55: Although Jesus remained silent during much of his trial, we see here that his silence was by choice, not out of necessity. He had plenty to say to the leaders of this band that came to arrest him. He brings their sin to light by pointing out their desire for secrecy. Indeed, they had been unable to arrest him before this time.
Judas also may have thought that Jesus would fight. He may have thought that this would force Jesus to set up his earthly kingdom. However, we cannot know what went on in his mind during all of this.
56: Jesus once again mentions prophecy. Anyone who would pay attention to him could see the truth of his words and the design of his actions. But, to their own hurt, nobody then present seemed to even care what he meant. Even the disciples, never expecting Jesus to give himself over peaceably, left him to fend for himself.
Indeed, the word ‘forsook’ reveals that the disciples did not simply leave because they saw that as the best course of action. They abandoned Christ. They decided to save their own skin, even if that meant leaving their Master to be arrested and condemned to death.
57: Jesus was taken before the high priest in the middle of the night. This was not normal. The Sanhedrin was not usually in the meeting mood at this hour. But, there they were, trying to get their favorite target condemned to death in the middle of the night.

Personal Journal Entry #12014
Prayer Journal Entry #12014
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 36:1-37:36

51: Where Peter came into possession of a sword cannot be said in particular. However, it is not beyond reason to think that he had procured it for just such an occasion. The most likely scenario is that he got it earlier that day when he and John we slaying the Passover lamb for their supper that evening.
It is highly likely that Peter intended much more than to simply cut off the man’s ear. Malchus was one of the servants of the high priest,and was thus saved by the hand of God. First, the intent of Peter was frustrated by the Father, and then his miss off of the center was solved by the Son healing the ear of the man who was targeted. Malchus was not likely targeted for any particular reason, unless it might be that he was standing closest to Peter at the time.
52: Several things are being stated in this verse. First, we must see what is not being said. Jesus had before told the disciples to buy ‘a sword’ if they did not have one. He is not here contradicting that. He was before alluding to taking a sword for self defense from robbers, wild animals, etc. He also was preparing them for a wider ministry with more dangers. Also, he is not saying that the sword should never be taken up by anyone. Some have thought this and argued that Christians must never be involved in conflict of any kind. This is not what Jesus is saying.
He is saying four things. First, his gospel is not to be furthered by the sword. This will only bring death. Second, individual persons are not to take justice into their own hands. This will only bring condemnation as a lawbreaker. Third, those nations who take up the sword for ungodly ends, such as the Jewish nation was just then doing against him, will be judged by the sword in the future. Fourth, even those nations that take up the sword for the right will pay a high price, and must humbly beseech Almighty Providence that it will be a price that is bearable.
53: Twelve legions of angels amounts to seventy-two thousand of them. Obviously, this would be more than enough protection for anything that anyone, even the devil himself, could dish up. This is an interesting verse in that it shows us his submission to the Father once again. He is saying that, even at this point, he could change the plan. But, he would not dream of it. In other words, the Father had given him the freedom to choose, but every member of the Godhead already knew his choice would be what it was.
54: This verse simply strengthens the last point. Jesus asks Peter how to fulfill prophecy without fulfilling prophecy, an impossibility to be sure. It shows that Jesus was constantly aware of the prophetic timetable he operated under. He and the Father and Spirit had already determined the course of events.

Personal Journal Entry #12013
Prayer Journal Entry #12013
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 33:1-35:29

49: Judas greets Jesus as if nothing is wrong. Indeed, his ‘kiss’ was more than the customary greeting. The word choice reveals that Judas embraced Christ and kissed him. This would only be done to someone who was the closest of friends. It only serves to make Judas’ betrayal that much more wicked.
50: Jesus uses a familiar term for Judas here. Calling him ‘friend’ reveals that he did not hate this man, but he did indeed hate his sin. One must not miss the significance of his words. He asks why Judas had come, not because he did not know, but because he was reminding Judas of his wickedness. In other words, he was saying to Judas and all present who understood, I can be familiar with you because of who I am and what I have done, but you cannot be familiar with me because of who you are and what you have done. Judas would have caught this nuance because he already knew that Jesus was aware of the betrayal.
It is only after this betrayal is played out that Jesus is taken. Though few present realized it, Jesus could never have been arrested if the Father had not planned it.

Personal Journal Entry #12012
Prayer Journal Entry #12012
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 31:1-32:32

45: Jesus comes again to find his sleeping disciples. This time he allows them to sleep, and wakes them only to say that the time for his betrayal into the hands of others was coming soon. Jesus had complete knowledge of the timing of these events.
46: Just before the arrival of Judas, Jesus gathers his disciples together and prepares them for the meeting with the traitor.
47: At the time of the Passover, the chief priests would have had a band of Roman soldiers at their disposal. This is likely where the members of the group with swords came from. The rest were Jewish guards with wooden weapons. They expected either resistance from others who might try to defend Christ, or from Jesus and his disciples themselves.
48: Judas needed to identify Jesus, not only because it was dark, but also because many in the group would not have easily recognized Jesus.

Personal Journal Entry #12011
Prayer Journal Entry #12011
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 29:1-30:43

43: Jesus returned the second time, finding them asleep. That their eyes were heavy simply means that they were sleepy. It was quite late. He does not rouse them this time.
44: Jesus prayed his prayer three times. We are given the substance of his prayer, but not likely the complete wording. He prayed the same thing three times, of this we can be sure. But, it took much longer than it would have taken him to simply say the words we have here recorded.
Some may wonder why Jesus would repeat himself three times to the Father. This is not, as Jesus warns of himself, meaningless repetition. Instead, praying three times was to show the Father the depth of his anguish, and yet also the depth of his resolve to submit.

Personal Journal Entry #12010
Prayer Journal Entry #12010
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 27:1-28:22

42: Here we find the same thing as in his previous prayer. The language once again shows that he is not unwilling to save sinful man, but would be willing to do it some other way. Beyond this, and more importantly, we see that his will is submitted to the Father’s. Though his will is submitted, it is still his will that submits. In other words, Jesus chose to do what he did. No one, not even the Father, forced him to do it. This is one of the most key characteristics of his sacrifice. He gave himself. It is key because there would be no saving grace from a sacrifice that was not freely offered. Compulsory sacrifice was never God’s desire, and it was not the mode of Christ’s sacrifice either.

Personal Journal Entry #12009
Prayer Journal Entry #12009
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 25:1-26:35

40: Although Jesus addresses Peter, the word ‘ye’ and the plural form of his commands shows that he was speaking to Peter, James, and John. It is implied that the others were asleep as well. Surely the disciples could stay awake for one hour more.
41: Jesus now adds to the request. He tells them to watch and pray, so that they will not begin to be tested and deny their Lord. Jesus knew exactly when his disciples would leave him. However, he always exhorted people to do the right things, even when he knew that they would not. He was instructing them as to how to continue with him through this ordeal, though he knew they would leave him soon.
He makes here an observation concerning the weakness of the flesh to encourage them to resist its tendency to drag them towards temptation. Although he was perfect, he was on this night beginning to feel those limitations because of the weight of sin.

Personal Journal Entry #12008
Prayer Journal Entry #12008
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 23:1-24:67

39: Notice that Jesus fell on his face. This is the biblical mode for the deepest prayer, not kneeling with hands folded and eyes turned heavenward. Jesus went a bit further away from the inner circle and prayed privately. If God did not want us to know the content of this prayer, it would never have been revealed.
Jesus asks for the cup, the experience of judgement for sin he was about to endure, to pass if possible. We might readily think that this means Jesus didn’t really want to die for our sins. Such is not the case. Christ does love us. However, the bearing of sin involved more than any human has ever endured. It involved more than God would ever want to be connected with. The Son had to become sin for us. For him, this was at once terrible and repulsive. He was saying that if there were some other way, he would very much like to do it some other way. But, as we see here, his greatest desire was to do the will of the Father. Only that could drive him to the cross.
The same is true for Christians today who are called upon to give their lives, only in a shadow of that sacrifice. A martyr, though a lover of the lost, gives his or her life for the love of Christ and the Father, not just the lost world.

Personal Journal Entry #12007
Prayer Journal Entry #12007
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 20:1-22:24

38: Here Jesus voices to the disciples what has already been stated in the previous verse. Added to this is the phrase ‘even unto death’ showing the extremity of the case. Jesus, though before this perfectly healthy, begins to endure emotional, mental, and physical strain.
In this situation, he asks his disciples for the extra consideration of staying awake with him. This is what he means by asking them to watch.

Personal Journal Entry #12006
Prayer Journal Entry #12006
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 17:1-19:38

37: This verse shows Jesus’ Divinity and humanity in balance. He took the inner circle with him. On the one hand, this shows his humanity in that humans generally have only a few very close friends. It shows his Divinity in that, even in this dark hour, he was still preparing his disciples.
The words at the end of this verse are full of meaning, and yet simple to understand when taken in perspective. Jesus was sad. This is the simple meaning of the word ‘sorrowful’ in the verse. The second word is a little trickier, but it simply means to be extremely uncomfortable. In other words, because Jesus was a human being, he was sad. He knew it was time to be leaving soon. He knew Judas was about to betray him. He knew the disciples would not even stay awake, and would leave him. As a human, these things made him sad.
Divinely speaking, Jesus was very uncomfortable. He knew what no human being had ever known, the weight of the sin of the world. He new supernaturally what he would endure on the cross, which we still do not fully understand. He knew the disbelief of many even to this day who reject his perfect work.

Personal Journal Entry #12005
Prayer Journal Entry #12005
Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 13:1-16:16