TODAY’S INTRO
Intro—yesterday we read the story of Jesus’ final meal with the disciples. Today, we hear Jesus’ heart wrenching prayers in the garden and his arrest. In many ways it is so tragic.
TODAY’S TEXT- Luke 22:39-71
39He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” 41Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” 43Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. 45When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”
47While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” 49When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” 50Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!”
54Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with him.” 57But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” 60But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62And he went out and wept bitterly.
63Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65They kept heaping many other insults on him. 66When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. 67They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68and if I question you, you will not answer. 69But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70All of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say that I am.” 71Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”
TODAY’S STATUS UPDATES
He just stopped following at some point! Unless I have totally missed it, this is the final time Judas’ name is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. There is no mention of tragic death or sorrow or heartache. He simply stopped being a disciple of Jesus and instead turned away. Was it the comment at the last supper that “greatness comes from serving others” not in living for self? Was it Jesus failure to take up the sword? Whatever the case, he was turned off to Jesus. The connection became distorted or altogether lost. The tragedy is that others turned away—Peter, the other disciples--- they all ran away in the heat of the moment. Yet. .. they all returned. They all would be restored. They all would be forgiven. But, Judas remains out of the picture. I would with 100% certainty imagine Jesus would have greeted Judas like the Father did to the prodigal son (back in Luke 15). We remember in that story the younger son took matters into his own hands, sought control, yet failed miserably and let the father down. He treated the Father as if he was already dead, yet the Father runs to meet him. The Father throws a party. The Father yearns to forgive. I suspect that kind of greeting would have been for Judas yet, he just goes on from this point totally away and never returns.
Let us always remember that even if we let Jesus down, he will be ready and willing to bring us back into his fold. As the song goes, “return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. “
Love this post! I totally agree. This is an issue I have thought about a lot over the years. It is something we talk about in Godspell rehearsals, especially in how we deal with the end of the show.
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