Jesus' arrest Flashcards
What does Jesus do upon arriving in Jerusalem?
Avoids arrests and meets with his disciples for an evening meal
What does Jesus do instead of celebrating his eventual death with the Passover meal in John?
He washes his disciples’ feet, urges them to love one another and predicts that Peter will deny him three times
What do Jesus and his disciples do after the evening meal?
Leave the city to spend the night in an olive garden. The Synoptics call it Gethsemane but John leaves it unnamed
What is the difference between John and the Synoptics in terms of how Jesus acts in the olive garden?
The Synoptics present Jesus as praying in anguish and asking God to let this cup of suffering pass from him untasted, whereas the Johannine Jesus has no doubts or fears
What does Judas do at the olive garden?
Betrays Jesus; arriving with a detachment of soldiers, officials and Pharisees
How does John present Jesus in the aftermath of Judas’ betrayal?
As being in complete control. He goes to his enemies, rather than them coming to him, and interrogates them
What is the irony of Jesus asking ‘who is it you want’?
Because Jesus is what all souls search for
What does Jesus say to knock back the soldiers with religious awe?
‘I am he’ - this is a reference to his earlier I AM statements
What does Peter do next according to John?
Cuts off the ear of a servant of the High Priest with his sword
How does Jesus take the control of the situation after Peter becomes aggresive?
He tells him to put away his sword and references the cup his father has given him. This shows that John knew about the prayer in Gethsemane but chose not to include it
Why is the ear cutting episode likely to be true?
The criterion of embarrassment suggests that the disciples would not have made up an incident which showed them being violent
What is the symbolism behind the ear cutting incident?
The loss of hearing represents the inability of the Jews to hear the Word of God
Why does the gospel repeatedly present Peter as failing to understand as opposed to the beloved disciple, who does?
Probably represents the friction between the Johannine Church and the other churches, which looked back to Peter as their founder
What is Wilson’s imaginative take on the ear cutting incident?
The man who had is ear cut off became known as Malchus - which means King. He suggests that Malchus was actually St Paul, since he used to be known as Saul and this was the name of the first King of Israel. Paul mentions the ‘mark of Jesus’ on his body and tradition says he suffered pain in his head or ear. Perhaps Paul was this servant of the High Priest and was given the code name Malchus
Explain this passage in terms of christology
Jesus’ ‘I am he’ statement and the awe-struck reaction of the soldiers reflects the previous I AM statements
