Word: jesus
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Jesus laughed--Peter's bluntness was a general source of laughter--and then he took a long wait to think. Finally, with his right hand, Jesus reached out and traced a plumb, straight line, perpendicular to the sky. Then he said, "Those 40 days I spent alone, starving by the Dead Sea, Satan himself showed up only three times. My worries were mainly snakes and rocks and no sign of water. But the final time I saw the Tempter, he came in the clothes and body of Joseph, the man who married my mother and raised...
...Jesus grinned and answered him plainly, though on the bias: "Peter, aren't we learning that God is my father...
They were out to kill him now; it was in every eye that looked his way. Even eleven of the Twelve had realized Judas was the squealer, the one who'd sold the secret news that Jesus of Nazareth was God's Messiah--the coming King of the glorified Jews--and was here to proclaim it and greet the dawning of the reign he'd lead. And when Jesus took up the loaf and began to break pieces into a bowl, Judas got to his feet, hunched low and left the room...
...bread came around, followed by the wine, Jesus said only, "My body...my blood." Good Jews that they were, a few nearly gagged at the thought of drinking blood, but no one refused. Practically speaking, he was already dead--they could almost see it--and everything from here on was only a sign, to keep in memory, everything but the craven fear that was already closing on them entirely...
...question about all three Gospel reports of Jesus' agony in the garden is this: If the disciples fell asleep, who heard and remembered Jesus' terrible prayer? My guess is only one of several practical possibilities...