Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome back to Corona Chronicles. We're in Mark chapter 14 still and we're we're back in the Garden gethsemane. We've looked at Jesus pouring his heart out to the Father about the Cross. We've seen the disciples falling asleep when they ought to have been awake, and now we're gonna pick up the story here in verse 43. Just as he was speaking, Judas, 1 of the 12 appeared.

With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs sent from the chief priests. Teachers of the law and the elders. Now, the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. The 1 I kisses the man, arrest him and lead him away under guard. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said rabbi and kissed him.

The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then 1 of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest cutting off his ear. Am I leading a rebellion said Jesus you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me. Every day I was with you teaching in the temple courts and you did not arrest me. But the scriptures must be fulfilled.

Then everyone deserted him and fled. A young man wearing nothing but a linen garment was following Jesus when they seized him, he fled naked. Leaving his garment behind. Yeah. I mean, intimate details there.

Someone who was actually there, isn't it? Yeah. Clearly. Yeah. Yes.

So here we are, still in the garden. Jesus has prayed, and it just shows you he knows he's our has come. I mean, he's in control Chrisie says before they come here they come and they come marching up the hill, a big crowd of them. I mean, you know, when you work out the actual words that are used, it seems to suggest there are many hundreds of people coming out to arrest 1 man. Mhmm.

And, you know, 11 disciples. It's it's quite amazing. You've got swords, the clubs, this is quite a violent. This is we're having him you know, no one's gonna get in the way. We've got to arrest him and to execute him and you've got the religious people there and the teachers of the law, you know, everybody is joined up to to to come at the night to get him.

Yeah. All arranged by 1 of Jesus' best mates. Yeah. I think that's the that's the incredible thing in verse 43, isn't it? Just to see was speaking Judas 1 of the 12 appeared, you know.

So easy to brush over that perhaps. But that that's the startling reminder that this this is 1 of his closest followers, 1 who has been shadowing him for the past few years, 1 who has seen his miracles, heard his teaching, ate with him, traveled with him, knows his family. This is the 1 who is leading this delegation. To to capture the son of God. And, you know, it's it's it's a violent scene, isn't it?

You know, there's there's swords and clubs. There's swinging of swords and severing of ears. And there's all kinds of things going going on here. Isn't there? And that's what seems to surprise Jesus, you know, in verse 48.

He says, what what is this all about? Am I leading a rebellion? You've come out with swords and clubs to capture me like, this is all completely unnecessary. You know, I've been in the temple courts. I've been teaching.

You could have done it in plain daylight in front of the people. Yeah. But we know you were too afraid to do that. And so you've sent this military delegation to get me. What is this about?

You know? And and with 1 of his best mates, you know, betraying him. This is this is where I guess. Judus gets his money. Mhmm.

And he gets the life that he wants, and it's with a kiss. I mean, that's the thing. So that, you know, that whole phrase Judus kiss and stuff. It really is. I think that I mean, slightly to aside is that there are say our savior God, no no's.

So you know when you know it's when you're betrayed by a good friend, it's it's hard. Mhmm. Well, our savior knows that. Mhmm. You know, he knows the injustice of what's going on here, night you know, it's gonna be a night jury and all of that sort of stuff.

And it's all illegally done and done in the dark and you know, when people say, you know, does God understand? God doesn't understand stuff I'm going through. Yes, he does. In Christ, he understands all of this. It's just phenomenal, isn't it?

But for for a best mate to betray you for a bit of money, and to kiss you as a sign. What do you think that is about? Because it's like there were probably a number of other ways he could have. Just pointed I mean, first, it probably would have been obvious who he was. And, yeah, they could have pointed or he could have said, that's the man.

Yes. But they don't know where he is, do they? And I think that goes back to show us why Jesus was secretive about where he was having the passover meal. So that Judas wouldn't know. So he had to go out in the night, didn't he?

Yes. To go and arrange this. So Judith knows he must have Judith must have known he was going to gethsemane afterwards. And so he's gone and sold you and said, I'll take you to where he is. And it's dark.

You know, they've got I I think it also shows Jesus as an ordinary looking Jewish bloke. He wasn't like the films. No. With blonde hair. No.

No. And they're slightly illuminated. Yeah. There's a light a light coming down upon him as his blue eyes shone. You know, this is rough blokes that sleep out rough and so he he he kisses him.

Mhmm. But the Judas kiss you know, it's a sandpaper kiss, isn't it? You you just imagine how he puck at his lips up to do that. Mhmm. Did he get enough sort of, you know, lubricant in his mouth to actually open it.

Was it a dry? Was it a, you know, such a horrible way of doing it. It is. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. And and, you know, as you were saying, this is all this is all to fulfill the scriptures, isn't it? That's that's the thing. And you know, betrayed with a kiss. 1 of the 12.

The fact that he's arrested in this way verse 49, the Scriptures must be fulfilled then everyone deserted him and fled, which is in some ways, you know, a very recent promise, isn't it? Although it's the 1 we saw from Zechariah, earlier in the chapter, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. This is now a complete scattering, isn't it? Everything that he said is coming through. They've all left him.

He's just been abandoned to these to these soldiers -- Yeah. -- as as he promised. Well, we'll come back because I'd like us to come back for another 1 to to just look at Peter here or the 1 that chops the ear off. But we've no time for that. So we'll come back next time.