Matthew 26.45-56, Luke 22.51, John 18.1-11
Jesus awakened His disciples
Get up. The hour is at hand
And though a mob was approaching
Jesus seemed strangely in command
The matter had been settled in the garden
He was committed to His Father’s will
He'd submit to unspeakable horrors
Scripture’s prophecy would be fulfilled
But what about His captors?
They’d remember this night well
So many different perspectives
So many stories to tell
(Judas)
I’ve been His disciple three years
It’s finally come to this
I’ve given up on Jesus
So I betrayed Him with a kiss
(Roman Soldier)
We approached this man called Jesus
He asked Whom do you seek
I expected Him to cower in dread and fear
But He was calm and bold, not weak
He stood before us with dignity
As we all crowded around
And when He answered I am He
We all fell to the ground
What kind of power is this
With His words we all fell down?
He had an air of authority
Even when tied and bound
The whole scene was surreal
One I can’t seem to forget
He was just a Jewish nobody
That’s what we believed, and yet
(Priests)
Even now He plagues us with questions
I taught in the Temple in broad daylight
So why come out to the Mount of Olives?
Why the swords in the dark of night
But He already knows the answer
It’s no mystery to Him
The crowd is enthralled with His teaching
We can’t risk a revolt from them
Finally, we’ll soon be rid of Him
And things will be like before
They’ll forget about this man called Jesus
And respect our hierarchy even more
(Peter)
Jesus told me I’d deny Him
Not just one time or two but three!
Facing imminent danger
I’d prove that He could count on me
As the crowd was approaching
And a priest’s servant came near
I drew my sword for Jesus!
I cut off the young man’s ear
But Jesus didn’t react as I’d expected
He told me to put away my sword
He would do as the Father commanded
We base our lives on the will of the Lord
He said He could call the angels
And thousands would come instantly
But then how would Scripture be fulfilled?
Who would carry out His destiny?
(Malchus)
This appeared to be a peaceful group
I saw no reason to fear
But suddenly a sword was drawn
Down it came, sliced off my ear!
At first I was in shock
But then I felt the pain
Then Jesus touched where my ear had been
And I was whole again
What made Jesus do this
For His enemy, His foe?
Why Jesus would care for me right now
Is something I’ll never know
I wonder. . .
And so the disciples ran away
Leaving Him alone to face His pain
This is a crucial time in history
The time when the power of darkness reigned
Can you imagine the drama of this encounter? There is something so powerful in Jesus’s simple words, I am He, that the soldiers fall to the ground. Shortly after, they witness Jesus heal the severed ear of a man accompanying them. Yet they simply proceed with their mission to arrest this powerful healer. They seem unfazed by His demeanour. That’s hard to fathom, but I suspect that there are times when Jesus reveals Himself to me and I just go on with business as usual, determined to carry out my plans for the day. I pray that God will open my eyes to His majesty and that I will not ignore it but behold that majesty and be transformed by it.
Lord, don’t let me forget how You were treated and what You suffered, unfair on every level. The disciples ran away in fear, help me not to desert You when I face hard times. The arresting mob fell down at the power of Your voice and witnessed a healing miracle, but they simply proceeded with their cruel plot. May I never look at what You did for me, and do for me, with indifference. Confront me with Your love and Your power and open my eyes so that I respond with awe and adoration.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
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