When you read the account it is always important to try and see it through the eyes of the different characters. To the common Jew it must have been confusing. Here was the man who had finally taught something with authority and done all kinds of miracles and now they wanted to kill him?! To the religious authorities it must have felt like vindication and resolution. Finally they would be rid of this troublemaker. To the Romans it must have been one more smack down in a military deployment in one more backwater of the empire. To the disciples it must have been a nightmare.

Our brains have a funny little trick when we are having a nightmare; they paralyze us. We are actually pretty thankful God built this in. If it were not the case we would hurt our selves or our spouses when we dream. As it is usually the most we can do is twitch. With the disciples in this waking nightmare this is about all they could do as well. Peter (evidently the ninja of the group) was ready to go when they came for Him, but Jesus knew this was not the way to victory. In fact, Jesus offered no resistance at all.   The disciples scattered and were left with nothing to do but watch.

Watching is the worst when you know there is nothing you can do, and there was nothing the disciples could do. Today and tonight contemplate these events. Contemplate what happened and what Jesus did. Contemplate what it must have been like to be left watching. But there is good news coming.

See you tomorrow.

Pastor Chris