This has to happen

Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" – Matthew 25.53-54

How the disciples must have wondered when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. He had told them it would happen, but it must have been too much for them when they did.

I don’t think we can properly imagine the full extent of the trauma of this event. It was at least very late at night. The disciples were tired – we know that because they kept falling asleep. We all know that tiredness plays into emotions.

Judas had been away plotting his betrayal of Jesus. Jesus finished His prayer and came back for the disciples. After the prayer Judas brought the officials to the garden. It was there that Judas infamously betrayed Him with a kiss.

The kiss was a signal for the soldiers who came forward to arrest Him. When they did the disciples reacted. Peter grabbed a sword and cut off a servant’s ear. I think this is a natural and expected reaction. Jesus was the Messiah – He had to be defended.

Jesus’ reaction was telling. We know from another account that He reached down, picked up the ear, and reattached it. Then He said – ‘Put away your sword, those who live by the sword will die by the sword.’

‘Don’t you know’ Jesus continued, ‘That if I wanted I could call down 12 legions (72,000) angels to come to my assistance? But then the scriptures would not be fulfilled, this must happen.’

I think how often things that God does in my life and ministry don’t make any sense to me. I can’t figure these things out any more than the disciples could figure out what was going on then. If they had taken things into their own hands they would have messed up everything. When I insist on taking things in my own hands today I chance doing the same.

I don’t know what must happen. I really don’t have a clue. So I need to be careful about taking things like this into my own hands.