THE OLIVE ORCHARD AND THE HIGH-PRIEST'S HALL
Matt. 26:36 to 75; Mark 14:32 to 72; Luke 22:40 to 62; John 18:1 to 27
AT the foot of the Mount of Ŏĺ ĭves̝, near the path over the hill toward Bĕth́ a-ny̆, there was an orchard of olive trees, called "The Garden of Ḡĕth-sĕḿ a-nē̇.” The word "Gĕth-sĕḿ a-nē̇" means "oil press." Jesus often went to this place with his disciples, because of its quiet shade. At this garden he stopped, and outside he left eight of his disciples, saying to them, "Sit here, while I go inside and pray.”
He took with him the three chosen ones, Pḗ te͂r, Jamey and Jŏhn, and went within the orchard. Jesus knew that in a little while Judas would be there with a band of men to seize him; that within a few hours he would be beaten, and stripped, and led out to die. The thought of what he was to suffer came upon him and filled his soul with grief. He said to Pḗ te͂r, and Jāmes̝, and Jŏhn:
"My soul is filled with sorrow; a sorrow that almost kills me; Stay here and watch while I am praying.”
He went a little further among the trees, and flung himself down upon the ground, and cried out:
"O, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wiliest!”
So earnest was his feeling and so great his suffering, that there came out upon his face great drops of sweat like blood, falling upon the ground. 'After praying for a time, he rose up from the earth, and went to his three disciples, and found them all asleep. He awaked them, and said to Pḗ te͂r:
"What, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that you may not go into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He left them, and went a second time into the woods, and fell on his knees, and prayed again, saying:
"O, my Father, if this cup cannot pass away, and I must drink it, then thy will be done.”
He came again to the three disciples, and found them sleeping; but this time he did not wake them. He went once more into the woods, and prayed, using the same words. And an angel from heaven came to him, and gave him strength.
He was now ready for the fate that was soon to come, and his heart was strong. Once more he went to the three disciples, and said to them:
"You may as well sleep on now, and take your rest, for the hour is at hand; and already the Son of man is given by the traitor into the hands of sinners. But rise up, and let us be going. See, the traitor is here!”
The disciples awoke; they heard the noise of a crowd, and saw the flashing of torches and the gleaming of swords and spears. In the throng they saw Jū́ das standing, and they knew now that he was the traitor of whom Jesus had spoken the night before. Jū́ das came rushing forward, and kissed Jesus, as though he were glad to see him. This was a signal that he had given beforehand to the band; for the men of the guard did not know Jesus, and Jū́ das had said to them, "The one that I shall kiss is the man that you are to take; seize him and hold him fast.”
Jesus said to Jū́ das, "Jū́ das, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?”
Then he turned to the crowd, and said, "Whom do you seek?" They answered, "Jesus of Năź a-rĕth.”
Jesus said, "I am he.”
When Jesus said this, a sudden fear came upon his enemies; they drew back, and fell upon the ground.
After a moment, Jesus said again, "Whom do you seek?" And again they answered, "Jesus of Năź a-rĕth.”
And Jesus said, pointing to his disciples, "I told you that I am he. If you are seeking me, let these disciples go their own way.”
But as they came forward to seize Jesus, Pḗ ter drew his sword, and struck at one of the men in front, and cut off his right ear.
The man was a servant of the high-priest, and his name was Măĺ chus.
Jesus said to Pḗ ter, "Put up the sword into its sheath; the cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it? Do you not know that I could call upon my Father, and he would send to me armies upon armies of angels?”
Then he spoke to the crowd: "Let me do this." And he touched the place where the ear had been cut off, and it came on again and was well. Jesus said to the rulers and leaders of the armed men, "Do you come out against me with swords and clubs as though I were a robber? I was with you every day in the Temple, and you did not lift your hands against me. But the words in the Scriptures must come to pass; and this is your hour.”
When the disciples of Jesus saw that he would not allow them to fight for him, they did not know what to do. In their sudden alarm they all ran away, and left their Master alone with his enemies. These men laid their hands on Jesus, and bound him, and led him away to the house of the high-priest. There were at that time two men called high-priests by the Jews̝. One was Ań nas, who had been high-priest until his office had been taken from him by the Rṓ mans̝, and give to Cā́ ia-phăs, his son-in-law. But Ăń nas still had great power among the people; and they brought Jesus, all bound as he was, first before Ăń nas.
Sī́ mon Pḗ te͂r and Jŏhn, the disciple whom Jesus loved, had followed after the crowd of those who carried Jesus away, and they came to the door of the high-priest's house. Jŏhn knew the high-priest and went in, but Pḗ ter at first stayed outside, until Jŏhn went out and brought him in. He came in, but did not dare to go into the room where Jesus stood before the high-priest Ăń nas. In the courtyard of the house they had made a fire of charcoal, and Pḗ ter stood among those who were warming themselves at the fire. Ăń nas, in the inner room, asked Jesus about his disciples and teaching. Jesus answered him, "What I have taught has been open in the synagogues and in the Temple. Why do you ask me? Ask those that heard me; they know what I said.”
Then one of the officers struck Jesus on the mouth, saying to him, "Is this the way that you answer the high-priest?”
Jesus answered the officer calmly and quietly, "If I have said anything evil, tell what the evil is; but if I have spoken the truth, why do you strike me?”
While Ăń nas and his men were thus showing their hate toward Jesus, who stood bound and alone among his enemies, Pḗ ter was still in the courtyard, warming himself at the fire. A woman, who was a serving-maid in the house, looked at Pḗ ter sharply, and finally said to him, "You were one of those men with this Jesus of Năź a-rĕth!”
Pḗ te͂r was afraid to tell the truth, and he answered her, "Woman, I do not know the man and I do not know what you are talking about.”
And to get away from her he went out into the porch of the house. There another woman-servant saw him and said. "This man was one of those with Jesus!'”
And Pḗ ter swore with an oath that he did not know Jesus at all. Soon a man came by, who was of kin to Măĺ chus, whose ear Pḗ te͂r had cut off. He looked at Pḗ ter, and heard him speak, and said, "You are surely one of this man's disciples, for your speech shows that you came from Găĺ ĭ-lee.”
Then Pḗ ter began again to curse and to swear, declaring that he did not know the man of whom they were speaking.
Just at that moment the loud, shrill crowing of a cock startled Pḗ ter, and at the same time he saw Jesus, who was being dragged through the hall from Ăń nas to the council-room of Cā́ ia-phăs, the other high-priest. And the Lord turned as he was passing and looked at Pḗ ter.
Then there flashed into Pḗ te͂r's mind what Jesus had said on the evening before, "Before the cock crows to-morrow morning, you will three times deny that you have ever known me.”
Then Pḗ te͂r went out of the high-priest's house into the street, and he wept bitterly because he had denied his Lord.
Lesson 28. At the Supper and in the Garden.
(Tell Stories 33 and 34 in Part Sixth.)
1. What meal did Jesus take with his disciples one night? The last supper.
2. What did Jesus say at the supper as he gave his disciples the bread? "This is my body.”
3. What did he say as he gave them the cup of wine? "This is my blood.”
4. What did Jesus do after the supper? He washed the disciples feet.
5. Where did he go with the disciples on that night? To a garden.
6. What did Jesus do in the garden? He prayed to God.
7. Who came to the garden to find Jesus? Judas and the enemies of Jesus.
8. What did these enemies do? They bound Jesus and took him away.
9. To what place did they take Jesus? To the high-priest's house.
10. What did the disciples do at that time? They left Jesus alone.