Sermon nuggets Thurs, Nov 6
Theme- The Arrest
Verses- John 18: 8-11 "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go."
9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)
11 Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
Observe Jesus’ Protection.
Now we see Jesus not only concerned for the disciples and their protection, but in so asking the question twice confirmed for them they were not looking for the disciples so they should let the others go without harm. He is like the shepherd that meets the wolf long before the wolf gets to the sheep. Remember what Jesus tells us in John 10. The wolf comes only to steal and to kill and destroy. I came that you may have life and have it more abundantly. I am the good Shepherd and the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. In love He is protecting them from arrest. The implication of v. 9 is not only prophetic fulfillment again, but the realization that the tiny band of disciples could have been wiped out. They were protected and Jesus wanted to see that nothing would happen to them at this time.
Peter does take out his sword and cuts off the ear of Malchus the servant of the High Priest. G. Cambel Morgan writes, “Peter had zeal without knowledge the other evangelists record the act of the supernatural and divine surgery wrought by Jesus which was rendered necessary by the blundering zeal of a disciple. I sometimes think that our Lord is still often healing wounds that zeal without knowledge people make on souls.”
Peter is about to blow it. Now that mob had reason to use their clubs and weapons; they had reason to arrest and even kill the disciples. But Jesus heals the ear of the slave and make things right. Jesus rebukes Peter and tells him to put away the sword into it’s sheath. This is not the time to fight.
One wonders if any of the Jewish authorities protested his release. Someone might have said, “Wait a minute. We can’t let these men go; just a moment ago, one of these Galileans assaulted one of us with his sword. He even cut off this man’s ear.” I can almost hear the Roman commander respond, “Which ear? So far as I can see this man has two ears.” The commander then goes over to Malchus and inspects both of his ears more closely. “I don’t see any missing ear, nor any blood; not even a scar. Let’s turn these men loose and take Jesus into custody. He’s the one we were told to arrest.” Don’t you just wonder how they responded to that incident? Can’t you just imagine what went through the mind of Malchus. Don’t you think he believed in Jesus then and there?
There are many, I’m afraid, who come with swords even to protect our Lord or think they are doing God a favor by fighting. That is never the way of the Lord. Violence is done to us, by done by us for Jesus’ name. We are the ones who need his defending. Jesus was never in the need for Peter to rescue him, only the other way around. He wants us to be obedient and trusting, recognizing that he is our protector. It is not by our strength or our activity or our wisdom that the Kingdom of God is advanced, but by the power of God and His might and our desires to follow Him.
I think the fact that John is able to give us the name of that slave Malchus is also an indication that he became known as a follower of the Lord. John points out that in securing the release of His disciples, Jesus was once again fulfilling the prophecy He Himself had spoken earlier. This “prophecy” appears to be the words our Lord had spoken only moments earlier:
“When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled” (John 17:12).
The point of this remark is that Jesus is doing exactly what He promised He would do. Jesus is bringing about future events, just as He foretold them. At every step of the way, Jesus was fulfilling prophecy, some of which was His own words. If Jesus’ disciples were not doing very well at taking care of Him, Jesus was doing an excellent job of taking care of them.
Pastor Dale
