Judas Didn't Stand Alone
And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Matt. 26:51, 52.
Apparently Judas wasn't the only disciple seeking to get Jesus to provide a show of force.
John's Gospel fills in much of the information left out in Matthew's two short verses. After Judas' kiss, Jesus identified Himself as the one they had come to arrest. At that point the crowd "drew back and fell to the ground" (John 18:6, NKJV), apparently a sign of supernatural power given to wake them up to what they were doing.
But it didn't seem to wake anybody up except the disciples, who misinterpreted it. They "had thought that their Master would not suffer Himself to be taken. For the same power that had caused the mob to fall as dead men could keep them helpless, until Jesus and His companions could escape. They were disappointed and indignant as they saw the cords brought forward to bind the hands of him whom they loved" (The Desire of Ages, p. 696).
At that point Peter came to life and decided to help out. Drawing his sword, he missed the head of the servant of the high priest but did manage to lop off one of his ears.
But it was all to no avail. Luke tells us that Jesus touched Malchus' ear and healed him (Luke 22:51). That turned out to be an eternal blessing to him. He had experienced the power of Jesus and had apparently accepted Him as his Savior by the time John wrote the gospel story. That is the reason he knew the servant's name. But all Peter got out of the experience was a mild rebuke from Jesus: "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?" (John 18:11, RSV).
So much for a flash of power that would initiate the Messianic kingdom, or at least an escape from the arresting officials. Judas and Peter had each failed in their quite different attempts. Jesus knew God's will and had accepted it. That kind of dedication was still future for Peter and his colleagues.
Help me, Father, not only to accept Your will but to give myself over to it. I have a Peter-person deep in my skin, and I would like right now to substitute it for a Jesus-person.
And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Matt. 26:51, 52.
Apparently Judas wasn't the only disciple seeking to get Jesus to provide a show of force.
John's Gospel fills in much of the information left out in Matthew's two short verses. After Judas' kiss, Jesus identified Himself as the one they had come to arrest. At that point the crowd "drew back and fell to the ground" (John 18:6, NKJV), apparently a sign of supernatural power given to wake them up to what they were doing.
But it didn't seem to wake anybody up except the disciples, who misinterpreted it. They "had thought that their Master would not suffer Himself to be taken. For the same power that had caused the mob to fall as dead men could keep them helpless, until Jesus and His companions could escape. They were disappointed and indignant as they saw the cords brought forward to bind the hands of him whom they loved" (The Desire of Ages, p. 696).
At that point Peter came to life and decided to help out. Drawing his sword, he missed the head of the servant of the high priest but did manage to lop off one of his ears.
But it was all to no avail. Luke tells us that Jesus touched Malchus' ear and healed him (Luke 22:51). That turned out to be an eternal blessing to him. He had experienced the power of Jesus and had apparently accepted Him as his Savior by the time John wrote the gospel story. That is the reason he knew the servant's name. But all Peter got out of the experience was a mild rebuke from Jesus: "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?" (John 18:11, RSV).
So much for a flash of power that would initiate the Messianic kingdom, or at least an escape from the arresting officials. Judas and Peter had each failed in their quite different attempts. Jesus knew God's will and had accepted it. That kind of dedication was still future for Peter and his colleagues.
Help me, Father, not only to accept Your will but to give myself over to it. I have a Peter-person deep in my skin, and I would like right now to substitute it for a Jesus-person.
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