Thursday of Holy Week – Jesus Arrested
Scripture: John 18:1-11
After he said these things, Jesus went out with his disciples and crossed over to the other side of the Kidron Valley. He and his disciples entered a garden there. Judas, his betrayer, also knew the place because Jesus often gathered there with his disciples. Judas brought a company of soldiers and some guards from the chief priests and Pharisees. They came there carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus knew everything that was to happen to him, so he went out and asked, “Who are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I Am.” (Judas, his betrayer, was standing with them.) When he said, “I Am,” they shrank back and fell to the ground. He asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answered, “I told you, ‘I Am.’ If you are looking for me, then let these people go.” This was so that the word he had spoken might be fulfilled: “I didn’t lose anyone of those whom you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword away! Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given me?”
Thought for the Day: Throughout John’s Gospel, we have heard many wonderful I Am Statements – I am the bread of life, I am the good shepherd, I am the light of the world, etc. Though our attention is usually drawn to the second half of each of those phrases, we must not overlook those two opening words: I and Am. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), John states and restates this theological declaration – echoing the story of God speaking to Moses through the burning bush. It was there that Moses asked for God’s name, and the answer was simply, “Tell the people, I Am has sent you.” The God of Israel is known as I Am Who I Am which is a strange, but also a fascinating name. John’s telling of the Jesus story emphasizes over and over how Jesus is the Great I Am who centuries earlier refused to ignore the cries of the slaves in Egypt. But for those who carefully listen to John’s Gospel, there is a new realization – this Jesus is I Am, and the rescuing of slaves was not a one-time event in ancient history. God was telling the same story to a new generation, a story God continues to tell even to us in 2016. Are we listening?
Prayer: I turn to you this day, the Great I Am, as one who needs to be liberated from slavery. There are so many things in this life that attempt to ensnare me, but through your gracious gift of the Incarnate I Am, I know life-giving freedom will be found. Amen.
TONIGHT
Don’t Forget
Maundy Thursday Service
7pm in the Centrum
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE
7:00pm in the Centrum
Service of Song, Testimony and Story
