I wonder how many times I have denied my Lord?! I cannot, nor would I want to know. But Jesus! When He looked ahead through the mists of time, He must have seen me and you, all dressed up in fig leaves, and trying to hide from His searching gaze. But He, in the fullness of time, planted Himself and His disciples firmly in the Garden of His anguish, assuredly announcing to the enemy..."I Am He Whom you seek."
From Moses and the burning bush, to the Christ and His cross...how time flies! But right there, in that very moment, time stood still, while the God/Man and His Father, with their angelic army at the ready, must have contemplated the why's and wherefore's of their creation. Can you imagine the deathly silence that fell upon that place, as the stunned guard lay flat on their backs, staring blankly into space? All mouths were struck dumb; all tongues were tied and not a muscle moved, awaiting the next word from the Lord of all lords and the King over all kings!
Now these men were without excuse, and their behaviour was inexcusable, yet every detail of these, and the events to follow had been predetermined by Divine decree. The groundless decrees of the High Priest and his fellow religionists were completely meaningless, except for the decree of Almighty God. Just imagine the burden of sin that those men would bear, on their judgment Day! I'm reminded of the 27th Psalm, that speaks so clearly of the burden that our Lord was bearing in that moment..."When evildoers came upon Me, My adversaries and enemies stumbled and fell..."; and... "Though a host encamp against Me, I will not fear..."; and ..."...My head will be lifted up above My enemies about Me..."; and..."Do not abandon nor forsake Me, O God of My salvation!"; and..."I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." But it was Jesus, Who finally broke the tension, asking again, "Whom do you seek?" And again they answered Him, "Jesus of Nazereth."
Now looking at verses 8 and 9, we find an interesting observation made there by the inspired John, that when Jesus requested of the guard that His disciples be allowed to go free, He did-so in order that prophecy be fulfilled...that "of those given to Him, none would be lost." As we've already seen, Jesus knew the horrible outcome of this night and day, and He intended to ensure that none would be taken, to suffer along with Him, knowing that injury would soon be added to insult. By that time, the entire creation would be groaning in pain together, over His lone, and lonely self-sacrifice, and so He discharged His followers from any further responsibility. From that point on, their relationship with Him would be on an altogether different level, resulting in misunderstanding, grief, and even disbelief, but the Father would resolve that for them, in due time as well. We read in chapt. 13.1 that "He loved then to the end", and so it was His very last responsibility, before the cross, to ensure the safety of the sheep.
Just imagine that He, a prisoner, demanded of His captors that His "partners in crime", as you might say, be completely exonerated...no negotiations, no plea bargaining, no running for their lives and no wanted posters...just a simple, "Let My people go!" Jesus had great plans for those men, but at that point they probly figured their lives to be not worth a plugged nickel! You see, as He had revealed to them back in chapt. 14.12, He had great...no, greater works in store for them than they could ever have imagined!
But then, didn't impetuous Peter draw his sword and cut off the right ear of the High Priest's servant (but still, not one of them was taken)! Where was his faith in the time of Jesus' trial and trouble? Where was his resolve to obey his Lord in the time of temptation, and his obedience to the command of Jesus earlier on, to "watch and pray", lest he be faced with this very situation? He had obviously not "watched", unless it was for the enemy lurking about in the shadows; nor had he prayed, except perhaps for the strength to fight to the end, in order to defend His Master! Do you suppose that would have been Jesus' intent for His loyal and most trusted followers...to worry, rather than watch? Or to prevail rather than pray? I wouldn't have thought so!
Jesus' intent for His sheep is not that we be prepared to fight to the death, but, if need be, to give our lives away as a testimony of our faith and our confidence in Him, the original Overcomer! Peter must have realized that he couldn't be any safer, than in Jesus' presence, just as Malchus was safe. The Father's plan for that night, was that only One should die, and that, for the sins of His people, except of course, Judas Iscariot, by his own hand, and out of both shame and regret, at that.
Do you realize the very last miracle that our Lord performed before laying down His life? Luke is the only Gospeleer to record it...the reattachment of His enemy's ear! Now that hadn't even been a life-threatening wound, but Jesus intended it as a work of grace, perhaps for Peter's benefit...one last thought-provoking and conscience-pricking act before being marched-off to suffer at the hands of the religionists and the Romans, and their puppet masters.
Yes, Peter was wrong, and the religionists were wrong; acting contrary-to the words and will of the Father, is wrong for us, as well! Jesus rebukes us in that moment, to "Put up your sword!" It would have just been Satan's way, to have used that incident to instigate a massacre of Jesus, and of His disciples too. But that was not the providential will of God, and there was to be no loss...at that point, of not even an ear.
Now you must carefully consider the words of Jesus in the last part of vs. 11, and drink them up and digest them. Can you imagine? Oh, I'm sure that you think you can, but really? Consider Jesus, referring-to Himself as the "I Am"; His enemies being completely disarmed and disabled in His presence; His disciples being freed to perhaps fight another day; the dismembered servant made whole; and yet, He still had that cup...and a terrible, painful and disgraceful cup it was, too, that He had been given to drink. But a cup overflowing with grace for all who would follow Him up that narrow, dusty road toward the cross. And a cup of judgment and of fury and of eternal suffering for those who do not. And once that cup had been emptied out, the die had been cast...no other way and no other means, except by the precious, shed blood of the Saviour, poured out for us.
Jesus, I just want to thank you!
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