The Bible Story Part 255

The Mount of Olives, the traditional site of Gethsemane, on the right--the s.p.a.ce inclosed by a wall.

"It was a garden or orchard marked probably by some slight inclosure. The name Gethsemane means 'the oil press,' and doubtless it was so called from a press to crush the olives yielded by the countless trees from which the hill derives its designation."

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He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and so shall ye be my disciples. Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you. No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known unto you. Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye may love one another."

_Jesus Prays for His Disciples_.

These things spoke Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy {262} Son, that the Son may glorify thee: even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life. And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true G.o.d, and Jesus Christ whom thou didst send. I have glorified thee on the earth, I have accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word. Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee: for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them; and they received them, and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine: and all things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them. And I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.

Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept in thy name those whom thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the {263} world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me. And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me. Father, I desire that those whom thou hast given me should be with me to behold the glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world knew thee not, but I knew thee; and these knew that thou didst send me; and I made known unto them thy name, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou lovedst me may be in them, and I in them."

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VI

THE BETRAYAL

_How the Lord Jesus Fell into the Hands of His Enemies_.

(FRIDAY, THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION.)

And he came out, and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed him.

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith unto his disciples, "Sit ye here, while I pray."

And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be heavy-hearted, and deeply troubled. And he saith unto them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death: abide ye here, and watch."

And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pa.s.s away from him.

And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; remove this cup from me: howbeit not what I will, but what thou wilt."

And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

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CHRIST IN GETHSEMANE.

By Heinrich Hofmann (1824- [End ill.u.s.tration]

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And again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they knew not what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest: It is enough; the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let us be going: behold, he that betrayeth me is at hand.".

And straightway, while he yet spoke, came Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a mult.i.tude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; take him, and lead him away safely."

And when he was come, straightway he came to him, and saith, "Rabbi"; and kissed him.

Simon Peter therefore having a sword drew it, and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. Now the servant's name was Malchus. Jesus therefore said unto Peter, "Put up the sword into the sheath: the cup which the Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?"

Then Jesus said. "Suffer ye thus far." And he touched his ear, and healed him.

And Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders, which were come against him, "Are ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched not forth your hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

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VII

THE TRIAL

_How the Lord Jesus Was Falsely Charged with Crime_.

_The Trial Before Annas._

So the soldiers and the chief captain, and the officers of the Jews, seized Jesus and bound him, and led him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

Annas therefore asked Jesus about his disciples, and his teaching.

Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I ever taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and in secret spoke I nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them that have heard me, what I spoke unto them: behold, these know the things which I said."

And when he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Answerest thou the high priest so?"

Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?"

Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.

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_The Trial Before Caiaphas, the High Priest_.

And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and there came together with him all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.

And Peter had followed him afar off, even within, into the court of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found it not. For many bore false witness against him, and their witness agreed not together. And there stood up certain men, and bore false witness against him, saying, "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'"

And not even so did their witness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, "Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?"

But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and saith unto him, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

And Jesus said, "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

And the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, "What further need have we of witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye?"