Mark 14:43-50 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then everyone deserted him and fled.
“Am I leading a rebellion?” The obvious implied answer is, "No, Jesus, you are not leading a rebellion to change the nature of civil authority, to do away with secular leadership." Yet within Jesus' ministry there was a real threat to the rulership and authority of the religious elite and to the culture they represented. Jesus' teachings oriented the people's thinking toward himself as the pathway to God instead of the rules and regulations of the religious leaders. Jesus declared, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) The angry people who met Jesus in that garden to arrest him had good reason to want him removed, for they knew their very position and their influence in the Jewish community was at stake. They knew if the people accepted Jesus' teachings, they would lose their positions of deference and power. The activities of this night would determine their futures, their relevancy in the Jewish society. They were playing a high stakes game by arresting Jesus, with winners and losers. These leaders were hoping the arrest and the eventual killing of Jesus would remove this attack on their positions of authority and influence. They no longer wanted to hear the judgments of Jesus who said, Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. (Luke 11:43) The Jewish culture was oriented the way they wanted, with them in power, with them controlling the gateway to God. They wanted to be rid of this bold man who said, I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:9-10)
God gave Jesus the power to open the people's eyes and to overcome the religious traditions and practices of the Jewish people. His teachings and activities were directed by God through the power of the Holy Spirit. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. (John 5:19-20) Jesus traversed the land, doing good as the representative of his Father's love for his people. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, commanded the seas and winds to become calm. He could do anything He desired because the Father's goodwill was to bless his people with the Good News that a Savior has come to them to wipe alway their sins, to restore them to the image of God, to birth them as sons and daughters in God's family forever. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13) Knowing his Father's great and glorious plans for his creation, Jesus did not come to rebel against the conventions of the secular world, but He did come to change the hearts of men and women to receive all God prepared for them. He did come to make humans new creatures, those who would have the likeness of God in them, those who could love unconditionally the world and its people. He did come to make people servants to humanity so that people would be blessed by God himself through his sons and daughters at work for him.
We must ask ourselves: Are we trying to change the secular world and its conventions or are we trying to change people's hearts by leading them to the transforming power of Jesus Christ? Are we allowing others to see evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Jesus told Peter to put up his sword after he had cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. We see implied, "Yes Peter, we might win this battle: violence might prevent them from taking me tonight, but we wouldn't win anything in God's eyes. Hearts would remain the same; new creatures would not be created; and eternal life would not be given to sinful men. Put away your sword. By winning tonight, you will not win anything but more misery." Sometimes, we Christians get all wrapped up in changing the world to our liking. We think we are winning, but we are really losing if we forget the message of transformation through Jesus Christ. Only Jesus changes the hearts of men and women. Everything else will fail: our politics, our self-righteousness, our championing of a moral lifestyle. All our solutions will be futile, earth-bound changes without Christ. Only He brings eternal life to us. Dad listened to a man recently who told of a tumultuous childhood. He lived a violent early life because of horrible circumstances. As a consequence, his own violence became so devastating that finally he was institutionalized. Even in the institution, placed in isolation, he destroyed everything he could get his hands on. He was angry, bitter, and destructive. But his testimony today is that discipline, lectures, retentions, and even good words and appropriate teaching could not change him. Only Jesus could change him through the earnest prayers of others. The resurrection power of Jesus transformed his life. Jesus brought comfort and peace to this troubled young man. "Put away your sword Peter, I am not leading a rebellion, I am changing souls for the Father." The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthians 2:4) This is our mission. Bless us, Lord!
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