Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
John 18:10-11
The time in the Garden of Gethsemane is over. The opportunity for the disciples to prepare their hearts to stand in a major test for the Lord is gone. They chose sleep over prayer while the Lord pours
out His heart and requests to God. May that lesson never be lost on us. We have opportunities to prepare our hearts for what the Lord knows lies ahead (that we have no idea is coming). If we do not use that time it is lost forever. The disciples are still called by His name but now they try to live the “Godly” life in their own strength. This is a lesson we should never forget. “Without me, you can do nothing.” Nothing means zero!
Time to pray is over. The world system has put together an overwhelming force to silence God. A large group (up to 600 Roman soldiers plus representatives of the Chief Priest, scribes and
Pharisees) led by Judas leave the Temple area and hurry toward Gethsemane. The disciples can see the long procession with their torches and swords coming toward them – the time of testing is now.
After arriving at the Garden, Judas goes to Jesus and kisses him – his sign to the Roman soldiers that this is the man that they seek. The Lord then protects His disciples by asking the soldiers their orders, “Who are you seeking?” When they answer, the Lord tells them “I Am” and at that name the soldiers fall backward to the ground – a sign to all that Jesus is in fact the Son of God. When His disciples see what is happening one asks “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” Peter, perhaps still sensitive and hurt by Jesus’s statement that he would deny Him, decides to take matters into his own hands. He will defend the Lord if no one else will. He takes his sword (a short sword or
dagger) and swings at the person closest to him, the servant of the High Priest, Malchus by name. Aiming for his neck Peter misses (or Malchus ducks) and the sword cuts off his ear. Immediately the Lord intervenes, he orders the disciples to stop and goes to Malchus (His second miracle in a matter of minutes) and reattaches his ear. The soldiers then arrest Jesus and take Him to the home of the High Priest where He will stand trial alone – deserted by the ones pledged their love to Him.
What can we learn? There are two lessons for us in Peter’s actions. First, we surmise that Peter is disappointed in what the Lord told him. There is no way he would deny the Lord. Peter knows Jesus is God but he thinks he knows better than Him in this situation. So he does what we all are prone to do – he jumps ahead of the Lord. He will prove to God he is strong and faithful. Remember this – that mindset always leads to failure.
There is a second lesson here that hits us between the eyes. Peter takes his sword and begins to attack those who are opposed to the Lord. When one acts in the flesh we can take the sword God gives us and do a lot of harm to those who do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Our actions can even keep them from hearing (Peter cut off his ear) the Lord. This is directly opposite the Lord’s example. He speaks to the mob, protects His followers and acts in meekness. That doesn’t happen when we live in the flesh. The Lord wants us to show Him to the world even when we are under attack. We don’t do this if we have not prepared ourselves beforehand. Believers today should heed to this truth.