The King of Stories -- The Body and the Blood

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Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.)


The Body and the Blood (the night before the end...)

When the hour had come (to celebrate the seder service, tell the Disciple and Scholar and Follower), He reclined (at the table to eat--this is after the 'normal' feast of the night), and the apostles with Him (except for Judas, who has already left).

And He said to them: "I have truly, deeply desired to eat this Passover with you--before I suffer.

"For I am telling you: I never shall eat it again, till this is fulfilled in the kingdom of God!"


And when He had taken bread (bitter and unleavened by sin yet striped by sin, some of which will be hidden to be recovered later), having blessed and given thanks, He broke and gave to them, saying (in a new response to the traditional question "What is this bread?")

"This is My body
given for you.
Take. Eat.
Do this remembering Me."

And when He had taken a cup (of wine), and given thanks, He said:

"This cup which is poured out for you
is the new covenant
of My blood
poured out for many
toward the sending away of sins.

"Take this, and share it among yourselves; for I am telling you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on--until the day I drink it anew, when the kingdom of God arrives."

And all of them drank from the cup.


.......

Judas now being gone (says the Evangelist, taking his turn of the tale), Jesus says:

"Now is the Son of Man glorified; and God is glorified in Him! If God is glorified in Him, God shall also be glorifying Him in Himself--

"and shall be glorifying Him straight away.


"Little children... I am continuing with you still.


"In a little time, you will be seeking Me. But as I told the Jews (meaning the Jewish leaders) that 'Where I go you cannot be going'--now I say it to you, as well.


"I am giving you a new command:

"Be loving one another.

"Just as I love you, you also love each other.

"All shall know from this, that you are My disciples: if you will be having love for one another."


Simon Peter says to Him, "Master... where are You going?"

Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow Me... yet.

"But you will be following afterward."

Peter is saying to Him: "Master--why can I not follow you now...?!"

Jesus is answering, "Do not trouble your hearts. Trust in God, and trust in Me. In My Father's house are many dwellings; and even if not, I still would tell you this--for I am going, to ready you all a place.

"Now, if I should be going and preparing a place for all of you, I am coming again... and I will be bringing you all along, toward Myself: so that where I am, you all may also be.


"But, you all know where I am going--and of the Way, you all do know."


Thomas is saying to Him, "Master?? We are not aware of where you go!--so how can we all know the way?!"


Jesus is saying to him:

"I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!

"Not one is coming toward the Father but through Me!


"...If you all had known Me, you would have known My Father also...

"But--after this, you all will know Him... and have seen Him."


Philip is saying to Him, "Master!--show us the Father, and that is sufficient for us!"


Jesus is saying to him, "So much time, I am with you all... yet you, Philip, know Me not!?

"Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father!--and yet you are saying, 'Show us the Father'?! Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me??

"The declarations I am speaking to you all, I am not speaking on My own authority (or 'from Myself'). But the Father Who abides in Me, He is doing His works.

"Trust Me: I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. But if not (i.e. if you cannot manage this much), then trust Me for the works themselves! (the same as He had told the leaders of the Sanhedrin, earlier)

"I promise, I promise, I tell you the truth: whoever trusts in Me, the works which I am doing that one also will be doing--and he will be doing more than these!--for I am going toward the Father!


"Now: whatever you all should be asking in My name (i.e. 'the Lord God saves'), this I will be doing, that the Father in the Son should be glorified. If you all should ever be asking anything of Me, in My name, this I will be doing.


"If you should be loving Me, you all will be keeping My commandments.


"Now: I shall ask the Father, and He will be giving you another Comforter (the 'Paraclete'), that It may indeed be with you into the eon: the Spirit of the Truth--which the world cannot receive, for it neither sees It nor is knowing It.

"Yet you do know It, for It is remaining with you, and will be in you.

"I will not leave you to grieve (as orphans)... I am coming toward you!

"Still a little, then the world is seeing Me no longer; but you are seeing Me.

"Because I live, you also will be living. In that day, you shall know that I am in My Father--and you in Me, and I in you.


"Whoever claims and keeps what I command, he is who is loving Me. And My Father will be loving he who loves Me, and I shall be loving him, and shall reveal Myself to him."


Judas--not Iscariot (the Evangelist explains)--is saying to Him, "But what has happened, Master, that you will soon reveal yourself to us yet not the world?!"


Jesus answered him, and said to him:

"If any should be loving Me (i.e. even in the world, answering Judas’ question), he will be keeping what I say (cf Romans 2); and My Father will be loving him; and We shall come toward him, and will be making a home with him.

"Whoever does not love Me, does not keep My words. Now, the word which you are hearing is not Mine, but the Father's Who is sending Me.


"These things I have spoken to you, staying with you. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit which the Father will be sending in My name ('the Lord God saves'), this will teach you everything, reminding you of everything I said to you.


"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you... not the way the world is giving to you, am I giving to you!

"Do not let your heart be worried, nor let it be fearful! You hear I said to you: 'I am going, but I am returning toward you'--if you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I am going toward the Father: for the Father is superior than I!


"But now I have declared it to you in advance, before it happens--so that when it may occur, you should believe!

"Not much longer shall I be speaking with you; for the chief of the world is arriving, and it has nothing in Me. Yet so the world may know that I am loving the Father, and cooperating as the Father directs Me...


"I am doing this.


"Get up! We must be leaving here!"


Matthew 26:26-29
Mark 14:22-25
Luke 22:15-20
John 13:31-37
John 14:1-31

[Next up: Through the Shadows of Death (the night before the end)]

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