you will be no friend of the Empire. Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”
Still the cries went up demanding Jesus’ death. Pilate feared that he might have a riot on his hands and he didn’t want to provoke trouble for himself with his Empire superiors. He called for a bowl of water. When the water arrived he ceremoniously washed his hands in front of the angry mob.
“I wash my hands of this matter. I am innocent of the blood of this just man.”
“His blood can be on our hands,” they yelled back.

Pilate nodded lamely and called for Jesus to be taken by the guards into the Praetorium and scourged. The scourge or flail, was a leather handled whip with leather thongs or lashes woven into the braided handle. The guards wielded the scourges heavily, and some of the scourges had barbed lashes attached. As Jesus’ back became more and more bloody, the leather became blood soaked and heavier and cut more deeply into his skin. The lashes would not only cut into the back but whip around into the chest and stomach area, splitting the skin open. Jesus suffered in silence, which angered the bullies and fuelled their malicious energy. The guards made a cruel game out of mocking Jesus by jamming a wreath of thorny vines onto his head and driving them into his flesh. They took a purple robe and draped it over him and joked together as they took turns in bowing to him, pretending to hail him as a king. When the thugs had beaten Jesus severely, they brought him back to Pilate. Pilate tried once more to have the Jews relent. He presented the limp and bleeding figure of Jesus to the people once more, thinking that this might satisfy their blood lust. He shouted out to the crowd.
“Here is your king. I find this man not guilty. The crowd shouted back,
“He is not our king. Crucify him.”
Pilate felt it was useless to take the matter any further so he handed Jesus over to be crucified