Moment of Meditation: Finally Arrested? (Mark 14:48-49)

Original Broadcast: Lent 2009

Monthly Theme: The Passion according to St. Mark

And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to capture Me?
Day after day I was with you in the Temple teaching,
and you did not seize Me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled."
(Mark 14:48-49)

Finally Arrested?

It had been four days since Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem with the procession of palms and pilgrims shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" (11:9). Four days that He'd been in the Temple grounds and no one's touched Him. But He knew that this was His last Passover on earth. He just had to wait.

So Jesus was still waiting as Judas Iscariot led the mob to arrest Him. He had declared it time when He spoke to Judas, saying, "What you are doing, do quickly" (John 13:27). As they come to Him, armed to the hilt, ready for a fight, I can almost see Jesus chuckle at the sight. He asks the question, knowing that no one is going to given Him an answer. Why hadn't they taken Him while He was right in front of them? They weren't going to do it during the feast (v2). They wanted to wait until Jerusalem's population had shrunk back down to a more normal, more manageable, number.

But Jesus wasn't going to wait any longer. You could paraphrase His question, "Have you FINALLY come out to arrest Me? It's about time." What about you? Have you finally decided that Jesus really is who He said He is? Jesus would say to you, "It's about time," and welcome you into His family. Amen.