Green Tree

Hello.

In our narrative in the Gospel of Luke, we are moving rapidly toward the Cross.  Luke 23:26-31 covers the road to the Cross after Jesus leaves his second trial with Pilate.  Here is my translation:

26 As they were leading Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, from Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. 27 Many people followed him, including some women who were mourning and weeping for him. 28 Turning to these women, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me, instead weep for yourselves and your children, 29 because the days are coming in which people will say, ‘blessed are barren women, who have never given birth, and whose breasts have never nursed a child.’ 
   30 People will begin to say to the mountains, 
           ‘Fall on us,’ 
        And to the hills, 
            ‘Hide us.”
31 Because if this is what they do when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dried up? 

One would think that Jesus is physically exhausted from the events that unfolded.  Even without the savage beating of a flogging, he would be exhausted.  But he was flogged, and now expected to carry his own cross to the place of crucifixion.  

Simon, a man from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside.  A man who was seemingly minding his own business, when he was compelled to carry the Cross for Jesus.  The Romans had the right to ‘draft’ someone and press them into service, forcing them to carry their burden for a mile. It appears likely that this chance encounter leads Simon to become a disciple.  Mark 15:21 mentions that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander, apparently two early disciples. Consider Luke 9:23, where Jesus tells those who would follow after him, that they must take up their cross and follow.  Simon literally does that.  Given Jesus’ cross to carry, he follows Jesus. Darrell Bock calls Simon, a ‘representative participant.’ (Bock, 1842.) 

Others are following, as well.  Many women are mourning and weeping for Jesus as he walks along.  In these few verses, which are unique to Luke, he very tenderly addresses them, and tells them not to weep for him.  Jesus, always full of compassion, and knowing what would happen down the road in Jerusalem, again offers warning. He addresses this group of women as ‘Daughters of Jerusalem.’ The destruction of Jerusalem is not coming for forty years, but Jesus tells them to mourn for that, as what he is saying to them has a ring of familiarity.  (See Luke 21:20 and following.) 

Like Luke 21:23 says that those days will be terrible for expectant and nursing mothers.  Conditions will be so bad that people ask the mountains to fall on them, people will want a quick death and relief from their suffering.  The nation will be held accountable for their rejection of Jesus. 

 Jesus ends his warning to these women by saying,”If this is what they do when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dried up?”  I think we all prefer a green tree that is full of leaves and fruit to a dead dried up tree that has neither. I think it is safe to say that in this case green represents something good and dried up represents something bad. 

There are differing ideas about what the green tree and the dried up tree represent. According to Bock, there are at least three different ways to interpret Jesus’ meaning here (Bock, 1847.):

• If the Romans will treat an innocent man (Jesus, green tree) like this, how badly will they treat a nation in rebellion (dry tree)? 
• The Jews treat Jesus this way for coming to deliver them (green tree), how will they be treated for destroying him (dry tree)?
• If God does not spare Jesus (green tree), how much more will the impenitent nation (dry tree) be punished when Divine judgment comes? 

In all of these options, Jesus is the green tree, and those who have killed this innocent man are the dry tree, and whether the punishment comes from the Romans or God, or both, it will be severe.  It is amazing that Jesus even after all of the mistreatment that he has taken over the course of the night, and knowing that it is the Cross that awaits, can still find a place in his heart to show compassion to the crowd.  

The Wrong Choice

Hello everyone.

Today, we will continue with Jesus on his journey toward the Cross.  In my last post, we saw Jesus appear before Pilate, who shipped him off to Herod.  However, Pilate couldn't get rid of Jesus that easily.  Herod, frustrated that Jesus wouldn't perform any miracles, simply returned Jesus to Pilate.  We pick up the story here in verse 13: 

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You have brought this man to me, claiming that he misleads the people. See, I have examined him in front of you, and I have found nothing to the charges that you are making against this man. 15 Neither did Herod.  He sent him back to me.  So, listen to this! He has not done anything worthy of death.” 16 So, I will have him beaten and then I will let him go.” (17* It was required that he release one man to them at the Passover feast.) 

18 But the crowd shouted together, “Kill him.  Release Barabbas to us.” 19 Barabbus had been put in prison for an insurrection that had happened in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate again spoke to the crowd, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 However, they continued shouting, “Crucify him!”

22 In his third attempt, Pilate asked the crowd, “Why?  What terrible thing has he done? I find nothing in him that is worthy of death, so I will have him beaten and then let him go. The crowd continued demanding in loud voices that Jesus be crucified. It was those voices that ultimately prevailed. 24 Pilate made the decision to give in to their demands. 25 He released the one they had asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and handed Jesus over for what they were wanting. 

         * Some manuscripts do not include verse 17. 

In Jesus’ second appearance before Pilate, Pilate brings the accusers in and tells them that he finds no merit to their charges.  They have tried desperately to get Pilate to buy into the idea that Jesus was a threat to Rome, and Pilate is just not buying it.  Pilate makes the point that he has made his examination of Jesus right in front of them, and they really have no case.  He also points out that they were not able to convince Herod either.  Ἀνακρίνας (Anakrinas) The word Pilate uses here means “to hear a case in a judicial sense."  So Pilate has heard their case and he minds no merit to it. 

Pilate seems to just want to let Jesus go, but in order to appease the Jewish leadership, he offers to have Jesus beaten.  That is not enough to please the chief priests and the rest of Jesus' accusers. By now, the leadership has managed to get the crowd all stirred up.  They begin to shout that Jesus should be killed and that they wanted Barabbas released.  

Verse 17 is not included in some manuscripts.  I have included it in parenthesis.  It is a statement that it was required that Pilate would release one man to the Jewish people during the Passover.  The crowd here is demanding that this one man not be Jesus, but instead be Barabbas.  Barabbas was a noted murderer and insurrectionist.  Mark 15:11 tells us that the chief priests stirred up the crowd against Jesus. Luke omits this.  It does seem odd that the crowd would be so supportive of Jesus for so long, and now be screaming for his death.  Is it a different crowd from those crowds that he taught in the temple each day?  Is human nature just that fickle and easily persuaded? It is hard to say. 

It is odd that Barabbas, who was a threat to Rome, was the one that the leadership was asking that he be set free.  Meanwhile, they were pleading a case against Jesus, accusing him of that very thing. “Jesus came offering peace, and was rejected in favor of a revolutionary who promoted murder.” (Stein, 582.) It is clear that the choice here is a choice between good and evil, a righteous man and a murderer.  They choose the murderer. 

In verse 22, Pilate again attempts to appease the crowd by offering to have Jesus beaten, but then letting him go.  Pilate seems confounded by the crowd’s intense desire for killing Jesus.  Pilate cannot figure out what Jesus has done that has aroused so much viciousness and passion for his death. However, the voices shouting for Jesus’ death are the ones that prevail.  Those voices prevail over truth, reason, logic and common sense.  Pilate, against his own better judgment, gives in to their demands.

It becomes a battle of wills.  Pilate and crowd.  The crowd wins. Pilate tried three times to release Jesus, but the crowd refused any kind of compromise, insisting on crucifixion, the most viscous form of execution imaginable.  Pilate is a politician.  Eventually, policitians give in to political expediency, and Pilate does. He releases Barabbas and turn Jesus over to be crucified.  The guilty one goes free and the innocent one is executed. 

An Innocent Man

Greetings.

When we left off, Jesus was before Pilate, being accused of all sorts of things, mostly partials truths and outright lies.  Pilate finds Jesus to be innocent, but Jesus' detractors press on.  We pick up the story in verse 6:  

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was from Galilee.  7 Once he knew that Jesus was under Herod’s authority, he sent him to Herod, since Herod was in Jerusalem at the time. 8 Herod was very happy to see Jesus, since he had heard so much about him.  He hoped that he could see Jesus perform some miraculous sign.  9 Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus didn’t answer any of them.  10 The chief priests and the scribes stood there, passionately making accusations against him. 11 Meanwhile, Herod and his soldiers ridiculed him.  They put a fancy robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 On that day, Pilate and Herod became friends with one another.  Before this they had been hostile toward each other.

The Jewish leadership has been trying to paint Jesus as a threat to Rome, but Pilate isn’t really buying it.  So, when Pilate hears them say ‘Galilee,’ he sees an opportunity to rid himself of this situation.  He could ship him off to Herod, since Herod was actually in Jerusalem at the time.  

Herod was excited to see Jesus because he was hoping that Jesus would perform some miracle for him.  Certainly, he could have performed miracles for Herod, Jesus, however, was not intending to be Herod’s entertainment.  Jesus would not even answer his questions.  

As Luke describes it, this must have been quite a scene.  Herod was likely very frustrated because Jesus refused to give him what he wanted, so Herod and his soldiers turned to ridicule.  The Jewish leadership is busy throwing accusations at Jesus, hoping something will stick so that they can have him executed.  Meanwhile, Jesus does nothing.  He stands there silently while this spectacle goes on around him.  Like a lamb before his shearers, Jesus is silent. (Isa. 53:7)

Jesus is being treated like a criminal, even though he is not one.  He isn’t acting like one, either.  He isn't pleading his innocence, nor is he begging for mercy. 

Herod, not knowing what to do with Jesus, mockingly dresses him up in a fancy robe and sends him back to his new friend, Pilate. 

Although it doesn't mention it here, we know from verse 15, that Herod, in spite of not getting what he wanted,, saw no reason to charge Jesus. Now, there are two judgments of innocent on Jesus, both Pilate and Herod. Luke has established quite well that Jesus is innocent of any charges.  Even the biggest authorities in the region have found it that way.  Yet, Jesus is still under arrest, still being mocked and brutalized and still heading toward crucifixion. 

Ultimately we know that it was not the adamant nature of the chief priests that this continued toward the Cross, but because it was God’s will for this to happen. The Lamb of God has remained silent before his accusers and soon will be led to the slaughter. 

Accusations

 Hello everyone.

We are moving into Luke 23 today, as Jesus moves toward the Cross.  In my previous post I mention that in the course of this one night, Jesus moves from trial to trial, six in all.  Luke 23:1-5 covers his first trial before Pilate.  Here is my translation:

1 The whole group got up and led him off to Pilate. 2 They began to make accusations about him, saying, “We find that this man misleads our people, forbidding them to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming himself to be the Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “So you say.” 
4 Pilate, then, said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no reason to charge this man.” 
5 But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people all over Judea with his teaching, beginning in Galilee and now here.”  

The leaders among the Jews would have loved to just kill Jesus, but they did not have the authority to do so.  They needed the Roman leader Pilate to take care of Jesus for them.  The Jewish ruling council was so concerned with getting rid of Jesus that all of them got up and took Jesus to Pilate.  They want to leave nothing to chance, I suppose, and make sure that he gets there.  

Pilate, as we know, had a pretty stern reputation.  The ruling council undoubtedly thought that they would have no problem manipulating Pilate into killing Jesus. Here were the accusations that they brought to Pilate:

• Accusation: He misleads the people.  
• Truth: Jesus wasn’t misleading the people, they were.  Jesus had done nothing but preach and teach spiritual truth and heal people. They, on the other hand had lead people to a lifeless religion far from what God had intended.
• Accusation: He forbids people to pay taxes to Caesar. 
• Truth:  This is an outright lie, but they knew that this would get Pilate’s attention.  Jesus had actually indicated that people should “render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar’s.” (Luke 20:25) 
• Accusation: He claims to be the Messiah, a king. 
• Truth: Yes, Jesus had certainly implied during his trial that he was the Messiah.  While not implicitly stating it, he had made statements that would back such a claim.  However, for the Jewish leaders here, they were looking for the Messiah.  Jesus just wasn’t their kind of Messiah.  So they used this claim because they knew that Pilate would have to deal with it.  In the Roman Empire there could be no lord but Caesar. 
• More truth:  Jesus is a king, but not in the sense that his audience thought of kings.  

Pilate addressed the charge that would matter most to him.  Whether Jesus was claiming kingship, or not.  He asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”  Jesus took the same approach with Pilate that he had with the chief priests.  He neither confirms or denies.  He responds with, “so you say.”  So, while Jesus doesn’t deny his kingship, he does not represent any kind of threat to Rome. Pilate does not seem to perceive that Jesus is any kind of threat to Rome. He is unmoved by the charges that have been brought against Jesus, and declares that he finds no reason to bring charges against him.  

Since the first set of charges didn’t land with Pilate, the Jewish leaders brought more charges against Jesus:

• Accusation: His teachings stir up the people, first in Galilee and now in Jerusalem.  
• Truth: Yes, there were a lot of people excited about Jesus.  Many of them,because they misunderstand his message and think that he is going to be an earthly deliverer and king.  The leaders are trying to paint Jesus as a dangerous leader of some sort of rebellion against Rome, but any objective person would conclude that Jesus is not trying to do anything like that. 

So here is where we stand after the first few verses of Luke 23.  The Jewish leadership have approached Pilate with the idea that Jesus is a threat to Rome and that if he is a good governor for Rome, he will not let Jesus go free. They have made accusations against Jesus, some of which are false.  For the accusations that are true, they have bent the truth to fit their dark purposes and present Jesus as something he was not: a threat. 

Trials

Greetings.

In my previous post, the central character of the story was Peter, and it told the story of his denial.  Starting in verse 63, and going to the end of the chapter, the focus returns to Jesus.  Here is my translation of Luke 22:63-71:

63 The men guarding Jesus mocked and beat him.  64 Then they blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, “Prophecy, which one of us hit you?”  65 They said many other blasphemous insults to him. 

66 When dawn was breaking, the elders of the people came together with chief priests and the scribes.  They led Jesus into their council chamber. 67 They said, “Tell us whether you are the Messiah.”

Jesus replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe it, and if I ask you a question, you won’t answer it. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the power of God.” 

70 They all said to him, “So  then, are you the son of God?”

He responded, “You say that I am.”

71 Then they declared, “Why do we need to have more testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth.”

Peter has fled the scene to weep privately, and Jesus is left in the hands of those whose intent is to kill him. There is no need to place guards on Jesus.  He is there willingly and has not put up any kind of fight with his captors.  Never-the-less, he is under guard and these guards begin to mock and beat him.

In their mocking and beating, they blindfold him and punch him, and mock him by saying, “prophecy, which one of us hit you?”  

Of course, Jesus could have told them which of them had hit him, and that would have stunned them a little perhaps, but Jesus chose to remain silent.  Like Isaiah 53:7, "Like a lamb before his shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”  Their mocking includes many other insults.  Many modern English version translate this as ‘insulting things,’ but word in Greek is actually βλασφημοῦντες (Blasphemountes).  Ironically, Jesus is being charged with blasphemy, but it is his captors and those insulting him, whoa are guilty of blasphemy. 

In verse 66, we see that dawn is breaking.  This process has been an all-nighter, and it is still really in the early stages. Jesus is now taken into the council chamber, where the elders, the chief priests and the scribes had gathered.  It appears, from taking all four Gospel accounts into consideration, that Jesus had six trials in the course of the Thursday night and Friday morning:

• Before Annas (John 18:13)
• Before Caiaphas (Mark 14:55-64, Matt. 26:59-66) 
• Before the Jewish council, possibly the Sanhedrin (Matt. 27:61, Luke 22:66-71)
• Before Pilate. (All four Gospels)
• Before Herod (Luke 23:6-12)
• Before Pilate again. ((Luke 23:13-16)

Here the council has gotten up early for this trial, as it is meeting at sunup.  Perhaps, they too have been up all night, in anticipation of this trial of Jesus. 

In Luke’s account, the trial’s questioning begins with the command, “Tell us whether you are the Messiah.”  Jesus’ first words neither confirm nor deny his divinity.  He states, “If I tell you, you won’t believe it.” Then he says, “If I ask you a question, you won’t answer it.”  In these two statements Jesus is saying to his accusers that it is pointless to respond to this question, because it doesn't matter what he says.   Their minds are made up, and they are going to execute him no matter.  

They have refused to answer his questions in the past, becuase Jesus had always outsmarted them, asking questions that either answer put them in a difficult spot.  Now he doesn't even bother to ask. 

But, Jesus doesn’t stop with his non-answer.  He finishes with “But from now on, the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the power of God.” So he doesn’t come right out and say, “Yes, I am the son of God.”  His answer, however, more than implies this.  He implies that he is going to be seated at God’s right hand.  He is the Son of Man, whom God has given all authority and power.  

Darrell Bock points out that Jesus’ response here indicates that the tables will be turned.  Right now, they all sit in judgment of Jesus, but moving forward, from this point on, Jesus, the Son of Man will sit in judgment on them.  (Bock, 1797.) This is a declaration of Jesus’ sovereignty.  He is the one with all of the power, even if it doesn’t appear that way at the moment.

Jesus’ accusers catch the drift of what Jesus is saying here.  He has not come right out and said it, but his implications are hard to miss.  They respond, “So, then are you the Son of God?” Jesus’ implication is to hold a unique position of power, seated at God’s right hand.  They want to hear him say it absolutely, so that they can have merit for their sentence of execution.  

Jesus’ response continues to avoid giving them exactly what they want.  He says, “You say that I am.” Again, Jesus neither confirms or denies, but it is enough for his accusers.  When Jesus responds, “You say that I am.” the chief priest asks, “Why do we need to go any further?”  To his accusers Jesus has presented enough evidence to support their claims.  Whether it was his inference, or his lack of a denial, they claim to have all that they need for the verdict of guilty. 

Of course the outcome of this mockery of a trial was never really in doubt anyway, and everyone present knew it.  Jesus was going to be condemned to be executed.  

               Darrell Bock, Luke: Volume 2 - 9:51-24:53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1996. 

Failure

 Hello everyone.

We have been going through Luke 22, and we have seen earlier how Jesus has told Simon Peter that Satan has asked to sift him like wheat.  Peter has pledged undying loyalty to Jesus, but Jesus has predicted that by morning, Peter would deny him three times.  Verses 54-62 follow Peter's journey, as Jesus is being led toward his crucifixion.  here is my translation: 

54 Having arrested him, they led him away and brought him into the house of the high priest, while Peter followed at a distance.  55 They built a fire in the middle of the courtyard and then sat down around it.  Peter joined them. 56 A servant girl saw Peter sitting by the fire.  She examined Peter and said, “This man was with him.” 

57 Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him!”

58 Soon after this, another among them said, “You are one of them.” 

But Peter responded, “Man, I am not!”

59 About an hour later, another man insisted, “Truthfully, this man was with him, since he is a Galilean.”  

60 Peter responded, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.”  Right away, as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 

61 The Lord turned and looked right at Peter, and Peter remembered how the Lord had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will disown three times.”  62 Then Peter went out and wept bitterly. 

Jesus has now been arrested and brought to the house of the high priest.  This seems odd to me, rather than taking Jesus to a jail to await trial, or even to a court, he is taken directly to someone’s house where he is put on trial in the middle of the night.  The legality of all of this is certainly suspect, but the powers in Jerusalem have to do all of this under the cover of darkness. 

Peter is following the whole thing at a distance. According to Matthew’s account, Peter followed to see the outcome. (Matt. 26:58)  It had to be very difficult and confusing to be ordered to put his sword away and allow Jesus to be arrested.  He was clearly ready to take on an armed mob, but he was not prepared for how this was all unfolding. 

A group that was present builds a fire, and Peter sits down by the fire to keep an eye on what is happening with Jesus.  There by the fire, he is recognized, first by a servant girl, then by someone else around the fire and then later by someone else.  All three times he denies that he knows Jesus.  Earlier in the night, Jesus had told Peter that this would happen.  Peter undoubtedly said in his own mind, at least, that this would never happen.  Yet it had.  

Both Matthew and Mark mention that after his denial, Peter relocates to the entryway or gateway. Luke doesn’t mention it, but merely records the passage of time. Peter wants to remain to see the outcome, but it seems that in fear he is moving closer to the exit.  That doesn’t really change the situation. He is still recognized and is forced to deny Jesus again a short time later.   

Peter’s third denial comes after an accusation that he must be with Jesus because he is a Galilean. Perhaps Peter had an accent that gave him away.  People could tell that he was not from Jerusalem.  Again, both Matthew and Mark differ a little from Luke on how this part was recorded.  In those two accounts, Pater begins calling down curses after the third accusation, then denies fervently that he even knows Jesus.  Luke leaves the curses out, and Peter’s response is that he doesn’t know what his accusers are even talking about.  

In John’s the accuser is a relative of the man whose ear had been severed by Peter.  This man was an eyewitness to action in the garden. He says, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”  It is unlikely that an eyewitness to Peter’s maiming of his cousin would easily forget Peter within a couple of hours of the incident.  Yet Peter claims that he doesn’t even know what the guy is talking about. 

After the third denial, the rooster crowed, Jesus turns and looks at Peter, and Peter is reminded of Jesus' earlier prophecy, and he leaves the scene to a more private place, where weeps bitterly over his betrayal of Jesus. 

The detail of Jesus turning and looking at Peter is only mentioned in Luke.  We can only imagine the emotion of this scene.  Jesus could have given Peter an “I told you so,’ kind of look, but that doesn’t seem to be Jesus style to me.  Rather, Jesus, in the middle of all of this suffering, had to have to look of immense sadness regarding Peter’s denials. 

Satan is getting what he demanded.  Peter is being sifted.  Peter was armed with a sword, but that was not what he needed.  He had fallen asleep rather than pray, and prayer, not a sword, had been the need of the hour.  

Peter has failed here, and failed badly.  Fortunately, for Peter, his failure is not the end of his story.  It is only a part of his story. The rest of his story is marked mostly by faith, rather than failure. 

Betrayed with a Kiss

Hey.

Today, our story continues on the Mount of Olives.  Continuing in Luke 22:47-53, we will the betrayal by Judas, some swordsmanship from Peter, and compassiona and healing from Jesus.  Here is my translation: 

47 Suddenly, as he was saying this, a crowd appeared. One of the Twelve, the one called Judas, was leading it. He came to Jesus and kissed him.  48 Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”  

49 Seeing what was happening, those with him said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 

50 One of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 

51 Jesus responded, “Enough of this!”  then touching the man’s ear, he healed him. 

52 Then speaking to those who had come from the chief priests, the captain of the temple guard and the elders, Jesus said, “ Am I such a dangerous criminal, that you come after me with swords and clubs? 53 I was there with you every day in the temple, but you did not reach out a hand against me, but your time and your authority is of the darkness.”

A mob appears as Jesus is waking his apostles for the third time.  The mob is led by Judas.  I can’t imagine how this must have felt for Jesus, knowing that one of his own had betrayed him and handed him over to his enemies to be killed.  Of course, Jesus was aware that Judas had betrayed him, and he understood intellectually that it was necessary for him to be killed in this way, but to see Judas leading this mob, that has come for his arrest, and then to approach him as a friend and kiss him, must have been incredibly painful.  

Jesus comments on the kiss, “Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”  The audacity of Judas.  Isn't it enough that he is betraying the Savior of the world?  Does he have to do it while still pretending to be a friend?  In his question to Judas, Jesus refers to himself again as the Son of Man.  Remember that the Son of Man has been given all authority and power.  Jesus has all authority and all power, but chooses not to use it. 

Jesus makes no attempt to avoid arrest.  He has just prayed three times that his Father would take this cup from him.  The cup remains.  It is the Father’s will that he goes through with this.  Jesus, in spite of his recent agony, is resolved to finish out this plan. 

Jesus poses no threat to the state.  He has had opportunity to engage them in armed conflict and he has declined.  He demands his disciples, who are eager to defend him, to let it go.  The apostles have brought along two swords.  They wonder out loud whether now was the time to attack.  They ask, in verse 49, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”  Peter apparently does not wait for an answer.  He strikes with the sword and cuts off a man’s ear. 

Jesus stops the sword attack immediately.  Perhaps saving Peter’s life.  Let's give Peter some credit here.  He said that he was ready to die for Jesus, and now he is ready to go.  He must have been very confused when Jesus stopped him.  

I have no doubt that what was happening here did not fit the script that Peter had written in his mind.  Life usually doesn’t fit the script that we write in our minds.  At least I have found that to be the case.  The question becomes, what do we do when things don’t go the way we expect them to go?  Do we remain faithful? 

Robert Stein says this about Jesus regarding the attack on the servant of the high priest.  “He rebuked the use of force by the disciples and healed his enemies, for his kingship was not of this present world. He furthermore is a perfect model of his teachings concerning love for enemies.” (Stein, 562-563.)

Jesus questions his accusers.  He asks if he is such a dangerous criminal that they need an armed mob to arrest him.  The Greek word λῃστὴν (lēstēn) is the same word Jesus uses in the parable of the Good Samaritan to describe those who attack the man and leave him for dead.  Is that what they think of Jesus?  Probably not.  They are probably just so afraid of him and they want to leave nothing to chance, so they overdo it.  

Jesus is bold.  He challenges those who have come to arrest him.  He points out that he had been in the temple every day teaching.  They had ample opportunity to arrest him.  He knew that  it was out of fear that they did not arrest him.  But, now, here, in the darkness, there was no crowd of people.  He declares to them that this, the darkness, was their time and their authority.  These men came from the chief priests and the elders, men who were supposedly godly men, but who were actually doing the bidding of the devil. 

Stein points out that Jesus gives the mob a stinging rebuke, pointing out their cowardice for not openly arresting him, but doing it under the cover of darkness, as they play their role in “the last desperate attempt of the power of darkness to thwart God’s plan.” (Stein, 560.)  

So, Jesus, the Son of Man, chooses to be led away by his captors, while those who just hours before had pledged their complete devotion to Jesus, and argued over who was the greatest among them, flee in fear.