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Seized in the Garden at Night

¹ Jesus, having prayed this prayer, left with his disciples and crossed over the brook Kidron at a place where there was a garden. He and his disciples entered it. ^{2 -4}Judas, his betrayer, knew the place because Jesus and his disciples went there often. So Judas led the way to the garden, and the Roman soldiers and police sent by the high priests and Pharisees followed. They arrived there with lanterns and torches and swords. Jesus, knowing by now everything that was coming down on him, went out and met them. He said, "Who are you after?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene."^{5 -6}He said, "That's me." The soldiers recoiled, totally taken aback. Judas, his betrayer, stood out like a sore thumb. ⁷Jesus asked again, "Who are you after?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." ^{8 -9}"I told you," said Jesus, "that's me. I'm the one. So if it's me you're after, let these others go." (This validated the words in his prayer, "I didn't lose one of those you gave.") ¹⁰Just then Simon Peter, who was carrying a sword, pulled it from its sheath and struck the Chief Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Malchus was the servant's name. ¹¹Jesus ordered Peter, "Put back your sword. Do you think for a minute I'm not going to drink this cup the Father gave me?" ^{12 -14}Then the Roman soldiers under their commander, joined by the Jewish police, seized Jesus and tied him up. They took him first to Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the Chief Priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people. ^{15 -16}Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That other disciple was known to the Chief Priest, and so he went in with Jesus to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Peter had to stay outside. Then the other disciple went out, spoke to the doorkeeper, and got Peter in. ¹⁷The young woman who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, "Aren't you one of this man's disciples?" He said, "No, I'm not." ¹⁸The servants and police had made a fire because of the cold and were huddled there warming themselves. Peter stood with them, trying to get warm.

John 18

i read this this past sunday and thought to myself that maybe God's trying to reveal His character to me. this is what Jesus was like. Jesus didn't back down. Jesus didn't cower and hide. Jesus went out to meet them. He was fierce. now when a small army starts coming after you with torches and swords, you don't just walk up to them and start asking them questions! most of us would just run away or hide somewhere! but our Savior went right up to them and asked them who they were looking for. now this is the part that really jumped out at me. when they answer that they are looking for Jesus, He replies that He is Jesus and they recoil and are totally taken aback. in the english standard version, it says that the soldiers "drew back and fell to the ground!" they were stunned! this man that they were looking for replied directly and simply, "I am He." this is the man who has been performing all these miracles and doing spectacular and amazing things. this is the man who has been defying all the pharisees. they're out to arrest Him, and He presents Himself to them with no resistance whatsoever. i would have been stunned too! He tells them once again that He is the man they're looking for. He tells the guards to let the disciples go, just then our good friend peter jumps out with a sword and slices off the chief priest's servant's ear! and here we see peter again jumping up and standing in front of Jesus, not letting Jesus lead once again. to this action, Jesus replies, "Put back your sword. Do you think for a minute I'm not going to drink this cup the Father gave me?" what Jesus is saying here to peter is basically, "do you think that i'm just going to run off from what my Father in store for me??" He was saying, "I have to do this!" and for me, i feel that in saying that, Jesus was saying, "I'm doing this for you! Don't think you know what's best! I know what I'm doing!" a lot of times we think we know what's best. a lot of times, we think we know what God wants. but we don't ask God what He wants, so how can we know? we need to get it engrained in our hearts that Jesus is looking out for us, we just need to follow Him.