(Gospel of Mark 4:01 - 4:34)
Jesus once again began teaching by the Sea of Galilee. So large a crowd gathered around him that he boarded a boat on the lake. He sat in it while the crowd remained on the land, lining the edge of the water. He taught them many things by using parables, for example, during his teaching, he said, “Listen, a farmer went out to plant his seed, but as he scattered it, some fell outside the furrow and birds flew down and ate it up. Other seed fell upon rocky ground where dirt was sparse. Because the soil was not deep, seedlings quickly sprouted. However, when the sun came up, the plants wilted, and, since they had little root, they withered away. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked off the plants, which thus produced no grain. But other seeds fell upon good soil. They sprung up, flourished, and produced a crop, 30, 60, even 100 times what was planted.”
Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him listen.”
Later, when Jesus was alone with his Twelve Disciples, others who gathered around him asked about the parable. He replied, “It is given to you to understand the secret truth of God’s dominion, but to those on the outside, all these truths are expressed in parables. And so, in seeing, they may see, but not perceive, and so, in hearing, they may hear, but not comprehend. Otherwise, they might be converted and their sins forgiven.”
Jesus then said to them, “You don’t understand this parable? How, then, will you understand the rest of the parables? The farmer plants — the Message of God. Some people are like the seeds that fall outside the furrow; Satan immediately comes and takes away the Message of God that was planted within them. Some are like the seeds on the rocky ground; they hear the Message and at once joyfully receive it. But, because they have no roots, the Message does not take, for as soon as there is some trouble or some persecution connected with it, they immediately lapse. Still others, like the seed that is sown among the thorns, hear the Message, but because worries about the state of the world, the seductiveness of wealth, and desires for other things intrude and stifle the Message, it has no effect. But there are those who are like the seed fallen upon good soil: they hear the Message, accept it, and produce a crop, 30, 60, or a 100 times what had been planted.”
Jesus also said to them, “ Is a lamp brought in so that it may be put under a basket or under a bed, and not on the lamp stand? Indeed there is nothing that is it hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is there anything secret that will not be revealed.
“If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.” He added, “Listen carefully to what you hear. The more you listen, the more you will understand and the more understanding will be given to you. For he who has understanding, more will be given to him, but he who does not, even the little understanding he has will be taken from him.”
He also said, “This is the coming of God’s rule: when a man scatters seeds upon the ground, night day, whether he is asleep or awake, the seeds sprout and grow — he knows not how. On its own the land brings forth a crop, first the stalk, then the ear, then the kernel that ripens within it. As soon as the grain is ripe, he promptly puts a sickle to it, for the time for harvesting has come.”
Jesus said as well, “How can we describe the coming of God’s rule, what parable may we use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all the seeds on earth. Yet, after it is planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants; it brings forth branches so great that under the shade of their foliage the birds of the sky may find repose.”
Jesus employed many other parables as he spoke as much of his message as the people were able to understand. Indeed he spoke to them of nothing without use of parables, but in private he would expound on all things to his disciples.
Notes
1. Jesus, who is famous for teaching in parables, explains here why he does so. He doesn’t use analogies and symbolic moral tales to illustrate his teachings and make his points clearer — quite the contrary. He uses parables to obscure the meaning of his teachings. This seems counterintuitive. Most teachers and preachers try to enlighten as many in their audience as possible and make their message easily comprehensible. Jesus, though, is unabashedly elitist. He only wants his message to be understood by a select group. It’s almost as if he is saying to his would-be followers, “If you’re too stupid to understand my parables, then I don’t want you as my disciple. I don’t want to be obliged to forgive the sins of those who don’t ‘get it.’”
2. The First Parable of the Seeds divides those who are exposed to Jesus’ Message into four categories:
1. Those who ignore it and quickly fall into the clutches of Satan and, presumably, sin and disbelief.
2. Those who are eager to believe and are easily converted, but who lack the strength of character to remain faithful when they are tested.
3. Those who are simply too immersed in material things, too preoccupied with their own affairs, and too susceptible to worldly desires to care about receiving the Message.
4. Those who do receive it and are true to it.
3. The second parable involving seeds illustrate the manner in which God’s rule will spread, like a seed that grows and matures by itself without the need for cultivation. In another words, man is not a necesary instrument for the propagation of his rule. It will not occur because of the work of preachers and prophets, an assertion that seems in conflict with a long-accepted tenant of Christianity and one which Jesus would later espouse, evangelism, the seeking of converts. The third seed parable, that of the mustard seed, alludes to the enormous growth potential of God’s rule, like many things in nature that begin as something very small and grow into something very large.
4. What is rendered here as “God’s rule,” or the “rule of God” is almost universally translated as “Kingdom of God” or “Kingdom of Heaven.” In modern English, “kingdom” means a country ruled over by a king, or a monarchial form of government. Although it is understandable why the ancients or 17th Century Bible translators would choose to use this term to describe the rule of God, it is no longer apt and can only be misleading. Unfortunately, neither Jesus nor any of the gospel writers ever really defined what they meant by the term, which seemed to have been employed in various ways. Whether this was owing to an assumption that it would be readily understood or to the intention that it would remain nebulous and undefined cannot be known. In the present context “God’s rule” likely refers to the beliefs, laws, customs, and practices to which the believer, the faithful must submit himself. God’s rule, therefore, is something that exists within, a result of acceptance, faith, and righteous devotion. (A believer places himself under the “rule of God” when he becomes a Christian.) But the rule of God refers at other times to direct political dominion over the earth by the divinity, which will occur in the future, after the Second Coming. Sometimes, though, it may refer not only to God’s authority, but to the earth itself under his rule — a closer match to the common use of “kingdom.” Other meanings and shades of meanings are possible. One of the most frustrating ambiguities in the New Testament, the definition of “Kingdom of God” is still a matter of theological debate and controversy.
5. Like many religions, especially cults, Jesus has one set of teachings for the hoi polloi and another for his inner circle of disciples. Even the teachings he vouchsafed to the former were obscured by being couched in parables. It was, therefore, accepted that only the disciples, in particular, the 12 apostles would know in totality Jesus’ teachings. This system was preserved in part by the later Catholic church, consisting of priests who were in the know and privy to God’s message and the mostly illiterate believers who would not be expected to understand theological concepts. The printing press and expanded literacy endangered this set up during the Renaissance. In contrast to the Catholic Church, Protestant churches expressly required believers to have personal knowledge and understanding of the Bible — no secret doctrine, but a universal set of beliefs.
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Monday, August 21, 2017
Jesus Comes Home
(Gospel of Mark 3:20 - 3:35)
Jesus came home, but so large a crowd gathered that he and his disciples were not even able to able to have a meal. When his friends and family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, saying, “He’s out of his mind!”
Scribes who came from Jerusalem pronounced, “He is possessed by Beelzebub. He exorcises demons with the prince of demons.”
And so Jesus called them over to him and spoke to him with analogies. “How can Satan exorcise Satan? If a nation is divided against itself, it is not able to endure. And if a family is divided against itself, that family is unable to endure. And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, then he cannot endure, but will come to his end. No one can go into a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Only then can he ransack his house.”
“I tell you truly, all the sins that man commits and all the blasphemies they may utter will be forgiven. But whoever blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, for he is guilty of a sin that is eternal.’
He said this to them, because they were claiming, “He is possessed by an evil spirit.”
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived and standing outside, they sent some inside to call him. A crowd was sitting around Jesus and they told him, “Your mother and brother are outside looking for you.” He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He looked at those seated around him and declared, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever it is that does God’s will, that is my brother and sister and mother.”
Notes
1. This is apparently not a great homecoming for Jesus. Followers crowd into his house so that he and his apostles cannot even get themselves a meal. Some of his friends and family think he’s lost his marbles and, in modern terms, want to have him committed. Scribes (theologians and teachers of religious law) come from Jerusalem, a long way off, to declare that he is possessed by evil spirits, even Beelzebub, probably used here as synonomous with Satan, the devil. (Later Beelzebub would be regarded as a separate, but major demon, the “Lord of the Flies”). The scribes also assert that he is exorcising demons by using the authority of the demon leader, Satan. This Jesus effectively and eloquently refutes by reasoning that Satan could not go against his own demonkind without destroying himself. His analogy about the strong man and the robber suggests that Jesus can exorcise demons only because he has suppressed the power of Satan. --- Next, interrupting his teaching, Jesus’s mother and brothers show up wanting to see him. (Apparently he did not live with his family, for his mother and brothers seem to be visitors). Jesus totally snubs his family, declaring that his family are his disciples, those who do the will of God. It is implied that his family does not do the will of God, or if they do not, they are no longer his family. It is not recorded whether his mother and brothers were ever accorded the courtesy of being received by Jesus.
2. Jesus is from Nazareth in Galilee, but no further information about his background is here vouchsafed. What did he do before he was an evangelist? His house was apparently large enough to accomodate a large number of people. Had he been relatively wealthy?
Jesus came home, but so large a crowd gathered that he and his disciples were not even able to able to have a meal. When his friends and family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, saying, “He’s out of his mind!”
Scribes who came from Jerusalem pronounced, “He is possessed by Beelzebub. He exorcises demons with the prince of demons.”
And so Jesus called them over to him and spoke to him with analogies. “How can Satan exorcise Satan? If a nation is divided against itself, it is not able to endure. And if a family is divided against itself, that family is unable to endure. And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, then he cannot endure, but will come to his end. No one can go into a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Only then can he ransack his house.”
“I tell you truly, all the sins that man commits and all the blasphemies they may utter will be forgiven. But whoever blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, for he is guilty of a sin that is eternal.’
He said this to them, because they were claiming, “He is possessed by an evil spirit.”
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived and standing outside, they sent some inside to call him. A crowd was sitting around Jesus and they told him, “Your mother and brother are outside looking for you.” He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He looked at those seated around him and declared, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever it is that does God’s will, that is my brother and sister and mother.”
Notes
1. This is apparently not a great homecoming for Jesus. Followers crowd into his house so that he and his apostles cannot even get themselves a meal. Some of his friends and family think he’s lost his marbles and, in modern terms, want to have him committed. Scribes (theologians and teachers of religious law) come from Jerusalem, a long way off, to declare that he is possessed by evil spirits, even Beelzebub, probably used here as synonomous with Satan, the devil. (Later Beelzebub would be regarded as a separate, but major demon, the “Lord of the Flies”). The scribes also assert that he is exorcising demons by using the authority of the demon leader, Satan. This Jesus effectively and eloquently refutes by reasoning that Satan could not go against his own demonkind without destroying himself. His analogy about the strong man and the robber suggests that Jesus can exorcise demons only because he has suppressed the power of Satan. --- Next, interrupting his teaching, Jesus’s mother and brothers show up wanting to see him. (Apparently he did not live with his family, for his mother and brothers seem to be visitors). Jesus totally snubs his family, declaring that his family are his disciples, those who do the will of God. It is implied that his family does not do the will of God, or if they do not, they are no longer his family. It is not recorded whether his mother and brothers were ever accorded the courtesy of being received by Jesus.
2. Jesus is from Nazareth in Galilee, but no further information about his background is here vouchsafed. What did he do before he was an evangelist? His house was apparently large enough to accomodate a large number of people. Had he been relatively wealthy?
Jesus Chooses His Disciples
(Gospel of Mark 3:14 - 3:19)
Jesus climbed a mountain and called down to those he wanted, and they came up to him. Twelve of them he chose to be his companions, that he might send them out to preach and endow them with the power to heal and to exorcise evil spirits.
The 12 he appointed were these:
Simon (whom he called “Peter”)
James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom he gave the name of Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”)
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James, the son of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
Judas Iscariot, the one who turned him in
Notes
1. According to the text, Boanerges means “sons of thunder” presumably in Aramaic, the language that Jesus and his disciples spoke. It does not, however, seem to be a regular word, only an awkward portmanteau expression partly from Hebrew, made up either by Jesus or by the author of Mark. The term is never used again.
2. This is the standard list of the apostles, however, some of the names vary. The Gospel of John, which, unlike the other gospels, does not offer a list of the apostles, calls Bartholomew, Nathanael, while Thaddeus is probably the same person as Judas or Jude, the son or brother of James. James, the son of Alphaeus, is sometimes (unflatteringly) called James the Less. Matthew may also be Levi, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon may be the same person as Simeon of Jerusalem. Curious that more than one apostle would be known by more than one name. Unlike the Romans, who had a first name, a family name, and a tribal name, Hebrew men had only one name. Added to it might be another name indicating their place of origin or residence, whose son they were, what work they did, or a personal characteristic they might have -- very similar to the situation in medieval England.
3. Ascending a mountain suggests an ascent to Heaven, communion with the divine. Moses climbs a mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. Perhaps this is a parallel, Jesus ascending a mountain and calling up to him his chosen apostles.
Jesus climbed a mountain and called down to those he wanted, and they came up to him. Twelve of them he chose to be his companions, that he might send them out to preach and endow them with the power to heal and to exorcise evil spirits.
The 12 he appointed were these:
Simon (whom he called “Peter”)
James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom he gave the name of Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”)
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James, the son of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
Judas Iscariot, the one who turned him in
Notes
1. According to the text, Boanerges means “sons of thunder” presumably in Aramaic, the language that Jesus and his disciples spoke. It does not, however, seem to be a regular word, only an awkward portmanteau expression partly from Hebrew, made up either by Jesus or by the author of Mark. The term is never used again.
2. This is the standard list of the apostles, however, some of the names vary. The Gospel of John, which, unlike the other gospels, does not offer a list of the apostles, calls Bartholomew, Nathanael, while Thaddeus is probably the same person as Judas or Jude, the son or brother of James. James, the son of Alphaeus, is sometimes (unflatteringly) called James the Less. Matthew may also be Levi, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon may be the same person as Simeon of Jerusalem. Curious that more than one apostle would be known by more than one name. Unlike the Romans, who had a first name, a family name, and a tribal name, Hebrew men had only one name. Added to it might be another name indicating their place of origin or residence, whose son they were, what work they did, or a personal characteristic they might have -- very similar to the situation in medieval England.
3. Ascending a mountain suggests an ascent to Heaven, communion with the divine. Moses climbs a mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. Perhaps this is a parallel, Jesus ascending a mountain and calling up to him his chosen apostles.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Jesus Dines With Sinners
(Gospel of Mark 2:13 - 2:17)
When Jesus once again went out to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a large number of people gathered round him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus manning a custom booth. "Follow me," Jesus bid him, and Levi rose and followed him.
As he dined at Levi's house, there were many tax collectors and sinners who were reclining with Jesus -- and with his disciples as well, for there were many who were following him. When the scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, they asked of his disciples, "Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
When he heard this, Jesus replied to them, "It is not the well who need a doctor, but the sick. I come not to treat those who are righteous, but to cure those who are sinners."
Notes
1. That tax collectors are equated with sinners is revealing of the attitude that Galileans must have had toward their government, not that those who collect taxes are ever popular among citizens of any country at any time. The tax collectors would have worked for the native ruler, Herod Antipas, who administered Galilee as a client state of Rome. (They would not have been employees of Rome, as is asserted by many biblical commentaries.) Although Herod Antipas’ reign, dependent upon the good will of the Roman emperor, was a long one, it is doubtful that he was very popular with his subjects. His servants were probably reviled by the populace. Therefore, the ranks of the tax collectors would have been filled by disreputable and unsavory characters, outcasts, and opportunists. But the tax collectors would have been educated men, literate in Aramaic certainly and perhaps in Greek and Latin. The sinners were probably not those who were immoral in their conduct, but those who were merely religiously unobservant or heretical in their beliefs. This would probably include Hebrews who had become Hellenized or Romanized and had abandoned traditional customs and religious practices.
2. Levi, a tax collector (a publican, or what we would call a public contractor), is, for some reason, chosen by Jesus. He calls to Levi and Levi comes, leaving without explanation his well-paid job to follow an itinerant rabbi. Levi was probably manning a booth, collecting duties on imported goods that were being transported to Galilee from other jurisdictions across the Sea of Galilee. Little is here said of Levi, save that he apparently invites Jesus and his disciples to dinner. He is prosperous enough to give his guests a good feed. (The guests dine Roman style, while reclining on couches before a low table. They do not sit at a table as in da Vinci’s anachronistic depiction, The Last Supper.) Other tax collectors and "sinners" join Jesus and his disciples as guests.
3. Levi is generally thought to be the same person as the Matthew, supposed author of the Gospel of Matthew and later listed in Mark as one of the 12 apostles. (Dual names wee not uncommon at the time, but make for much confusion. It is possible, too, that Levi changed his name to Matthew when he became a disciple of Jesus.) His father Alphaeus is probably not the same Alphaeus who was the father of the Apostle James, although this is matter of some controversy.
4. Jesus, contrary to the point of view of those in the religious establishment, does not feel he needs to be selective in his society. He explains in his own way (it is the sick and not the well that need a doctor) the obligation he feels to consort with sinners in order to convert them. That, one surmises, would have beneath the dignity of the Pharisees, who are quick to find fault in anything that Jesus says or does. The Pharisees see their role in defending and perpetuating religious orthodoxy and are more interested in rooting out heretics than finding converts.
5. The questioning of Jesus' actions and statements by the Pharisees seem like a Socratic dialogue. Were the Pharisees really present, making these challenging inquiries, or are these interchanges literary devices employed by the author to illustrate Jesus' teachings?
When Jesus once again went out to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a large number of people gathered round him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus manning a custom booth. "Follow me," Jesus bid him, and Levi rose and followed him.
As he dined at Levi's house, there were many tax collectors and sinners who were reclining with Jesus -- and with his disciples as well, for there were many who were following him. When the scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, they asked of his disciples, "Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
When he heard this, Jesus replied to them, "It is not the well who need a doctor, but the sick. I come not to treat those who are righteous, but to cure those who are sinners."
Notes
1. That tax collectors are equated with sinners is revealing of the attitude that Galileans must have had toward their government, not that those who collect taxes are ever popular among citizens of any country at any time. The tax collectors would have worked for the native ruler, Herod Antipas, who administered Galilee as a client state of Rome. (They would not have been employees of Rome, as is asserted by many biblical commentaries.) Although Herod Antipas’ reign, dependent upon the good will of the Roman emperor, was a long one, it is doubtful that he was very popular with his subjects. His servants were probably reviled by the populace. Therefore, the ranks of the tax collectors would have been filled by disreputable and unsavory characters, outcasts, and opportunists. But the tax collectors would have been educated men, literate in Aramaic certainly and perhaps in Greek and Latin. The sinners were probably not those who were immoral in their conduct, but those who were merely religiously unobservant or heretical in their beliefs. This would probably include Hebrews who had become Hellenized or Romanized and had abandoned traditional customs and religious practices.
2. Levi, a tax collector (a publican, or what we would call a public contractor), is, for some reason, chosen by Jesus. He calls to Levi and Levi comes, leaving without explanation his well-paid job to follow an itinerant rabbi. Levi was probably manning a booth, collecting duties on imported goods that were being transported to Galilee from other jurisdictions across the Sea of Galilee. Little is here said of Levi, save that he apparently invites Jesus and his disciples to dinner. He is prosperous enough to give his guests a good feed. (The guests dine Roman style, while reclining on couches before a low table. They do not sit at a table as in da Vinci’s anachronistic depiction, The Last Supper.) Other tax collectors and "sinners" join Jesus and his disciples as guests.
3. Levi is generally thought to be the same person as the Matthew, supposed author of the Gospel of Matthew and later listed in Mark as one of the 12 apostles. (Dual names wee not uncommon at the time, but make for much confusion. It is possible, too, that Levi changed his name to Matthew when he became a disciple of Jesus.) His father Alphaeus is probably not the same Alphaeus who was the father of the Apostle James, although this is matter of some controversy.
4. Jesus, contrary to the point of view of those in the religious establishment, does not feel he needs to be selective in his society. He explains in his own way (it is the sick and not the well that need a doctor) the obligation he feels to consort with sinners in order to convert them. That, one surmises, would have beneath the dignity of the Pharisees, who are quick to find fault in anything that Jesus says or does. The Pharisees see their role in defending and perpetuating religious orthodoxy and are more interested in rooting out heretics than finding converts.
5. The questioning of Jesus' actions and statements by the Pharisees seem like a Socratic dialogue. Were the Pharisees really present, making these challenging inquiries, or are these interchanges literary devices employed by the author to illustrate Jesus' teachings?
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Jesus Exorcises an Unholy Spirit
(Gospel of Mark 1:21 - 1:28)
Jesus and his disciples journeyed to Capernaum, and as soon as the Sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching there. The congregation was astonished by his teaching, for he spoke to them with real authority, not like one of the scribes.
Suddenly a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an unholy spirit accosted him, "What business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- you're the Holy One of God!"
Jesus commanded the spirit, "Quiet! Be gone from this body!" The man went into convulsions and uttered a shriek as the unholy spirit departed from him. The people there were amazed and speculated among themselves, "What sort of new teaching is this? One with authority, to be sure! He commands the unholy spirits, and even they obey him." And so his fame spread quickly throughout Galilee and the surrounding region.
Notes
1. After his baptism and temptation in the desert, Jesus selects 4 disciples, Simon (who will be called Peter), Andrew, James and John, and then, without any period of study or mentoring, he begins to teach in the synagogue at Capernaum, probably the nearest large town. Apparently no credentials were necessary to teach at the synagogue. Did he even seek permission from the religious authorities?
2. Scribes, though originally those who merely copied manuscripts, had, by Jesus’ time, become an honored class of theologians who interpreted and taught religious law. They had become more important to Judaism than the priests or rabbis, but were notorious for their doctrinaire dogmatism.
3. In Mark the initial public appearance of Jesus as an evangelist is at the synagogue in Capernaum, and his first miraculous act is an exorcism, casting out a spirit from a possessed man. Jesus impresses the congregation with his authoritative teaching, but he creates an unforgettable sensation with the on-the-spot exorcism. This is the pattern of all religion. Teaching is insufficient in itself; it must be accompanied by miracles that credit the teaching as divinely inspired. Without miracles, a new religion can only be accepted as a philosophy.
4. Until recent times, mental illness, even emotional disturbance, was commonly attributed to possession by evil spirits. Cures would be worked by casting out the spirits. While mental illness is now recognized as having organic or psychological causes, there is a strong body of evidence that suggests this is not always so, that there may be spirit entities capable of taking possession of the mind and controlling the will of a living human. Whether they will exit the body they have possessed upon command or in response to some ritual is a moot question. But, it is not at all beyond the realm of possibility that the incident of exorcism recorded here is factually true -- and that its explanation requires no recourse to divine intervention.
5. The spirit possessing the man in the synagogue is not described as "evil" per se, only impure, unclean, meaning, one presumes, that it is both alien to the man and not of divine origin or sanction. The spirit recognizes Jesus, suggesting it possesses preternatural knowledge, and, by its words, presents itself as inimical to him: therefore, it can be assumed to be "evil."
Jesus and his disciples journeyed to Capernaum, and as soon as the Sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching there. The congregation was astonished by his teaching, for he spoke to them with real authority, not like one of the scribes.
Suddenly a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an unholy spirit accosted him, "What business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- you're the Holy One of God!"
Jesus commanded the spirit, "Quiet! Be gone from this body!" The man went into convulsions and uttered a shriek as the unholy spirit departed from him. The people there were amazed and speculated among themselves, "What sort of new teaching is this? One with authority, to be sure! He commands the unholy spirits, and even they obey him." And so his fame spread quickly throughout Galilee and the surrounding region.
Notes
1. After his baptism and temptation in the desert, Jesus selects 4 disciples, Simon (who will be called Peter), Andrew, James and John, and then, without any period of study or mentoring, he begins to teach in the synagogue at Capernaum, probably the nearest large town. Apparently no credentials were necessary to teach at the synagogue. Did he even seek permission from the religious authorities?
2. Scribes, though originally those who merely copied manuscripts, had, by Jesus’ time, become an honored class of theologians who interpreted and taught religious law. They had become more important to Judaism than the priests or rabbis, but were notorious for their doctrinaire dogmatism.
3. In Mark the initial public appearance of Jesus as an evangelist is at the synagogue in Capernaum, and his first miraculous act is an exorcism, casting out a spirit from a possessed man. Jesus impresses the congregation with his authoritative teaching, but he creates an unforgettable sensation with the on-the-spot exorcism. This is the pattern of all religion. Teaching is insufficient in itself; it must be accompanied by miracles that credit the teaching as divinely inspired. Without miracles, a new religion can only be accepted as a philosophy.
4. Until recent times, mental illness, even emotional disturbance, was commonly attributed to possession by evil spirits. Cures would be worked by casting out the spirits. While mental illness is now recognized as having organic or psychological causes, there is a strong body of evidence that suggests this is not always so, that there may be spirit entities capable of taking possession of the mind and controlling the will of a living human. Whether they will exit the body they have possessed upon command or in response to some ritual is a moot question. But, it is not at all beyond the realm of possibility that the incident of exorcism recorded here is factually true -- and that its explanation requires no recourse to divine intervention.
5. The spirit possessing the man in the synagogue is not described as "evil" per se, only impure, unclean, meaning, one presumes, that it is both alien to the man and not of divine origin or sanction. The spirit recognizes Jesus, suggesting it possesses preternatural knowledge, and, by its words, presents itself as inimical to him: therefore, it can be assumed to be "evil."
Monday, August 3, 2015
John the Baptist
(Gospel of Mark 1:1 - 1:8)
The Gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, began just as it was written down by the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, ahead of your arrival I will be dispatching a messenger to herald your coming. He will be as a voice proclaiming from out of the desert, 'Prepare the way for the coming of the Master; clear a path for him!'"
And so appeared John, who performed baptisms in the desert and preached baptism and repentance as a means of achieving remission of sins. All those in Judea, even in Jerusalem went out to him to confess their sins and be baptized in the waters of the River Jordan. This John the Baptist wore garments of camel's hair and girded them round his waist with a leather belt. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and the honey of wild bees.
He announced, "After me will come someone far greater than I, the straps of whose sandals I am unworthy to stoop down and undo. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Divine Spirit."
Notes
1. A gospel, literally "Good News," can be either a narrative of Jesus' life, an account of his acts and miracles, or a summary of his teachings and utterances. Mark, like Matthew and Luke, is considered a synoptic gospel, that is, it provides a biographical synopsis. Mark, written in Greek, probably for a Christian Gentile audience, is believed to have been composed before any of other four canonical gospels, perhaps about 70 AD. There is no evidence that Mark was authored by the disciple Mark, but is generally believed to be the work of an unknown writer that drew from various sources. (The gospel can also refer to the message preached by Jesus.)
2. The first prophetic quote is actually Malachi 3:1, the second, though, is from Isaiah 40:3. (It is disturbing that one cannot get past the second sentence without an inaccuracy being found.) Needless to say, these prophecies, like all the Old Testament statements supposedly alluding to Jesus as the Messiah, are ambiguous and vague; there is nothing here that points specifically to John and Jesus.
3. While most of the basic elements of Christianity were developed after Jesus (by others), we see here Christian practices and beliefs appearing before Jesus. John the Baptist, a pre-Jesus Christian, advocates confession and repentance as a means of receiving forgiveness for one's sins. This and the practice of baptism are basic tenets of Christian belief and distinct from Judaic practice. In the Old Testament Jehovah rarely demanded confession or repentance, only that the proper animal sacrifices be made to him and tribute paid to his priests.
4. John the Baptist is portrayed as an ascetic: he lives simply and austerely and aloof from society, save for those who come to him to be baptized. His camel hair clothes would have been rough and uncomfortable. Grasshoppers (or locusts), unappetizing surely, were sometimes consumed by the poor and were kosher, that is, acceptable to the dietary restrictions set down in Leviticus. Honey from wild bees is far less tasty than that from domesticated bees. No religious reason is given for his lifestyle, nor are any moral judgments offered about it. Perhaps the information is furnished merely as testimony to his character, letting us know what kind of guy he was.
5. Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew Messiah, the "Anointed One." I am using the Hebrew word in favor of the Greek, for Christ has lost its meaning and is regarded by most people as merely Jesus' last name, when it is not uttered as a swear word. (He should be referred to as Jesus the Christ.)
The Gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, began just as it was written down by the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, ahead of your arrival I will be dispatching a messenger to herald your coming. He will be as a voice proclaiming from out of the desert, 'Prepare the way for the coming of the Master; clear a path for him!'"
And so appeared John, who performed baptisms in the desert and preached baptism and repentance as a means of achieving remission of sins. All those in Judea, even in Jerusalem went out to him to confess their sins and be baptized in the waters of the River Jordan. This John the Baptist wore garments of camel's hair and girded them round his waist with a leather belt. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and the honey of wild bees.
He announced, "After me will come someone far greater than I, the straps of whose sandals I am unworthy to stoop down and undo. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Divine Spirit."
Notes
1. A gospel, literally "Good News," can be either a narrative of Jesus' life, an account of his acts and miracles, or a summary of his teachings and utterances. Mark, like Matthew and Luke, is considered a synoptic gospel, that is, it provides a biographical synopsis. Mark, written in Greek, probably for a Christian Gentile audience, is believed to have been composed before any of other four canonical gospels, perhaps about 70 AD. There is no evidence that Mark was authored by the disciple Mark, but is generally believed to be the work of an unknown writer that drew from various sources. (The gospel can also refer to the message preached by Jesus.)
2. The first prophetic quote is actually Malachi 3:1, the second, though, is from Isaiah 40:3. (It is disturbing that one cannot get past the second sentence without an inaccuracy being found.) Needless to say, these prophecies, like all the Old Testament statements supposedly alluding to Jesus as the Messiah, are ambiguous and vague; there is nothing here that points specifically to John and Jesus.
3. While most of the basic elements of Christianity were developed after Jesus (by others), we see here Christian practices and beliefs appearing before Jesus. John the Baptist, a pre-Jesus Christian, advocates confession and repentance as a means of receiving forgiveness for one's sins. This and the practice of baptism are basic tenets of Christian belief and distinct from Judaic practice. In the Old Testament Jehovah rarely demanded confession or repentance, only that the proper animal sacrifices be made to him and tribute paid to his priests.
4. John the Baptist is portrayed as an ascetic: he lives simply and austerely and aloof from society, save for those who come to him to be baptized. His camel hair clothes would have been rough and uncomfortable. Grasshoppers (or locusts), unappetizing surely, were sometimes consumed by the poor and were kosher, that is, acceptable to the dietary restrictions set down in Leviticus. Honey from wild bees is far less tasty than that from domesticated bees. No religious reason is given for his lifestyle, nor are any moral judgments offered about it. Perhaps the information is furnished merely as testimony to his character, letting us know what kind of guy he was.
5. Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew Messiah, the "Anointed One." I am using the Hebrew word in favor of the Greek, for Christ has lost its meaning and is regarded by most people as merely Jesus' last name, when it is not uttered as a swear word. (He should be referred to as Jesus the Christ.)
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Breakfast with His Disciples
(Gospel of John 21:1 - 21:14)
Afterwards, Jesus appeared again to his disciples in the following manner: Several of the apostles were by the Sea of Galilee, Simon-Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon-Peter told them he was going out fishing and the others said they would accompany him. However, when they went out in the boat, they caught nothing all night.
At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize who it was. He called out to them, “Hey boys, haven’t you caught any fish?"
"No, we haven't," they replied.
“Cast the net off your starboard beam and you'll find some!"
They did so, but they couldn't even haul in the net, because there were so many fish in it.
The disciple that Jesus loved told Peter, "It's the Master!"
When Peter heard this, he put on his clothes (for he had taken them off) and jumped into the water, as they were only about 200 cubits from land. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. When they came ashore, they found fish cooking over a charcoal fire and some bread.
Jesus told them, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." So Simon-Peter boarded the boat and hauled the net onto the beach. It contained 153 large fish, but despite it, the net hadn't torn.
"Come and have breakfast," Jesus invited them. None of the disciples dared ask who he was -- but they knew it was the Master. Jesus took the bread and served it to them and, similarly, served them the fish.
(This, therefore, was the third instance of Jesus revealing himself before his disciples after his resurrection from the dead.)
After they had finished eating, Jesus addressed Simon-Peter and asked him, "Do you, Simon, son of Jonas, love me more than the others do?"
"Yes, Master," he replied. "You know that I love you."
"Feed my lambs," he told him and asked him again, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
"Yes, Master, you know that I love you," he again replied.
“Be a shepherd to my sheep," he told him, but asked, "Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?"
Peter's feelings were hurt when Jesus had asked him a third time whether he loved him, but he responded, "Master, you know all things, so you must know that I love you."
"Feed my sheep," Jesus told him. "I tell you truly, when you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go, but when you become old you will stretch out your arms. Someone else will dress you and lead you where you don't want to go. (Jesus mentioned this to indicate the manner of death by which he would glorify God.) Jesus then bid him, "Follow me!"
Peter looked back at the disciple that Jesus loved (the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and asked, "Master, who will betray you?”). Peter questioned Jesus,”What will he do, Master?"
"If I wish him to stay here until I return, how does that concern you? You must follow me!" Jesus commanded.
(A rumor spread through the community of believers that this disciple would not die. Yet, Jesus did not say so, only, "If I wish him to stay here until I return, how does that concern you?”)
This is the disciple who was a witness to these events and who recorded them. (And we affirm that his account is accurate.) But there are other things that Jesus accomplished, so many that if each one were written down, I dare say the world would scarcely have room for all the books that would result.
Notes
1. The Gospel of John seems to have come to end in the last chapter, but here we have what seems like an appendix, a coda, something added on after the work had been completed. Perhaps this was a story heard by the author(s) and put it at the end of the book since it was too good to leave out (and it is). But we also have another apt concluding paragraph with the Apostle John taking credit for the authorship of the gospel.
2. The miracle of the abundant catch of fish is one of the miracles that, if it is true, must be just that, a miracle, not a misunderstanding, a parlor trick, an illusion, or an hallucination.
3. Interesting that the exact number of fish in the net is known, but the names of all the disciples present is not. Who was it that made the count and came up with 153 fish? If it were 150, one would assume it was an estimate, but 153 is precise. Does the number convey some symbolic significance or esoteric meaning? Perhaps it is like the story of the white hunter who was thrown exactly 47 yards by the tusks of a charging elephant -- he went back later with a yard stick to measure the distance.
4. Seven of the 12 apostles are present during this miracle. Among them were the sons of Zebedee, James and John. Zebedee was a prosperous fisherman who lived near the fishing town of Bethsaida on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
5. As is the case with the other postmortem appearances of Jesus, he acts somewhat weirdly, that is, not casually or naturally. The gospel's self-declared author, John (the disciple Jesus loved, as he continually and annoyingly refers to himself) is the one who recognizes Jesus standing on the shore. As usual, it is Peter who acts first. The "big fisherman" impulsively jumps off the boat and swims ashore in an apparent eagerness to see Jesus. (The distance was 200 cubits, about 100 yards.) The story omits any greeting they might have had for each other. Jesus simply invites them to breakfast. No one says, "Hi, Jesus. Hey, I thought you were dead!" Jesus never explains himself. The disciples know it is Jesus, but his appearance must have been altered in some way that made them have some initial doubt of it.
6. Jesus has breakfast ready, including fish. But he asks Peter to bring him some of the fish they have just caught. Did Jesus gut, bone, and cook them himself? Jesus has a charcoal fire ready. (Not a coal fire, for coal was not yet used as a fuel.) Odd that he wouldn't have a wood fire, as one would expect. Did he bring a bag of charcoal down from Heaven with him? Ah, but it was a charcoal fire over which Peter denied Jesus; therefore he must now affirm him over a charcoal fire.
7. Jesus quizzes Peter whether he loves him or not. He asks him three times, probably because Peter denied knowing him three times. Jesus sounds like a nagging wife demanding that her husband tell her he loves her. He tells Peter to feed and tend his lambs and sheep, that is, to take charge of his flock, his religious congregation. He is more or less appointing Peter as the leader of his followers. Peter is, of course, considered the first pope. The illusion to the manner of Peter's death is somewhat vague. Traditionally, Peter was crucified -- upside down - in 64 AD. The outstretched arms apparently refer to his crucifixion.
8. The Gospel of John is purported to have been written by the Apostle John, the disciple that Jesus loved. Few scholars today believe he could have been its author, or the author of Revelation and the epistles ascribed to John. Although authorities disagree as to the exact date it was written (65 AD is probably the earliest), the Gospel of John is believed to have been compiled well after the other gospels, Mark, Matthew, and Luke, (and subsequent to the death of the real John, unless he happened to have been unusually long lived). While the other three books are considered synoptic gospels, that is, they provide an overall summary of events, John highlights particular incidents. Therefore, the Gospel of John is generally conceded to have less authority as a chronicle, but, of the four canonical gospels, it is considered to possess the greatest spiritual depth.
Afterwards, Jesus appeared again to his disciples in the following manner: Several of the apostles were by the Sea of Galilee, Simon-Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon-Peter told them he was going out fishing and the others said they would accompany him. However, when they went out in the boat, they caught nothing all night.
At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize who it was. He called out to them, “Hey boys, haven’t you caught any fish?"
"No, we haven't," they replied.
“Cast the net off your starboard beam and you'll find some!"
They did so, but they couldn't even haul in the net, because there were so many fish in it.
The disciple that Jesus loved told Peter, "It's the Master!"
When Peter heard this, he put on his clothes (for he had taken them off) and jumped into the water, as they were only about 200 cubits from land. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. When they came ashore, they found fish cooking over a charcoal fire and some bread.
Jesus told them, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." So Simon-Peter boarded the boat and hauled the net onto the beach. It contained 153 large fish, but despite it, the net hadn't torn.
"Come and have breakfast," Jesus invited them. None of the disciples dared ask who he was -- but they knew it was the Master. Jesus took the bread and served it to them and, similarly, served them the fish.
(This, therefore, was the third instance of Jesus revealing himself before his disciples after his resurrection from the dead.)
After they had finished eating, Jesus addressed Simon-Peter and asked him, "Do you, Simon, son of Jonas, love me more than the others do?"
"Yes, Master," he replied. "You know that I love you."
"Feed my lambs," he told him and asked him again, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
"Yes, Master, you know that I love you," he again replied.
“Be a shepherd to my sheep," he told him, but asked, "Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?"
Peter's feelings were hurt when Jesus had asked him a third time whether he loved him, but he responded, "Master, you know all things, so you must know that I love you."
"Feed my sheep," Jesus told him. "I tell you truly, when you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go, but when you become old you will stretch out your arms. Someone else will dress you and lead you where you don't want to go. (Jesus mentioned this to indicate the manner of death by which he would glorify God.) Jesus then bid him, "Follow me!"
Peter looked back at the disciple that Jesus loved (the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and asked, "Master, who will betray you?”). Peter questioned Jesus,”What will he do, Master?"
"If I wish him to stay here until I return, how does that concern you? You must follow me!" Jesus commanded.
(A rumor spread through the community of believers that this disciple would not die. Yet, Jesus did not say so, only, "If I wish him to stay here until I return, how does that concern you?”)
This is the disciple who was a witness to these events and who recorded them. (And we affirm that his account is accurate.) But there are other things that Jesus accomplished, so many that if each one were written down, I dare say the world would scarcely have room for all the books that would result.
Notes
1. The Gospel of John seems to have come to end in the last chapter, but here we have what seems like an appendix, a coda, something added on after the work had been completed. Perhaps this was a story heard by the author(s) and put it at the end of the book since it was too good to leave out (and it is). But we also have another apt concluding paragraph with the Apostle John taking credit for the authorship of the gospel.
2. The miracle of the abundant catch of fish is one of the miracles that, if it is true, must be just that, a miracle, not a misunderstanding, a parlor trick, an illusion, or an hallucination.
3. Interesting that the exact number of fish in the net is known, but the names of all the disciples present is not. Who was it that made the count and came up with 153 fish? If it were 150, one would assume it was an estimate, but 153 is precise. Does the number convey some symbolic significance or esoteric meaning? Perhaps it is like the story of the white hunter who was thrown exactly 47 yards by the tusks of a charging elephant -- he went back later with a yard stick to measure the distance.
4. Seven of the 12 apostles are present during this miracle. Among them were the sons of Zebedee, James and John. Zebedee was a prosperous fisherman who lived near the fishing town of Bethsaida on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
5. As is the case with the other postmortem appearances of Jesus, he acts somewhat weirdly, that is, not casually or naturally. The gospel's self-declared author, John (the disciple Jesus loved, as he continually and annoyingly refers to himself) is the one who recognizes Jesus standing on the shore. As usual, it is Peter who acts first. The "big fisherman" impulsively jumps off the boat and swims ashore in an apparent eagerness to see Jesus. (The distance was 200 cubits, about 100 yards.) The story omits any greeting they might have had for each other. Jesus simply invites them to breakfast. No one says, "Hi, Jesus. Hey, I thought you were dead!" Jesus never explains himself. The disciples know it is Jesus, but his appearance must have been altered in some way that made them have some initial doubt of it.
6. Jesus has breakfast ready, including fish. But he asks Peter to bring him some of the fish they have just caught. Did Jesus gut, bone, and cook them himself? Jesus has a charcoal fire ready. (Not a coal fire, for coal was not yet used as a fuel.) Odd that he wouldn't have a wood fire, as one would expect. Did he bring a bag of charcoal down from Heaven with him? Ah, but it was a charcoal fire over which Peter denied Jesus; therefore he must now affirm him over a charcoal fire.
7. Jesus quizzes Peter whether he loves him or not. He asks him three times, probably because Peter denied knowing him three times. Jesus sounds like a nagging wife demanding that her husband tell her he loves her. He tells Peter to feed and tend his lambs and sheep, that is, to take charge of his flock, his religious congregation. He is more or less appointing Peter as the leader of his followers. Peter is, of course, considered the first pope. The illusion to the manner of Peter's death is somewhat vague. Traditionally, Peter was crucified -- upside down - in 64 AD. The outstretched arms apparently refer to his crucifixion.
8. The Gospel of John is purported to have been written by the Apostle John, the disciple that Jesus loved. Few scholars today believe he could have been its author, or the author of Revelation and the epistles ascribed to John. Although authorities disagree as to the exact date it was written (65 AD is probably the earliest), the Gospel of John is believed to have been compiled well after the other gospels, Mark, Matthew, and Luke, (and subsequent to the death of the real John, unless he happened to have been unusually long lived). While the other three books are considered synoptic gospels, that is, they provide an overall summary of events, John highlights particular incidents. Therefore, the Gospel of John is generally conceded to have less authority as a chronicle, but, of the four canonical gospels, it is considered to possess the greatest spiritual depth.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
The Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus
(Gospel of John 19:17 - 19:43)
Bearing the cross himself, Jesus went out of the city to a hill called the Place of the Skull (or Golgotha, in Hebrew). There the soldiers nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him; they were placed on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate had posted on the cross an inscription that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Judeans." Many people were able to read the inscription because it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek and the location where Jesus was crucified was just outside the city. The chief priests, though, complained to Pilate, "Don’t write ‘King of the Judeans,’ but instead, ‘He who claims to be King of the Judeans’.” But Pilate dismissed their objections. "What I have written, I have written,” he told them.
As soon as the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they helped themselves to his clothes, dividing them evenly between the four of them. Remaining was the undergarment, the tunic. This article was woven from top to bottom and, therefore, had no seam. "Let's not tear it," they decided. "Let's draw lots to see who gets it." And that's what the soldiers did, fulfilling a prophecy that said, "They divided my garments among them and drew lots for my clothing.”
Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother, Mary, her sister-in-law, Mary, who was the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother there with a disciple he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Madam, here is your son!” And to the disciple he said, “Here is your mother." And from that time the disciple would shelter her in his own home.
Shortly after, Jesus, knowing that all had now come to fruition said, in fulfillment of prophecy, "I'm thirsty!" A jar of vinegar was there, and so the soldiers soaked a sponge in the vinegar. They attached the sponge to the end of a hyssop branch and conveyed it to his mouth. After tasting it, Jesus proclaimed, "It is finished!" He bowed his head and expired.
As it was the day of Preparation of the Passover and the following day was to be a special holiday, the religious authorities did not want any bodies left on the crosses. They requested of Pilate that the crucified men have their legs broken and removed from the crosses. The soldiers thus came and broke the legs of one of the men who were crucified with Jesus, and then the other, but when they came to Jesus, they found that he had already died; therefore they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, causing a spurting of blood and water. (An eye witness testified to this factual event. He insists that he speaks the truth, so you can believe him.) These things occurred in fulfillment of Scriptures that prophesied, "None of his bones will be broken," and "They will gaze upon the one that has been pierced."
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was only a secret follower of Jesus because he feared the religious authorities, asked Pilate if he could take custody of the body of Jesus. With Pilate's permission he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who had visited Jesus by night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, a quantity weighing 100 litras. According to the burial customs of the Judeans, the body was wrapped in linen sheets soaked in spices. Near the place where Jesus had been crucified was a park and in it a new tomb in which no one had been interred. Since it was the day of Preparation before the Hebrew Passover and since the tomb was so near, they laid Jesus to rest there.
Notes
1. Golgotha, or the Place of the Skull, was just outside the Jerusalem city gates. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, identified in 325 AD what has become the traditional location of Golgotha (or Calvary). Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre there; it is the Christian Quarter of the Old City. Alternative sites have been proposed, including one, on Skull Hill, north of the Damascus Gate, that was famously endorsed by the famous British General Charles George "Chinese" Gordon during his travels in Palestine in 1882, a few years before his death at Khartoum. (Gordon, an evangelical Christian and a believer in reincarnation, also asserted that the earth was enclosed in a hollow sphere with Heaven above Jerusalem and Hell above the Pitcairn Islands and that Eden was on the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.)
2. That Jesus carried his own cross is scarcely possible. The stake and crossbar would have comprised a very serious piece of timber perhaps weighing as much as 300 pounds. Even a man of Herculean physique would find it a bit dicey carrying such a load especially after being whipped nearly to death. Stakes were usually permanently installed in the place of execution. It seems more likely that Jesus was forced to carry on his back just the crossbar, which would still weigh a 100 pounds or so. Jesus was nailed to the crossbar when he reached the site of execution. (The iron nails would eventually be removed and reused.) Then he was either hoisted to the top of the stake, or, more likely, the stake was lowered and with the crossbar attached, raised into position and secured. Best evidence suggests that the cross would have resembled a capital letter “T,” although it is not certain that the crossbar was, in fact, secured at the top of the stake. If his feet were secured, nailed or tied, or allowed to support the body with a shelf to stand on, it is possible that the nails were hammered through his hands. If not, the nails would have had to go through his wrists. The exact technique used can not be definitively determined; there were several variations on the crucifixion procedure. Victims were generally stripped naked and a man was lucky if his privates were not impaled. It was all intended to be the most excruciatingly painful, cruel, and undignified death possible. Romans reserved it mostly for slaves and rebels, and no free Roman citizen could be crucified. (That is why Paul, a Roman citizen, escaped crucifixion.) Enlightened Romans, such a Cicero, who lived a century before Jesus, deplored its barbarity and many advocated its abolition.
3. It seems credible that the soldiers might confiscate and keep for themselves the clothes of condemned criminals, but why would they want a sweaty, bloody, probably ragged tunic, the underwear of someone who was a non-Roman provincial and, in their eyes, either a criminal or a religious fanatic? Or did rags fetch so a high price on the market that Roman soldiers, who were fairly well paid, would fight over them? It is ambiguous whether lots were drawn for the clothes or if dice were thrown for them. Although dice have been around for thousands of years and comprised a popular form of gambling during the Roman Empire, their use was in fact illegal except during the Saturnalia. It seems plausible that the soldiers, rather than risk drawing the ire of their officer for what would be an infraction, would have simply drawn lots rather than using dice. (Short stick gets the dead guy's underwear!)
4. Present at the crucifixion are Jesus's mother, Mary, another Mary who was probably her sister-in-law or possibly her cousin and not her sister as most translations say. This Mary was probably also the wife of Clopas (Joseph's brother?), although this Mary and Clopas' wife could have been different people. The third (or fourth) woman there was Mary of Magdala (or Mary Magdalene), a devout follower referred to intriguingly in other gospels. She was probably from a place called Magdala, meaning "tower," although its location is not positively known. It is possible, though, that the term Magdalene could have another meaning. (It should be mentioned that this Mary is definitely not the repentant prostitute, as she has been popularly and incorrectly portrayed.) There is also present an unnamed disciple that Jesus loved. (I thought Jesus loved all his disciples.) This unnamed disciple would take Jesus' mother into his home and treat her as his own mother. Jesus apparently has no money or property to leave her, so she is reduced to having to stay with a stranger. But this is a noble gesture on Jesus’ part surely, seeing that his mother will be provided for while he is enduring a painful death on the cross. Note that when Jesus says to Mary, “Here is your son,” he is not referring to himself, but to the disciple -- who is probably meant to be John, the purported author of this gospel.
5. The two men who were crucified with Jesus are not here named. Traditionally they are thieves, career criminals, or rebels. The highly questionable 4th Century Gospel of Nicodemus identifies them as Dismas and Gestas, but it seems unlikely that their names would only be remembered centuries after the event.
6. The crucified man would endure a process of acute suffering that might take hours, or even days. Breaking the legs of the person being crucified would make him unable to support the body otherwise held up only by the nailed wrists or hands. He would then become unable to breathe and would soon die by asphyxiation. Jesus had already died, but, to make sure, a soldier throws a spear at him, piercing his side. That blood and water spurt out of the wound is, of course, miraculous and symbolic, the blood conveying atonement and the water, purification.
7. The soldier who threw the spear is unnamed in the John, but in Nicodemus he is identified as Longinus, a centurion who converted to Christianity and became a saint. Much was subsequently written of him, but he must be regarded as a strictly legendary personage. The Spear of Longinus, also known as the Holy Lance, or the Spear of Destiny, mentioned only in John, is a relic with much lore attached to it. Several candidates for the original have been revered. One, held for a thousand years in Nuremberg and Vienna, has been the center of several fascinating conspiracy theories involving the Nazis. Recent tests, though, have proven that the spear is a phony, old, but not nearly old enough to be the spear.
8. Practically every incident during the crucifixion occurs in order to fulfill some prophecy, or is it that the story is adjusted to make the prophecies seem to come true? Belief that Jesus is the Messiah partly hinges on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, so the narrative, as propaganda, emphasizes this.
9. Joseph of Arimathea, who is presumed to be a wealthy man, claims the body. He is simply identified as a secret follower of Jesus and a friend of another, Nicodemus, but a huge amount of mythic material has been attached to him -- connections to the Holy Grail, his introduction of Christianity to England, his tutoring of Jesus as a boy, and so forth. Joseph is thought by some to be the uncle of Jesus, but the author of John obviously did not think so.
10. Those crucified were usually left to rot on the cross. It would have been very unusual for one to be taken down and given a proper burial. Pilate was, according to the narrative, available to grant Joseph of Arimathea permission to do just that. Good thing, for the resurrection story would have otherwise been more complicated. It is generally assumed that the tomb granted Jesus belonged to this Joseph, but John does not say so, only that the tomb happened to be handy and Joseph purchased it. The burial was hastily arranged, and there doesn’t seem to be anything like funeral held.
11. The myrrh and aloes brought by Nicodemus for the preparation of the body weighed 100 litras, about 75 pounds (some say 100 pounds). The quantity is preposterous. One might drolly question whether Jesus could even rise from his tomb weighed down by strips of spice-soaked linen strips weighing so much. And how did all this stuff cost? Did Nicodemus have a couple slaves to carry it for him? At any rate, it would all be wasted, for Jesus’ body would not need to be perfumed.
12. Most translations say that the tomb was located in a “garden.” I have used the word “park.” In modern usage a garden is commonly a plot of ground where flowers or vegetable are grown. A park is a large area of greenery and that is what is obviously meant here.
Bearing the cross himself, Jesus went out of the city to a hill called the Place of the Skull (or Golgotha, in Hebrew). There the soldiers nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him; they were placed on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate had posted on the cross an inscription that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Judeans." Many people were able to read the inscription because it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek and the location where Jesus was crucified was just outside the city. The chief priests, though, complained to Pilate, "Don’t write ‘King of the Judeans,’ but instead, ‘He who claims to be King of the Judeans’.” But Pilate dismissed their objections. "What I have written, I have written,” he told them.
As soon as the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they helped themselves to his clothes, dividing them evenly between the four of them. Remaining was the undergarment, the tunic. This article was woven from top to bottom and, therefore, had no seam. "Let's not tear it," they decided. "Let's draw lots to see who gets it." And that's what the soldiers did, fulfilling a prophecy that said, "They divided my garments among them and drew lots for my clothing.”
Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother, Mary, her sister-in-law, Mary, who was the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother there with a disciple he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Madam, here is your son!” And to the disciple he said, “Here is your mother." And from that time the disciple would shelter her in his own home.
Shortly after, Jesus, knowing that all had now come to fruition said, in fulfillment of prophecy, "I'm thirsty!" A jar of vinegar was there, and so the soldiers soaked a sponge in the vinegar. They attached the sponge to the end of a hyssop branch and conveyed it to his mouth. After tasting it, Jesus proclaimed, "It is finished!" He bowed his head and expired.
As it was the day of Preparation of the Passover and the following day was to be a special holiday, the religious authorities did not want any bodies left on the crosses. They requested of Pilate that the crucified men have their legs broken and removed from the crosses. The soldiers thus came and broke the legs of one of the men who were crucified with Jesus, and then the other, but when they came to Jesus, they found that he had already died; therefore they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, causing a spurting of blood and water. (An eye witness testified to this factual event. He insists that he speaks the truth, so you can believe him.) These things occurred in fulfillment of Scriptures that prophesied, "None of his bones will be broken," and "They will gaze upon the one that has been pierced."
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was only a secret follower of Jesus because he feared the religious authorities, asked Pilate if he could take custody of the body of Jesus. With Pilate's permission he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who had visited Jesus by night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, a quantity weighing 100 litras. According to the burial customs of the Judeans, the body was wrapped in linen sheets soaked in spices. Near the place where Jesus had been crucified was a park and in it a new tomb in which no one had been interred. Since it was the day of Preparation before the Hebrew Passover and since the tomb was so near, they laid Jesus to rest there.
Notes
1. Golgotha, or the Place of the Skull, was just outside the Jerusalem city gates. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, identified in 325 AD what has become the traditional location of Golgotha (or Calvary). Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre there; it is the Christian Quarter of the Old City. Alternative sites have been proposed, including one, on Skull Hill, north of the Damascus Gate, that was famously endorsed by the famous British General Charles George "Chinese" Gordon during his travels in Palestine in 1882, a few years before his death at Khartoum. (Gordon, an evangelical Christian and a believer in reincarnation, also asserted that the earth was enclosed in a hollow sphere with Heaven above Jerusalem and Hell above the Pitcairn Islands and that Eden was on the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.)
2. That Jesus carried his own cross is scarcely possible. The stake and crossbar would have comprised a very serious piece of timber perhaps weighing as much as 300 pounds. Even a man of Herculean physique would find it a bit dicey carrying such a load especially after being whipped nearly to death. Stakes were usually permanently installed in the place of execution. It seems more likely that Jesus was forced to carry on his back just the crossbar, which would still weigh a 100 pounds or so. Jesus was nailed to the crossbar when he reached the site of execution. (The iron nails would eventually be removed and reused.) Then he was either hoisted to the top of the stake, or, more likely, the stake was lowered and with the crossbar attached, raised into position and secured. Best evidence suggests that the cross would have resembled a capital letter “T,” although it is not certain that the crossbar was, in fact, secured at the top of the stake. If his feet were secured, nailed or tied, or allowed to support the body with a shelf to stand on, it is possible that the nails were hammered through his hands. If not, the nails would have had to go through his wrists. The exact technique used can not be definitively determined; there were several variations on the crucifixion procedure. Victims were generally stripped naked and a man was lucky if his privates were not impaled. It was all intended to be the most excruciatingly painful, cruel, and undignified death possible. Romans reserved it mostly for slaves and rebels, and no free Roman citizen could be crucified. (That is why Paul, a Roman citizen, escaped crucifixion.) Enlightened Romans, such a Cicero, who lived a century before Jesus, deplored its barbarity and many advocated its abolition.
3. It seems credible that the soldiers might confiscate and keep for themselves the clothes of condemned criminals, but why would they want a sweaty, bloody, probably ragged tunic, the underwear of someone who was a non-Roman provincial and, in their eyes, either a criminal or a religious fanatic? Or did rags fetch so a high price on the market that Roman soldiers, who were fairly well paid, would fight over them? It is ambiguous whether lots were drawn for the clothes or if dice were thrown for them. Although dice have been around for thousands of years and comprised a popular form of gambling during the Roman Empire, their use was in fact illegal except during the Saturnalia. It seems plausible that the soldiers, rather than risk drawing the ire of their officer for what would be an infraction, would have simply drawn lots rather than using dice. (Short stick gets the dead guy's underwear!)
4. Present at the crucifixion are Jesus's mother, Mary, another Mary who was probably her sister-in-law or possibly her cousin and not her sister as most translations say. This Mary was probably also the wife of Clopas (Joseph's brother?), although this Mary and Clopas' wife could have been different people. The third (or fourth) woman there was Mary of Magdala (or Mary Magdalene), a devout follower referred to intriguingly in other gospels. She was probably from a place called Magdala, meaning "tower," although its location is not positively known. It is possible, though, that the term Magdalene could have another meaning. (It should be mentioned that this Mary is definitely not the repentant prostitute, as she has been popularly and incorrectly portrayed.) There is also present an unnamed disciple that Jesus loved. (I thought Jesus loved all his disciples.) This unnamed disciple would take Jesus' mother into his home and treat her as his own mother. Jesus apparently has no money or property to leave her, so she is reduced to having to stay with a stranger. But this is a noble gesture on Jesus’ part surely, seeing that his mother will be provided for while he is enduring a painful death on the cross. Note that when Jesus says to Mary, “Here is your son,” he is not referring to himself, but to the disciple -- who is probably meant to be John, the purported author of this gospel.
5. The two men who were crucified with Jesus are not here named. Traditionally they are thieves, career criminals, or rebels. The highly questionable 4th Century Gospel of Nicodemus identifies them as Dismas and Gestas, but it seems unlikely that their names would only be remembered centuries after the event.
6. The crucified man would endure a process of acute suffering that might take hours, or even days. Breaking the legs of the person being crucified would make him unable to support the body otherwise held up only by the nailed wrists or hands. He would then become unable to breathe and would soon die by asphyxiation. Jesus had already died, but, to make sure, a soldier throws a spear at him, piercing his side. That blood and water spurt out of the wound is, of course, miraculous and symbolic, the blood conveying atonement and the water, purification.
7. The soldier who threw the spear is unnamed in the John, but in Nicodemus he is identified as Longinus, a centurion who converted to Christianity and became a saint. Much was subsequently written of him, but he must be regarded as a strictly legendary personage. The Spear of Longinus, also known as the Holy Lance, or the Spear of Destiny, mentioned only in John, is a relic with much lore attached to it. Several candidates for the original have been revered. One, held for a thousand years in Nuremberg and Vienna, has been the center of several fascinating conspiracy theories involving the Nazis. Recent tests, though, have proven that the spear is a phony, old, but not nearly old enough to be the spear.
8. Practically every incident during the crucifixion occurs in order to fulfill some prophecy, or is it that the story is adjusted to make the prophecies seem to come true? Belief that Jesus is the Messiah partly hinges on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, so the narrative, as propaganda, emphasizes this.
9. Joseph of Arimathea, who is presumed to be a wealthy man, claims the body. He is simply identified as a secret follower of Jesus and a friend of another, Nicodemus, but a huge amount of mythic material has been attached to him -- connections to the Holy Grail, his introduction of Christianity to England, his tutoring of Jesus as a boy, and so forth. Joseph is thought by some to be the uncle of Jesus, but the author of John obviously did not think so.
10. Those crucified were usually left to rot on the cross. It would have been very unusual for one to be taken down and given a proper burial. Pilate was, according to the narrative, available to grant Joseph of Arimathea permission to do just that. Good thing, for the resurrection story would have otherwise been more complicated. It is generally assumed that the tomb granted Jesus belonged to this Joseph, but John does not say so, only that the tomb happened to be handy and Joseph purchased it. The burial was hastily arranged, and there doesn’t seem to be anything like funeral held.
11. The myrrh and aloes brought by Nicodemus for the preparation of the body weighed 100 litras, about 75 pounds (some say 100 pounds). The quantity is preposterous. One might drolly question whether Jesus could even rise from his tomb weighed down by strips of spice-soaked linen strips weighing so much. And how did all this stuff cost? Did Nicodemus have a couple slaves to carry it for him? At any rate, it would all be wasted, for Jesus’ body would not need to be perfumed.
12. Most translations say that the tomb was located in a “garden.” I have used the word “park.” In modern usage a garden is commonly a plot of ground where flowers or vegetable are grown. A park is a large area of greenery and that is what is obviously meant here.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Jesus Appears Before Pilate
(Gospel of John 18:28 - 19:16)
It was early in the morning when Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the headquarters of the Roman governor of Judea. Those who brought Jesus did not enter the palace, since that would have made them ritually impure and ineligible to participate in the upcoming Passover celebrations. Consequently Pontius Pilate, the governor, went out outside to see them. "What charge are you bringing against this man," he asked them.
"We wouldn't have delivered him to you if he were not a felon," they insisted.
"Well then, take charge of him yourselves and try him by your own laws," Pilate told them.
"But we are not permitted to execute anyone," they declared. (This occurred in order to fulfill what Jesus had prophesied about the manner of his death.)
Pilate went back into his headquarters and summoned Jesus there to question him.
"Are you the king of the Judeans?" he asked him.
"Is that your own question or did others tell you about me?" replied Jesus.
"Am I a Judean?" Pilate rejoined. "Look, your own people, your own religious leaders delivered you to me. What is it that you've done?"
Jesus' answer was: "My kingdom is not a kingdom of this world. If it were, my followers would have fought to prevent my arrest by the Judean authorities. But no, my kingdom is not of the here and now."
"So, you are a king?" Pilate challenged.
"You say that I'm a king. But the reason I was born, the reason I was brought into the world is this: to give voice to the truth. All who love the truth credit my words."
Pilate rejoined, "What is the truth?”
Pilate immediately went out to see the Judeans again and told them, "I find no grounds for charging this man. --- But I understand it is your custom to have me release one prisoner to you during the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release this ‘King of the Judeans’?”
But they all shouted back, "No, not this man. Give us Barabbas instead!" (The Barabbas they referred to was an insurgent.)
And so Pilate had Jesus scourged with a whip. Soldiers fashioned a crown of twisted thorn branches and forced it upon his head. They wrapped a purple robe around him. They repeatedly accosted him, crying, "Hail, the King of the Judeans!" and slapping his face.
Pilate went out again to see the Judeans who had brought Jesus to him and told them, “I am bringing him out to you, so you will see I find no grounds for charging this man.” When Jesus appeared wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate declared, “Behold, the man himself!"
When they saw him, the chief priests and the Temple guards began to yell, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
Pilate told them, "You take him and crucify him. I have no case against him."
The religious leaders explained, “We have our law, and according to that law he must be put to death, because he proclaimed himself to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was more alarmed than ever and reentered his palace to questioned Jesus. "Where do you come from?" But Jesus made no response. "Why do you refuse to speak? Don't you realize that I have the power to free you and also the power to crucify you."
Jesus responded, "You would have no power over me except that given to you from above. Therefore, those that handed me over to you are guilty of the greater sin."
From then on, Pilate endeavored to have Jesus released, but the Judean religious leaders chided him, "If you let this man go, you are no ally of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king can only be an enemy to the Emperor."
After they said this, Pilate brought out Jesus to them. Pilate installed himself on a judgment seat called the Stone Pavement (or, in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was now noon on the day of the Preparation of the Passover. "Behold your king!" he told them.
"Away with Him! Away with him! Crucify him!" they cried.
Pilate asked, "What, crucify your king?"
"We have no king but Caesar!" the chief priests professed.
And so Pilate turned Jesus over to those who would crucify him, and they led Jesus away.
Notes
1. Nothing is said here at all of Jesus' interview with the high priest, Caiaphas, whom he saw after Annas and before Pilate. It is early morning when he is taken to Pilate and noon by the time Pilate delivers Jesus to the Judean religious authorities to be crucified. The Roman governor spent all morning dealing with Jesus, yet the proceedings recounted here would not seem to have taken up much time. One wonders what more was said and done. The flogging might have been a long session and perhaps there may have been several hours from the time was Jesus was sent out to be flogged until Pilate reappeared before the Judean priests and told them a second time he had no criminal case against Jesus.
2. Pontius Pilate was the governor of the Roman province of Judaea from 26 - 36 AD. Judaea incorporated Judea, Samaria to the north and Idumea to the south, with Jesus' Galilee a separate province. Pilate was of equestrian (and not senatorial) rank. An obscure political figure, little is known of him, although there is much apocryphal biographical material in early Christian texts, as well as much speculation about the degree to which he was guilty of Christ's crucifixion. He was probably born in Italy, but there are legends that variously place his origins in Scotland, Germany, or Spain. Officially, he held the title of prefect, not the lesser title of procurator, as was once thought. His chief duties were to collect taxes and to preserve order while leaving most of the civil administration to local, indigenous institutions. He was in charge of only a small military force of about 3000 men and was answerable to the governor, or legate of Syria, who commanded the major military forces in the region. According the contemporary historian, Philo of Alexandria, he antagonized his subjects by showing insufficient respect for their religious practices and was recalled after harshly suppressing a revolt by the Samaritans. He is briefly mentioned as well by later First-Century historians, the Roman Tacitus and the Judean Josephus. But firm confirmation of his historicity awaited the discovery in 1961 of an inscribed piece of limestone called the Pilate Stone, which mentions his name in the dedication of an early First-Century building in Caesarea Maritima (on the coast, located midway between present-day Haifa and Tel Aviv).
3. The soldiers make a crown of thorns for Jesus to make him a mock king. One would imagine, the thorns, digging into his head, would have been very painful, satisfying the soldiers penchant for cruelty -- making their prisoner suffer pain as well as degradation, adding injury to insult. The purple robe, symbolizing royalty, would have been red-violet in color, not what contemporary Americans generally regard as purple (half-way in hue between red and blue, or even on the blueish side). Scarlet is used in other gospels to describe the robe, but it is likely that the same red-violet color is meant. The Roman senators edged their white robes in purple to denote their class. And the term "born to the purple" is still used -- once in awhile at least. (In ancient times this color was produced by a prized color-fast dye extracted from the murex sea snail.) It is curious that the Roman soldiers, who had no personal interest in the matter or could have had no particular animosity against Jesus, would have gone to so much trouble to mock him. Why waste a purple robe on a criminal? Was there a closet of worn and discarded royal robes handy to use for making fun of prisoners? And the crown of thorns, did they have one on hand, ready for such a purpose? Were there a lot of thorny plants growing around the palace, or did the centurion send out a detail to gather thorn branches? Did he charge one of his men, owning a pair of heavy gloves, to fashion the crown described? (Since a crown suggests something more than just a band, some time and know-how must have needed to make it.)
4. The scourging or flagellation of the Christ is an important part of the Passion drama. (But why did Pilate have Jesus whipped when he was already convinced that Jesus had violated no law, wanted to set him free, and was ready to pardon him?) Flogging was, in fact, not peculiar to the treatment of Jesus, but a mandatory part of the crucifixion execution protocol. The whip used was short handled and sported two or three long leather thongs to which lead balls or bones were fastened. The person struck not only was lacerated by the thongs, but was bruised by the balls or bones. The victim was tied to a post and while his back took the brunt of the flogging most of his body, except perhaps the hands and forearms, would be cut by the whip. This pre-crucifixion ordeal would consist of at least hundred lashes, often many more, depending on not how long the victim could endure it, but on how long the scourger could keep up his strength. (A scourgee would be out of luck if the scourgers worked in shifts, as they sometimes did.) There was no maximum number of lashes that could be administered. The flogging, if it did not actually kill the convicted man, would ensure he would be at least half dead even before he was nailed to the cross. This was, in a way, a small mercy, since the poor chap would consequently suffer less in the prolonged agony of crucifixion. --- The modern notion is that executions should be quick and painless, impersonal, even clinical. But to the ancient way of thinking that would defeat the whole purpose of the thing, which was punishment through suffering. Today, (in the few backward, barbaric places where the death penalty is still in force) the soul marked for execution is given a comparatively painless release, but must endure a lengthy trial, protracted legal appeals, and the purgatory of a decade-long incarceration on death row. The ancients eschewed such subtle psychological torment in favor of physical torture, earthy, raw, and real. A death sentence meant something in those days -- excruciating pain.
5. Pontius Pilate is portrayed inconsistently and unbelievably -- sympathetic to Jesus, mocking Jesus, afraid that Jesus might be divine, dismissive of the priests, catering to the priests. He is courteous enough to go out of his palace to see the Judean religious leaders who did not wish to enter it because by doing so it would make them ritually impure. Pilate seems diplomatic, tactful, and gracious. They are obviously pestering him, wanting him to deal with a matter he believes is either outside his authority or too trivial for him to waste his time with. But he accedes to their wishes. He takes the trouble to interrogate Jesus, twice. He fails to see that Jesus has committed any crime and tries his best to convince the Judean priests to let him go free. But since Jesus is being charged with blasphemy, a religious violation and a capital offense, and the Romans have allowed the Judeans to freely practice their faith and enforce their religious customs as they see fit, Pilate concludes it is not his right to interfere. If they want Jesus crucified, he will not stop them, especially when he is convinced by the Judean priests that it is in Rome's interest that he do so. --- Pilate seems to have an ambivalent attitude toward Jesus. He addresses him politely, seems favorably impressed with him, and is more than willing to help him. Jesus, though, is unconcerned about saving himself. He is surly to Pilate, disrespectful, and unappreciative of the consideration the governor lends him. Pilate is baffled by this and put off. In the end he probably comes to view Jesus as a harmless crank who unfortunately must come to a tragic end. While there is a case to made from his remarks and reactions that he suspects that Jesus might really be the Son of God, it is unlikely that a pagan and a Roman would come to that conclusion, especially after so brief and unrevealing an interview. He is surely in jest when referring to Jesus as "King of the Judeans" (not Jews: the term is a misnomer, anachronistic, and without meaning in the 1st Century.) By bringing out Jesus with his crown of thrones and purple robe, he continues the taunting and mockery begun by his soldiers. That he would allow and even participate in such contemptibly barbaric and extra-legal treatment of a prisoner, though, strains credibility; it is very unlikely that a Roman governor would stoop to such behavior (or bother to stoop to it). In the end, Pilate’s character is molded to suit the demands of the narrative, his role in the Passion Play. That the author of John, writing more than a hundred years after the fact, would accurately divine Pilate’s character and motivations is a bit much to expect.
6. Barabbas is sometimes termed a bandit, but rebel, revolutionary, malcontent, insurgent would be more accurate a translation. (Nothing is really known of the man, even whether he existed or not.) The custom of a prisoner release on the Passover is referred to nowhere outside the gospels. It is quite obviously a dramatic invention, the purpose of which is show the temper of the Judean religious authorities and populace who preferred to save the life of some unsavory, violent person rather than the Son of God. It is inconceivable that the Roman governor would have subscribed to such a practice, especially Pilate who was probably fed up having to cater to Judaic traditions -- even if such a tradition existed, which it did not. Roman law and its administration may have been harsh, but it was not whimsical. Everything was done by the book, even crucifixions. Also, it is not credible that the Roman governor would have appeared before a group of Judeans and solicited their input on his actions. That would have been demeaning to his position. Pilate probably had little to do with and wanted to have little to do with the high priest and the Sanhedrin, the religious council. The high priest, Caiaphas, had been approved by him, but had been originally appointed by Pilate's superior in Syria. Roman rule of Judea was at this time very low key: the Empire simply wanted its tax money and an absence of civil discord. Pilate would have spent most of time in his administrative capital, Caesarea Maritima, although it is possible he might have been in Jerusalem during the Passover to ensure there was no disorder during the celebrations.
7. Jesus claims the purpose of his life is to bring the truth to the world. Pilate asks what is the truth. When he does so he is not posing some profound, philosophical enquiry. He is not asking what the truth means, simply what Jesus' truth consists of, that is, what is his message. He does not wait for a response, though, probably fearing his ear will be bent by the rant of a fanatic.
8. The author of John records dialogue between Jesus and Pilate that could be known only to the two men. Did someone conduct a post-crucifixion interview of Pilate in which he revealed what he and Jesus talked about? Jesus could not have told his disciples, or anyone else what he said to Pilate, unless he did so after his death. If divine inspiration was the source for the content of their conversations, then why do the gospels disagree and contradict each other? In historical novels the author must invent dialogue for his characters. Is this not being done here?
9. Given the situation and his position, Pontius Pilate could hardly act differently than he did, nor, in truth, could the Judaic priests, since they could not jeopardize their position by leaving unpunished a blasphemer and false prophet, especially one who made the claim that he was the Son of God. The narrative, though, throws most of the guilt upon the Judean, Judaic religious establishment who condemned Jesus. By the time the gospels were written, decades after the death of Jesus, Christianity was emerging as a universal religion and was no longer a sect of Judaism. Gentile converts were many and were entering leadership positions in what would be the Christian Church. It was, therefore, important to separate Christianity from conventional Judaism and to cast as villains those who had rejected Jesus and adhered to conventional Judaic beliefs. "The Jews killed Jesus" would be a propaganda myth that would weigh upon a race and a religion like a curse for two thousand years.
It was early in the morning when Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the headquarters of the Roman governor of Judea. Those who brought Jesus did not enter the palace, since that would have made them ritually impure and ineligible to participate in the upcoming Passover celebrations. Consequently Pontius Pilate, the governor, went out outside to see them. "What charge are you bringing against this man," he asked them.
"We wouldn't have delivered him to you if he were not a felon," they insisted.
"Well then, take charge of him yourselves and try him by your own laws," Pilate told them.
"But we are not permitted to execute anyone," they declared. (This occurred in order to fulfill what Jesus had prophesied about the manner of his death.)
Pilate went back into his headquarters and summoned Jesus there to question him.
"Are you the king of the Judeans?" he asked him.
"Is that your own question or did others tell you about me?" replied Jesus.
"Am I a Judean?" Pilate rejoined. "Look, your own people, your own religious leaders delivered you to me. What is it that you've done?"
Jesus' answer was: "My kingdom is not a kingdom of this world. If it were, my followers would have fought to prevent my arrest by the Judean authorities. But no, my kingdom is not of the here and now."
"So, you are a king?" Pilate challenged.
"You say that I'm a king. But the reason I was born, the reason I was brought into the world is this: to give voice to the truth. All who love the truth credit my words."
Pilate rejoined, "What is the truth?”
Pilate immediately went out to see the Judeans again and told them, "I find no grounds for charging this man. --- But I understand it is your custom to have me release one prisoner to you during the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release this ‘King of the Judeans’?”
But they all shouted back, "No, not this man. Give us Barabbas instead!" (The Barabbas they referred to was an insurgent.)
And so Pilate had Jesus scourged with a whip. Soldiers fashioned a crown of twisted thorn branches and forced it upon his head. They wrapped a purple robe around him. They repeatedly accosted him, crying, "Hail, the King of the Judeans!" and slapping his face.
Pilate went out again to see the Judeans who had brought Jesus to him and told them, “I am bringing him out to you, so you will see I find no grounds for charging this man.” When Jesus appeared wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate declared, “Behold, the man himself!"
When they saw him, the chief priests and the Temple guards began to yell, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
Pilate told them, "You take him and crucify him. I have no case against him."
The religious leaders explained, “We have our law, and according to that law he must be put to death, because he proclaimed himself to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was more alarmed than ever and reentered his palace to questioned Jesus. "Where do you come from?" But Jesus made no response. "Why do you refuse to speak? Don't you realize that I have the power to free you and also the power to crucify you."
Jesus responded, "You would have no power over me except that given to you from above. Therefore, those that handed me over to you are guilty of the greater sin."
From then on, Pilate endeavored to have Jesus released, but the Judean religious leaders chided him, "If you let this man go, you are no ally of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king can only be an enemy to the Emperor."
After they said this, Pilate brought out Jesus to them. Pilate installed himself on a judgment seat called the Stone Pavement (or, in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was now noon on the day of the Preparation of the Passover. "Behold your king!" he told them.
"Away with Him! Away with him! Crucify him!" they cried.
Pilate asked, "What, crucify your king?"
"We have no king but Caesar!" the chief priests professed.
And so Pilate turned Jesus over to those who would crucify him, and they led Jesus away.
Notes
1. Nothing is said here at all of Jesus' interview with the high priest, Caiaphas, whom he saw after Annas and before Pilate. It is early morning when he is taken to Pilate and noon by the time Pilate delivers Jesus to the Judean religious authorities to be crucified. The Roman governor spent all morning dealing with Jesus, yet the proceedings recounted here would not seem to have taken up much time. One wonders what more was said and done. The flogging might have been a long session and perhaps there may have been several hours from the time was Jesus was sent out to be flogged until Pilate reappeared before the Judean priests and told them a second time he had no criminal case against Jesus.
2. Pontius Pilate was the governor of the Roman province of Judaea from 26 - 36 AD. Judaea incorporated Judea, Samaria to the north and Idumea to the south, with Jesus' Galilee a separate province. Pilate was of equestrian (and not senatorial) rank. An obscure political figure, little is known of him, although there is much apocryphal biographical material in early Christian texts, as well as much speculation about the degree to which he was guilty of Christ's crucifixion. He was probably born in Italy, but there are legends that variously place his origins in Scotland, Germany, or Spain. Officially, he held the title of prefect, not the lesser title of procurator, as was once thought. His chief duties were to collect taxes and to preserve order while leaving most of the civil administration to local, indigenous institutions. He was in charge of only a small military force of about 3000 men and was answerable to the governor, or legate of Syria, who commanded the major military forces in the region. According the contemporary historian, Philo of Alexandria, he antagonized his subjects by showing insufficient respect for their religious practices and was recalled after harshly suppressing a revolt by the Samaritans. He is briefly mentioned as well by later First-Century historians, the Roman Tacitus and the Judean Josephus. But firm confirmation of his historicity awaited the discovery in 1961 of an inscribed piece of limestone called the Pilate Stone, which mentions his name in the dedication of an early First-Century building in Caesarea Maritima (on the coast, located midway between present-day Haifa and Tel Aviv).
3. The soldiers make a crown of thorns for Jesus to make him a mock king. One would imagine, the thorns, digging into his head, would have been very painful, satisfying the soldiers penchant for cruelty -- making their prisoner suffer pain as well as degradation, adding injury to insult. The purple robe, symbolizing royalty, would have been red-violet in color, not what contemporary Americans generally regard as purple (half-way in hue between red and blue, or even on the blueish side). Scarlet is used in other gospels to describe the robe, but it is likely that the same red-violet color is meant. The Roman senators edged their white robes in purple to denote their class. And the term "born to the purple" is still used -- once in awhile at least. (In ancient times this color was produced by a prized color-fast dye extracted from the murex sea snail.) It is curious that the Roman soldiers, who had no personal interest in the matter or could have had no particular animosity against Jesus, would have gone to so much trouble to mock him. Why waste a purple robe on a criminal? Was there a closet of worn and discarded royal robes handy to use for making fun of prisoners? And the crown of thorns, did they have one on hand, ready for such a purpose? Were there a lot of thorny plants growing around the palace, or did the centurion send out a detail to gather thorn branches? Did he charge one of his men, owning a pair of heavy gloves, to fashion the crown described? (Since a crown suggests something more than just a band, some time and know-how must have needed to make it.)
4. The scourging or flagellation of the Christ is an important part of the Passion drama. (But why did Pilate have Jesus whipped when he was already convinced that Jesus had violated no law, wanted to set him free, and was ready to pardon him?) Flogging was, in fact, not peculiar to the treatment of Jesus, but a mandatory part of the crucifixion execution protocol. The whip used was short handled and sported two or three long leather thongs to which lead balls or bones were fastened. The person struck not only was lacerated by the thongs, but was bruised by the balls or bones. The victim was tied to a post and while his back took the brunt of the flogging most of his body, except perhaps the hands and forearms, would be cut by the whip. This pre-crucifixion ordeal would consist of at least hundred lashes, often many more, depending on not how long the victim could endure it, but on how long the scourger could keep up his strength. (A scourgee would be out of luck if the scourgers worked in shifts, as they sometimes did.) There was no maximum number of lashes that could be administered. The flogging, if it did not actually kill the convicted man, would ensure he would be at least half dead even before he was nailed to the cross. This was, in a way, a small mercy, since the poor chap would consequently suffer less in the prolonged agony of crucifixion. --- The modern notion is that executions should be quick and painless, impersonal, even clinical. But to the ancient way of thinking that would defeat the whole purpose of the thing, which was punishment through suffering. Today, (in the few backward, barbaric places where the death penalty is still in force) the soul marked for execution is given a comparatively painless release, but must endure a lengthy trial, protracted legal appeals, and the purgatory of a decade-long incarceration on death row. The ancients eschewed such subtle psychological torment in favor of physical torture, earthy, raw, and real. A death sentence meant something in those days -- excruciating pain.
5. Pontius Pilate is portrayed inconsistently and unbelievably -- sympathetic to Jesus, mocking Jesus, afraid that Jesus might be divine, dismissive of the priests, catering to the priests. He is courteous enough to go out of his palace to see the Judean religious leaders who did not wish to enter it because by doing so it would make them ritually impure. Pilate seems diplomatic, tactful, and gracious. They are obviously pestering him, wanting him to deal with a matter he believes is either outside his authority or too trivial for him to waste his time with. But he accedes to their wishes. He takes the trouble to interrogate Jesus, twice. He fails to see that Jesus has committed any crime and tries his best to convince the Judean priests to let him go free. But since Jesus is being charged with blasphemy, a religious violation and a capital offense, and the Romans have allowed the Judeans to freely practice their faith and enforce their religious customs as they see fit, Pilate concludes it is not his right to interfere. If they want Jesus crucified, he will not stop them, especially when he is convinced by the Judean priests that it is in Rome's interest that he do so. --- Pilate seems to have an ambivalent attitude toward Jesus. He addresses him politely, seems favorably impressed with him, and is more than willing to help him. Jesus, though, is unconcerned about saving himself. He is surly to Pilate, disrespectful, and unappreciative of the consideration the governor lends him. Pilate is baffled by this and put off. In the end he probably comes to view Jesus as a harmless crank who unfortunately must come to a tragic end. While there is a case to made from his remarks and reactions that he suspects that Jesus might really be the Son of God, it is unlikely that a pagan and a Roman would come to that conclusion, especially after so brief and unrevealing an interview. He is surely in jest when referring to Jesus as "King of the Judeans" (not Jews: the term is a misnomer, anachronistic, and without meaning in the 1st Century.) By bringing out Jesus with his crown of thrones and purple robe, he continues the taunting and mockery begun by his soldiers. That he would allow and even participate in such contemptibly barbaric and extra-legal treatment of a prisoner, though, strains credibility; it is very unlikely that a Roman governor would stoop to such behavior (or bother to stoop to it). In the end, Pilate’s character is molded to suit the demands of the narrative, his role in the Passion Play. That the author of John, writing more than a hundred years after the fact, would accurately divine Pilate’s character and motivations is a bit much to expect.
6. Barabbas is sometimes termed a bandit, but rebel, revolutionary, malcontent, insurgent would be more accurate a translation. (Nothing is really known of the man, even whether he existed or not.) The custom of a prisoner release on the Passover is referred to nowhere outside the gospels. It is quite obviously a dramatic invention, the purpose of which is show the temper of the Judean religious authorities and populace who preferred to save the life of some unsavory, violent person rather than the Son of God. It is inconceivable that the Roman governor would have subscribed to such a practice, especially Pilate who was probably fed up having to cater to Judaic traditions -- even if such a tradition existed, which it did not. Roman law and its administration may have been harsh, but it was not whimsical. Everything was done by the book, even crucifixions. Also, it is not credible that the Roman governor would have appeared before a group of Judeans and solicited their input on his actions. That would have been demeaning to his position. Pilate probably had little to do with and wanted to have little to do with the high priest and the Sanhedrin, the religious council. The high priest, Caiaphas, had been approved by him, but had been originally appointed by Pilate's superior in Syria. Roman rule of Judea was at this time very low key: the Empire simply wanted its tax money and an absence of civil discord. Pilate would have spent most of time in his administrative capital, Caesarea Maritima, although it is possible he might have been in Jerusalem during the Passover to ensure there was no disorder during the celebrations.
7. Jesus claims the purpose of his life is to bring the truth to the world. Pilate asks what is the truth. When he does so he is not posing some profound, philosophical enquiry. He is not asking what the truth means, simply what Jesus' truth consists of, that is, what is his message. He does not wait for a response, though, probably fearing his ear will be bent by the rant of a fanatic.
8. The author of John records dialogue between Jesus and Pilate that could be known only to the two men. Did someone conduct a post-crucifixion interview of Pilate in which he revealed what he and Jesus talked about? Jesus could not have told his disciples, or anyone else what he said to Pilate, unless he did so after his death. If divine inspiration was the source for the content of their conversations, then why do the gospels disagree and contradict each other? In historical novels the author must invent dialogue for his characters. Is this not being done here?
9. Given the situation and his position, Pontius Pilate could hardly act differently than he did, nor, in truth, could the Judaic priests, since they could not jeopardize their position by leaving unpunished a blasphemer and false prophet, especially one who made the claim that he was the Son of God. The narrative, though, throws most of the guilt upon the Judean, Judaic religious establishment who condemned Jesus. By the time the gospels were written, decades after the death of Jesus, Christianity was emerging as a universal religion and was no longer a sect of Judaism. Gentile converts were many and were entering leadership positions in what would be the Christian Church. It was, therefore, important to separate Christianity from conventional Judaism and to cast as villains those who had rejected Jesus and adhered to conventional Judaic beliefs. "The Jews killed Jesus" would be a propaganda myth that would weigh upon a race and a religion like a curse for two thousand years.
The Arrest of Jesus
(Gospel of John 18:1 - 18:27)
After he had finished praying, Jesus departed with his disciples, crossing the brook in the Valley of Kidron and entering the olive orchard that lay on the other side. This was a place known well to the betrayer Judas, for Jesus had met there with his disciples many times. Therefore, Judas came there, accompanied by a detachment of Roman soldiers and Temple guards given to him by the chief priests and Pharisees. They entered the grove carrying torches and lanterns -- and weapons.
Jesus, who was aware of what was about to happened, stepped forward and asked them, "Who is it you're looking for?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they responded.
"I am he," Jesus told them.
Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, was standing amongst them. When Jesus identified himself, they all stepped back and fell to the ground. Jesus asked them again, "Who are you looking for?"
Again they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
"I already told you I am he," Jesus said. "Since I'm the one you want, let these others go." (He did this to fulfill his claim that he lost none of those given to him by the Father.)
At this point, Simon-Peter, who was carrying a sword, drew it and with it attacked a slave of the high priest, slashing off his right ear. (The name of this slave was Malchus.)
But Jesus bid Peter, "Sheath your sword! Should I not drink from the cup the Father has offered me."
At the behest of their commander, Jesus was then arrested and tied up by the soldiers and the Temple guards. They brought him first to Annas, the father-in-law of the priest for that year, Caiaphas. (Caiaphas was the one who had advised the religious leaders that it was better that one man die for the people.)
Simon-Peter and another of the disciples followed Jesus. Since that other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, he was allowed enter the courtyard of the high priest, while Peter was left standing outside the gate. But the aforementioned disciple spoke to the woman who watched the gate and availed upon her to let Peter in. The porteress then asked Peter, "You're not one of his disciple's, too, are you?"
"No," he replied, "I am not."
Because it was cold, a charcoal fire had been lit and the household slaves and guards stood around it, warming themselves. Peter did likewise.
Meanwhile, the high priest (sic) was interrogating Jesus concerning his disciples and his teachings.
Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to the world, always teaching in the synagogues and in the Temple, places where Judeans regularly congregate. I have said nothing in secret. But why do you ask me. Ask those who heard me speak. They know what I said to them."
When he said this, one of the guards standing near Jesus slapped him alongside the face and berated him, "Is that the way you answer the high priest?"
Jesus protested. "If I said anything untruthful, you must prove it. But if I'm speaking the truth, then why are you beating me?"
Annas then had Jesus bound and sent him to see Caiaphas, the current high priest.
Simon-Peter was still warming himself by the fire. One of the others there asked him, "You're not one of his disciples, too, are you?"
Peter denied it, insisting, "No, I'm not."
One of the high priest's household slaves, who happened to be a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, questioned him further, "Didn't I see you at the olive orchard with Jesus?"
Again Peter denied Jesus. At once a cock began to crow.
Notes
1. Judas had apparently left the dinner and gone straight to the authorities, the Judean religious authorities, not the secular Roman government. Apparently he had offered to bring in Jesus, arrest him for them provided he would be given a detachment of guards and soldiers. He knew where Jesus might be, in the olive orchard of Kidron (just east of Jerusalem). He found him there. Judas was not the one to arrest Jesus, but he hovered in the background and let the armed men do the dirty work.
2. Jesus, by going to a place familiar to Judas, was obviously making no attempt to avoid arrest, but was willingly submitting himself to it. This is confirmed when he is about to be arrested and says, “Should I not drink from the cup the Father has offered me.” The arrest almost seems like a set-up arranged by Jesus. (In which case, Judas is not a traitor at all, but was doing his master’s bidding.)
3. When Jesus first responds to the soldiers and identifies himself, they step back and fall to the ground. Why? Were they somehow awed by a man who has consistently been described as very ordinary? If they were cowed or moved to reverence, why did they then not demur to tie him up?
4. Jesus asks that the disciples not be arrested but remain free. He does so not out of any concern for the health and well being of his disciples, but merely to give the appearance of fulfilling some supposed scriptural prophecy. There is no evidence that anyone had any intention of arresting his disciples.
5. Simon-Peter, acting either out of instinct or from a poorly conceived plan, decides to take violent action to prevent the arrest of his master. He draws his sword and slashes off the ear of a slave. It is a rather feeble and ineffectual display of bravado. One wonders if the slave was even armed. In any case, the violence ceases when Jesus indicates he will submit to arrest. The hot-headed Peter sheaths his sword. No concern is expressed for the plight of the earless slave who was probably just doing what he was told.
6. It seems incongruous that one of the disciples would carry a sword. Wasn't Jesus a preacher of peace? Why would arms be carried by a follower of the Son of God, who could surely guard his crew from any danger through whatever sort of miracle was demanded? Why would any be necessary? Surely a sword would not, on the outskirts of Jerusalem be need for protection against wild animals or even be the proper weapon to do so. Modern sensibilities make one suspicious of men of God who pack heat. In all times and places the religious rarely bear arms; Friar Tuck of Robin Hood's crew, a skilled swordsman, is one of the few exceptions that spring to mind, and he was a part of a band of thieves.
7. The name used for the commander of the soldiers is chiliarch, who would be the commander of a thousand men. This is patently absurd. A thousand men would not crowd into an orchard to arrest one unarmed man. Probably the author of John was ignorant of Roman military terms or he wanted exalt the reputation his Messiah by claiming that it took what would be for us a very large battalion to bring him in. If the latter is the case, one may ask how many other gross exaggerations have made it into the narrative.
8. When he is arrested, Jesus is bound, probably nothing more elaborate than having his hands tied with a rope or strip of cloth. Apparently the restraints were at some point unfastened, since after his interrogation session with Annas, he is bound again and taken to see Caiaphas. It is likely, then, that when was Jesus as struck by Annas’ guard, his hands were free. Significantly, Jesus did not strike back, nor did he turn the other cheek, but naturally complained about his unfair treatment.
9. It is historically accurate that Annas, a high priest, was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest, but the author of John evinces an incomplete understanding of Temple practices of the time. As has been mentioned before, high priests were not chosen on a yearly basis. Caiaphas served as high priest for almost twenty years, holding the office under Pontius Pilate's governorship. The narrative refers to Annas as a high priest. Technically, he was a former high priest, but might have been called high priest as a courtesy title. Annas could probably be described as a high priest emeritus and probably had considerable clout even during his son-in-law's term. It seems a presumption and a breach of protocol, however, that he should see and question Jesus before the current high priest had done so. And why Jesus was brought to him and not to Caiaphas first is an unanswered question. (Caiaphas was out to lunch -- or rather, breakfast?) Peter and the other disciple go to house of Caiaphas, probably not aware that Jesus had been taken instead to Annas’ house. It is possible, though, that Annas and Caiaphas, being in-laws, might have lived in the same residence or in adjacent homes, or had offices in the same building.
10. Jesus is insufficiently respectful to Annas and merits a slap on the face for his cheekiness. He is not uncooperative, but expresses an attitude of defiance that obviously did not set well with the religious authorities. There is, of course, a history of animosity between the two parties.
11. Peter famously denies Jesus three times. (The third denial might be excusable: if he admitted to cutting off an ear, he would place himself in legal jeopardy.) He has the courage to draw and use his sword, but is a coward about admitting his relationship to Jesus, a man now in trouble with the law. Why would he not boast about being a follower of the Son of God? Did he have doubts? Was he just thinking about his own hide? If so, why did he bother to follow Jesus in the first place and go to seek him when he was arrested? Peter gives the impression, at least at this point in his life, of being an impulsive man of bold bluster who is, at heart, a weasel.
12. It is interesting that the name of the slave whose ear was lopped off by Peter is given, but not the name of the disciple who accompanies him when they seek information about Jesus’ arrest.
After he had finished praying, Jesus departed with his disciples, crossing the brook in the Valley of Kidron and entering the olive orchard that lay on the other side. This was a place known well to the betrayer Judas, for Jesus had met there with his disciples many times. Therefore, Judas came there, accompanied by a detachment of Roman soldiers and Temple guards given to him by the chief priests and Pharisees. They entered the grove carrying torches and lanterns -- and weapons.
Jesus, who was aware of what was about to happened, stepped forward and asked them, "Who is it you're looking for?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they responded.
"I am he," Jesus told them.
Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, was standing amongst them. When Jesus identified himself, they all stepped back and fell to the ground. Jesus asked them again, "Who are you looking for?"
Again they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
"I already told you I am he," Jesus said. "Since I'm the one you want, let these others go." (He did this to fulfill his claim that he lost none of those given to him by the Father.)
At this point, Simon-Peter, who was carrying a sword, drew it and with it attacked a slave of the high priest, slashing off his right ear. (The name of this slave was Malchus.)
But Jesus bid Peter, "Sheath your sword! Should I not drink from the cup the Father has offered me."
At the behest of their commander, Jesus was then arrested and tied up by the soldiers and the Temple guards. They brought him first to Annas, the father-in-law of the priest for that year, Caiaphas. (Caiaphas was the one who had advised the religious leaders that it was better that one man die for the people.)
Simon-Peter and another of the disciples followed Jesus. Since that other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, he was allowed enter the courtyard of the high priest, while Peter was left standing outside the gate. But the aforementioned disciple spoke to the woman who watched the gate and availed upon her to let Peter in. The porteress then asked Peter, "You're not one of his disciple's, too, are you?"
"No," he replied, "I am not."
Because it was cold, a charcoal fire had been lit and the household slaves and guards stood around it, warming themselves. Peter did likewise.
Meanwhile, the high priest (sic) was interrogating Jesus concerning his disciples and his teachings.
Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to the world, always teaching in the synagogues and in the Temple, places where Judeans regularly congregate. I have said nothing in secret. But why do you ask me. Ask those who heard me speak. They know what I said to them."
When he said this, one of the guards standing near Jesus slapped him alongside the face and berated him, "Is that the way you answer the high priest?"
Jesus protested. "If I said anything untruthful, you must prove it. But if I'm speaking the truth, then why are you beating me?"
Annas then had Jesus bound and sent him to see Caiaphas, the current high priest.
Simon-Peter was still warming himself by the fire. One of the others there asked him, "You're not one of his disciples, too, are you?"
Peter denied it, insisting, "No, I'm not."
One of the high priest's household slaves, who happened to be a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, questioned him further, "Didn't I see you at the olive orchard with Jesus?"
Again Peter denied Jesus. At once a cock began to crow.
Notes
1. Judas had apparently left the dinner and gone straight to the authorities, the Judean religious authorities, not the secular Roman government. Apparently he had offered to bring in Jesus, arrest him for them provided he would be given a detachment of guards and soldiers. He knew where Jesus might be, in the olive orchard of Kidron (just east of Jerusalem). He found him there. Judas was not the one to arrest Jesus, but he hovered in the background and let the armed men do the dirty work.
2. Jesus, by going to a place familiar to Judas, was obviously making no attempt to avoid arrest, but was willingly submitting himself to it. This is confirmed when he is about to be arrested and says, “Should I not drink from the cup the Father has offered me.” The arrest almost seems like a set-up arranged by Jesus. (In which case, Judas is not a traitor at all, but was doing his master’s bidding.)
3. When Jesus first responds to the soldiers and identifies himself, they step back and fall to the ground. Why? Were they somehow awed by a man who has consistently been described as very ordinary? If they were cowed or moved to reverence, why did they then not demur to tie him up?
4. Jesus asks that the disciples not be arrested but remain free. He does so not out of any concern for the health and well being of his disciples, but merely to give the appearance of fulfilling some supposed scriptural prophecy. There is no evidence that anyone had any intention of arresting his disciples.
5. Simon-Peter, acting either out of instinct or from a poorly conceived plan, decides to take violent action to prevent the arrest of his master. He draws his sword and slashes off the ear of a slave. It is a rather feeble and ineffectual display of bravado. One wonders if the slave was even armed. In any case, the violence ceases when Jesus indicates he will submit to arrest. The hot-headed Peter sheaths his sword. No concern is expressed for the plight of the earless slave who was probably just doing what he was told.
6. It seems incongruous that one of the disciples would carry a sword. Wasn't Jesus a preacher of peace? Why would arms be carried by a follower of the Son of God, who could surely guard his crew from any danger through whatever sort of miracle was demanded? Why would any be necessary? Surely a sword would not, on the outskirts of Jerusalem be need for protection against wild animals or even be the proper weapon to do so. Modern sensibilities make one suspicious of men of God who pack heat. In all times and places the religious rarely bear arms; Friar Tuck of Robin Hood's crew, a skilled swordsman, is one of the few exceptions that spring to mind, and he was a part of a band of thieves.
7. The name used for the commander of the soldiers is chiliarch, who would be the commander of a thousand men. This is patently absurd. A thousand men would not crowd into an orchard to arrest one unarmed man. Probably the author of John was ignorant of Roman military terms or he wanted exalt the reputation his Messiah by claiming that it took what would be for us a very large battalion to bring him in. If the latter is the case, one may ask how many other gross exaggerations have made it into the narrative.
8. When he is arrested, Jesus is bound, probably nothing more elaborate than having his hands tied with a rope or strip of cloth. Apparently the restraints were at some point unfastened, since after his interrogation session with Annas, he is bound again and taken to see Caiaphas. It is likely, then, that when was Jesus as struck by Annas’ guard, his hands were free. Significantly, Jesus did not strike back, nor did he turn the other cheek, but naturally complained about his unfair treatment.
9. It is historically accurate that Annas, a high priest, was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest, but the author of John evinces an incomplete understanding of Temple practices of the time. As has been mentioned before, high priests were not chosen on a yearly basis. Caiaphas served as high priest for almost twenty years, holding the office under Pontius Pilate's governorship. The narrative refers to Annas as a high priest. Technically, he was a former high priest, but might have been called high priest as a courtesy title. Annas could probably be described as a high priest emeritus and probably had considerable clout even during his son-in-law's term. It seems a presumption and a breach of protocol, however, that he should see and question Jesus before the current high priest had done so. And why Jesus was brought to him and not to Caiaphas first is an unanswered question. (Caiaphas was out to lunch -- or rather, breakfast?) Peter and the other disciple go to house of Caiaphas, probably not aware that Jesus had been taken instead to Annas’ house. It is possible, though, that Annas and Caiaphas, being in-laws, might have lived in the same residence or in adjacent homes, or had offices in the same building.
10. Jesus is insufficiently respectful to Annas and merits a slap on the face for his cheekiness. He is not uncooperative, but expresses an attitude of defiance that obviously did not set well with the religious authorities. There is, of course, a history of animosity between the two parties.
11. Peter famously denies Jesus three times. (The third denial might be excusable: if he admitted to cutting off an ear, he would place himself in legal jeopardy.) He has the courage to draw and use his sword, but is a coward about admitting his relationship to Jesus, a man now in trouble with the law. Why would he not boast about being a follower of the Son of God? Did he have doubts? Was he just thinking about his own hide? If so, why did he bother to follow Jesus in the first place and go to seek him when he was arrested? Peter gives the impression, at least at this point in his life, of being an impulsive man of bold bluster who is, at heart, a weasel.
12. It is interesting that the name of the slave whose ear was lopped off by Peter is given, but not the name of the disciple who accompanies him when they seek information about Jesus’ arrest.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Jesus' Prayer
(Gospel of John 17:1 - 17:26)
After saying these things, Jesus gazed heavenward and made this prayer: "Father, the time has come to glorify your son so that he may in return glorify you. You have given him charge of all humanity so that he might bestow life everlasting upon those whom you have given him. And this is the path to life everlasting, to acknowledge you, the one true God, and Jesus, the Messiah you have sent down to earth. I have brought you glory here on earth by completing the task you assigned to me. And now, Father, glorify me with you with that glory we shared before the world began!
"I have made your name known to those of this world that you have chosen for me. They belonged to you and you gave them to me. And they have kept faith with you. Now they realize that all I have been given has come from you. The message you have given me I have taught them. They have accepted that message and know the truth that I have come from you and believe that it is you who has sent me.
"My prayer is not for the world, but only for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine are yours, and all who are yours are mine. Glory has come to me because of them. No longer will I remain in the world. But they will do so, while I will be coming to be with you, Holy Father. Keep those you have given me faithful to your name, so that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them I protected in your name those you had given me, and I kept them faithful so that none of them were lost to you -- save the one who was ordained to be lost to perdition in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.
"I am coming to you now, but I say these things here on earth so that they may know amongst themselves the full measure of my joy. I have given them your message, but the world has hated them because it is not of this world, just as they hate me because I am not of this world. I do not ask you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil of the world. They do not belong to it, as I do not belong to it. Sanctify them with the truth, for your message is the truth. As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them out into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself that they may be sanctified by the truth.
"I pray not only for them, but for those who may come to believe in me through them, so that they all can be as one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be one with us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me, I have given to them, so that they may be as one, as we are. May I be in them and you in me in complete unity, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them just as you have loved me. And, Father, I want those who you have sent to me to be with me where they can witness my glory, the glory that you bestowed upon me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
"Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I do, and they know you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to do so in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Notes
1. In early religions prayer usually took place in a certain location, a temple, a shrine, before a statue or image of the god, the idea being that the spirit of the god inhabited or visited or monitored the activity at a venue sacred to him. One went to the temple to pray to the god as one went to the palace to petition the king. Here, Jesus does not seem to be at any particular holy place when he addresses the Father with his prayer. There is, of course, a presumption that he has a direct pipeline to God, that whenever he calls upon him, his father, the deity will hear him. This concept has been adopted by nearly all modern religions: prayers are thought to be heard regardless of where they are uttered or how. This presumes an all-knowing and ever-engaged deity. However, since the deity not only hears all, the question must be asked whether he listens only when he hears his name being specifically invoked and responds only when he is directly appealed to. Why, in this instance, does Jesus find it necessary to make his prayer, submit his requests, when the Father, God, not only knows his heart, knows his thoughts, but is a part of him? It makes sense only if the prayer, audible, one would think, was uttered for the benefit of the disciples, who are rather condescendingly referred to only as "they."
2. It is clearly stated and stated several times that the disciples of Jesus were given to him by the Father. Why Jesus was not capable of picking his own followers is unanswered. And one wonders if this seemingly obtuse lot, so often portrayed as mere stooges, was the best the Father could muster -- but that is perhaps another point. The number of disciples is not specified in this gospel and only a few of the traditional 12 apostles are mentioned here by name. Those referred to are doubtless the followers who regularly traveled with him and were present at the Last Supper (during which the traitorous disciple Judas Iscariot made his mysterious exit).
3. Jesus' major obsession, referred to here several times, is his insistence in the belief that he was sent by God. Obviously, if this is accepted as fact, then everything Jesus says is true and everything he does is right. Although it seems to have been a tough sale at times, the disciples have been induced (or is it conned) into believing that this is the case and, therefore, are to be sanctified for their faith (or gullibility).
4. One of Jesus' tasks given to him by the Father was to convert and keep faithful the disciples that were chosen for him. He was successful in doing so except in the case of the unfaithful disciple Judas -- but he didn't count, because, per Scriptural prophecy, there had to be one follower who would betray the Messiah. The presence of the Betrayer seems to be a necessary element in the Passion drama -- and is so in similar myths.
5. The prayer is vague and contradictory on several points. The annoyingly repetitive declaration of everybody being "in" everyone else is ambiguous. It is already established that Jesus was a part of God and existed before the creation of the world, but the disciples are wholly men and not gods. How can they aspire to be equal to God? Yet, Jesus asserts that he is "in" them. What that means is an open question, but it is typical of the sound-good, but basically meaningless jargon commonly employed in most religious and philosophical discourse. (Maybe it means simply that everyone is on the same page.) Also, there is some confusion as to whether the disciples are of the world or not and what the glory so often spoken of is. (The glory may be Jesus' transfiguration and ascent to Heaven after his crucifixion, but, at times, it seems to mean something other than that.)
6. Jesus suggests that he is sacrificing himself, allowing himself to be crucified, in order to sanctify his disciples, whatever that may mean. This is at odds with conventional Christian doctrine that contends that Jesus died for the atonement of mankind's sins.
7. Jesus declares that the world does not know the God that created it. The deity has apparently done a poor job of promoting himself. And Jesus' coming to earth has only managed to inform a dozen or so people about him. Yet, that seems to be hailed as a great success. (Having said that, it must be commented that after the death and martyrdom of Jesus, evangelizing will pick up considerably.)
8. Jesus describes his Father, God, as being righteous. The term seems superfluous. How can he fail to be righteous, since it is he who apparently determines what is right and what is wrong, and his actions and character define what must be regarded as “righteous”?
After saying these things, Jesus gazed heavenward and made this prayer: "Father, the time has come to glorify your son so that he may in return glorify you. You have given him charge of all humanity so that he might bestow life everlasting upon those whom you have given him. And this is the path to life everlasting, to acknowledge you, the one true God, and Jesus, the Messiah you have sent down to earth. I have brought you glory here on earth by completing the task you assigned to me. And now, Father, glorify me with you with that glory we shared before the world began!
"I have made your name known to those of this world that you have chosen for me. They belonged to you and you gave them to me. And they have kept faith with you. Now they realize that all I have been given has come from you. The message you have given me I have taught them. They have accepted that message and know the truth that I have come from you and believe that it is you who has sent me.
"My prayer is not for the world, but only for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine are yours, and all who are yours are mine. Glory has come to me because of them. No longer will I remain in the world. But they will do so, while I will be coming to be with you, Holy Father. Keep those you have given me faithful to your name, so that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them I protected in your name those you had given me, and I kept them faithful so that none of them were lost to you -- save the one who was ordained to be lost to perdition in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.
"I am coming to you now, but I say these things here on earth so that they may know amongst themselves the full measure of my joy. I have given them your message, but the world has hated them because it is not of this world, just as they hate me because I am not of this world. I do not ask you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil of the world. They do not belong to it, as I do not belong to it. Sanctify them with the truth, for your message is the truth. As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them out into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself that they may be sanctified by the truth.
"I pray not only for them, but for those who may come to believe in me through them, so that they all can be as one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be one with us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me, I have given to them, so that they may be as one, as we are. May I be in them and you in me in complete unity, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them just as you have loved me. And, Father, I want those who you have sent to me to be with me where they can witness my glory, the glory that you bestowed upon me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
"Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I do, and they know you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to do so in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Notes
1. In early religions prayer usually took place in a certain location, a temple, a shrine, before a statue or image of the god, the idea being that the spirit of the god inhabited or visited or monitored the activity at a venue sacred to him. One went to the temple to pray to the god as one went to the palace to petition the king. Here, Jesus does not seem to be at any particular holy place when he addresses the Father with his prayer. There is, of course, a presumption that he has a direct pipeline to God, that whenever he calls upon him, his father, the deity will hear him. This concept has been adopted by nearly all modern religions: prayers are thought to be heard regardless of where they are uttered or how. This presumes an all-knowing and ever-engaged deity. However, since the deity not only hears all, the question must be asked whether he listens only when he hears his name being specifically invoked and responds only when he is directly appealed to. Why, in this instance, does Jesus find it necessary to make his prayer, submit his requests, when the Father, God, not only knows his heart, knows his thoughts, but is a part of him? It makes sense only if the prayer, audible, one would think, was uttered for the benefit of the disciples, who are rather condescendingly referred to only as "they."
2. It is clearly stated and stated several times that the disciples of Jesus were given to him by the Father. Why Jesus was not capable of picking his own followers is unanswered. And one wonders if this seemingly obtuse lot, so often portrayed as mere stooges, was the best the Father could muster -- but that is perhaps another point. The number of disciples is not specified in this gospel and only a few of the traditional 12 apostles are mentioned here by name. Those referred to are doubtless the followers who regularly traveled with him and were present at the Last Supper (during which the traitorous disciple Judas Iscariot made his mysterious exit).
3. Jesus' major obsession, referred to here several times, is his insistence in the belief that he was sent by God. Obviously, if this is accepted as fact, then everything Jesus says is true and everything he does is right. Although it seems to have been a tough sale at times, the disciples have been induced (or is it conned) into believing that this is the case and, therefore, are to be sanctified for their faith (or gullibility).
4. One of Jesus' tasks given to him by the Father was to convert and keep faithful the disciples that were chosen for him. He was successful in doing so except in the case of the unfaithful disciple Judas -- but he didn't count, because, per Scriptural prophecy, there had to be one follower who would betray the Messiah. The presence of the Betrayer seems to be a necessary element in the Passion drama -- and is so in similar myths.
5. The prayer is vague and contradictory on several points. The annoyingly repetitive declaration of everybody being "in" everyone else is ambiguous. It is already established that Jesus was a part of God and existed before the creation of the world, but the disciples are wholly men and not gods. How can they aspire to be equal to God? Yet, Jesus asserts that he is "in" them. What that means is an open question, but it is typical of the sound-good, but basically meaningless jargon commonly employed in most religious and philosophical discourse. (Maybe it means simply that everyone is on the same page.) Also, there is some confusion as to whether the disciples are of the world or not and what the glory so often spoken of is. (The glory may be Jesus' transfiguration and ascent to Heaven after his crucifixion, but, at times, it seems to mean something other than that.)
6. Jesus suggests that he is sacrificing himself, allowing himself to be crucified, in order to sanctify his disciples, whatever that may mean. This is at odds with conventional Christian doctrine that contends that Jesus died for the atonement of mankind's sins.
7. Jesus declares that the world does not know the God that created it. The deity has apparently done a poor job of promoting himself. And Jesus' coming to earth has only managed to inform a dozen or so people about him. Yet, that seems to be hailed as a great success. (Having said that, it must be commented that after the death and martyrdom of Jesus, evangelizing will pick up considerably.)
8. Jesus describes his Father, God, as being righteous. The term seems superfluous. How can he fail to be righteous, since it is he who apparently determines what is right and what is wrong, and his actions and character define what must be regarded as “righteous”?
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Jesus Befriends His Disciples
(Gospel of John 15:1 - 16:33)
"I, said Jesus," am the genuine grapevine, and my Father is the tender of the vineyard. He cuts off every branch of me that fails to bear fruit and prunes every branch that does bear fruit so that it will produce more. You have already been "pruned" by the message I have given you. Remain in me and I in you, for a branch cannot produce fruit unless it remains on the vine: you cannot be fruitful unless you remain with me. I am the vine; you, its branches. Those that remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit, but separated from me you can accomplish nothing. Whoever does not remain in me will be like a branch discarded to dry up. Such branches are gathered and cast into the fire to be burned. If you remain in me and my message remains with you, then ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My Father achieves glory through this: that you bear fruit by being my disciples. As my Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in that love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in that love, just as I have remained in my Father's love by obeying his commandments. I have told you these things so that my joy may remain in you and be complete.
"This is my commandment to you: love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends. If you do what I command you, then you are my friends. I no longer call you servants, for a servant knows not his master's business. But I call you friends, because I have taught you everything I have learned from the Father. You did not choose me, rather I chose you. I have assigned you to go and bear fruit, enduring fruit, so that the Father may grant you whatever you might ask of him in my name. This is my command: love one another.
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. The world would love you as its own, if you belonged the world. But you do not belong to the world, because I have chosen to take you out of the world, and that is why the world hates you.
"Remember what I have said to you, 'The servant cannot be greater than the master.' If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you. If they follow my teachings, they will follow yours. They will treat you such because of my name’s sale, for they will not acknowledge the one who sent me. They would not be at fault if I had not come and spoken to them, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates the Father as well. They would not be at fault if I had not performed the miracles that no else could do, but they have witnessed them and still hate both me and my Father. -- But this is to fulfill what is written in the Scripture, 'They hated me without cause.'
"When the Counselor whom I will send to you from the Father, a spirit of truth from the Father, arrives, he will teach you of me. You are also to teach of me, because you have been with me from the start.
"I have told you these things so that you won't falter, for you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time will come that those kill you will think they are performing a service to God. They will do this because they have not known me or the Father. I have told you this, for when they do these things, you will remember I had warned you about them. I didn't tell you before, because I was still with you.
"But now that I am about to return to the one who sent me, none of you ask me where I am going. Instead you grieve over what I have told you. Nevertheless, it is best for you that I leave, for if I do not do so the Counselor cannot come to you. But, if I go, I can send him to you. And when he arrives, he will remonstrate the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment -- about sin, because the people do not believe in me, about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will not see me again, about judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been condemned. There are still many more things I want to tell you, but they are too much for you to bear just now. When the spirit of truth arrives, he will enlighten you as to the truth in all matters, for he will not speak on his own behalf, but will relate what he has been taught. He will reveal to you future events. He will bring glory to me because what he will make known to you comes from me. All that belongs to the Father is also mine. That is why I have said that whatever he will disclose to you he has received from me."
"After a little while you will no longer see me and then, after a little while, you will see me again."
At that some of the disciples questioned each other, "What does he mean by this statement and by his saying he is going to the Father? And what does he mean by 'a little while.' We don't understand what he's talking about."
Jesus, anticipating what they were going to ask him, told them, "Are you wondering what I meant when I said 'After a little while you will no longer see me and then, after a little while, you will see me again.' To tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what will happen to me, while the world rejoices. You will endure great sorrow, but that pain will turn to joy. A woman endures much pain during childbirth while she is in labor, but after the child is born that agony is forgotten in the joy of bringing new life into the world. You will have sorrow now, but I will see you again and when I do, you will know joy -- a joy no one can take away from you. At that time you will have no need to ask me for anything, for, I tell you truly, you will be able to appeal to the Father directly and he will grant any request made in my name. Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive! Then your joy will be complete.
"Thus far I have spoken in analogies, but soon the time will come when I will leave off speaking figuratively and tell you of the Father directly, in plain language. At that time you will ask in my name. I'm not saying that I need ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father loves you dearly, because you love me and believe that I have come from him. Yes, I have indeed come into the world from the Father and will leave the world to return to the Father."
His disciples then declared, "Now you are speaking literally and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know all things. No one needs to ask you any questions. This convinces us that you do come from God."
"So you believe now?” Jesus responded. "But the time is coming, in fact, it is already here, when you will be dispersed, each one going his own way, and I will be left alone. But I will not really be alone, for the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that through me you may face serenely the trials and tribulations the world will inflict upon you and take heart -- for I have triumphed over the world!"
Notes
1. The analogy of pruning the grapevine is lost in translation. The Greek verb kathairei means to prune, while kathairo means to cleanse. They are conflated. Thus, the vine is pruned and the disciples are cleansed. Since Jesus was presumably speaking to his disciples in Aramaic, rather than in Greek, one wonders whether the analogy, the play on words, would have been employed by him.
2. Such long passages of dialogue make the reader wonder how they could be verbatim, the gospels being written decades after the events. Did the disciples keep journals and diaries? Did they whip out their wax tablets and styluses every time Jesus spoke, recording his words for posterity in 1st Century shorthand? Or did the gospel writers put into Jesus' mouth the words they wanted him to have said, ascribing to him statements that would conform to the Christian doctrines of the time? (That the gospels disagree with each other in factual matters, that they are often incompatible and contradictory militates against the contention that they could have been authored under divine guidance, or inspired by a single spiritual source.)
3. Jesus reiterates his love for his disciples, but it is not an unconditional love by any means. He will only love them if they do everything he orders them to do. And he has never really confided in them, only imparting cryptic and ambiguous pronouncements. He says he is their friend because he has conveyed to them a message from the Father. Didn’t he impart the same message to the masses he preached to at the Temple?
4. Jesus, knowing everything, did not, according to this account, teach his disciples much of anything, except to indoctrinate them in a belief in his divinity. It is remarkable that he resisted what one would think would be a temptation to enlighten his disciples on simple matters that we today all know and he, if he were divine, must have known, such as the fact that the earth is round or that microorganisms cause disease or a thousand other things of which the ancients were ignorant. Jesus displays no possession of such knowledge. And his incurious disciples, even accepting that he is from God, question him little, even of religious matters such as: where is Heaven, what happens to a man when he dies, what is the punishment for sin, the rewards for being a pious man, and so forth.
5. Jesus declares he will henceforth regard his disciples as friends, equals. He suggests that their former relationship was that of master and servant (or slave) when, quite obviously, it would have been that of teacher and student -- hopefully a distinction there! He orders that they love each other as he has loved them, but this seems inapt. The affection and respect that colleagues may have for one another is different and should be different than that accorded to them by their teacher and master. "Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends." is a much quoted passage and a noble sentiment, but how applicable is it? Overlooking the possibility of equality between a man and a god, one questions whether Jesus has, in fact, been a friend to his followers. He consistently used them to serve his own ends, rarely considering their own interests, confiding in them, or soliciting their opinions. And he brought Judas Iscariot, a crook, into their midst and blithely and unconcernedly allowed him to steal their money. Some friend. And, it should be pointed out, Jesus is not dying for his friends, but for some far greater purpose.
6. Jesus claims that, in fulfillment of prophecy, he is hated without reason. How could he possibly say that? He shows up and challenges the religious establishment. He more or less tells everybody who doesn’t believe in him that they are not only fools and idiots, but rejectors of God. He makes the most extravagant and outrageous claim any man can make, that he is the Son of God, thereby setting himself above every man, as well as the priests, who are the ordained intermediaries between God and man. He demands that people believe in him, and, if they don’t, they must hate God and are to be damned. Did he really expect not to arouse any antagonism?
7. Jesus does not spell out the future work of his disciples, but one assumes it is to evangelize, to spread his message and the belief that he is the Son of God. He promises that to that end they will be endowed with the power to perform miracles. We don’t know how that worked out, but there is scant reportage of miracles attributed to his disciples. The Counselor will also impart to them knowledge of the future. How they may have used that knowledge is unrecorded.
8. The obtuse disciples never grasp the meaning of Jesus' allegories, analogies, and parables and complain about his not speaking directly and plainly. Although he says nothing differently, they suddenly think he is now being literal when he says he has come from the Father and will return to him, exactly what he has been saying all along. Even so Jesus still seems to want to tantalize his disciples and string them along with unexplained statements rather than being forthcoming. But at the end of this passage the author has the disciples, for some reason, finally “getting it” and coming to believe Jesus. If they didn’t believe before, why were they following someone who could otherwise only be an egregious charlatan?
"I, said Jesus," am the genuine grapevine, and my Father is the tender of the vineyard. He cuts off every branch of me that fails to bear fruit and prunes every branch that does bear fruit so that it will produce more. You have already been "pruned" by the message I have given you. Remain in me and I in you, for a branch cannot produce fruit unless it remains on the vine: you cannot be fruitful unless you remain with me. I am the vine; you, its branches. Those that remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit, but separated from me you can accomplish nothing. Whoever does not remain in me will be like a branch discarded to dry up. Such branches are gathered and cast into the fire to be burned. If you remain in me and my message remains with you, then ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My Father achieves glory through this: that you bear fruit by being my disciples. As my Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in that love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in that love, just as I have remained in my Father's love by obeying his commandments. I have told you these things so that my joy may remain in you and be complete.
"This is my commandment to you: love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends. If you do what I command you, then you are my friends. I no longer call you servants, for a servant knows not his master's business. But I call you friends, because I have taught you everything I have learned from the Father. You did not choose me, rather I chose you. I have assigned you to go and bear fruit, enduring fruit, so that the Father may grant you whatever you might ask of him in my name. This is my command: love one another.
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. The world would love you as its own, if you belonged the world. But you do not belong to the world, because I have chosen to take you out of the world, and that is why the world hates you.
"Remember what I have said to you, 'The servant cannot be greater than the master.' If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you. If they follow my teachings, they will follow yours. They will treat you such because of my name’s sale, for they will not acknowledge the one who sent me. They would not be at fault if I had not come and spoken to them, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates the Father as well. They would not be at fault if I had not performed the miracles that no else could do, but they have witnessed them and still hate both me and my Father. -- But this is to fulfill what is written in the Scripture, 'They hated me without cause.'
"When the Counselor whom I will send to you from the Father, a spirit of truth from the Father, arrives, he will teach you of me. You are also to teach of me, because you have been with me from the start.
"I have told you these things so that you won't falter, for you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time will come that those kill you will think they are performing a service to God. They will do this because they have not known me or the Father. I have told you this, for when they do these things, you will remember I had warned you about them. I didn't tell you before, because I was still with you.
"But now that I am about to return to the one who sent me, none of you ask me where I am going. Instead you grieve over what I have told you. Nevertheless, it is best for you that I leave, for if I do not do so the Counselor cannot come to you. But, if I go, I can send him to you. And when he arrives, he will remonstrate the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment -- about sin, because the people do not believe in me, about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will not see me again, about judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been condemned. There are still many more things I want to tell you, but they are too much for you to bear just now. When the spirit of truth arrives, he will enlighten you as to the truth in all matters, for he will not speak on his own behalf, but will relate what he has been taught. He will reveal to you future events. He will bring glory to me because what he will make known to you comes from me. All that belongs to the Father is also mine. That is why I have said that whatever he will disclose to you he has received from me."
"After a little while you will no longer see me and then, after a little while, you will see me again."
At that some of the disciples questioned each other, "What does he mean by this statement and by his saying he is going to the Father? And what does he mean by 'a little while.' We don't understand what he's talking about."
Jesus, anticipating what they were going to ask him, told them, "Are you wondering what I meant when I said 'After a little while you will no longer see me and then, after a little while, you will see me again.' To tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what will happen to me, while the world rejoices. You will endure great sorrow, but that pain will turn to joy. A woman endures much pain during childbirth while she is in labor, but after the child is born that agony is forgotten in the joy of bringing new life into the world. You will have sorrow now, but I will see you again and when I do, you will know joy -- a joy no one can take away from you. At that time you will have no need to ask me for anything, for, I tell you truly, you will be able to appeal to the Father directly and he will grant any request made in my name. Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive! Then your joy will be complete.
"Thus far I have spoken in analogies, but soon the time will come when I will leave off speaking figuratively and tell you of the Father directly, in plain language. At that time you will ask in my name. I'm not saying that I need ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father loves you dearly, because you love me and believe that I have come from him. Yes, I have indeed come into the world from the Father and will leave the world to return to the Father."
His disciples then declared, "Now you are speaking literally and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know all things. No one needs to ask you any questions. This convinces us that you do come from God."
"So you believe now?” Jesus responded. "But the time is coming, in fact, it is already here, when you will be dispersed, each one going his own way, and I will be left alone. But I will not really be alone, for the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that through me you may face serenely the trials and tribulations the world will inflict upon you and take heart -- for I have triumphed over the world!"
Notes
1. The analogy of pruning the grapevine is lost in translation. The Greek verb kathairei means to prune, while kathairo means to cleanse. They are conflated. Thus, the vine is pruned and the disciples are cleansed. Since Jesus was presumably speaking to his disciples in Aramaic, rather than in Greek, one wonders whether the analogy, the play on words, would have been employed by him.
2. Such long passages of dialogue make the reader wonder how they could be verbatim, the gospels being written decades after the events. Did the disciples keep journals and diaries? Did they whip out their wax tablets and styluses every time Jesus spoke, recording his words for posterity in 1st Century shorthand? Or did the gospel writers put into Jesus' mouth the words they wanted him to have said, ascribing to him statements that would conform to the Christian doctrines of the time? (That the gospels disagree with each other in factual matters, that they are often incompatible and contradictory militates against the contention that they could have been authored under divine guidance, or inspired by a single spiritual source.)
3. Jesus reiterates his love for his disciples, but it is not an unconditional love by any means. He will only love them if they do everything he orders them to do. And he has never really confided in them, only imparting cryptic and ambiguous pronouncements. He says he is their friend because he has conveyed to them a message from the Father. Didn’t he impart the same message to the masses he preached to at the Temple?
4. Jesus, knowing everything, did not, according to this account, teach his disciples much of anything, except to indoctrinate them in a belief in his divinity. It is remarkable that he resisted what one would think would be a temptation to enlighten his disciples on simple matters that we today all know and he, if he were divine, must have known, such as the fact that the earth is round or that microorganisms cause disease or a thousand other things of which the ancients were ignorant. Jesus displays no possession of such knowledge. And his incurious disciples, even accepting that he is from God, question him little, even of religious matters such as: where is Heaven, what happens to a man when he dies, what is the punishment for sin, the rewards for being a pious man, and so forth.
5. Jesus declares he will henceforth regard his disciples as friends, equals. He suggests that their former relationship was that of master and servant (or slave) when, quite obviously, it would have been that of teacher and student -- hopefully a distinction there! He orders that they love each other as he has loved them, but this seems inapt. The affection and respect that colleagues may have for one another is different and should be different than that accorded to them by their teacher and master. "Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends." is a much quoted passage and a noble sentiment, but how applicable is it? Overlooking the possibility of equality between a man and a god, one questions whether Jesus has, in fact, been a friend to his followers. He consistently used them to serve his own ends, rarely considering their own interests, confiding in them, or soliciting their opinions. And he brought Judas Iscariot, a crook, into their midst and blithely and unconcernedly allowed him to steal their money. Some friend. And, it should be pointed out, Jesus is not dying for his friends, but for some far greater purpose.
6. Jesus claims that, in fulfillment of prophecy, he is hated without reason. How could he possibly say that? He shows up and challenges the religious establishment. He more or less tells everybody who doesn’t believe in him that they are not only fools and idiots, but rejectors of God. He makes the most extravagant and outrageous claim any man can make, that he is the Son of God, thereby setting himself above every man, as well as the priests, who are the ordained intermediaries between God and man. He demands that people believe in him, and, if they don’t, they must hate God and are to be damned. Did he really expect not to arouse any antagonism?
7. Jesus does not spell out the future work of his disciples, but one assumes it is to evangelize, to spread his message and the belief that he is the Son of God. He promises that to that end they will be endowed with the power to perform miracles. We don’t know how that worked out, but there is scant reportage of miracles attributed to his disciples. The Counselor will also impart to them knowledge of the future. How they may have used that knowledge is unrecorded.
8. The obtuse disciples never grasp the meaning of Jesus' allegories, analogies, and parables and complain about his not speaking directly and plainly. Although he says nothing differently, they suddenly think he is now being literal when he says he has come from the Father and will return to him, exactly what he has been saying all along. Even so Jesus still seems to want to tantalize his disciples and string them along with unexplained statements rather than being forthcoming. But at the end of this passage the author has the disciples, for some reason, finally “getting it” and coming to believe Jesus. If they didn’t believe before, why were they following someone who could otherwise only be an egregious charlatan?
Jesus Reassures His Disciples
(Gospel of John 14:1 - 14:31)
"Let not your hearts be troubled," Jesus said to his disciples. "For you believe in God and you believe in me as well. In the home of the Father are many dwelling chambers. If that were not the case, I would not have told you that I am going there to prepare places for you. When I go and have prepared a place for you, I will return and take you with me, so that where I am, you may also be. You know the way to the place I am going."
"But Master," interrupted Thomas, "we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way there?"
Jesus responded, "I am the way, the way to truth and life everlasting. No one comes to the Father save through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. Henceforth, you do know him -- and have seen him."
"Master," questioned Philip, "show us the Father and we'll be satisfied."
Jesus replied, “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and still you don’t know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So why must you ask, ‘Show us the Father’? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words I speak are not my own, but are of the Father, who abides within me and does his work through me. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. At least believe it because of the miracles you have seen me perform. Truly I tell you that those who believe in me will be able to perform the miracles that I have been doing; indeed, they will be able to work greater wonders because I am going to the Father. I will then accomplish anything you ask in my name, so that the Son might bring glory to the Father. Ask anything in my name, and I will do it!
"If you love me, obey my commandments. I will ask my father and he will send to you another counselor who will be with you always -- the spirit of the truth. The world does not accept him: it neither sees nor recognizes him. But you know him, for he lives among you and will live within you.
"I will not abandon you to be orphans, for I will come to you. Soon the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you will also live. When I have been resurrected, you will realize that I am in my Father, that you are in me and I, in you. Those who receive my commandments and obey them are the ones who really love me. And because they love me, the Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to them."
Judas (not Judas Iscariot) asked Jesus, "Master, why is it that you will reveal yourself to us, but not to the world?"
Jesus replied, "Those who love me will obey my teachings. My Father will love them. We will come to them and make our home with them. Those who do not love me will not obey my teachings. These words you hear are not mine, but come from the Father who sent me. I have said these things while I am still among you. Later, the Counselor, a holy spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all the things I have said to you. I leave you with peace, the peace I give to you, but not as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled or be afraid.
"You have heard me say, 'I am going away, but will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe it. I have little time to speak to you further, for the ruler of the world is approaching. He has no real power over me, but I must do as the Father has commanded, so that the world may know that I love the Father. --- Get up, let’s be on our way!"
Notes
1. Jesus makes it clear that when he dies he will be resurrected and live again, but he does not say he will live again upon the earth as a man. Rather he will ascend to Heaven to be with the Father. In a sense, this is not resurrection at all since it is his spirit, or, at most, his spirit body that will have renewed and continued life. He is not to be resurrected as Lazarus was supposedly resurrected, physically -- a dead man brought back to life. He promises that his disciples will later join him, but he does not say when or how. Is it be when after they have died? It is necessary for Jesus to prepare a place for them, as if he has to reserve a hotel room for them and make sure the bed linen and the towels have been changed before they arrive. What sort of preparation must be done and why hasn't the Father, who presumably knows everything, already taken of it? This place, is it a physical abode, or is the place an office, an honorary position, or something of that nature? And if they are to be in Heaven with Jesus, how will they occupy themselves? Is there a need for evangelists in Heaven?
2. Jesus makes another unfulfillable promise, that he, after he has gone to Heaven, will answer their prayers and give them anything they ask for. And he will do this not out of love for them or out of the need of those whey may pray for, but only so that he, Jesus, may bring glory to the Father. If the Father is God, the universal deity, the Creator, why on earth, or in Heaven, does he need glory and aggrandizement, why does he need to have someone else make him look good?
3. Jesus, as he is wont, refuses to give a direct answer to a direct question, but is evasive and purposefully vague, constantly mixing the literal and the metaphorical so that one is often at a loss as to his meaning. His disciples are often left clueless, (although, in truth, it doesn't seem as if he picked a particularly smart or even canny lot to be his followers). He will not tell them where he is going. (Can't he just be straight and honest with the disciples who love him and give them a satisfying response, like "I'm going to be killed, but I will rise from the dead and go to Heaven.) Nor does he say why he won't be revealing himself to the world, only to his disciples. He dodges like a politician who unfailingly falls back on his talking points when faced with a tough question he doesn't want to answer.
4. After he is gone, Jesus will send to his disciples the Counselor who will instruct them in his message. It is unlikely that this Counselor is actually some sort of entity, even a spirit entity, although it could be. It is a spirit of truth or is it the spirit of truth, that is, the personification of truth. It is probable that Jesus meant the disciples would be divinely inspired and that they would continue to have spiritual guidance, this Counselor being, like Jesus, an intermediary between God and man. Apparently Jesus hasn't tutored and groomed his disciples sufficiently that they will know what to do and say to take his place as evangelists of his message. They will need help, and he promises to send it to them.
5. The Counselor Jesus will send is traditionally interpreted as being the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. The Greek word is paraclete, meaning comforter, advocate, adviser. However, the Paraclete, as it is defined here, seems a subordinate of Jesus, which would not be the case if it were a member of the Trinity. The Paraclete seems another Greek philosophical abstraction favored by the author of John.
6. Jesus leaves his disciples a gift of peace. It seems unlikely, though, that if they continue to preach his message that they will know anything like peace, more likely harassment, persecution, even martyrdom. But perhaps he means that they will have the peace of mind knowing that their own salvation is assured. Wouldn't satisfaction in knowing that they were spreading the truth, helping others, inspiring people and improving their lives with a positive belief, be a better gift?
7. Among the mind games that Jesus plays with his followers is the continuing rebuke, familiar to nagged spouses, "If you really love me, you will believe me and do what I say. If you don't, it can only be because you don't love me." Once one is committed to love someone, the loved person can use that love as a weapon to get what he wants from the lover. Here, Jesus is in effect saying, "You must not think on your own, you must dismiss logic and critical thought and your own observations and believe unquestioningly what I am telling you. If you don't believe, you obviously don't love me. Those who don't believe me are only those who don't love me." Thus, if you love Jesus, you must believe in what he says. But Jesus goes further by connecting himself with the Father, God. Everything he does and says comes from God, he claims. Therefore, to deny Jesus is to deny God. To love Jesus is to love God, and to love God is to love Jesus. The disciples are shamed into believing and obeying Jesus. If they do otherwise, they are up against God himself. Everything, though, is based on the premise that Jesus is the Son of God, an unproven claim, miracles notwithstanding.
8. Jesus seems resigned to the destiny that, it seems, the Father has allotted him. He is to be in conflict with princes and powers of the world, specifically the provincial government of Rome and the Judaic religious establishment -- although ruler or “Prince of the World" can, and often is interpreted as the Devil, or the evil forces at work in the material world. He has the power to evade that destiny, but chooses not to do so, but to submit to it in order to please the Father. One may question why a father would send his son into the world merely to be killed, but Jesus feels duty bound not to question, but to accept.
9. The identity of Judas the Apostle, a different person from Judas Iscariot, is problematic. He is often called Jude and may be Jude, the brother of Jesus, or could be the same person as the Apostle Thaddeus. And there is Saint Jude who was martyred in Beirut in 65 AD, killed with an ax. This Jude has also been identified in legend as the groom at the wedding at Cana.
"Let not your hearts be troubled," Jesus said to his disciples. "For you believe in God and you believe in me as well. In the home of the Father are many dwelling chambers. If that were not the case, I would not have told you that I am going there to prepare places for you. When I go and have prepared a place for you, I will return and take you with me, so that where I am, you may also be. You know the way to the place I am going."
"But Master," interrupted Thomas, "we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way there?"
Jesus responded, "I am the way, the way to truth and life everlasting. No one comes to the Father save through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. Henceforth, you do know him -- and have seen him."
"Master," questioned Philip, "show us the Father and we'll be satisfied."
Jesus replied, “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and still you don’t know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So why must you ask, ‘Show us the Father’? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words I speak are not my own, but are of the Father, who abides within me and does his work through me. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. At least believe it because of the miracles you have seen me perform. Truly I tell you that those who believe in me will be able to perform the miracles that I have been doing; indeed, they will be able to work greater wonders because I am going to the Father. I will then accomplish anything you ask in my name, so that the Son might bring glory to the Father. Ask anything in my name, and I will do it!
"If you love me, obey my commandments. I will ask my father and he will send to you another counselor who will be with you always -- the spirit of the truth. The world does not accept him: it neither sees nor recognizes him. But you know him, for he lives among you and will live within you.
"I will not abandon you to be orphans, for I will come to you. Soon the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you will also live. When I have been resurrected, you will realize that I am in my Father, that you are in me and I, in you. Those who receive my commandments and obey them are the ones who really love me. And because they love me, the Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to them."
Judas (not Judas Iscariot) asked Jesus, "Master, why is it that you will reveal yourself to us, but not to the world?"
Jesus replied, "Those who love me will obey my teachings. My Father will love them. We will come to them and make our home with them. Those who do not love me will not obey my teachings. These words you hear are not mine, but come from the Father who sent me. I have said these things while I am still among you. Later, the Counselor, a holy spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all the things I have said to you. I leave you with peace, the peace I give to you, but not as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled or be afraid.
"You have heard me say, 'I am going away, but will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe it. I have little time to speak to you further, for the ruler of the world is approaching. He has no real power over me, but I must do as the Father has commanded, so that the world may know that I love the Father. --- Get up, let’s be on our way!"
Notes
1. Jesus makes it clear that when he dies he will be resurrected and live again, but he does not say he will live again upon the earth as a man. Rather he will ascend to Heaven to be with the Father. In a sense, this is not resurrection at all since it is his spirit, or, at most, his spirit body that will have renewed and continued life. He is not to be resurrected as Lazarus was supposedly resurrected, physically -- a dead man brought back to life. He promises that his disciples will later join him, but he does not say when or how. Is it be when after they have died? It is necessary for Jesus to prepare a place for them, as if he has to reserve a hotel room for them and make sure the bed linen and the towels have been changed before they arrive. What sort of preparation must be done and why hasn't the Father, who presumably knows everything, already taken of it? This place, is it a physical abode, or is the place an office, an honorary position, or something of that nature? And if they are to be in Heaven with Jesus, how will they occupy themselves? Is there a need for evangelists in Heaven?
2. Jesus makes another unfulfillable promise, that he, after he has gone to Heaven, will answer their prayers and give them anything they ask for. And he will do this not out of love for them or out of the need of those whey may pray for, but only so that he, Jesus, may bring glory to the Father. If the Father is God, the universal deity, the Creator, why on earth, or in Heaven, does he need glory and aggrandizement, why does he need to have someone else make him look good?
3. Jesus, as he is wont, refuses to give a direct answer to a direct question, but is evasive and purposefully vague, constantly mixing the literal and the metaphorical so that one is often at a loss as to his meaning. His disciples are often left clueless, (although, in truth, it doesn't seem as if he picked a particularly smart or even canny lot to be his followers). He will not tell them where he is going. (Can't he just be straight and honest with the disciples who love him and give them a satisfying response, like "I'm going to be killed, but I will rise from the dead and go to Heaven.) Nor does he say why he won't be revealing himself to the world, only to his disciples. He dodges like a politician who unfailingly falls back on his talking points when faced with a tough question he doesn't want to answer.
4. After he is gone, Jesus will send to his disciples the Counselor who will instruct them in his message. It is unlikely that this Counselor is actually some sort of entity, even a spirit entity, although it could be. It is a spirit of truth or is it the spirit of truth, that is, the personification of truth. It is probable that Jesus meant the disciples would be divinely inspired and that they would continue to have spiritual guidance, this Counselor being, like Jesus, an intermediary between God and man. Apparently Jesus hasn't tutored and groomed his disciples sufficiently that they will know what to do and say to take his place as evangelists of his message. They will need help, and he promises to send it to them.
5. The Counselor Jesus will send is traditionally interpreted as being the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. The Greek word is paraclete, meaning comforter, advocate, adviser. However, the Paraclete, as it is defined here, seems a subordinate of Jesus, which would not be the case if it were a member of the Trinity. The Paraclete seems another Greek philosophical abstraction favored by the author of John.
6. Jesus leaves his disciples a gift of peace. It seems unlikely, though, that if they continue to preach his message that they will know anything like peace, more likely harassment, persecution, even martyrdom. But perhaps he means that they will have the peace of mind knowing that their own salvation is assured. Wouldn't satisfaction in knowing that they were spreading the truth, helping others, inspiring people and improving their lives with a positive belief, be a better gift?
7. Among the mind games that Jesus plays with his followers is the continuing rebuke, familiar to nagged spouses, "If you really love me, you will believe me and do what I say. If you don't, it can only be because you don't love me." Once one is committed to love someone, the loved person can use that love as a weapon to get what he wants from the lover. Here, Jesus is in effect saying, "You must not think on your own, you must dismiss logic and critical thought and your own observations and believe unquestioningly what I am telling you. If you don't believe, you obviously don't love me. Those who don't believe me are only those who don't love me." Thus, if you love Jesus, you must believe in what he says. But Jesus goes further by connecting himself with the Father, God. Everything he does and says comes from God, he claims. Therefore, to deny Jesus is to deny God. To love Jesus is to love God, and to love God is to love Jesus. The disciples are shamed into believing and obeying Jesus. If they do otherwise, they are up against God himself. Everything, though, is based on the premise that Jesus is the Son of God, an unproven claim, miracles notwithstanding.
8. Jesus seems resigned to the destiny that, it seems, the Father has allotted him. He is to be in conflict with princes and powers of the world, specifically the provincial government of Rome and the Judaic religious establishment -- although ruler or “Prince of the World" can, and often is interpreted as the Devil, or the evil forces at work in the material world. He has the power to evade that destiny, but chooses not to do so, but to submit to it in order to please the Father. One may question why a father would send his son into the world merely to be killed, but Jesus feels duty bound not to question, but to accept.
9. The identity of Judas the Apostle, a different person from Judas Iscariot, is problematic. He is often called Jude and may be Jude, the brother of Jesus, or could be the same person as the Apostle Thaddeus. And there is Saint Jude who was martyred in Beirut in 65 AD, killed with an ax. This Jude has also been identified in legend as the groom at the wedding at Cana.
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