God's Fight!
"Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, 'Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?' Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus." - John 18:10-12
Earlier this same evening, Peter declared to Jesus in the presence of the other disciples, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." And Peter meant it. He loved Jesus in a way that we, who are removed by time, cannot know in this life. He loved this Jesus enough to walk away from His "responsible life" of fishing. He walked hundreds of miles with Jesus; listening to him, hearing the warmth and peace in His voice. Jesus was his treasured one. Jesus was his hope, his promise, and his joy. Peter would die before he ever willingly gave Jesus up. And who could blame him. We all have passions, joys, and hopes for which we would fight to the death. So when these men with clubs and torches came to take Jesus away, he intended to make good on
his earlier declaration.
They were far outnumbered! There was no way to survive this fight, but Peter was going to take down as many as he could. There was only one problem. Peter's fight was not the same as God's fight. We, like Peter, often interpret what fights we believe should be important to God; we draw our swords, and at that moment are willing to die fighting our battle. But all too often our fight is not God's fight. If Peter had succeeded in his fight, Jesus would have lost in His. Peter, devoted disciple, lover of Jesus, follower of God, was fighting against God's plan. But Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah! So imprisonment and death couldn’t be what God wanted! How could the Messiah rescue Israel if he was dead?!
For a few weeks, perhaps even months, Jesus had been preparing them. Three times he spoke of His death and Resurrection, but they couldn't understand. They refused to wrap their minds around a dead messiah. They knew that Messiah would save them. They just couldn't match Jesus' words with their paradigm. Jesus had comforted them, assured them that it would be alright, but when the time came, Peter still drew his sword.
But to make Jesus into the kind of Messiah that they expected, would be to cheapen God's plan. If Jesus were Peter's kind of Messiah, He would have ended up as another forgotten page of History. He would be billed as "The man who secured a brief period of political liberty for Israel." But, by putting his sword away and stepping away from the front lines, Jesus became the Messiah who secured our spiritual freedom for an eternity.
Friends, fellow lovers of Jesus, hearers of God, where do our fights not line up with God's fight? What things have we deemed important, that by protecting, leave us straining against God's plan? Like Peter, what swords have we drawn? Like Saul, who are we persecuting and oppressing? Like the children of Israel, our necks have become stiff, because God does not seem to be lining up with our picture of where He should be. It isn't that we don't want to follow God; we long to follow Him, but all too often we dig in our heels to protect what we think is important to Him, and refuse to hear any voice (even His) that gently tries to call us away from our battle stations. Church, let's lay down our arms, and take up our crosses.
Earlier this same evening, Peter declared to Jesus in the presence of the other disciples, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." And Peter meant it. He loved Jesus in a way that we, who are removed by time, cannot know in this life. He loved this Jesus enough to walk away from His "responsible life" of fishing. He walked hundreds of miles with Jesus; listening to him, hearing the warmth and peace in His voice. Jesus was his treasured one. Jesus was his hope, his promise, and his joy. Peter would die before he ever willingly gave Jesus up. And who could blame him. We all have passions, joys, and hopes for which we would fight to the death. So when these men with clubs and torches came to take Jesus away, he intended to make good on
his earlier declaration.
They were far outnumbered! There was no way to survive this fight, but Peter was going to take down as many as he could. There was only one problem. Peter's fight was not the same as God's fight. We, like Peter, often interpret what fights we believe should be important to God; we draw our swords, and at that moment are willing to die fighting our battle. But all too often our fight is not God's fight. If Peter had succeeded in his fight, Jesus would have lost in His. Peter, devoted disciple, lover of Jesus, follower of God, was fighting against God's plan. But Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah! So imprisonment and death couldn’t be what God wanted! How could the Messiah rescue Israel if he was dead?!
For a few weeks, perhaps even months, Jesus had been preparing them. Three times he spoke of His death and Resurrection, but they couldn't understand. They refused to wrap their minds around a dead messiah. They knew that Messiah would save them. They just couldn't match Jesus' words with their paradigm. Jesus had comforted them, assured them that it would be alright, but when the time came, Peter still drew his sword.
But to make Jesus into the kind of Messiah that they expected, would be to cheapen God's plan. If Jesus were Peter's kind of Messiah, He would have ended up as another forgotten page of History. He would be billed as "The man who secured a brief period of political liberty for Israel." But, by putting his sword away and stepping away from the front lines, Jesus became the Messiah who secured our spiritual freedom for an eternity.
Friends, fellow lovers of Jesus, hearers of God, where do our fights not line up with God's fight? What things have we deemed important, that by protecting, leave us straining against God's plan? Like Peter, what swords have we drawn? Like Saul, who are we persecuting and oppressing? Like the children of Israel, our necks have become stiff, because God does not seem to be lining up with our picture of where He should be. It isn't that we don't want to follow God; we long to follow Him, but all too often we dig in our heels to protect what we think is important to Him, and refuse to hear any voice (even His) that gently tries to call us away from our battle stations. Church, let's lay down our arms, and take up our crosses.