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And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew the sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
- Matthew 26:47-56
Yesterday we read that Jesus came to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. Se, My betrayer is at hand."
And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew the sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. My study bible says here: "Jesus rebukes Peter (identified in John 18:10) for using the sword, for he still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, that salvation for mankind might be fulfilled. A legion is 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions equal 72,000 angels. That this death was foretold in the Scriptures served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest test."
Here in Jesus' last moments with His disciples, we see Him make one more attempt with Judas. Jesus asks, "Friend, why have you come?" It is a kind of last moment to confess, which Jesus is encouraging Judas to do, to come to Him with the truth and a capacity for repentance. We see also Jesus' reaction to Peter striking the servant of the high priest, who is one of those seizing Jesus. His final rebuke is for those who have come to seize Him, as if He's a robber and a criminal, when He was openly in the temple all during the days before this moment. It is that moment when the disciples realize there is nothing they can do. The courage and confidence of Jesus at this point is simply amazing. Of course, that courage and confidence are in God. In John 16:32, we are told that Jesus says of this moment:" Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." He also adds, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” There is a kind of grand exchange here, on a colossal scale: His Father is with Him, and He is not alone. But at the same time, He has "overcome the world." As I can't speak about all the things this must mean, I will suggest that to "overcome the world" is to face the fears of this cup, to feel them keenly as He has, and to make a choice based on faith and the will of God. Life offers us all kinds of choices all the time, but the one thing I find consistently is that my faith asks me to examine my previous understanding, and then, quite often, to "overcome" it by taking a leap of faith -- to push me beyond my previous limitations and understanding into a place where I am more reliant on God than I was before. I can't know about everyone, but Christ shows the way here for each of us. His faith is total in God's plan for this moment. Prayer is His example for how we choose, a continual going to God. Through betrayal and violence, He remains in this place of loyalty and love. He is true to His mission.
