Tales of the Talmidim
Yeshua's Last Night


An olive press.


Before they knew the Master, Yochanan and Andrei went to hear the Yochanon Hamitvel, John the Baptist, preach. They were surprised when they saw him. He was a wild looking man. His hair was long and loose and twisted by the wind. His beard was broad and bushy. He looked like a prophet from days of long ago. The Olive Press "Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36)

It was the last days before the Master drank from the cup of his suffering. He and the talmidim went up to Jerusalem and the Temple for the great Passover feast. The city was filled with pilgrim Jews from all over the world. The Jerusalemites made the travelers welcome in their homes and gave them rooms to stay in. No one was ever heard to say, "The city is too crowded. There is not room for me."

But Yeshua and his talmidim wanted to stay together. They chose to spend the nights together outside the city walls. Directly across from the Temple there was a grove of olive trees growing on the Mount of Olives. In the middle of the grove was an olive press. The talmidim made their camp near to it. From the olive grove it was only a short walk to the Temple, but it was secluded enough to hide them from the multitudes of people coming and going in and around the Temple.

Their sleeping spot was sweet. The olive grove was filled with the fragrant scents of a Jerusalem springtime. The cool night air lulled the tired talmidim asleep each evening. Every morning the shouts of the Temple criers would wake them up just as the sun was rising.

On the night he was betrayed, Yeshua and the Twelve made a Seder together in the city. They drank four cups and sang the Hallel. Then they left through the gates of Jerusalem and found their quiet sleeping spot in the olive grove. It was the middle of the night and an almost full moon had risen.

Yeshua said to his talmidim, "Stay here while I pray. Pray that you will not fall into temptation."

Then he took Yaakov and Yochanon and Shimon Peter with him a little further into the grove. They came to the olive press. It looked strange and eerie with its tall lumber and heavy weight, casting shadows in the moonlight.

"Stay here and pray," he told them. "My soul is very sad. Sad enough to die."

He felt a heavy sorrow pressing on him. He went further into the garden, about as far a someone could throw a stone. Then he knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

After he had prayed for an hour he came back to Yaakov and Yochanon and Shimon Peter and found them all asleep. He woke them up and said, "Couldn't you stay awake for one hour? I know that your spirit wants to, but your bodies are tired. Now stay awake and pray with me."

Then Yeshua went back to where he had prayed before and began to pray, "Oh Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, then your will be done."

Yaakov and Yochanon tried to say some prayers with Shimon, but their heads were so filled with the cool sleepy air of the olive grove and their stomachs were so full of food and wine from the seder meal that their prayers just seemed to blur into dreams. Soon they were sleeping again.

A deep sadness, like a heavy weight was squeezing the Master's heart as he prayed. After the he had had prayed for another hour he came back to Yaakov and Yochanon and Shimon and found them all asleep again. He woke them up to say, "Please, stay awake and pray so that you don't fall into trouble." They were all embarrassed for having fallen asleep again.

Yeshua went back to where he had prayed the two times already. He began to pray saying, "I don't want to drink this cup Father, but if you want me to, I will drink it."

Before he had even begun to pray the third time, the three talmidim were already asleep. Their eyelids were too heavy to keep open.

As the Master prayed, the weight and pressure of sorrow and pain seemed to squeeze his whole body. He began to shake and sweat. His sweat fell to the ground as great drops of blood. It was like he was an olive in the olive press being squeezed into olive oil.

When he had finished praying, he came back a third time and saw that they were sleeping, but this time he did not wake them up. He let them sleep for a while.

When it was almost morning, he shook them and said, "Wake up! Behold, the time has come. It is time for the Son of Man to be betrayed!"

The talmidim woke up slowly and rubbed their eyes. Coming up through the trees they could see the lanterns and torches of a band of soldiers. They could hear the clink of weapons and armor.

When Yaakov first saw the guards coming he did not understand that they were there to arrest Yeshua. He saw the light of the torches and the glint of the weapons, but he did not know why they had come. He saw that they were Levites, but he did not know why they were there. When he saw Yehudah HaSicari kiss the Master, he did not understand that Yehudah had betrayed him. But when they said, "We have come for Yeshua of Nazareth," then he understood.

Shimon Peter shouted and took out his sword. He swung it wildly at the nearest Levite. He meant to cut the man's head from his shoulder's, but the fellow ducked away from Peter's sword. The edge of the blade caught the man's ear. The man yelped in pain and surprise.

The guards drew their swords and would have attacked the talmidim, but Yeshua commanded Shimon, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" He touched the wounded man's ear and healed him.

Yeshua said to the Temple Guards, "Am I leading a rebellion? Do you really need swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the Temple courts, and you did not arrest me then."

Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?"

Again they said, "Yeshua of Nazareth."

But Yeshua said, "If you are looking for me, then let these men go."

One of the guards took a rope and stepped up toward Yeshua. Yeshua lifted up his hands and the guard pulled a knot tight around his wrists. Yaakov turned and fled. All the talmidim fled into the night, ducking into the shadows of the olive grove.

What was the cup Yeshua did not want to drink?

Did he know he was going to be arrested that night?

Why didn't he run and hide from the guards?

Kehilat Sar Shalom

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