Don’t you hate the scene of Jesus’ arrest in the garden? I kno | The Faith Of the Fathers

Don’t you hate the scene of Jesus’ arrest in the garden? I know I do. The injustice, the propaganda, the sense of helplessness has all become very painfully familiar in our day. I long for justice.

I have always identified with Peter in the gospels. And like Peter, I want to pull out my sword and strike the unjust. But Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Don’t you realize that I could call on My Father and have Him send me more than a legion of angels, just like that?” (Matthew 26:53). Um...no I didn’t realize that. That’s pretty cool and handy. Serious question: Can I do that too? Can I call on God the Father to send legions of angels to protect me? ‘Cause I’d like to do that right now. As a side note, I believe that I actually can do this and that there is a proper time to do it.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say that it would have been wrong for Him to call legions of angels for His protection. But what He does say is, “How can the Bible come true when it says that this [betrayal and arrest] has to happen?”

Meditating on this reminds me that Jesus died willingly for our sins. Nobody took Jesus’ life. He laid it down. Jesus made this choice for our sake and for the sake of His persecutors. Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus was crucified for the sake of those who crucified him? When His blood splattered from the nails in His hands, and landed on the soldier with the hammer, it was a gift of eternal life to that soldier. It was the gift of deliverance from evil.

Today, evil has descended on my little town of Hendersoville NC in the form of a “Pride Day” in our county park. I think I will ask for a legion of angels, but not to destroy the sinners, but to wage war against the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in the heavenly places...” (Ephesians 6:12)

The Bible says that “the son of man came for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. I say, yes and amen.
But human beings are not the work of the devil but of God. Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. (John 3:17).

Our war today is not against mankind, but for mankind. Our mission is the rescue of God’s image bearers. God, help us to use what you have put at our disposal (even legions of angels) to rescue the world which you so loved!

Help us, Jesus, to choose the way of the cross like you did.