Jesus Arrested

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." ⁴⁹Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.

⁵⁰Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁵²"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"

⁵⁵At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Today's passage talks about the details behind Jesus's arrest.

Everybody knows about Judas's betrayal with a kiss, or how one of Jesus's disciples cuts off the ear of the servant to the high priest, or how all the disciples deserted Jesus and ran away to save themselves.

But as I was reading today's passage, I was struck by verses 52 to 56. I was awed by the magnitude of the authority that Jesus Christ held, and he admitted it to everyone his authority over the heavens and earth, but he willingly chose to be arrest and be led away to his death without fighting back. I thought it was funny how this passage describes all the weapons and soldiers the priest called to come and arrest Jesus, when it was completely unnecessary because Jesus went with them peacefully. And if he wanted to fight back, he didn't need a sword or a club, he could have called upon his Father and a legion of angels would descend from the heavens and strike down all his enemies.

I'm amazed by Jesus's obedience to God's Will. He was arrested purely out of jealousy and hate. He did all this just so he could fulfill God's promises and prophecies.

I think I will never understand what exactly was going through his mind when all this went down because if I was Jesus, I would have called out to my Father and have the angels come and smite down all the bad men, but I see how truly great Jesus Christ was because he chose not to fight back but to obey instead.