Jesus and his disciples have just come from the Last Supper, and are walking through the night to the Mount of Olives. They are on edge, and for good reason. Everything about this night has been a little off. Jesus has acted as a slave, bowing down to wash their feet (Jn 13:1-20). He has prayed aloud for the church (Jn 17). He has foretold his own betrayal by Judas, and told Peter that, before cock crows he will have denied knowing Jesus three times. Most importantly, they have celebrated the Passover meal, but in a new way. Jesus gave them the bread said, but he said that it was his body, and he called the chalice his blood, the blood of the new covenant. Then, before the Passover meal was over, they leave the house. Nobody ever left the house during Passover.
Jesus leads them down through the Kidron Valley, calling to mind the words of Psalm 23:4, “Though I walk through the dark valley I shall fear no evil”. Jesus is going out to do battle. Exodus 12:22 says that that nobody should leave the house during Passover, lest they fall victim to the angel of death. Jesus is leaving on purpose to meet the ancient serpent, the angel of death, to win back our freedom. And, in an act of total defiance, he sings. We know from scripture that only the victorious sing. Only those who have one the great battle...
Jesus leads them into the Garden of Gethsemane, as was his custom. He tells them to sit and pray, while he takes Peter, James, and John a short distance away to pray and keep watch. He then falls prostrate on the ground and begins to pray fervently. The prayer is so intense that the blood vessels in his forehead burst, and his sweat becomes like drops of blood. This condition is called hematidrosis, and is only experienced by a person in times of extreme stress. Jesus then utters his most famous prayer, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as you will”. He urges his apostles to stay awake so that they do not undergo the the test, but he gives them their rest anyway. In this way he cares for the Church, his future bride, as he fights for her heart. (Matt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:39-46)Jesus is fully God and fully man, and as such, he can fully understand what is happening to him this moment. He is taking on the full reality of sin. Every sin that has ever been committed or is going to be committed is being laid on Jesus in that instant. As God, he can see, feel, and know the weight and suffering of every single one of those innumerable sins. Imagine the guilt that you have felt after any one sin that you commit. Now, imagine if you can what it must be like to take on every single sin of ever single person throughout human history. Is it any wonder that Jesus, in his humanity, cries out to his Father in heaven to take the suffering away? Would we not beg and plead to make the suffering stop? But, unlike us, Jesus is also fully God. In that moment he is able to die to himself fully and completely, and say to God “not my will, but yours be done”(Lk 22:42). In this moment, the battle for mankind, Jesus’ Passion, has begun.
Jesus, tells them, “I AM.”, and the guards fall to ground. This is the seventh and final I AM statement in the gospels. They move to arrest Jesus and he tells the guards to let his disciples go (Jn 18:8). As a result, his apostles flee. This is to fulfill what is said in Leviticus 16:17, that the one who is making atonement must be alone. He is also fulfilling what he said earlier, that none of those given to him would be lost (Jn 6:39, 10:28, 17:12).
Jesus demonstrates that he is in control of everything. He may be taken prisoner, he may be beaten, he may be insulted, spit upon, and led to his death, but he is pulling the strings the whole time. Indeed, he says 'Do you not think I can call upon my Father, and he will not provide me at this moment with six legions of angels? But then how would the scriptures be fulfilled which say it must come to pass in this way" (Mt 26:53-54; Mk 14:53-65; ).
Jesus is taken to before a hastily assembled council. Here, in the middle of the night, dozens of false witnesses present themselves to testify against him. Their testimonies fall short and contradict each other. Through all of this, Jesus sits quietly. He is in control. It is not until he is ordered under oath to reveal himself that he chooses to speak up. He reveals that he is the Son of man who will be seated at the right hand of Power in Heaven. Jesus, in his true testimony, reveals himself and seals his own fate. He is taken away to a cell overnight. in the morning, he is to face Pilate, the one who has the power to condemn him to death.
Over the next few days, Jesus will walk the lonely road to Calvary to prove his love. He will contend with death and come out victorious. Every step of the way looks like a defeat, but he is moving closer and closer to his victory.
Do we stay awake with Jesus? Do we do what we can to help him carry his burden, or do we run? Worse yet, are we the ones who betray him with a kiss? Over the next few days, pray for the strength that we do not fall in face of the test. Let us look upon the Paschal Mystery of Jesus with love and adoration, knowing that it is through his stripes we are healed.
Joseph, model of manhood, pray for us
God, Father in heaven, bless us
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