AND THEY ALL FELL DOWN!

We know from reading the Gospels of the gut-wrenching agony that Jesus went through in the Garden of Gethsemane. Add to the turmoil of His surrender to His Father's will the fact that His closest followers grossly disappointed Him by repeatedly falling asleep instead of praying.

Jesus prayed that night - all night - in a way that is difficult for us to imagine. The scripture tells us that He prayed so earnestly that He was sweating! Luke reports that "Sweat, wrung from Him like drops of blood, poured off His face" [Luke 22: 44 All quotes from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted].

Yet, what is most important for us to realize is that by the time "Judas led the way to the garden, and the Roman soldiers and police sent by the high priests and Pharisees followed - carrying lanterns, torches and swords" [John 18:3] - Jesus had it all settled and was completely calm!
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When I was young, we would occasionally hear older believers talk about "praying through". This phrase was used to describe a pressing situation where they clearly needed a deep assurance from God! The use of the phrase indicated that the person had prayed much and fervently until God had given them a sense of assurance that He had all things under His control! [I haven't heard that phrase used in many decades!]
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Jesus had clearly prayed through that evening and had the settled assurance He needed from His Father! He had surrendered: "Not My will but Yours be done" [Luke 22:42].

As a result, He was filled with peace and calm! Let's pick up the dialogue from the point when Judas arrives:

"Jesus, knowing by now everything that was coming down on him, went out and met them. He said, 'Who are you after?'

They answered, 'Jesus the Nazarene.'

He said, 'That's me.' [TM]

...when He said to them, 'I am He,' they drew back and fell to the ground." [NASB]

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Isn't it interesting that when we read passages like this - IF we read them - we simply roll over these words and fail to catch the impact of what we have read?

Roman soldiers and the temple guards who accompanied them FELL TO THE GROUND AS THOUGH THEY HAD BEEN PUSHED BY AN UNSEEN FORCE!

All at the simple words spoken by Jesus: "I AM He!"

Don't miss the irony of those words: "I AM!" Sound familiar?

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Matthew describes the next moments that John omits:

"Then they came on Him - grabbed Him and roughed Him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant, cut off his ear.

Jesus said, 'Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call my Father, and twelve companies...of fighting angels would be here, battle ready" [Matthew 26:50-53]?

By the way, Luke - the consummate researcher and also physician - reports in his Gospel that Jesus then turned to the man who had lost his ear AND HEALED HIM!

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Don't you want to live this way?

Don't you want to sustain an intimate relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe?

Don't you want to have a relationship with Him that calms you in the midst of anxiety and storms?

Don't you want to maintain a spirit of peace when everyone around you is losing it?

Don't you want to heal and help, rather than do harm?

YOU CAN HAVE ALL THIS BY LETTING JESUS BE THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE AND COMMITTING YOURSELF TO KNOWING HIM THROUGH THE SPIRIT AND THROUGH HIS WORD!

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If you have 4 1/2 minutes to spare, maybe you'd like to listen to the following recording by John Michael Talbot: "Humble Thyself In the Sight of the Lord"?

John Michael Talbot is an American Catholic musician, author, and founder of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, renowned as a pioneer of contemporary Christian music. A multi-platinum, Grammy and Dove Award-winning artist with over 50 albums, his contemplative, Scripture-based songs have influenced Catholic and ecumenical worship worldwide. 

ALL THE DISCIPLES CUT AND RAN!

In John 13-16, we find Jesus giving His final teaching message to His apostles (minus Judas). Much of what He shares in this late evening session is new information that He has not mentioned before! There seems to be an urgency in His delivery as He recognizes that this is His final lesson before His crucifixion!

He concludes this teaching time by emphasizing the fact that He came into this world directly from His Father! We celebrated that a little over two months ago! Now, however, Jesus wants them to understand that He will soon be returning to His Father!

Here are His words: [John 16:28 All quotes from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted]

"First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father."

The response of the eleven is noteworthy:

"His disciples said, 'Finally! You're giving it to us straight, in plain talk - no more figures of speech. Now we know that you know everything - it all comes together in you. You won't have to put up with our questions anymore. We're convinced you came from God.'"
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Words are easily spoken! As we read this, we breathe a sigh of relief! "Ahhh, they finally GET IT!"

And then Jesus continues to speak and our assurance wilts:

"Do you finally believe?"

"In fact, you're about to make a run for it - saving your own skins and abandoning me." [vs. 31-32]

Jesus knows that in a very short time, He will be arrested in the very garden where they are talking. He also knows that in that moment, His followers will flee into the darkness to save their lives - LEAVING JESUS TO BE ARRESTED!!!

But before this happens, Jesus prays very specifically for the apostles. It's an intimate prayer! It's opening words are:

"Father, it's time."

Jesus surrenders Himself to His Father! His heart breaks with compassion! He prays for His followers, even "those also who believe in Me through their word" - THAT'S US!
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John does not tell us about the apostles fleeing into the darkness that night - perhaps he was too ashamed to admit it?

Matthew, however, does admit it [26:56]: "Then all the disciples cut and ran."

So does another younger man who has apparently been quietly following them - eavesdropping on these precious teaching moments. We can deduce that his name was John Mark - who later associated closely with Peter and gave us the Gospel of Mark [probably the first gospel to be written].

Without identifying himself, he tells his story in his own gospel account: [Mark 14:50-52]

"All the disciples cut and ran. A young man was following along. All he had on was a bedsheet. Some of the men grabbed him but he got away, running off naked, leaving them holding the sheet."

JESUS KNEW ALL ALONG THAT THEY WOULD ABANDON HIM! And yet, He loved them and prayed for them!
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That's grace! Amazing grace!

Thank Him today for His patience with you!

We have all denied Him at one point or another!

We have all failed Him or refused to obey His commandments.

We have all chosen sin over obedience!

And yet - HE LOVES US STILL!

Thanks be to God, our gracious Lord, and the Holy Spirit! Amen!

THE FIRST STREAKER

I'm certain that the idea of running naked has been done quite a number of times throughout history. The earliest report of this activity is based on a legend from the 11th century: Lady Godiva, an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, rode naked on horseback through the streets of Coventry to protest her husband's strict taxation policies. This incident also spawned the term "peeping Tom" — so named for a town resident who disobeyed Lady Godiva's order that nobody watch her nude voyage. Tom, according to lore, was struck blind or dead for his indiscretion.   [https://theweek.com/articles/490290/streaking-timeline]

From my research, the term 'streaker' originated in March of 1974 when  a Washington, D.C., reporter tried to give a live description of a mass nude run at the University of Maryland. "They are streaking past me right now," the reporter said. "It's an incredible sight!" The phrase was picked up by the Associated Press the following day, and the rest is history.

Less than a month later, the University of Georgia organized the largest streaking event ever, with 1,543 students participating.  There were so many copycat events that year that Ray Stevens came out with a parody music video - 'The Streak' - that leaped to #1 on the charts!  

But actually, there was an earlier case that's a part of the record: 

George William Crump became the first American college student arrested for streaking. Crump was suspended for the term from his Virginia school, Washington College (now Washington and Lee), but went on to serve in Congress and as ambassador to Chile. With Robert E. Lee's blessing, this activity later became a rite of passage for Washington and Lee men. [Gasp!]

But for those of you - who like me - are in the midst of the remembrance of our Lord's arrest, trials, crucifixion, and burial, we are surprised to find the story of the first streaker!  Are you shocked?  Are you about to accuse me of sacrilege?  

Hold on! Don't judge me too quickly!  Let's look at the evidence.  We find it in our Bibles at Mark 14:43-52,   [All scripture quotes are from the NCV]

At once, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders.

Judas had planned a signal for them, saying, “The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him and guard him while you lead him away.” So Judas went straight to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” and kissed him. Then the people grabbed Jesus and arrested him. One of his followers standing nearby pulled out his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

Then Jesus said, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened to make the Scriptures come true.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.

A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, was following Jesus, and the people also grabbed him. But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked.

It was late at night - probably around midnight! Jesus led His eleven apostles to the Garden out of a great need to pray for strength before the unspeakable things that were about to occur. Most of us are aware of the disappointment when His apostles couldn't seem to stay awake.  

But all of the scriptures led us to believe that Jesus and the eleven were the only ones there!  What's this?  A young man had also accompanied them?  Who was this?  Did the apostles know he was there?  Did it take the light of the soldier's torches to expose him when the chaos broke out and even the apostles began to flee?  In their running away, did it fleece this young man out of hiding?

But somebody grabbed him by a piece of his clothing!  However, being young and terrified, he left his clothing in their hands as he ran off into the dark!

Aha! The mystery of the first streaker has been solved!

However, we're not done yet!

Some may be aware that it was common in that day for writers to refer to themselves without using their name. The most common incident of this is in the gospel of John. In John 21:20, it says, 

Peter turned and saw that the follower Jesus loved was walking behind them. (This was the follower who had leaned against Jesus at the supper and had said, 'Lord, who will turn against you?') [John 21:20]

Four verse later it says: 

That follower is the one who is telling these things and who has now written them down. [John 21:24]

John never mentions his own name, but consistently refers to himself as the 'follower Jesus loved'.  

It is thought that the writer of Mark did the same.  It is commonly believed that the Apostle Peter took on the training of a younger man as the apostles began to age, realizing that Jesus might not return during their lives.  A consensus agrees that this protege of Peter's recorded the gospel of Mark under the guidance of the great Apostle Peter!  This young man's name was John Mark - also the one who accompanied Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey [Acts13:5].

So, John Mark - while writing under the guidance of Peter - conceals his own identity in this somewhat embarrassing moment - by simply referring to himself as "A young man..." [Mark 14:51].  The gospel he wrote is known to us today by his name - Mark!

And now you know THE REST OF THE STORY!