Week 47
John 18:11 “Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Jesus does not need our protection! This is an irrefutable fact! Poor Peter, though well-intentioned, forgot for a moment the pivotal realities of Christ’s life and mission.
How do we explain the arrest, mistreatment, suffering, and death of Jesus Christ? Is this history’s greatest injustice? Is this evidence that Satan wins? Has the dark side overcome the light?
“No” to all of this; the abuse of Jesus represents God’s great love and sovereign redemptive plan. Yes, people sinned against Jesus in doing all these terrible things to Him, but they could have done nothing had Jesus not yielded to the Father’s plan, and had the Father not allowed such treatment.
We are prone today to forget what Peter forgot. We forget WHO Jesus is in His power and authority. We forget WHY Jesus came here to earth. Jesus came to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Jesus came to save His people from our sins (Matthew 1:21). In Jesus’ prayer struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, He sought the Father for permission to avoid the cross. Even before the arresting party came to bind Him and lead Him away, Jesus knew what was coming, and He recoiled from it. He recoiled from it because becoming guilty of our sin that He might sacrifice Himself as a payment for our sin was so painful, disgusting, and horrifying that it almost overwhelmed Him. But there was no turning back for Jesus; He came to finish the job. And He did finish the job when He said “It is finished” on the cross.
What is the reader to gain from such a text as ours today? Surely, we must understand that Jesus Christ willingly gave Himself for us! We need to understand that this is Jesus’ great and astounding love for His people, His sheep, for you and for me. Jesus’ power was so great that He willed Himself to surrender to the Father’s will and to the malevolence of sinners. The wicked treatment and death of Jesus did not conquer Him; these things did not stop Jesus from accomplishing His mission. These terrible sins were the actual means by which JESUS ACHIEVED HIS PURPOSE; thus, we can take comfort in the story of the cross as His saved people.
Christian friend, the power of this world is nothing to compare with the power of Christ! This world may oppose Christ, but they cannot defeat Him. There is no power in the universe to compare with Jesus’ power! We must, as Jesus’ disciples, realize that we are sheltered by the supernatural and powerful providence of a kindly and all-sufficient Shepherd; we are safe in His hands because He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Rest your fears in His sweet and capable saving plan for your life; all is well!
Prayer: Dear Lord, never allow me to think that this world can destroy Your life and saving work. Nothing can keep You from executing Your sovereign eternal plan for our salvation and for the transformation of all Creation. Thank you for the comfort that comes from this assurance. Amen.