MARK - My Words (21)

 

Jesus’ friend Judas, big grin on his face, appeared out of the dark with a large number of violent men, all heavily armed.  Judas called Jesus’ name and hugged him stiffly.  This was followed by a heap of men descending on Jesus and roughly pulling him to the ground.  In that moment, one of Jesus’ friends reacted on instinct.  He grabbed a knife and slashed wildly in the air, and the ear of a young man was slashed off. 

Jesus cried out “stop that! No need of violence.  What do you make me out to be?  Why didn’t you arrest me in daylight, it would have been easier? But all of this has been foretold, so I am ready.”

Then Jesus’ friends all disappeared into the dark.  One of them tried to follow at a distance.  He was seen and caught.  After a tussle he wriggled free from his clothes and ran off naked into the night. 

Jesus was taken to the house of a judge where an impromptu court was set up.  Jesus’ friend Peter had followed at a distance and was now loitering with others outside the great house.  The officers had found witnesses to charge Jesus with heinous crimes.  One man said “We heard him say that he would destroy the sacred places in Jerusalem and rebuild them in three day!”  But the witness accounts were all confused and farfetched.  Nothing could be called ‘serious’.  The judge approached Jesus asking “So what have you got to say for yourself?”

But Jesus was silent.  Then the Judge asked again, “Are you the one chosen by the creator to save Israel?” 

Jesus said ‘Yahweh’, (which means I am).  “And this person will return to a place of authority with the Creator.” 

The Judge was aghast.  This was the worst thing anyone could say to him.  To have the arrogance to say words that no sane person could say, let alone a spiritual leader. 

“This is a capital offence, and is worthy of death,” The judge pronounced.  The whole company of people rose up against Jesus, spitting at him, and reviling him.  He was beaten.  They kicked him saying “equivalent to the Creator, look at you.  You’re pathetic!”  Jesus was taken to a cell.

Sometimes people do brave things and then reflect, saying 'if I had known what would have happened...I might not have been so brave'.   Jesus knew what was to come, and that it would only get worse.  His friends were terrified.  This was a lost cause.  Jesus answered the question he was asked.  I have chosen those words 'I AM', the sacred name of God for the Jews  Megalomaniac? Deluded? or the truth?  The Judge was confronted with that. We also have to decide.  There is no compromise.  If Jesus did die on the cross, and come back to life, then life after death is a certainty.  If it is all a great myth, well we all might as well run off into the dark naked.