Remembering Israel-Holy Thursday

After Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday and His clearing of the Temple, scholars believe Jesus returned to Bethany, thought  to be about a mile and a half distance, on what is now the West Bank. Walking didn’t require a fit-bit in those days; to get from here to  there, frequently you just walked, and Jesus and the disciples likely hoofed it along quickly. We know Jesus taught that week, maybe back in Bethany, maybe both or other places.  A walk of a mile-and-a-half would not merit a gold star in a chart on the fridge. It would just be a Tuesday—or, in that Holy Week, perhaps a Thursday.

For sure, Jesus returned with his disciples to “the Upper Room” for the Passover meal—a Seder Meal—with these disciples, most of whom He knew would eventually die for

Stained Glass of Last Supper
 (on top)
Jerusalem

their devotion to Him. He wanted to prepare them, to not have them be shocked by His death, to, again, assure them He would never truly leave them, convince them of His love, of God’s providence, that, no matter what circumstances might appear to be on the cusp of drowning them, overwhelming them, in that “dark night of the soul,” they actually, truthfully, really would not be alone, even if they could not see and touch Him as at that last Seder meal. John, the youngest of the chosen 12, would ask the traditional questions of Passover, beginning with, “Why is this night different from all others?

After they asked these questions, Jesus, that Hebrew boy who grew into the Hebrew man, answered

those same traditional questions being asked and answered all over Israel, particularly Jerusalem, at that same time. They ate the Passover meal, the tradition begun hundreds of years before Christ celebrated with his disciples, begun on that very first night the angel of death passed over houses marked with lamb's blood when the Israelites prepared to leave Egypt, the traditional meal that continues today. For Christians this foretells of the sacrificial Lamb whose blood would redeem, that Lamb even on that evening 2000 years ago concentrating on the Passover meal with His friends, not distracted by the dread to come or, it appears, the redemption worked by His sacrifice the next night. Jesus lived for each day on the day. During that meal Jesus sent Judas off to commit his treasonous act. “Hurry and get it over with.” How His heart must have broken to have this man, his follower—his friend—betray him so cruelly.

Before Judas met those conspirators against Jesus had time to return and find Jesus to turn Him over to those who wanted to kill Him, Jesus took his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane so He could pray. He left them, went a bit further, begged to find another way—any other way—than the path He knew to come, and returned to find the disciples asleep. Well, it was late, they had just eaten a big meal. He wanted them to pray as He was praying.

Garden of Gethsemane

But, if the disciples had managed to pray together as Christ prayed farther away from them that night, would Peter have acknowledged himself a follower of Jesus a few hours later rather than betraying Him three times before that crowing rooster sounded the soon arrival of morning? Would a prayer at that time have mattered, and did Jesus, wanting to spare them more fear and shame to come, encourage them again and again, “Pray…. pray……pray.”  But, He would not force them. God will not force communication with His children.

Then Judas appeared,

performed with the kiss of friendship the deed for which he would not later seek forgiveness. Judas could not have known the series of events his one act of perfidy would beget. But, Jesus knew…..and if Judas lived to mourn that act, he didn’t live long, not able to bear the repercussions, not capable to deal with the guilt. Even so, Jesus never gave any other idea but that He could, at any time during that Thursday night have stopped any of these steps towards that monstrous death to which He steadily headed. As Peter grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of one of servants of the High Priest to try to protect Jesus, Jesus gently scolded him, returned the ear, likely before the servant realized exactly what had happened (did it really get cut off and put back on?), and assured them all that He could call legions of angels--if he wanted. 

What must all those men have thought upon seeing this? As the story moved among them ("Did you see that? What? Really? He did what?") what must that crowd of cruel, hardened soldiers thought. 

And, what did those legions of angels think from Heaven? The song says, "Angels from Heaven up  yonder watch with amazement and wonder to see the Son of the Highest treated so."

Indeed.

A great irony is that the purpose for which Jesus allowed Judas to betray him, so that Jesus could make Himself that sacrifice on the cross, that ransom Jesus paid after Judas’ betrayal, covered and absolved even the monstrous duplicity of a follower of the Son of God by a loved friend. Judas did not find final destruction from the guilt and grief because of his unfathomable betrayal ; his ultimate downfall was, as for so many humans throughout history, that he could not, he would, not accept forgiveness from the act of Sacrifice Jesus performed that Friday afternoon. Judas refused pardon freely offered to us all.

That cross, truly, is enough.

Periodically, when I heap upon myself condemnation for the sins of commission, omission, permission, all kinds of –mission, I have to stop and say, “You’re not the one…..you’re not the one the cross doesn’t cover.” Judas could not believe because he would not believe Jesus’ words from those three years he had lived and worked with Him. Even the other disciples, after Jesus’ death, cowered, hid, fearful of the coming days, weeks, months, of the unknown future. Judas, feeling responsible by that time for the loss of everything, all he had hoped for, all he had thought he hoped for, killed himself after throwing the silver, the price of his duplicity and disloyalty, back in the faces of the men who had paid him and who, by now, could have cared less. They had what they wanted, believing themselves free of this rural rabble rouser, this Nazarene preacher who threatened their authority.

The mock trial (millions of others’ words explain the bogus actions of that trial well past what I could explain), Peter’s betrayal—Peter, who during that Seder meal had sworn his loyalty could not—WOULD not be in any way questioned—Peter could hardly warm his hands fast enough to swear and deny Christ with his own words and actions. As his final denial ended, Jesus, in the middle of a trial for his life, being accused of false actions and intent, turned and looked at Peter. Brown eyes met brown eyes, and Peter’s shame stopped his words as he turned and ran in disgrace from the courtyard where so many watched to see just what would happen with this preacher, prophet, perhaps faker, on trial here.

Statue of Peter's Betrayal

Thursday night, the trial of Christ continued. The Jews felt pressure to hurry, because the Sabbath, a day on which they could not do any work—like burying someone—would soon be upon them. A Roman Caesar, his wife, Jewish religious leaders, and a mob pondered Jesus’ fate as He stood quietly, so few words, having made His peace with what was to come.

Ready for His purpose and His part in history, Jesus patiently waited for the humans around Him to play their roles. A Roman Caesar, his wife, Jewish religious leaders, and a mob….and Thursday crawled into Friday.