Gethsemane: the theory

   Please read Mark 14:32-42 before continuing. It would also be nice if you would read my last post (Gethsemane: where God broke His heart and His son) as well for a little more info on this story. Thanks! :)

   My amazing pastor pointed out something very interesting that I hadn't noticed about this story. His observation was that when Jesus prayed, the only disciples that where near Him were sleeping yet somehow Mark was able to record what Jesus said. What I'm about to type isn't entirely factual but I personally think it is a neat and plausible theory. It is based off two verses and a little bit of imagination! :)
   The first verse is in Acts 12 where it mentions that the disciples often gathered at the house of John Mark. The same John Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark. This John Mark was very likely the son of the family that let Jesus eat the Last Supper in their home and at that point in history John Mark would have been a young boy.
   The second verse is a random, seemingly out of place verse found only in Mark: Mark 14:51-52. It describes a young man who had been hidden in the garden and managed to escape just in time for no one to discover his identity. So, now for the theory (I will be calling John Mark "Mark" for short).
   What if the Last Supper took place in Mark's parents home. All of Israel was extremely fascinated by Jesus and it's doubtful that Mark would have been an exception, especially since Jesus was with His disciples upstairs. It doesn't seem to unreasonable to say the he spied on them a little during their dinner and when they left for the garden, snuck out after them. While the disciples slept, Mark (concealed in the trees) got close enough to Jesus to here Him praying. He stayed hidden so that he wouldn't be sent home and ran away out of fear when the arrest of Jesus took place. Mark may have included Mark 14:51-52 to show us that what Jesus said is factual information.
   Another interesting thought is that the young man described in Mark 14:51-52 is said to have been wearing only a linen cloth. I think it is quite possible that that cloth could have been his pajamas seeing as it was very late at night.
   So while that theory is not fact I think it is extremely plausible and interesting to think about.

The Cross: Stumbling Block or Stepping Stone

 My pastor, Dr. Edington, preached a wonderful sermon on Sunday that I'm going to recap here. We're doing a sermon series that focus on the message of different hymns and yesterday's was 'The Old Rugged Cross.' This hymn is one of the most powerful hymns because it clearly shows that our only hope in life is to cling to the cross of Christ. (disclaimer: I'm going to write this like I came up with it but just know that it's all God and Dr. Edington not me.)

   

   Many people think of the cross as a nice symbol to put on jewelry or bags or signs but in reality, without Jesus it is an awful symbol. The cross is probably the worst method of torture and execution humans ever came up with! (Criminals (and Jesus and martyrs) where whipped and then nails where driven through them to hang them on splintery wood that dug into the deep cuts. And there's a lot more gruesome details you can look up if you feel so inclined). We can't imagine kneeling down and worshiping at the bottom of gallows nor clinging to a noose in our time of need. We would think it insane if someone where to where a chain with a tiny, gold electric chair around their neck yet that is what we do with the cross. You see, without Jesus, the cross is simply the tool of an executioner. But because of Jesus, the cross has been transformed from an object of stark horror to profound adoration.

   When Jesus sacrificed Himself for us on the cross (Matthew 27:45-50) He did so out of love and in order to provide us with hope. Because Jesus is the only one not to cause sin, only He could cure sin and He choose to do so, for our sakes, despite the cost. I was saved on Good Friday at 3:00 about 2,000 years ago by Jesus on the cross.

   With those facts in mind, I'm going to tell a story. One day a little boy went to church for the first time in his life with his nanny. They sat down in the pews and the preacher began to tell a story about a innocent, young man who had been tortured and killed to save everyone in that room and the world. He learned that that man wanted His people to go and share the news of salvation with the rest of the world. The little boy looked around, expecting everyone to get up and go share the Good News but everyone else seemed quite unaffected by the news of Jesus. Stunned by the people's reaction the boy began to cry. At this point his nanny leaned over and whispered to him, "Don't take it so seriously, people will think you strange."

   Well, I don't think His reaction is strange at all. What I think is strange is that people can curse at a golf ball or scream at a TV screen and be normal but if one was to cry when they think of Jesus sacrifice on the cross it is odd. The cross is the most transformative event in history but not many people allow it to transform them or even give it much thought. This is not okay. We must all claim the cross of Jesus Christ because you cannot rightly live and cannot rightly die unless you make His cross your own.