Skip to main content

285. Jesus Arrested

Zechariah 13:6-9, Matthew 26:43-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:2-11
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" 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

October 27 Save the Glaze for the Bunny

Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips of an evil heart. A malicious man disguises himself with his lips. But in his heart, he harbors deceit. Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it. If a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him. ~Proverbs 26:23-28 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. T...
Post a Comment
Read more

July 16 Thick Skinned Love

Whoever covers over an offence promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. ~Proverbs 17:9 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ~Matthew 18:15  The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ~1 Peter 4:7-8  Being offended seems to be the battle cry of the day. Instead of freedom of speech, everyone has the right not to be offended. If one is offended, then one has the right to exact vengeance on the offender because, of course, the offender KNEW that he or she was being offensive and just didn’t care. Is that how you see much of society behaving today?  There seems to be all of this offending and finger pointing that just keeps growing and growing. Nothing is being resolved, just more blame that grows louder a...
Post a Comment
Read more

January 24 You’ll See, He Remembers

The wise inherit honor, but fools He holds up to shame. ~Proverbs 3:35 “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.” ~Isaiah 3:10 “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” ~Hebrews 6:10-12 “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them. The sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.” ~1 Timothy 5:24-25 “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” ~Matthew 12:36-3...
Post a Comment
Read more