April 1931
179
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
BLACKBOARD LESSON
hands of His murderers. Could hypocrisy descend lower than this? V.. 49. Saw what would follow. They recognized that Jesus would be arrested and led away for trial. From John (18: 5-8) we learn that when Jesus first made Himself known to His captors, they “went backward and fell to the ground.” This shows how helpless His enemies were be fore Him. Yet immediately afterward He meekly submitted to arrest. Lord, shall we smite with the sword? They re called His words about the sword (vs. 36-38), but they misapplied them. Vs. 50, 51. ' Smote the servant of the high priest. John (18:10, 11) identifies Peter as the wielder of the sword. He was attempting to make good his boast that he would be loyal (cf. Lk. 22:33; John 13:37). The synoptic Gospels make no mention of Peter’s act, perhaps to guard him from possible trouble. John wrote long after Peter was dead. Suffer ye them thus far. The meaning is not clear. If spoken to the disciples, Jesus was advising them not to oppose His ar rest. If addressed to His captors, it looks like an attempt to excuse the impetuous disciple. Others'suggest that it was sim ply an appeal that He might have suffi cient freedom for His arms to touch and to heal the wounded man. He determined that His enemies should not have any ground for accusing Him or His disciples of violently opposing constituted authori ty. V. 52. And Jesus said. Three classes are mentioned to whom Jesus spoke. There were first the heads of the courses of priests who were members of the San hedrin. The captains of the temple were in charge of the police officers on duty in the temple. The elders were heads of Jewish clans and also members of the Sanhedrin. It is thought by some authori ties that Roman soldiers were also in the band of those who went out to arrest Jesus. Are ye come out, as against a rob ber? Jesus had always shown Himself a man of peace. He had been a religious teacher and a Saviour, not a political lead er. This great display of force might have been appropriate in ordinary war fare, but it was absurd ;in His case. V. 53. Daily with you in the temple. His crimes, if His accusers could find any to charge against Him, would be such as were connected in" some way with the temple. Why, then, had they not attempt ed to arrest Him there? This is your hour. During His “hour” of ministry, He had appeared among" them openly, teaching courageously and blessing un- stintingly. He haa worked in open day light. His enemies allied themselves with the powers of darkness. V. 54. They seised him. He was bound like an ordinary criminal (John 18:12).- Then He was led away, first to the house of Annas, the high priest. The Jews re garded Annas as the lawful occupant of the high priest’s office. The Romans had set him aside and put his son-in-law, Caia- phas, in his place. Peter followed afar off. Mark (14:50) states that all of the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. Peter had promised to follow, but he succeeded only in following “afar off.” It would have been safer for him at this juncture if he had not followed at all (cf. John 13:36). Before morning, he had three times denied that he knew his Lord.
power. Furthermore, He clung to them for sympathy and help in His own trials. This same Peter whose denial had been foretold was one of the three favored disciples who were invited to go with Him into the darkness and agony of Geth- semane. * * * H eart of the L esson I. The Agony in the Garden (39-46). V. 39. He came out. That is. from the “upper room” where He had been with His disciples, celebrating the pass- over and instituting the Lord’s Supper. As his custom was. Luke alone tells us
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The P R IN C E o f LIFE FACES DEATH.
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\ E ( |NS en # J *ft>ITHHIMTHROUGHtheGARDEN* lySCIPlES ffllLInPRAYER IESUSTRIUMPHED l/EFEATEOMhe CRISIS JUDAS DEFEATED, t.C.H. MMV.5l.lfS/. Father . .. . Thy will be done” (Matt. 6 : 10 ) . V. 43. There appeared unto him an angel. God answered the prayer of Jesus by sending the angel. The bitter cup was not removed, but our Lord was strengthened and enabled to endure to the end (cf. Matt. 4:11). V. 44. He prayed more earnestly. Luke, the physician, records the fact that “his sweat became as it were great drops j of blood falling down upon the ground.” This describes the extreme nature of His spiritual agony—so great that it affected His body. V. 45. When he rose up. Matthew and Mark give a more detailed story and relate that Christ returned to His disciples three times seeking for their help and companionship in prayer. Found them sleeping for sorrow. He had asked them to pray and watch with Him. There is pathos in His word to Peter: “Couldst thou not watch with me one hour” (Mk. 14:37)? This was the bold disciple who had declared himself ready to go with the Lord to prison and to judgment. He and the other disciples were overwhelmed with grief because they did not fully en ter into the meaning of all that He had told them about the coming tragedy. V. 46. Why sleep ye? A searching question! The cause of their failure was not hard to find. They had been preoc cupied with their own ambitions and had failed to love Him supremely. Rise and pray. Christ had arisen from His prayer, victorious and quiet in spirit. He did not ask them to watch with Him, because He had been strengthened. But He knew the danger that faced the disciples and urged them to find help, as He had found it, in believing prayer. II. The Betrayal (47-54). , V. 47. Behold, a multitude. This was probably not a regular band of Roman soldiers but a rabble, gathered by the Jew ish officers, hastily armed with swords. Judas . . . went before them. The traitor possibly led them first to the upper room where he had last been with Jesus and the other disciples. Not finding Him there, he doubtless recalled the quiet re treat in the garden to which Jesus fre quently had resorted for prayer. Drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. It was cus tomary for disciples of rabbis to greet their masters with kisses. But this was not an ordinary salutation. Matthew (26:49) uses a compound verb which, ac cording to; Professor Vincent, “implies an emphatic, ostentatious salute.” V. 48. Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? The kiss was a prearranged sign (cf. Matt. 26:48). That which is ordinarily a pledge of love was made a “sign” to betray the Saviour into the
that Jesus was in the habit of going to Gethsem ane fo r prayer. A garden- o rc h a rd on the Mount of Olives is pointed out today as the very spot where Gethsemane was lo
cated. It may be that some disciple owned the orchard and permitted Jesus and His disciples to make use of it on occasions. The disciples also followed him. They had just been listening to His solemn farewell words and His marvelous high- priestly prayer (John 14 to 17). Realiz ing that danger threatened Him as well as themselves, they naturally clung closely to Him,. He prepared himself for the crisis by prayer. V. 40. Pray that ye enter not into temptation. It is proper to pray that we may not be placed in circumstances of especial temptation (cf. Matt. 6:13). It is also necessary to pray that we may be delivered in the hour of temptation. The only recourse for the disciple in the time of trouble is prayer. - V. 41. Was parted from them. Luke gives the distance as “a stone's cast.” Per haps he had in mind the ¿¡stance from the main group of disciples. Peter, James, and John were nearer to Jesus (Matt. 26: 37; Mk. 14:33). The expression “parted from them” may be read, literally, “torn from them.” He longed for their help and fellowship but was compelled to fight His battle alone. Kneeled down and pray ed. Jews ordinarily stood when they prayed. The great agony of soul drove Christ to His knees. Matthew and Mark use even stronger language (Mk. 14:35; Matt. 26:39). V, 42.. I f thou be willing. It had al ways been His delight to do the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; Heb. 10: 5-7). Remove this cup from me. A “cup” may mean an experience of joy (cf. Psa. 23:5) or of sorrow (cf. Matt. 20:21-23). The Lord Jesus never asked that He might escape the cross, for He came to earth to die for sinners (John 12:27; 18: 11). Because of His perfect humanity, He was susceptible to pain and grief, from which He might well shrink. But beyon4 this was the mysterious suffering of the cross when the sinless One “was made sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). It is not strange that He recoiled from this; yet He did not rebel. Nevertheless, not my will. “He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:8; cf. Phil. 2:5-9), and thus became the “Captain” (Heb. 12:2) of all the faithful whq en dure suffering and chastening victoriously because they have learned to say, “Our
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