I WILL DRINK THE CUP OF SUFFERING DESTINED BY MY FATHER

THE ARREST OF JESUS  JOHN 18:1-14 

After Jesus had said this prayer, he left with his disciples and went across the brook called Kidron. There was a garden in that place, and Jesus  his disciple went in. Judas, the traitor, knew where it was, because many times Jesus had met there with his disciples. So Judas went to the garden, taking with him a group of Roman soldiers, and some temple guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees; they were armed and carried lanterns and torches.  Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward and asked them. “Who is it you are looking for?”

 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “I am he,” he said.

Judas, the traitor, was standing there with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they moved back and fell to the ground. Again Jesus asked them, “Who is it you are looking for?” “Jesus of Nazareth they said.”  “I have already told you that I am he,” Jesus said “If, then, you are looking for me, let these others go.” (He said this so that what he had said might come true: “Father, I have not lost even one of those you gave me.”)

Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it struck the High Priest’s slave cutting off his right ear. The name of the slave was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back in its place! Do you think that I will not drink the cup of suffering which my Father has given me?’

Then the Roman soldiers with their commanding officer and the Jewish guards arrested Jesus, bound him, and took him first to Annas. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish authorities that it was better that one man should die for all the people.

As I re-type the Gospel of John on Christ arrest, it came to my mind that Peter must have denied Christ because in the garden he tried to save his Master, but he was discouraged by Christ. In His Master’s presence he was not afraid, but being alone, and no one to save him, he denied knowing Christ having followed Him all the way.

Christ saw everything. He knew everything. He saw Peter’s heart and intention. Peter demonstrated his word that he would lay down his life for His Master when he tried preventing them from arresting Jesus. Yet His Master would not permit him to use his sword to fight the soldiers. Jesus with Annas, and Peter all alone. He was afraid being alone and Christ wasn't near to save him, like when he walked on the water at his request for the Lord to command him to come to him.  At the garden the Lord commanded him to put back his sword in its place.  Now all alone he lost courage.  (The Arrest of Christ: Matt. 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-50, Luke 22:47-53). Lord teach me, help me see more clearly the great hope to which you call me. Give me the grace and courage in my desire to follow you.

 

JESUS CHRIST THE HIGH PRIEST PRIESTLY PRAYER

Jesus Prayer for His Disciples John 17:1-26   After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you. For you gave him authority over all humanity so that he might give eternal life to all those you  “I have made you known to   those you gave me out of the world. They belong to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your word, and now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. I gave them the message that you gave me, and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from you, and they believe that you sent me.gave him. And eternal life means knowing you,  the only true God, and knowing Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do. Father! Give me glory in your presence now, the same glory I had with you before the world was made.

 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those you gave me, for they belong to you.  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and my glory is shown through them.  And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that may be one just as you and I are one.  While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the man who was bound to be lost – so that the scripture might come true. And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they might have my joy in their hearts in all its fullness. I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil one.  Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you.