[سواها قلبي]

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

We begin by completing the elements of the crucifixion. We had already finished discussing the charge of betrayal (4- The Last Supper and the Traitorous Disciple). We saw that Satan entered Judas before the Last Supper, according to Luke's account. However, according to John's account, he entered Judas after Christ gave him the food during the Last Supper, and then left to plot against him.

And now we begin with a well-known element under the title .. The suffering in the garden or the pains and troubles of Christ in the garden .. We will read the text .. I always begin with the Gospel of Mark as it is the oldest of the Gospels .. But I hope that we focus as we read the text that describes this important and decisive period of the life of Christ .. on whether the image that the Gospel writers painted of Christ here shows that he came to shed his blood as a ransom for many .. And thus the crucifixion and the shedding of his blood was a main goal of his message .. as they say .. Or was Christ surprised by the power of injustice almost closing in on him .. And that his life was threatened with danger in a way he did not expect .. And therefore he was seized with a state of deadly terror in which he wished at every moment to escape from the danger and save himself from death ..


5-
The Passion of Christ
:

“32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch." 35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." 37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41 Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand." (Mark 14)

The simplest comment on this statement is that it is quite clear that Christ did not expect this amazing surprise, which is that his enemies would seize him. Of course, he knew that when they seized him, they would kill him. Therefore, he was praying at all times for this hour, this trial, or this cup to pass from him, so that he would be saved.

** So we can decide - in principle - that any statement that says that he came to sacrifice his life as a ransom for many... or that the shedding of his blood was necessary to atone for Adam's sin or the sins of humanity... all of that cannot be accepted.

*** If Adam's disobedience... his atonement would be by killing the Son of God against the will of the Son of God himself... then this is a greater catastrophe... because the sin is completely multiplied in this way...

Next we go to know the opinions of scholars and interpreters of the Gospels. Dennis Nineham says:

Opinions have been violently divided over the historical value of this section, and it has been questioned whether it is in fact part of the source from which St. Mark narrated.

Others assert that no one could have witnessed most of the events mentioned here, nor could anyone have known what prayer Jesus prayed alone. Therefore, they consider the typical prayer (in verse 36) and its repetition three times to be something artificial, like saying that Peter denied it three times.

A reliable decision (about the truth of what happened in the garden) is impossible.. (Interpretation of the Gospel of Mark, pp. 389-390)

As for Luke’s account of the sufferings of Christ, we find in it what makes us present it... as it says:

“39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. 46 Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Luke 22)

George Caird says in his interpretation of these passages: According to Mark's account (which was a source for Luke), Jesus was now seized with fear and astonishment, and he spoke to his disciples about the grief that accompanied the exhaustion and disappearance of his life. Unable to be in the company of his dearest friends (his disciples), he spent the night in successive spasms of the Anguished Prayer. But Luke's shortened account (relative to Mark's) gives us as much as possible a stronger impression of the state of confusion that befell Jesus. He tells us that it was Jesus who tore himself away from his friends, that he was in excruciating pain, and that his sweat became like drops of blood. When we remember the courage and steadfastness with which other brave men faced death in all its barbaric forms, and the excessive torture that accompanied it, we cannot help but wonder what cup Jesus was praying to God to spare him.

Jesus' prayer shows us that the torment of doubt was one element of his complex ordeal.

How many times has he predicted his sufferings, but now, on the eve of their occurrence, we find him retreating on his heels... This... and since some ancient references omit the two verses (43, 44)... which say:

“43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Despite their presence in most versions and the knowledge of Christian scholars in the second century of them, “the reason for this deletion can be traced back (as George Caird says) to the understanding of one of the scribes that the image of Jesus here... was surrounded by human weakness... was in conflict with his belief in the divine Son who shared his Father’s all-powerful power...” (Interpretation of the Gospel of Luke, p. 243).

If we accept that this is what really happened to Christ in the garden, then this clearly means that he did not expect to be killed at all. As for the torment of doubt that afflicted him, it can be attributed to the fact that he must have been reassured in advance that his enemies would not be able to catch him - which we will return to talk about in some detail under the title: (Christ’s predictions of his escape from being killed) - but when he saw his enemies about to catch him, then there afflicted him the torment of doubt as to whether he would really escape or whether they would kill him.


There's more to come... Your brother, Al-Athram