In high school, my brother Dennis and I talked about our faith a few times with the boys on our street. One of them said the Bible was too boring to read. “I’m waiting for the movie to come out.”
We answered by talking about the chorus of a Christian song that had just been released, “Read the book. Don’t wait for the movie,” by Whiteheart.
Of course, there are so many great Bible movies. There are. But there’s no substitute for reading the text itself.
There are so many powerful things in the Bible that no movie or song or sermon can convey. Here are four interesting details I read today:
When Jesus prayed in the Garden, Mark 14:33 reports, “He began to be deeply distressed and HORRIFIED.” That’s a powerful word, ‘horrified,’ so much worse than anxious, worried, fearful, or tense. The God-man was seriously scared. Details.
After the arrest, Peter was not the only one afraid to be associated with Jesus. John was following along and the mob tried to arrest him. “They caught hold of him, but he left his linen cloth behind and ran away naked” Mark 14:52. That’s fear—for a Jewish man to twist out of his clothes and run away naked? These men were terrified. Details.
What was the weather like that night? Do you know? “The slaves and the temple police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves and Peter was standing with them, warming himself” John 18:18. It was too cold to wander away from the fire. They could have seen their own breath that night. Details.
Finally, do you know how the men reacted when they came to arrest Jesus? They were scared of Him. They knew He had miraculous powers. Everyone knew He had raised Lazarus and healed thousands. They probably were afraid He would use His power to slay His captors. And when He saw them coming with torches and clubs, Jesus walked up and spoke to them boldly:
“Whom do you seek?”
“Jesus, the Nazarene.”
“I am He.”
And when He said it, they stepped back and fell to the ground. (Did you know that? They were scared to death of the man they were arresting.) A second time He asked, and a second time they fell back in terror. But His concern was for His disciples: “I have told you that I am He. If you seek me, let these other men go.” John 18:7-8. Details.
Read the BOOK. Don’t wait for the movie. That’s the only place to learn the details.
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