Clubs, Swords, and the Salvation of Jesus

As I have been walking through Holy Week this year, I have been paying special attention to the events that happened each day of the week, instead of just waiting for the Sunday Easter celebrations.  I had never spent such a focused time of studying Jesus’s last week leading up to His resurrection before.  One of the most disturbing scenes of the entire week is when Judas betrays Jesus and leads a mob carrying clubs and swords against him. This incident is found in Matthew 26:47-56.  It got me thinking not only about how Jesus handled the situation, but how it applies to me.

Jesus brings the Sword of the Spirit to Satan’s rock fight. 

Verse 47 reads, “While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve arrived.  With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.”  My first thought was about the weapons.  Talk about bringing a rock to a sword fight!  Jesus is God – how can any earthly weapon ever prevail against Him?  And yet that is what Satan does – he brings earthly weapons to bear against the power of Jesus in believers, whether they are physical clubs and swords, or words, or emotional attacks.  Since he has to know Jesus will prevail, I have to ask why Satan even tries.  He tries because we allow his weapons to have power over us, rather than turning to the power of Jesus to fight our battles.  We truly can only bring a rock to Satan’s sword fight, but Jesus brings the Sword of the Spirit to Satan’s rock fight. 

Jesus calls Judas a friend, in the midst of this deepest of betrayals.

Verses 48-50(a) read: “Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.  Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’”  The first thing that catches my attention in these verses is what an active role Judas has in this moment.  It is one thing to have given the priests and elders information about where to find Jesus.  It is quite another to be the one leading them, and then to confront Jesus face to face in a moment of ultimate betrayal.  Many have conjectured about why Judas did what he did.  Maybe he thought he would incite Jesus into becoming the earthly king and overthrowing the Roman rule.  But even knowing that, for Judas to be in the physical presence of the God of creation and to still be determined to betray him is beyond imagining.  I believe it was only possible because it never was just Judas betraying Jesus at this moment.  Remember Luke 22:3 tell us, “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.”  The betrayer and the one doing direct face-to-face battle with Jesus in that moment was Satan.  We do not fight against flesh and blood – we fight against Satan.  All battles are ultimately spiritual battles.  And while Satan knew he could never destroy Jesus, he did seek to injure him as much as possible, using the sign of friendship and love – a kiss – as the means of betrayal.  Yet in this dark and painful moment, the love, grace, and sovereignty of Jesus shines out.  He calls Judas a friend, in the midst of this deepest of betrayals.  Even as Judas sins in an inconceivable way, the love of Jesus is always present.  And ultimately, Jesus is still in control.  He verbally gives Judas permission to betray Him, knowing it was always part of a bigger plan. 

We don’t have to win every battle because He has already won the war.

Verses 50(b)-53 state: “Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.  With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.  ‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?’”  This incident of a companion, identified as Peter in John 18:10, cutting off another’s ear in defense of Jesus reminds me again our battles are not against flesh and blood.  Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away.  We were never intended to draw swords against each other.  Jesus had already taught Peter that in the Sermon on the Mount, when He tells Peter how we respond to aggression is no longer an eye for an eye, but turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-39).   It also reminds me Jesus taught in the same sermon that by what measure we judge others, we will be judged (Matthew 7:2).  It is not for us to judge and condemn others – that right belongs to God alone.  It is for us to submit to and share Jesus.  Jesus also reminds Peter in this passage that He is voluntarily submitting to these men.  He didn’t have to let them take Him – He could had stopped His impending death at any moment. Jesus did not have to worry about being conquered by men – He was already the victor over death from the beginning.  Even in Genesis 3:15, we are promised Jesus may get bruised, but He will crush Satan in the end.  Jesus didn’t have to win this battle because He had already won the war.  And He was just days away from showing that to the whole world with His resurrection.  We don’t have to win every battle, either, because He has already won the war.  We just need to trust in Him, even when we don’t understand the spiritual battles going on around us.

His love never ceases.

Verses 54-56(a) say: “’But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen in this way?’ In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?  Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.  But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’”  Even as Jesus was being taken to die by a crowd of men who hated Him and were intent on killing Him, Jesus was still reaching out to them.  He was still trying to reach their hearts so none would be lost.  Remember, the crowd He is addressing is the mob sent by the chief priests and the elders – the learned men who knew the Old Testament inside and out.  These are the men who studied the prophets and were waiting for the Messiah who was prophesied.  And yet, even as Jesus reminds them what is happening in that very minute was part of the prophecy they should have known and recognized as pointing to Jesus, they were still blind.  Jesus was pointing out what He said in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  Jesus was not coming to rebel against and overturn the Old Testament – He is the Old Testament – every promise, every law, every prophecy.  Yet they could not see.  Jesus never quit trying to reach them, even as He knew their blindness and determination to kill Him was part of the prophecy which had to be fulfilled, too.  His love never ceases. 

Jesus died, not in spite of the fact that they all fled, but precisely because of the fact that they all fled.

Finally, verse 56(b) is perhaps the most heartbreaking moment when it says: “Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.”  It grieves my heart they ALL fled.  These are the good guys – the friends who were always with Him – the future icons of the early church.  Yet not a single one stayed with Jesus during His betrayal.  Jesus, in His divinity, already knew it was going to happen, but Jesus, in His humanity, had to be deeply hurt by it.  It makes me grieve for Him in that moment, and I also have to admit to thinking, like Peter once did, that I would never have betrayed Him like they did.  But the cruel fact is I would have betrayed Him, too.  I do it all the time – every time I sin and fall short.  This is the true good news of Jesus.  Every single human being who ever lived would have betrayed Him.  Paul tells us so in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” and also in Romans 3:10: “There is no one righteous, not even one.”  Jesus died, not in spite of the fact that they all fled, but precisely because of the fact that they all fled.  If one of them had stayed – if one of them could have done as they should have done – then they would have had the power to be righteous on their own and Jesus wouldn’t have had to die.  But the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden guaranteed we all flee from God.  The good news is Jesus died for us anyhow.

The beauty, joy, and glory of Holy Week is Jesus never has and never will betray us.

As we celebrate this Easter season, I pray we do not forget the lessons Jesus taught as the crowd came after Him with earthly clubs and swords.  First, no earthly weapon of wood, metal, word, or action will ever prevail against Jesus – He was already victorious before the earth was created.  Second, all battles are spiritual battles.  We can either choose to fight on the side of Jesus, or be in league with Satan.  But our battles are not with each other.  Our battle is about who we will end up with in eternity, and only one of the options loves us no matter what we choose – Jesus.  Third, Jesus never quits trying.  He never quits trying to reveal Himself to a lost humanity.  He never stops trying to enter a sinner’s heart.  And He never stops trying to guide, comfort, and sanctify those who accept Him as their Lord.  His love endures forever and so does His effort on our behalf.  And finally, all of His love and effort is totally undeserved on our part.  We have all betrayed Jesus.  The beauty, joy, and glory of Holy Week is Jesus never has and never will betray us.  If you haven’t already, let that sink in, confess your sin, and accept Him as the Lord and Savior of your life and your heart.  Let Him win the battles and conquer the sin in your life today.

I hope today’s message touched your heart, increased your understanding, and encouraged you.  Praying the peace and comfort of Christ Jesus on your life.