47 And
while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of
the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 48 But
Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son
of man with a kiss? 49 When they which were about him saw what
would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? 50 And
one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And
Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he
touched his ear, and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said unto the chief
priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and
staves? 53 When I was daily with you in
the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and
the power of darkness. (Luke
22:47-53)
Today’s miracle covers a broad spectrum of issues – both inspirational and practical.
We may wonder at the treachery in the heart of Judas, yet, we may harbor the
same in our own hearts and dismiss it as logic. We note, as well, that the
disciples (especially Peter) had at least one sword. It may surprise some of us
that Christ had counselled them to acquire a sword for protection against the
rabid persecution that would envelope Jerusalem that night and the next day. “Then
said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse,
let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him
sell his garment, and buy one.”
(Luke 22:36) God certainly justifies self-defense. The purpose of a sword is to
inflict grievous injury on an enemy, and Christ has sanctioned its use as a
defense. The same is true of the Constitutional guarantee of gun ownership. “And
they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto
them, It is enough.” (Luke
22:38)
The disciple who used the sword to defend Christ acted out of a righteous
motive, but also out of a lack of understanding. It must happen that Jesus
would suffer on the cross if He would satisfy His purpose of redemption of
those who would believe. Sometimes, our motives may be pure but unwise, or
based on an incomplete understanding of the Word of God. Solution? Search the
Scriptures diligently day and night. Jesus knew that the servant of the High
Priest actually did not know better than to obey the High Priest’s orders.
Jesus took pity even on those who were used as pawns against Him.
Jesus exposes the Jewish rulers for what they are – craven cowards who come
under cover of darkness. I wrote a poem some years back to depict the scene:
Night in the Garden
By Bishop Jerry
Ogles
Judas then, having received a
band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. (John 18:3)
Out of the darkest Halls of Hell
Came the marchers with torches raised.
Into the Garden quiet and still
They wandered forlorn and crazed.
Up to the Sovereign Lord of Love
Their spears shining bright in the mist
With arrogant air and a hateful shove
They took Him who wouldn't resist.
Now to the head of Scribe and Priest
Was the Savior led that night,
And to Herod's Court and Pilate's Seat
Where Right gave way to the Night.
To the craggy heights of the Lonely Skull
They took Him and laid Him down
And into His Hands of Love they drove
Iron spikes with a terrible Sound!
On His Brow a thorny Crown He wore
And His flesh was torn and bruised.
His Heart of Grace grew cold and sore
As the Spirit of Life was loosed.
The world of woe a Hope has found
In the Promise made sure by His Death
And the Saints of God with Faith abound
In the Fields that their Lord has blessed!
© 2008 Jerry
Ogles
“And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that
was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus
to kiss him.” The very one whom many considered
the bosom friend of Jesus was the very one to lead the multitude that was
bound, in their hearts, to destroy the Lord Jesus Christ. Such betrayal of a
friend on a matter of such enormous importance must have grieved our Lord to
His very soul even though He knew it would occur. Make no mistake – Judas was
not forced to do evil. Evil came naturally to the man whom Christ had already
labelled a devil early in His ministry: “Have not I chosen
you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John
6:70) and
near the end of His ministry Jesus said of Judas: “The Son of man goeth
as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is
betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”
(Matt 26:24) So ends the argument that Judas was an innocent victim of God’s
predestinate will. It is not at all uncharacteristic of a traitor to betray
with a kiss – it is part and parcel of his character. How many today draw near
to Christ, not to follow and obey, but to betray through their luke-warm
worship and irreverent singing.
“But Jesus said unto him, Judas,
betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” How cheaply does the
world sell its soul! Judas could have enjoyed all the benefits of a child of
God had his heart not been filled with demons. But it was, and he didn’t attain
that son ship or those benefits. I think it of benefit to include the perfect
description of the situation from God’s Word: “Verily,
verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 Then
the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now
there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon
Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he
spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall
give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he
gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan
entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That
thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the table knew for what
intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some of them thought, because Judas
had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need
of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He
then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.” (John
13:21-30 (KJV) To those who desire to justify the treachery of Judas, beware of
ever attributing the works of Satan to God. Judas left the Upper Room into an
eternal night. He never again witnessed a brilliant sunrise, and never shall.
“When they which were about him saw
what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And
one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.” Though Jesus had explained many times, the
disciples did not comprehend the enormity of what was about to happen, and MUST
happen, for our Salvation. They believed themselves in the right while they
were, at the same time, opposing the Will of God. We often do that in our zeal
to serve God. We start with the best of intentions in building a church
fellowship. Then, we wish to gain credibility by building a respectable church
building. But the “other denomination down the road” has built a larger
building that puts ours to shame. We undertake to build an even more imposing
structure. Laden with debt and the concerns of maintaining such an edifice, our
hearts forget the Lord for whom we first began our labors. We become debtors to
the ‘church building’ built – not by God – but by hands.
“And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus
far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.” “Allow this to
happen, Peter. It is necessary that I be lifted up just as was the brazen
serpent in the Wilderness.” “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father
hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John
18:11)
It must be pointed out here that Jesus was born in an enclave for the feeding
of beasts of the field – poor and lowly. He was ALONE in the Wilderness into
which the Spirit had driven Him at the early start of His ministry. He was
often ALONE on the mountain where He resorted for prayer and fellowship with
the Father. He had now been ALONE in the Garden at prayer while His most
trusted disciples slept on. He would now suffer the humiliation of Rome and
Judea ALONE, and would die on the cross ALONE!
It is a horror to contemplate that DARK NIGHT into which Judas had walked, and
the smothering darkness in the Garden where the traitor and his cohorts had
wandered with such ill intent: “Then
Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders,
which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against
a thief, with swords and staves? When I
was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but
this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Jesus had done all labors in the brightness of
the sun, yet these ‘recalcitrants’ come under cover of the midnight darkness.
Truly, darkness is the hour and nature of all evil doers. Jesus is the Light of
the World, and Light is a force that requires generation. But darkness is no
force at all. It is only the abject absence of Light. The Light of the Sun of
Righteousness can dispel darkness from all quarters, but even the candlelight
of a single Christian can dispel darkness that crowds in on their darkened
room. The One who breathed the breath of life into us can heal our sinful
hearts, restore the Light and vision of our souls, and can even restores ears
that have overgrown with the sounds and lies of the world.
Do you know Him?
