Post by purr on Apr 16, 2022 5:54:32 GMT
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES
..to where Easter went down. It's the place where Jesus had spent much of his preaching life, where in Gethsemane Garden he prayed terrified in the night before the day of his crucifixion (Good Friday), of his arrest on leaving Gethsemane with his friends by Jewish Temple police, backed up by a detachment of Roman soldiers out of Fort Antonia (next to the Temple of Jerusalem), on orders by the Chief Priests and the Pharisees (priestly sect) plotting his death. Lots happening as Thursday changed into Friday, the arresting officers took him first to a nightly sham trial conducted by Anas, father to the incumbent High Priest of Judaism who got busy interrogating, mostly some intimidating and beating down on their exasperatingly self-contained detainee, getting nowhere in these illegal proceedings and then handing Jesus to the true Sanhedrin, the high court presided over by actual High Priest Caiaphas who doubled as religious judge, and did little better in condemning him for capital offense blasphemy. Charges were as yet unclear and would not stand under Roman Law. Next, close by, Roman governor Pilate basically cleared him, after a good (read: grueling and brutal) Roman scourging, after which Jesus of Nazareth, guilty of nothing more than being kind and wonderfully erudite, healing and forgiving people and yes ah... being fairly critical of bad government, was executed by the slaves and murderers' punishment of Crucifixion. Note that the wicked folks who wished him dead, HATED HIS GUTS, were a tiny religious elite, designated as "chief" and "Pharisee" in the scriptures, at most able to incite a local mob into calling for Roman execution, and haphazardly pushing for his death by any means, within or outside of Roman or Mosaic Law.
Crazily Jesus is recorded as 'healing' the ear of one arresting Temple Official, cut off by follower Peter impetuously trying to save his Rabbi from arrest. The Jewish people were not enemy to Jesus. Jesus was never enemy to the Jews.
Walk, look around and see where he was buried in wealthy Joseph of Arimathea's grave. The first Christians remembered how by miraculous and divine means Jesus returned back to life, getting taken up to the skies and wherever his Father makes a heavenly home. Mount of Olives is where believers all over the world expect him to return as Messiah, with the power to save Man from its future final war of utter self destruction.
I believe in this stuff. But I also have doubts and plenty of curiosity, not sure if it is all to be taken literally. But I join, and so can you if you wish, with all Christians in remembering Jesus as a nice guy who suffered a bad death, and who through his words and our faith, even after 2000 years, managed to find his way into our heart.
HAPPY EASTER!
Luke 22:39-51 NKJV
Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”
And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”
And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
purr
