March 20, 2022
Morning Service

The last few weeks, we have experienced the intimacy of the Last Supper as Jesus set up a time for us to remember the price of our salvation, be thankful for it, and enjoy a time to commune personally with Him.  In the garden we saw the humanity of Jesus as He cried out to Our Father to “if possible let this cup pass from Me.”  We also saw His divinity as He immediately added, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”  A spiritual battle of great magnitude occurred during that time in the Garden far more than we can ever imagine; Good fought against evil and Light battled darkness as never before.  In that time of prayer, Jesus was strengthened to walk the path that lay ahead of Him; a path that led to Calvary’s cross.  A path that had to be completed in order that sin and death would be forever conquered with One Perfect Sacrifice.  Jesus walked that path for all of mankind; He walked it for me and for you!  Today we will pick up right where we left off as Jesus is finished praying and proclaims; “Rise, let us be going.  See my betrayer is at hand.”

Mat 26:47-50 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  (48)  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  (49)  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  (50)  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

            Prophecy is fulfilled as Jesus is betrayed by one of His own and it is done ironically with the intimacy of a kiss.  A kiss is a symbol endearment and love, but here is was used as a sign of betrayal.  Judas would have known this as one of the places to find Jesus as He had been here before to pray.  He brought with him “a great multitude with swords and clubs.”  It had to be a very impressive show of power towards One who had never resisted or fought back.  Peter now actually attempts to live up to his words as he had proclaimed last week that “he would die rather than leave Jesus’ side.”

 

Mat 26:51-54 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  (52)  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  (53)  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  (54)  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"

            It is Peter who pulls his sword and cuts off the servant’s ear and I believe at that moment he indeed was ready to fight until his death.  It is here that Peter must learn what it means to yield our will to the Father’s will.  His way was to fight with his own strength never giving up, but now he would find out to win he has to surrender to the moving of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus rebukes Peter to “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”  I believe that rebuke through Peter for a loop, he had been a fighter his whole life and Jesus is showing him and us what He expects from His followers.  Jesus calls His followers to take a different approach than what the world does.  We are called to love when others hate, give when others take, and submit when others fight.  Jesus then reveals how He is modeling this submission He is calling Peter to by informing him that “I could pray and twelve legions of angels (36-72,000) would come to my defense.”  In that moment of trial, we are to keep our eyes on the big picture not just the battle at hand.  The new way to fight is to turn the battle over to the Lord and His will; surrender to win.  God’s ways are greater than man’s ways.  The next few days are a lesson Peter needed to be able to fulfill the leadership role Jesus had chosen him for; a difficult one to say the least.  John tells us that Jesus healed the servant’s ear before they arrested Him.

 

Mat 26:55-56 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  (56)  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

            Jesus brings to their attention the irony of how they are arresting Him here away from everyone and with such a show of force as He taught in peace daily in front of them all in the Temple.  The Shepherd is taken and the sheep are scattered.  Jesus is now brought alone to Caiaphas for His first mock trial.

 

Mat 26:57-62 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  (58)  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  (59)  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, (60) but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward (61) and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.' "  (62)  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?"

            The religious leaders are so bad that they can’t even get people to come up with false testimony in order to accuse Jesus of wrong doing.  He has to help them along.

 

Mat 26:63-68 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  (64)  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  (65)  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  (66)  What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  (67)  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, (68) saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?"

            Jesus finally speaks with the boldness He has been empowered with in order to move the trial forward finally openly proclaiming to them that He is the Christ.  This revelation goes just as He had planned as their hate for Him surfaces and they immediately sentence Him to death.  These religious leaders also show their evil hearts through their actions as they not only sentence Him to death, but begin to mock and abuse Him.  “They spat upon His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands saying “Prophecy to us Christ who is the one who struck You.”

            The very Creator of these men submits Himself to their mocking and abuse withholding the power He has to call legions of angels to destroy them all to fulfill His Father’ will and display His love for us.  Jesus is modeling His definition of strength and power to us by in essence turning the other cheek.  This was a hard lesson for Peter to learn as it is for many of us.  We would rather stand up and fight rather than fight the battle upon our knees in prayer.  It does not show weakness to surrender like this but true strength.  Each of us need to look into our spiritual mirror and ask ourselves if we have submitted to this new way of warfare; surrender to win yielding our will to His.  We don’t surrender to the forces that surround us, but to the will of the One we have chosen to follow.  We lovingly surrender our hearts, minds, and souls into His control and follow Him faithfully by showing our love through our obedience.  We strive to be like our Lord allowing ourselves to be transformed and live a life of meekness and humility.  As you grow in the Lord, the Holy Spirit will empower you to be able to do this; be silent when you want to lash back and turn the other cheek after being struck.  Jesus has purchased us a new confidence that we know in the end we win.  Keep this in mind as the time of tribulation come over you.  Jesus said this in John:

 

Joh 16:33These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

            We are more than conquerors against the foes that we will face because our Lord and Savior has already defeated them.  We no longer have to cower in fear, but can face persecution with our heads held high just as we see Jesus doing knowing “Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.”

 

Heavenly Father, we pray you through the Holy Spirit empower us to follow the example given to us by Jesus to be able to fully surrender our will to Yours. 

 

We leave Jesus now in the hands of these religious leaders who have now found Him guilty of blasphemy and worthy of death.  The abuse has begun and will grow stronger as the hours move closer to the cross.  Keep in mind as Jesus endures all of this it is for you.  This is a love story that began in a manger and will end with an empty tomb.  He is paying the price for our sin and oh what a price it is.  Use this time to draw closer to Jesus and refocus on following Him.