Key Verse: "Do you not think I cannot
call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve
legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it
must happen in this way?"
Matthew 26:53-54
"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but
an enemy multiplies kisses." (Proverbs 27:5-6) It is interesting that Judas
would choose to point out Jesus, to the guards, through a kiss. Sadly, he was
only fooling himself. He wasn't fooling Jesus.
In this event, we see how the passions and
emotions of the people around Jesus begin to rule them in this moment. There is
the kiss of betrayal. Then there is the sword, taken from the upper room
earlier and wielded by an untrained, inexperienced fisherman. There is the shock and surprise of the wounded
man being injured and then being healed by the one he was supposed to place
under arrest. There was also brute force
from bullies too full of cowardice to do the deed in the open. It's all there,
but standing in the midst of it all is Jesus, calm and in control. Just as He
had calmed many storms on the water, now, He walks across this situation,
choosing to move forward. Why? Because, He knows who He is and what He has come
to do. Even now, as mob rule begins to emerge, Jesus remains calm.
First, there is Judas turning on his onetime
teacher. Yet, Jesus is not caught off guard by this as His disciples probably
are. Instead, He lovingly says, "Friend, do what you came to do."
(Matthew 26:50) Jesus does not chastise or judge. Even in this moment, He
offers His friendship to Judas. He offers forgiveness and relationship. Judas
may have done wrong, but for Jesus, Judas' actions were not beyond forgiveness.
Then, there is the mob. Was it just the temple
guards or were some of the leadership along? It's hard to say depending upon
which account we read. Jesus obviously could have slipped away, as he had done
when His own home folk had tried to kill Him, (Luke 4:16-30) especially since they didn't seem to
recognize Him at first. But He faced His
opponents because He knew who He was and He knew who was really in control and
He knew that His time had come.
Jesus points out how underhanded they are
being. "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and
clubs to capture Me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did
not arrest Me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets
might be fulfilled." (Matthew 26:55-56) They thought that they were in
control, but Jesus knew who really was.
Then came the fulfillment of the Prophet
Zechariah, "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter," (Zech.
13:7B) That’s exactly how it happened. Jesus was arrested, "Then all the
disciples deserted Him and fled." (Matthew 26:56B) He knew. He knew it
all, and He loved them anyway.
Just as Jesus often made comments to prepare
His disciples for this moment in time; throughout history, through the
Prophets, God gave hints of what would happen. He did this to show that He knew
all along. He did this to show that He is always in control of the outcome. The
same confidence that Jesus demonstrated as He began to walk through what must
have been the worst nightmare possible is there for us as well. Why? It
is there for us because He also walks with us through our trials. We can stand
as He did because He is in us. "Greater is He who is in you than He that
is in the world. (1 John 4:4). Praise the Lord!
Hymn: "My Soul, Be on Thy Guard"
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