Scripture Reading: Luke 22:47-53; Mark 14:60-64; Luke 23:39-43
If the beginning of the end wasn’t when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a king, it most assuredly was when Judas brought a crowd to arrest him. From that point forward Jesus would no longer walk freely throughout the land with his disciples. From here on out he’d be bound, either by chains or by nails to a cross.
One of the more gut-wrenching moments of this arrest story is the way Jesus asks Judas what’s going on. He asks not because he’s confused, but (I think) in mercy to extend another opportunity for Judas to turn from his wickedness. “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” In other words, Is this really want you want to do, Judas? You’ve been with me for years and now, tonight, you’re going to hand me over? It’s hard not to scream out STOP! while reading this story.
Judas doesn’t need to do what he’s doing. He’s being fueled by a misunderstanding of who Jesus was and a misunderstanding of how the kingdom of God was going to come about. Judas wanted the rewards of following Jesus, which is fine—we want the rewards, too. The problem is those rewards weren’t coming for Judas—and they’re not coming for us—until the New Heavens and New Earth. When we try to get now, what we’re going to get later through trusting Jesus, we always hurt ourselves and the world around us.
After Jesus had been arrested he was brought before the officials—both religious and state—to proceed with a trial and eventual pronouncement of guilt and punishment (which had basically already been decided). Before that pronouncement of guilt the high priest got angry with Jesus because he wouldn’t defend himself. Finally he asks him plainly, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” To this question Jesus says what will ultimately secure his death. “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
This is Daniel 7 language. This is language that you only use if you are the Christ—the Messiah. This is language that makes it clear that you believe yourself to be the king of the world—Yahweh. And this is language, that when used by Jesus—although it is absolutely true—brings an end to any supposed hope of him escaping a sentence of death by crucifixion. “Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy.”
And that’s where we find Jesus next. Upon a cross, in between two criminals. One who hurls insults at him, demanding Jesus rescue himself and the criminals. And the other who rebukes the first, pleading with Jesus to not forget him when Jesus is received in his kingdom. To which—and this might be one of the most astonishing moments of this entire story so far—Jesus, with one of his last moments of his life here on earth, does not ignore the criminal who is rightly condemned by the state, but answers him saying, “…today you will be with me in paradise.”
This is Jesus. This is who he is and who has always been. He spent his life loving others and in one of his last—seemingly insignificant—moments of his life, he loved someone to the uttermost.
The end of Passion week is not yet. Easter is approaching, but there is a day in-between—Saturday—which we will turn to next.