Christianity Ch. 08 : "The Garden"

a very long synopsis of Christianity

There was a city garden called Gethsemane. Jesus often went there to pray and think. On this particular fateful night -a little foreshadowing - he went there with all his disciples...except for Judas, who had gone somewhere else earlier in the evening? Where had he gone? We’ll never know. Perhaps he’ll show up later in the story…

Jesus could be a night owl, so it was late by the time they got there. Most were tired and fell asleep, one by one.

Sometime after midnight, a commotion began to grow louder in the distance. The tromping of feet, the clashing of metal, the murmurs of voices. And then lights, and the lost disciple, shown up to join his friends. Yay!

Not so yay. Behind Judas was a group of soldiers and officials who had lights and weapons.

Jesus stepped forward, because he did not hide or run away at the presence of danger.

“Who are you looking for?” he asked

“Jesus of Nazareth,” one said.

“I am he,” he said.

They looked at Judas for confirmation. He stepped forward, kissed Jesus on the cheek, and moved back into the shadows. Several soldiers grabbed Jesus and bound him.

Somewhere in here, the noise awoke the disciples. Some hid, some ran away, and Peter got angry and hacked off a soldier’s ear. Strangely, he was not executed on the spot. Jesus told Peter to back off, apologized on his behalf, and let the soldiers lead him away to the office of the High Priest.

Insults, accusations, declarations were hurled at him throughout the night. The next morning, he was taken to the Judgment Hall, where Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Jerusalem, listened to the primary issue of concern to him: that Jesus was spreading blasphemy and sedition. Remember, these were the only two serious accusations that had any chance of getting Jesus in trouble.

Pilate’s main question he wanted settled was this: was Jesus another rabble-rouser who was getting people worked up about Roman rule over Palestine?

He thought, and thought, and thought, and finally decided....