King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 26 notes
1After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
2But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
3And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
5For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
10And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
11And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
12And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
13And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
14And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
15And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.
16And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
17And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.
18And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.
19And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?
20And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.
21The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
Good were it for him if he had never been born, and today we all talk of Judas.
22And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
23And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
24And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
Jesus's disciples had grown in faith towards him and strongly believed everything he said and taught.
Because to have people eat bread 🥪 and say this is your body, and drink wine 🍷 and say it's your blood?
In our day and age it would be called cult-like behavior. Especially he doing it on a festive occasion where the Passover Lamb was killed.
But that was not the case, because he indeed died and was indeed the sacrificial Lamb and mediator of the new covenant.
25Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Did Judas also partake of this communion?
26And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
27And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
Jesus was so up to date with the events of his life.
28But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
29But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
30And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
31But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
32And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.
33And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
How did they know he was deeply 😩 distressed?
It was not just because he said it.
It was also because he expressed 😑 it. He looked visibly sorrowful 😔 and shaken.
You know, over the years I have imagined Jesus standing tall and bold, yet speaking to his disciples that he was distressed.
That the only sign 🤘 of his trouble was the words 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful 😔'.
But that could not have been the case.
His physique and facial expression and all showed he was deeply sorrowful.
Mark 14:34 KJV
And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
What was the cause of such sorrow? Obviously the things he was about to suffer.
No one can take on such suffering and say he was not affected by it in any way.
This shows the humanness of Christ.
But he handled this moment well.
You know, the curse of knowledge was that he knew exactly what was going to happen to him e'er it happened.
That alone is such a weight 🏋️ to carry around.
34And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
His soul sorrowful 😔 unto death ☠? No one wants to die, and I can imagine the weight of it, especially on this night.
Knowing full well he was going to die a long, painful death.
35And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Wow, at this point Jesus was so troubled he was willing and ready to abandon the mission...
His will at this point was to abandon humanity to our fate; the task was too daunting...
Oh, we came that close to not being redeemed.
Let us serve the Lord our God and not trample underfoot again the Lord Jesus.
Is it possible that Jesus had many such 'take this cup away' moments in his life?
You see, don't forget that Jesus was their rabbi and leader and had to be strong 💪 for them always.
So the picture of Jesus painted in the gospels is the picture of Jesus they saw.
Full of grace and truth, who went about doing good and healing all them oppressed of the devil 👿.
They saw no weakness or sorrow except at this moment.
But the prophet Isaiah saw his many moments of sorrow and grief, so he said:
Isaiah 53:3 KJV
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
At this point, it wasn't the will of Jesus to die.
Jesus did not want to, but he did it anyways because of his Father.
37And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?
Oh, I can imagine the disappointment; in his most trying moments they were not strong 💪 for him.
But he understood and made an excuse for them: they were tired 😴.
38Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Prayerlessness leads to falling to temptation.
39And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.
40And when he returned, he found them asleep again, ( for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.
41And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
At this point it was settled; an angel 😇 had come to strengthen him...
He was ready to take on his worst fears 😱
42Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
43And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
Wait oo... 😩 Did Judas say after the kiss 😘 Jesus should be taken away safely?
As in safely so the other disciples are not hurt, or safely like how?
45And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
46And they laid their hands on him, and took him.
47And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
48And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?
Oh the shame, and disgrace. A whole Son of God being dragged literally for trial.
Oh the shame, knowing who he was, and yet had to endure it.
And indeed, for all of us, our moment of shame would come, to humble us and teach us obedience, as Christ learned obedience by the things he suffered.
Hebrews 5:8-9 KJV
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; [9] And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
49I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.
50And they all forsook him, and fled.
51And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:
52And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
Was this like literally naked, or he had an undergarment?
53And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
54And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
What was going on in Peter's mind at this time ⌚?
Was he remembering his promise that he won't forsake the Lord no matter what?
I can imagine the fear 😱 even as he entered the palace and the den of his enemies.
He could be found out, but he kept at it.
He did well, till he was brought face to face with possible 🙆 arrest and death ☠ for being partners with Jesus in his alleged crimes.
Then he buckled. He broke.
55And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
How, when did the priests come to such a low place of depravity, so as to bear false witness in order to kill another person?
Anyways, just like their fathers who even served idols in the temple in the times of Ezekiel, I believe... These people were no worshippers of God.
56For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
57And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,
58We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
59But neither so did their witness agree together.
60And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
61But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Why answer such concocted lies 🤥 of false witnesses?
Even under arrest he had the dominion.
62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Even though he prophesied that "ye shall see", they all died without seeing him come down.
But they will literally see him come down in glory in the 2nd advent.
So the "ye shall see" was not talking of them necessarily, but their kind and stock shall see him when he comes down.
I am making this point because of the saying, for instance, of Jesus concerning the end of time, that
"this generation shall not pass till all the signs be fulfilled" — this was not in reference to that generation but to them, the generation who would see those things.
Same as when he spoke of his disciples being persecuted and seeing the signs of heaven.
He was not referencing his current disciples but the future ones.
And with this they found the testimony they needed to kill him.
Was this not the same words used by Stephen, for which they clogged their ears and stoned him?
Indeed they did not seek the truth. If this was blasphemy as they claimed, then when Stephen now saw the manifestation of this blasphemy, they should have thought twice and reconsidered their actions before killing Stephen.
But their minds were made up.
63Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
64Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
66And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
67And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
At this time Jesus was being condemned or had been condemned to death and was being abused.
Now the time was ripe;
Peter's master was condemned, and so any associates of his also stood to be condemned with him.
68But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
At this stage the disciples were also quite popular themselves, having been with Jesus everywhere.
69And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
70And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
71But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
72And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
Such scenery, it was almost like the denial of Jesus was tied to the vocal cords of the cock 🐓.
The moment the first denial was made the cock crew,
When the second and third were done, the cock 🐓 crew again.
And Luke's account says that then the Lord turned and looked upon Peter.
On my word, in the midst of the trial that was to lead to his demise, Jesus was ever sensitive to the spirit.
The chief priests and Co did not know that in the midst of their trial, there was another conversation going on between Peter and Jesus.
A whole different engagement was going on right in their midst and they did not know it.
Oh my Lord God, he was indeed full of glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father...
Luke's account says:
Luke 22:61 KJV
And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
This behavior of Jesus, who was undergoing trial to his death ☠, and not just any death ☠ but death by crucifixion, reminds me later of Peter himself.
When he in the book of Acts was between 4 squadrons of soldiers awaiting his death ☠.
And in the midst of it he was asleep; who sleeps the night before death ☠ roll?
Indeed, so deep in sleep he was that when the angel shone in such bright radiance he did not still wake.
He had to be awoken by the angel 😇 himself.
Acts 12:7 KJV
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
Was the timing of the cock crowing not the regular time for cocks to crow?
If cocks 🐓 were crowing all over, then it would have been even difficult to count.
So this single cock pops out to fulfill prophecy.
He just could not help it... He knew the prophecy; he tried not to deny the master, but alas he underestimated the situation.
Or rather he overestimated himself, and now he had failed the master.
Sometimes we just cannot help ourselves.