In Gethsemane we have seen
what Hebrews 5:7-10 speaks of when it says in
the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with
vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was
heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience
by the things which He suffered. Jesus
did not need to learn obedience because He was disobedient. Rather He learned obedience in that He took
on flesh with all its weaknesses, and submitted to every test common to man,
including the test by which He might
taste death for everyone (Heb. 2:9).
He tasted death. And part of that full and complete experience
was that He endured the process of dying with all the afflictions sinners could
bring upon Him. As the Servant says, I gave My back to those who struck Me, and
My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame
and spitting (Isa. 50:6). Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame (Heb. 12:2).
The shaming began in Gethsemane
when Judas, one of the Twelve to whom Jesus had given authority to cast out
demons (Mark 3:13-19), betrayed Him with a kiss. Judas led a mob including Roman soldiers with
their commanding officer as well as a contingent of Jewish guards (John 18:12)
and others.
There was no calling
on the Father for legions of angels to come (Mt. 26:53). Rather Jesus sought to protect The Twelve
(Jn. 18:8-9). They had brought two
swords (Lk. 22:38), the small kind, more like a large dagger, that could be
hidden in your cloak. Someone asked, Lord, shall we strike with the sword
(Lk. 23:49). Peter pulled out one of the
swords and took an apparently wild swipe at a man named Malchus who was a
servant of the high priest (Jn. 18:10).
Jesus rebuked Peter and healed the man (Lk. 22:51), fulfilling what He
had told His Father: Of those whom You
gave Me I have lost none (Jn. 18:9; 17:12).
It is amazing that
even when the powers of darkness are having their hour (Lk. 22:53) that they are dealing with Someone of great
significance. Not only did Jesus perform
another sign by healing Malchus; John
tells us that when the mob first tried to take Jesus that by His words they
were in some sense blown away by His
presence (Jn. 18:6). It may have been a
fear response, although generally Roman soldiers weren’t fearful like
that. It may have been something
supernatural. The one thing we know is
that Jesus was in control of the situation and made sure the mob knew He was
the One they were looking for (Jn. 18:8).
After praying that the
Father would, if possible, take the cup from Him, Jesus’ words in John 18:11
are profound: Put your sword into the
sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which
My Father has given Me? These are
not the words of a sorrowful Man resigned to His fate. They are the words of an obedient Son! We praise you Jesus for Your obedience to
Your Father and Your love for mankind.
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