(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Jesus is arrested
- Having said these things, Jesus went out with His disciples across the winter-stream1“winter-stream” refers to a river that only flows in the Middle Eastern equivalent of winter, which can also have heavy rain in addition to snow. Large amounts of water can flow through it during the winter period of heavy rains, but it’s dry most of the rest of the year. of Kidron where a garden was, into which He and His disciples entered.
- And, Judas – the man betraying Him – had also known the place because Jesus often gathered there with His disciples.
- So Judas, having received the cohort and officers from the chief priests and from the Pharisees, goes there with torches, and lanterns, and weapons.
- So *knowing all things coming upon Him, Jesus also went out and says to them: “Whom do you seek?”
- They answered Him: “Jesus the Nazarene.” He tells them: “I Am.” (And Judas – the man betraying Him – had also been standing with them.)
- So as He told them: “I Am.”, they drew back and fell to the ground.
- So He questioned them again: “Whom do you seek?” And they answered: “Jesus the Nazarene.”
- Jesus answered: “I told you that I Am. So if you seek Me, allow these men to depart.”
- This happened so the word which He spoke might be fulfilled that: “Of those whom you have given to Me, I lost not one of them.”
- So having a sword, Simon Peter unsheathed it and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his right ear, and name of the slave was Malchus.
- So Jesus told Peter: “Put the sword into its scabbard. The cup that the Father has given Me, won’t I certainly drink it?”
- So the cohort, and the commander, and the Jewish officers seized Jesus and bound Him,
- and they led Him to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year.
- And, Caiaphas was the man who counseled the Jews that it’s profitable for one man to die for the sake of the people.
Peter’s first denial
- Now, Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. And since that disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest, he also entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,
- but Peter had stood outside at the door. So the other disciple (who was an acquaintance of the high priest) went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
- So the servant girl who was the doorkeeper says to Peter: “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” He says: “I’m not.”
- Now, having *made a bed of coals because it was cold, the officers and the slaves had stood near it and they were warming themselves. And Peter also was *standing with them and warming himself.
Jesus before the high priest
- So the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching.
- Jesus answered him: “I have spoken with open boldness to the world. I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple where all the Jews assemble, and spoke nothing in secret.
- “Why do you question Me? Question the men who have heard what I spoke to them. Behold, they *know what I said.”
- And with Him having said these things, one of the officers *standing there gave Jesus a slap after saying: “You answer the high priest this way?”
- Jesus answered him: “If I spoke evil, testify about the evil. But if I spoke rightly, why do you strike Me?”
- So Annas sent Him *bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter’s second and third denials
- Now, Simon Peter was *standing and warming himself. So they said to him: “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?” He denied it and said: “I’m not.”
- One of the high priest’s slaves – being a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off – says: “Didn’t I see you in the garden with Him?”
- So Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Jesus before Pilate
- So they lead Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. Now, it was early and they didn’t enter into the Praetorium so they wouldn’t be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
- So Pilate went out to them and says: “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
- They answered and told him: “If He wasn’t doing evil, we wouldn’t have delivered Him to you.”
- So Pilate told them: “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him: “It’s not lawful for us to kill anyone.”
- (This happened so the word of Jesus which He spoke might be fulfilled, signifying what sort of death He was about to die.)
- So Pilate entered into the Praetorium again and called Jesus and said to Him: “Are you the King of the Jews?”
- Jesus answered: “Do you say this from yourself, or did others tell you this about Me?”
- Pilate answered: “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and the chief priests delivered you to me; what did you do?”
- Jesus answered: “My kingdom isn’t of this world. If My kingdom was of this world, My subordinates would have been fighting so I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But presently, My kingdom isn’t of this place.
- So Pilate said to Him: “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered: “You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: so I might testify to the truth. Every man who is of the truth hears My voice.
- Pilate says to Him: “What is truth?” And having said this again, he went out to the Jews and tells them: “I find nothing guilty in Him.
- “But it’s a custom with you that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you intend that I release the King of the Jews to you?”
- So they cried out again saying: “Not this man, but Barabbas.” (And Barabbas was a violent robber.)
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