Mark 14:43-52

The Voice

In the moments before Jesus’ death, He really knows what it feels like to be human and afraid. Jesus knows exactly what is about to happen to Him and exactly how bad it will be. Now that the time has come, He feels all the natural human emotions.

Most amazing of all is the prayer Jesus says in that moment: “Please take this cup away so I don’t have to drink from it.” Even though He divinely knows what is going to happen—what must happen—He still asks for a reprieve. At the same time, He submits His human desires and will to the plan of His Father: in order to experience fully what it means to be human, He has to go through even this—denying Himself and what He wants—to face certain torture and death.

⁴³Before He had finished talking, Judas (one of the twelve) approached with a large group of people—agents of the chief priests, scribes, and elders in Jerusalem armed with swords and clubs.

⁴⁴The signal they had arranged was a kiss. “Watch to see whom I kiss; He’s the One,” Judas had told them. “Arrest Him, and take Him into secure custody.”

⁴⁵As soon as they arrived, Judas stepped forward.

Judas (kissing Jesus): My Teacher.^[a]

⁴⁶Immediately the soldiers grabbed Jesus and took Him into custody.

⁴⁷Now one of the disciples standing close by drew his sword and swung, cutting off the ear of a slave of Caiaphas, the high priest.

Jesus (calling out): ⁴⁸Am I a thief or a bandit that you have to come armed with swords and clubs to capture Me? ⁴⁹I sat teaching in the temple every day with you. You could have taken Me at any time, but you never did. Let the Scriptures be fulfilled.

⁵⁰When they saw the armed crowd take Jesus into custody, the disciples fled. ⁵¹One of those following Jesus was a young man who was wearing nothing but a linen cloth. When people from the mob grabbed for him, ⁵²he wriggled out of their grasp, left them holding the cloth, and ran naked into the night.

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