1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,800 well good morning everyone in the weeks that are leading up to Easter we’re 2 00:00:03,800 –> 00:00:09,200 looking at the events that took place on the night before our Lord Jesus was 3 00:00:09,200 –> 00:00:14,280 crucified our series is called darkness before the dawn the dawn of course came 4 00:00:14,280 –> 00:00:18,000 and the triumph of Easter morning that we look forward to celebrating just two 5 00:00:18,000 –> 00:00:23,700 weeks from today when Jesus Christ rose from the dead but before the dawn there 6 00:00:23,700 –> 00:00:29,420 was great darkness and the darkness began on the night that our lord jesus 7 00:00:29,580 –> 00:00:35,160 was betrayed we began that journey into this darkness with Jesus 8 00:00:35,160 –> 00:00:42,860 as we looked at our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane wrestling in agony at the 9 00:00:42,860 –> 00:00:48,720 very prospect of the cup father if it be possible let this cup pass from me 10 00:00:48,720 –> 00:00:54,540 nevertheless not as I will but yours be done when Jesus stared into what it 11 00:00:54,540 –> 00:00:59,639 would mean for him to bear sin to be forsaken by the Father and to bear the 12 00:00:59,639 –> 00:01:07,260 divine wrath it filled him with a sense of horror yet Jesus chose the Father’s 13 00:01:07,260 –> 00:01:14,739 will over all the inclinations even of his sinless humanity your will be done 14 00:01:14,739 –> 00:01:21,099 shall I not drink the cup that the father has given me so the darkness 15 00:01:21,099 –> 00:01:26,959 before the dawn began with the agony of Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane 16 00:01:26,959 –> 00:01:31,720 it continued as we’re going to see this week through the arrest and then God 17 00:01:31,720 –> 00:01:37,720 willing next week through the trial it then deepened through 9 o’clock the 18 00:01:37,720 –> 00:01:44,419 following morning when Jesus was nailed to the cross after he had been so cruelly 19 00:01:44,440 –> 00:01:50,120 scourged it continued through the darkness that came across the land at 20 00:01:50,120 –> 00:01:56,419 noon and until 3 o’clock in the afternoon when Jesus cried out in a loud 21 00:01:56,419 –> 00:02:00,879 voice my God my God why have you forsaken me and then it is finished 22 00:02:00,879 –> 00:02:07,699 father into your hands I commit my spirit now that’s the darkness before 23 00:02:07,699 –> 00:02:13,699 the dawn and today we’re looking at the second step that our Lord took into the 24 00:02:13,699 –> 00:02:18,880 darkness the night he was betrayed and the story of his arrest so please have 25 00:02:18,880 –> 00:02:24,139 your Bible open at Matthew and chapter 26 as we follow this remarkable story 26 00:02:24,139 –> 00:02:29,559 we begin at verse 45 where we’re told that then that is after submitting 27 00:02:29,559 –> 00:02:35,300 himself to the cup and praying for the third time he that is Jesus then he came 28 00:02:35,300 –> 00:02:40,240 to the disciples and said to them sleep and take your rest later on see the hour 29 00:02:40,240 –> 00:02:44,880 is at hand and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners rise 30 00:02:44,880 –> 00:02:50,279 let us be going see my betrayer is at hand and while he was still speaking 31 00:02:50,279 –> 00:02:58,440 verse 47 Judas came one of the 12 and with him a great crowd with swords and 32 00:02:58,440 –> 00:03:07,660 clubs from the chief priests and the elders of the people now Matthew tells 33 00:03:07,759 –> 00:03:13,300 as you all know when the Judas had given a sign the one that I kiss is the man 34 00:03:13,300 –> 00:03:20,740 sees him verse 48 and verse 49 tells us that he came up to Jesus and kissed him 35 00:03:20,740 –> 00:03:25,419 point of the sign of course was very simple in our world of television and 36 00:03:25,419 –> 00:03:30,880 instant communications we can recognize the face of just about anybody who’s in 37 00:03:30,880 –> 00:03:35,880 the news but if you go back to the time of Jesus it’s important to recognize 38 00:03:36,020 –> 00:03:40,139 many of the soldiers who were given the task of arresting him may never have 39 00:03:40,139 –> 00:03:42,960 seen him before I would have no idea what he looked like would not have been 40 00:03:42,960 –> 00:03:47,460 able to distinguish him from one of the other disciples and what if one of the 41 00:03:47,460 –> 00:03:52,419 other disciple stepped forward and identified himself and how would they be 42 00:03:52,419 –> 00:03:57,520 sure that they had arrested the right person besides the arrest was being made 43 00:03:57,520 –> 00:04:04,020 at night and if Judas had relied on a sign like pointing to Jesus I mean if 44 00:04:04,119 –> 00:04:07,259 the disciples have started running in different direction there would be 45 00:04:07,259 –> 00:04:12,699 obvious room for confusion there and so he had settled on a sign that could not 46 00:04:12,699 –> 00:04:21,559 be mistaken he would go up to Jesus and he would kiss him now as some of you may 47 00:04:21,559 –> 00:04:27,380 remember when we looked at the story of Judas here last year we saw that this 48 00:04:28,119 –> 00:04:35,220 of the kiss turned out to be a supreme irrelevance because John tells us that 49 00:04:35,220 –> 00:04:38,799 when this crowd armed with swords and clubs arrived in the garden of 50 00:04:38,799 –> 00:04:43,920 Gethsemane immediately Jesus himself stepped forward and said who are you 51 00:04:43,920 –> 00:04:50,559 seeking to which one of them said Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus said I am he he 52 00:04:50,640 –> 00:05:00,220 identified voluntarily step forward and identified himself so before Judas placed 53 00:05:00,220 –> 00:05:07,160 the kiss on the face of Jesus our Lord had already identified himself stepping 54 00:05:07,160 –> 00:05:13,700 forward two words the arresting party which means that this moment for which 55 00:05:13,700 –> 00:05:19,220 Judas is always remembered throughout history turns out to be a supreme 56 00:05:19,220 –> 00:05:25,859 irrelevance the kiss achieved nothing that had not been achieved already 57 00:05:25,859 –> 00:05:29,339 before by Jesus stepping forward and identifying himself 58 00:05:29,339 –> 00:05:37,279 only serve to confirm Judas defection from being a follower of Jesus so 59 00:05:37,279 –> 00:05:42,179 passing over the kiss I want to focus today on the events that followed verse 60 00:05:42,179 –> 00:05:50,899 50 and they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized him 61 00:05:50,899 –> 00:05:58,420 verse 51 and behold one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand 62 00:05:58,420 –> 00:06:05,700 and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off 63 00:06:05,859 –> 00:06:14,179 his ear now John tells us that it was Peter who drew the sword and he also 64 00:06:14,179 –> 00:06:21,380 tells us that the name of this high priest’s servant was Malkus and the word 65 00:06:21,380 –> 00:06:27,959 that is used here to describe Malcas the high priest’s servant the word servant 66 00:06:28,920 –> 00:06:36,600 which of course means slave he was the high priests slave so what you have in 67 00:06:36,600 –> 00:06:46,980 this story is you have a sword you have a slave and you have the Savior and what 68 00:06:46,980 –> 00:06:52,519 we’re going to see here today is what Jesus Christ says and what Jesus Christ 69 00:06:52,519 –> 00:07:02,640 does in regard to the sword and in regards to the slave by the way can you 70 00:07:02,640 –> 00:07:09,959 imagine two more emotive issues that are on the minds of everyone around the 71 00:07:09,959 –> 00:07:17,760 world today than the issues of violence and the issue of slavery trying to take 72 00:07:17,799 –> 00:07:23,600 on both in one sermon they’re both here in the Garden of Gethsemane in the 73 00:07:23,600 –> 00:07:31,920 arrest of Jesus the sword the slave and the Savior they’re all hear and as I’ve 74 00:07:31,920 –> 00:07:34,959 meditated this week on this passage to scripture come to the conclusion that 75 00:07:34,959 –> 00:07:39,399 could there be anything that speaks more powerfully and directly to the concerns 76 00:07:39,540 –> 00:07:47,700 of our world as we find ourselves in such troubled times today now first then 77 00:07:47,700 –> 00:07:51,380 the Savior and the sword and what I want you to see here is that Christ rebukes 78 00:07:51,380 –> 00:07:57,339 the sin committed by his disciple Christ rebukes the sin committed by his 79 00:07:57,339 –> 00:08:05,700 Disciple verse 50 to put your sword back into its place now the other 80 00:08:05,700 –> 00:08:10,000 Gospels fill out the picture of what actually happened here when the arresting 81 00:08:10,000 –> 00:08:14,440 party arrives Jesus identifies himself Luke tells us 82 00:08:14,440 –> 00:08:18,920 that those who were around him that’s the other disciples saw what would 83 00:08:18,920 –> 00:08:25,079 follow and they said Lord shall we strike with the sword 84 00:08:25,079 –> 00:08:30,640 Peter perhaps true to form didn’t wait for Jesus to answer he just draws the 85 00:08:30,640 –> 00:08:35,159 sword and Matthew tells us here he drew the sword he struck the slave the 86 00:08:35,159 –> 00:08:50,219 servant of the high priest and cut off his ear now this was an act of gross 87 00:08:50,219 –> 00:08:57,359 brutal violence and there can be little doubts that Peter intended it to be 88 00:08:57,500 –> 00:09:06,799 Lethal Peter’s sword would have been a two-handed weapon and there is no doubt 89 00:09:06,799 –> 00:09:12,280 in my mind that as Peter raised it he would have been aiming to split the 90 00:09:12,280 –> 00:09:22,760 skull of Marcus and being off a few inches cuts off his ear what we have 91 00:09:22,760 –> 00:09:32,799 here by any standards is a brutal act of violence perpetrated by a follower of 92 00:09:32,799 –> 00:09:38,479 Jesus Christ now I’m saying to you don’t need me to say this to you you know that 93 00:09:38,479 –> 00:09:44,119 there is no issue that is more prominent or of greater concern in the 94 00:09:44,119 –> 00:09:51,900 world today than the issue of religious violence violence that is perpetrated in 95 00:09:51,940 –> 00:09:57,299 the name of God by people who profess religious faith and here in the Bible we 96 00:09:57,299 –> 00:10:03,900 have a story of a man of faith not of some other faith but a follower of the 97 00:10:03,900 –> 00:10:15,119 Lord Jesus Christ who lashes out in an act of appalling violence striking 98 00:10:15,159 –> 00:10:24,580 someone’s head with a sword now we are then immediately confronted with two 99 00:10:24,580 –> 00:10:33,039 questions the first is what lies at the root of violence and especially what 100 00:10:33,039 –> 00:10:37,119 lies at the root of violence when it comes from a person who professes some 101 00:10:37,119 –> 00:10:44,400 form of faith and the second question is what does Jesus say and what does our 102 00:10:44,460 –> 00:10:52,440 Lord do in regards to this act of violence. Now I want to suggest to you 103 00:10:52,440 –> 00:11:03,260 today that behind any act of violence you will find an intermingling of three 104 00:11:03,260 –> 00:11:07,679 ingredients all of which are present though they may be present in 105 00:11:07,679 –> 00:11:13,239 differing degrees. Let me identify them for you I think they’re all here very 106 00:11:13,840 –> 00:11:21,719 clearly in this story. The first is misguided loyalty. Peter feels very 107 00:11:21,719 –> 00:11:28,359 simply that he needs to defend his Lord. He doesn’t care if he dies doing it. He 108 00:11:28,359 –> 00:11:35,380 sees a great injustice. He is a man of action and so he feels he has to do 109 00:11:35,380 –> 00:11:41,599 something about this and he will do it even if it costs him his own life which 110 00:11:42,059 –> 00:11:46,559 have done had our Lord not intervened but I want you to notice what Jesus says 111 00:11:46,559 –> 00:11:52,640 here in verse 53 but you’re sort of way he says do you think that I cannot 112 00:11:52,640 –> 00:12:02,380 appeal to my father and he will add one send me more than 12 legions of angels 113 00:12:02,380 –> 00:12:09,619 well that’s 72 thousand angels by the way 12 legions that’s 6,000 for each of 114 00:12:09,619 –> 00:12:16,039 the disciples and 6,000 for Jesus they 11 and Jesus see what he’s saying Peter 115 00:12:16,039 –> 00:12:24,000 I don’t need you to defend me that’s what Jesus is saying now it’s hugely 116 00:12:24,000 –> 00:12:30,140 important that’s what a sovereign Lord can say that’s what a living Savior can 117 00:12:30,140 –> 00:12:37,400 say al molar who has a podcast called the briefing that I often find helpful 118 00:12:37,500 –> 00:12:42,039 pointed out recently in that podcast that there is a great difference between 119 00:12:42,039 –> 00:12:50,479 Christianity and Islam on the question of honor I quote Christianity is not an 120 00:12:50,479 –> 00:12:55,840 honor religion faithfulness to Christ does not mean that we have the 121 00:12:55,840 –> 00:13:02,679 responsibility to defend Christ’s honor against his enemies we preach Christ 122 00:13:02,960 –> 00:13:11,479 Christ himself will defend his own honor that’s of huge importance in fact at the 123 00:13:11,479 –> 00:13:16,039 very center of our faith is Christ who submits himself to dishonor and shame on 124 00:13:16,039 –> 00:13:20,520 a cross and then triumphs over it not by the power of his disciples but by his own 125 00:13:20,520 –> 00:13:24,739 sovereign power yes sovereign Savior doesn’t need us to 126 00:13:24,739 –> 00:13:29,960 defend his honor we preach Christ he will defend his own honor and he will 127 00:13:30,320 –> 00:13:36,340 in power and in glory and every eye will see him. Second root of violence not 128 00:13:36,340 –> 00:13:40,479 misplaced only misplaced loyalty but in the mix there you will always find 129 00:13:40,479 –> 00:13:48,679 unrestrained anger now again Peter had reason to be angry I mean this arrest 130 00:13:48,679 –> 00:13:55,239 being made at night with a great crowd assembled with armed with swords and 131 00:13:55,260 –> 00:14:03,119 with clubs I mean this is an absolute outrage and Jesus reasons with those who 132 00:14:03,119 –> 00:14:08,159 have come to arrest him he said when I was sitting every day in the temple you 133 00:14:08,159 –> 00:14:14,479 didn’t do this he reasons with them and the reasons with them because it was 134 00:14:14,479 –> 00:14:23,520 indeed an outrage but the outrage goes to Peters anger and surely it would have 135 00:14:23,700 –> 00:14:31,739 boiled over for Peter at the site of Judas we mentioned his Judas coming out 136 00:14:31,739 –> 00:14:37,280 of the shadows surrounded by all these people in with swords and with clubs and 137 00:14:37,280 –> 00:14:43,840 I can only assume that Peter struck Marcus because Marcus was the nearest to 138 00:14:43,840 –> 00:14:48,239 him and that the next in line if he had got there would have been Judas if our 139 00:14:48,239 –> 00:14:53,320 Lord had not intervened but Jesus does intervene saving both Peters life and 140 00:14:53,440 –> 00:14:59,080 indeed Judases and he gives this clearest command put your sword back in 141 00:14:59,080 –> 00:15:04,840 its place Peter this is not what you do with your anger 142 00:15:04,840 –> 00:15:12,840 and then there’s a third ingredient that is invariably mixed in to the root and 143 00:15:12,840 –> 00:15:20,599 the source of violence and that is unresolved guilt remember what has 144 00:15:20,859 –> 00:15:28,119 happened in the context Christ has given Peter a specific command 145 00:15:28,119 –> 00:15:35,599 that he failed to carry out verse thirty seven taking with him Peter and the two 146 00:15:35,599 –> 00:15:39,820 sons of Zebedee he said to them my soul is very sorrowful even to death 147 00:15:39,820 –> 00:15:47,559 remain here and watch with me but Peter didn’t do that he fell asleep 148 00:15:47,799 –> 00:15:52,280 Jesus comes to the disciples he finds them sleeping he said to Peter verse 40 149 00:15:52,380 –> 00:15:58,760 41 so could you not watch with me one hour watch and pray so that you do not 150 00:15:58,760 –> 00:16:05,359 enter into temptation but Peter did not watch Peter did not pray he fell asleep 151 00:16:05,359 –> 00:16:11,340 as he had before and so Matthew tells us that Jesus comes back to the sleeping 152 00:16:11,340 –> 00:16:15,960 disciples and then he says verse 45 the son of man is betrayed into the hands of 153 00:16:16,119 –> 00:16:20,760 sinners arise let us go my betrayer is at hand and while he’s still speaking 154 00:16:20,760 –> 00:16:26,559 well Jesus was saying that Judas arrived and with him a great crowd armed with 155 00:16:26,559 –> 00:16:32,440 swords and with clubs so you see what it’s happening Peter is just waking up 156 00:16:32,440 –> 00:16:46,380 he’s just waking up to a sense of his own failure Oh falling asleep again and 157 00:16:46,380 –> 00:16:53,440 the reality of his life is so far from the faith that he professes he talks 158 00:16:53,440 –> 00:16:57,700 about his loyalty to Jesus he’ll die for Jesus now they can’t stay awake for an 159 00:16:57,700 –> 00:17:05,560 hour for Jesus and he feels as he stares his own failure in the face that he 160 00:17:05,560 –> 00:17:10,319 needs to do something to make up for it 161 00:17:11,520 –> 00:17:22,199 friends an awakened conscience loaded with unresolved guilt will drive a 162 00:17:22,420 –> 00:17:29,939 person down an angry and a destructive path an awakened conscience loaded with 163 00:17:29,939 –> 00:17:39,000 unresolved guilt will drive a person down an angry and destructive path and 164 00:17:39,000 –> 00:17:45,959 this story shows what can happen to a person who tries to go on serving the 165 00:17:46,959 –> 00:17:55,819 carrying unconfessed sin and unresolved guilt in their own life that’s what’s 166 00:17:55,819 –> 00:17:59,099 happening right here and it comes out in the anger and the rage and the 167 00:17:59,099 –> 00:18:05,800 violence of Peter. This is why the Apostle Paul says in acts on chapter 24 168 00:18:05,800 –> 00:18:14,640 and verse 16 I always take pains to have a clear conscience both toward God and 169 00:18:14,660 –> 00:18:23,719 man. Paul says I bend over backwards so that I’m never in the position of trying 170 00:18:23,719 –> 00:18:31,920 to serve God with unconfessed sin and unresolved guilt in my own life because 171 00:18:31,920 –> 00:18:36,859 if I do that it’s going to set something going and so I do everything within my 172 00:18:36,859 –> 00:18:43,300 power to keep a clean record with God to bring before him whatever I’m aware of 173 00:18:43,359 –> 00:18:47,479 in regards to my conscience and my memory and where it is possible to 174 00:18:47,479 –> 00:18:51,640 resolve it and when it is needed to resolve it with others to do all in my 175 00:18:51,640 –> 00:18:59,780 power in that regard too. I take pains not to be in the position of Peter where 176 00:18:59,780 –> 00:19:06,939 you find him lashing out, why because of misplaced loyalty and of unrestrained 177 00:19:07,939 –> 00:19:16,699 unresolved guilt and I want to suggest to you that wherever you see violence 178 00:19:16,699 –> 00:19:26,459 whether it be domestic whether it be amongst those who are convicted of 179 00:19:26,459 –> 00:19:34,939 crimes whether it be an argument that has become out of control look at your 180 00:19:34,939 –> 00:19:41,459 own life and if there has been an act of violence asked this question did it not 181 00:19:41,459 –> 00:19:49,979 arise from some combination of misplaced loyalty unrestrained anger and 182 00:19:49,979 –> 00:19:54,859 unresolved guilt all of that comes right out of the story here in the garden it’s 183 00:19:54,859 –> 00:19:59,800 all there and therefore it tells us this very important thing you see the world 184 00:19:59,979 –> 00:20:04,939 saying what where is the answer to violence how are we even to approach 185 00:20:04,939 –> 00:20:13,260 this and the only answer ultimately is one that involves a dealing with 186 00:20:13,260 –> 00:20:20,060 unresolved guilt and a finding of a place to put the anger and the rightly 187 00:20:20,060 –> 00:20:25,459 directed loyalty now let’s go from there then to see how 188 00:20:25,459 –> 00:20:30,920 wonderfully Jesus answers each of these things in what he says right here in the 189 00:20:30,920 –> 00:20:35,119 garden Christ’s answer to violence and it’s so clear in verse 52 isn’t it 190 00:20:35,119 –> 00:20:40,699 can’t state this too many times this morning put your sword back into its 191 00:20:40,699 –> 00:20:49,180 place here’s what Jesus is saying to his airing disciple you cannot accomplish 192 00:20:49,180 –> 00:20:57,140 God’s will by acts of violence that’s what our Lord says the anger of man does 193 00:20:57,140 –> 00:21:01,500 not produce the righteousness of God that’s James chapter 1 in verse 22 194 00:21:01,500 –> 00:21:05,719 wrongs don’t make it right someone has been wronged that wrong is not put right 195 00:21:05,719 –> 00:21:13,540 by adding a wrong to it you cannot bring justice by adding to your sins and that 196 00:21:13,540 –> 00:21:19,859 is why the gospel advances not by taking the lives of others but by followers of 197 00:21:19,859 –> 00:21:24,520 Jesus laying down our lives for the sake of others just as Jesus laid down his 198 00:21:24,520 –> 00:21:32,000 life for us Bishop Riles says it well the sword is not to be used in the 199 00:21:32,000 –> 00:21:36,939 propagation and maintenance of the gospel Christianity is not to be 200 00:21:36,939 –> 00:21:43,359 enforced by bloodshed and belief in it exhorted by force happy would it have 201 00:21:43,400 –> 00:21:48,520 been for the church if this sentence had been more frequently remembered he’s 202 00:21:48,520 –> 00:21:57,479 right now France Romans chapter 13 makes clear that God trusts the power of the 203 00:21:57,479 –> 00:22:06,280 sword to the state to act for the protection of populations but the sword 204 00:22:06,380 –> 00:22:14,760 is never given in the Bible to the individual or to the church the weapons 205 00:22:14,780 –> 00:22:20,739 of our warfare are not of the flesh but of divine power it is not by might nor 206 00:22:20,739 –> 00:22:26,920 by power but by my spirit says the Lord so Jesus says to his disciple you put 207 00:22:26,920 –> 00:22:34,900 your sword back into its place and then he tells Peter why and as we’ve seen the 208 00:22:34,900 –> 00:22:40,839 first reason why is that Jesus doesn’t need us to defend his honor do you not 209 00:22:40,839 –> 00:22:45,699 think that I can appeal to my father and he will at once send more than twelve 210 00:22:45,699 –> 00:22:54,280 legions of Angels we proclaim Christ Christ will defend his own honor he’s 211 00:22:54,280 –> 00:23:00,760 the Living Savior it is not our job to defend the honor of Jesus by prosecuting 212 00:23:01,660 –> 00:23:07,719 the Savior or by attacking people who defy our Lord our Jesus does not need us 213 00:23:07,719 –> 00:23:12,839 to do that he does not call us to do that and he will defend his own 214 00:23:12,839 –> 00:23:20,359 honor then secondly Christ places a restraint on anger and 215 00:23:20,359 –> 00:23:28,780 look at this in verse 52 all who take the sword will perish by the sword are 216 00:23:29,020 –> 00:23:33,619 that’s come down more popularly to us from a Latin translation of the Bible as 217 00:23:33,619 –> 00:23:41,520 it’s often repeated those who live by the sword will die by the sword now it 218 00:23:41,520 –> 00:23:47,219 could be that Jesus is speaking essentially to Peter here in effect 219 00:23:47,219 –> 00:23:52,939 saying if you take up the sword you will die by the sword and of course there is 220 00:23:52,939 –> 00:23:58,300 truth in that but Peter didn’t live by the sword and so I don’t think that’s 221 00:23:58,300 –> 00:24:02,180 what Jesus is referring to here I don’t think he’s speaking about Peter I think 222 00:24:02,180 –> 00:24:07,979 he’s referring to the great crowd that was armed with swords and with clubs what 223 00:24:07,979 –> 00:24:11,640 Peter is to be done about them and Peter thinks it’s up to him to do 224 00:24:11,640 –> 00:24:17,260 something about them as an individual all the power seems to be on their side 225 00:24:17,260 –> 00:24:26,459 but Jesus is saying Peter you look at that crowd God will deal with them which 226 00:24:26,500 –> 00:24:31,319 of course happened just a few years later didn’t it in the catastrophe that 227 00:24:31,319 –> 00:24:43,540 came by the sword in the very place where Jesus was arrested see this takes 228 00:24:43,540 –> 00:24:48,280 us to where we were in the fall of last year in Romans chapter 12 and verses 19 229 00:24:48,280 –> 00:24:54,079 to 20 yes the sword is given to the state with regards to the protection of 230 00:24:54,979 –> 00:25:01,959 that’s very important but here Jesus is speaking to the individual and to the 231 00:25:06,439 –> 00:25:12,359 but leave it to the wrath of God here’s what you do with your anger 232 00:25:12,359 –> 00:25:17,500 instead of taking up the sword taking matters into your own heart hands what 233 00:25:17,500 –> 00:25:23,119 you do is you trust it to the sovereign God who says vengeance is mine I will 234 00:25:24,000 –> 00:25:30,939 that there is a sovereign God who will bring justice then you have something to 235 00:25:30,939 –> 00:25:35,959 do in someplace to go with your anger so that you do not become a man of 236 00:25:35,959 –> 00:25:42,599 violence but you do as Jesus did and you trust it into the hand of your father 237 00:25:42,599 –> 00:25:48,920 and then of course Jesus is the one uniquely who is able to lift the burden 238 00:25:49,339 –> 00:25:54,939 and surely that’s the reference in verse 54 where Jesus says how then can the 239 00:25:54,939 –> 00:25:59,660 scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so what what scriptures is he referring 240 00:25:59,660 –> 00:26:03,040 to the scriptures that referred to the fact that he would be arrested that he 241 00:26:03,040 –> 00:26:06,959 would be tried that he would be crucified and that he would become the 242 00:26:06,959 –> 00:26:12,920 one who bears sin so that our guilt would be taken away this takes us 243 00:26:12,920 –> 00:26:17,859 surely to the very heart of our gospel that when we look at the sins and the 244 00:26:17,859 –> 00:26:21,459 guilt and the failure of our own life that is nothing that we can do no 245 00:26:21,459 –> 00:26:29,040 zealous self-sacrificing act can atone for our own sins not the labor of my 246 00:26:29,040 –> 00:26:38,180 hands can fulfill your laws demands could my zeal no respite no could I live 247 00:26:38,180 –> 00:26:44,140 with a passion for God all of my life could my tears forever flow all of that 248 00:26:44,359 –> 00:26:53,719 for sin could not atone you must save and you alone. Now friends as I’ve 249 00:26:53,719 –> 00:26:57,420 looked at this I thought, could there be any passage in the Bible more relevant 250 00:26:57,420 –> 00:27:07,839 to our world today? People all around us are talking about religious violence 251 00:27:07,839 –> 00:27:14,239 trying to understand it, wondering how in the world initiatives may be taken to 252 00:27:14,239 –> 00:27:19,040 resolve it and here is a great opportunity for everyone of us to be 253 00:27:19,040 –> 00:27:26,420 ready to speak about Jesus and when you do people will say, well there have been 254 00:27:26,420 –> 00:27:32,280 atrocities perpetrated by people who profess to be Christians, and you will 255 00:27:32,280 –> 00:27:40,599 say, yes there have! Let me tell you about one of them right here in the garden of 256 00:27:40,599 –> 00:27:51,119 Gethsemane and how Jesus rebuked the sin of his disciple. That’s Jesus and the 257 00:27:51,119 –> 00:27:55,540 sword, that’s the first thing. Something else I want us to see more briefly today 258 00:27:55,540 –> 00:28:01,119 and and it’s this, not only does Jesus rebuke the sin committed by his disciple 259 00:28:01,119 –> 00:28:08,020 but Jesus heals the wound that was inflicted by his disciple. This is 260 00:28:08,020 –> 00:28:13,540 wonderful and we find this not in Matthew it’s an added piece that is 261 00:28:13,540 –> 00:28:18,260 wonderfully preserved for us in the Gospel of Luke chapter 22 in verse 51 262 00:28:18,260 –> 00:28:22,180 where we read this same incident that’s being recounted by Luke but with this 263 00:28:22,180 –> 00:28:28,900 added detail. One of them we know it was Peter struck the servant of the high 264 00:28:28,900 –> 00:28:35,439 priest and cut off his right ear so Luke adds that other detail it was the right 265 00:28:35,439 –> 00:28:45,520 ear but Jesus said no more of this and then Luke records and he touched his ear 266 00:28:45,520 –> 00:28:55,680 and healed him. Beautiful. Now this was, if you think about it, the very last 267 00:28:56,060 –> 00:29:02,859 miracle performed by Jesus in his three years of ministry. You know if we were on 268 00:29:02,859 –> 00:29:06,420 a quiz question and asked a group of Christians what was the first miracle I 269 00:29:06,420 –> 00:29:10,500 think we’d get you know everyone jumping to Cana of Galilee and but then if 270 00:29:10,500 –> 00:29:16,560 you ask what was the last miracle? This wouldn’t come so quickly to mind. It’s 271 00:29:16,560 –> 00:29:21,900 not so memorable as the feeding of the 5,000 or the raising of Lazarus from the 272 00:29:22,660 –> 00:29:32,260 performed by the same divine power and it is of huge significance. See when 273 00:29:32,260 –> 00:29:39,839 Jesus healed the ear of Malchus, he healed a wound that had been inflicted 274 00:29:39,839 –> 00:29:47,380 by his own disciple. That’s the significance. He healed a wound that had 275 00:29:47,560 –> 00:29:54,420 inflicted by his own disciple. And there’s therefore something very, very 276 00:29:54,420 –> 00:30:01,479 wonderful here for any person who has ever been wounded by a disciple of Jesus. 277 00:30:01,479 –> 00:30:07,719 Someone who was a Christian who acted towards you in a way that caused you 278 00:30:07,719 –> 00:30:13,760 harm and you perhaps said something like this if they had not been a believer I 279 00:30:13,760 –> 00:30:18,000 would have got over it by now but it’s the fact that it was someone who claimed 280 00:30:18,000 –> 00:30:22,420 to be a brother or a sister in Christ who did this, that’s the thing that I 281 00:30:22,420 –> 00:30:34,540 can’t get over. Wounded by a disciple of Jesus that was Malchus position. And 282 00:30:34,540 –> 00:30:39,060 Malchus lost his ear, I mean this wasn’t a small thing I mean he he was within a 283 00:30:39,060 –> 00:30:48,760 few inches of losing his life and it was a Believer who did it. Peter did not act 284 00:30:48,760 –> 00:30:57,699 with Christ’s consent but he was Christ’s disciple and so which of us 285 00:30:57,699 –> 00:31:03,319 here would be surprised if Malchus for the rest of his life said well if a 286 00:31:03,319 –> 00:31:07,859 disciple of Jesus can do a thing like that to me I don’t want to hear anything 287 00:31:08,000 –> 00:31:15,079 about Jesus Christ for the rest of my life who would blame him for that so 288 00:31:15,079 –> 00:31:22,920 look at the significance of what Jesus does here the ear was severed cut off 289 00:31:23,040 –> 00:31:29,939 so picture Jesus with me he stoops to the ground and he picks up the ear that 290 00:31:29,939 –> 00:31:36,459 has been severed from the head of Malchus he places it over the bleeding 291 00:31:36,459 –> 00:31:42,839 wound holding it in place and then slowly takes his hand away revealing to 292 00:31:42,839 –> 00:31:50,280 those who can see that it has been wonderfully gloriously miraculously 293 00:31:50,280 –> 00:32:05,319 healed listen Christ is able to bless you more than any of his disciples can 294 00:32:05,319 –> 00:32:11,500 ever wound you that’s what we are to take from this you’ve been wounded by a 295 00:32:11,500 –> 00:32:15,640 Christian you’ve been wounded by another disciple here’s what you need to take 296 00:32:15,640 –> 00:32:25,300 from this the story of Marcus Christ can bless you more than any of his disciples 297 00:32:25,300 –> 00:32:32,099 can wound you and it’s out of this wounding this terrible wounding this 298 00:32:32,140 –> 00:32:37,339 wounding that should never have been the sinful acts of Peter that Jesus rebukes 299 00:32:37,339 –> 00:32:43,619 and yet it’s out of this that this man comes to experience the touch of Jesus 300 00:32:43,619 –> 00:32:49,800 Christ in his life and surely his eyes opened therefore to the divine power of 301 00:32:49,800 –> 00:32:56,099 this Savior in a way that would never otherwise have happened 302 00:32:56,260 –> 00:33:01,219 Marcus of course had never experienced anything remotely like this in his life 303 00:33:02,020 –> 00:33:07,239 and think of it. He had arrived in the garden with this mob with swords and 304 00:33:07,239 –> 00:33:12,579 clubs and he was evidently at the front perhaps because the arrest was being 305 00:33:12,579 –> 00:33:17,020 made in the name of Caiaphas the high priest and he was Caiaphas’ slave. And 306 00:33:17,020 –> 00:33:20,619 as a slave what would he have been carrying? In all probability he was 307 00:33:20,619 –> 00:33:27,459 carrying the rope with which Jesus would be tied and so he comes into the garden 308 00:33:27,859 –> 00:33:37,060 side with the enemies of Jesus and here he experiences Christ loving his enemies 309 00:33:37,060 –> 00:33:45,619 healing the wound that was inflicted by his own disciple. A great irony here and 310 00:33:45,619 –> 00:33:49,459 of course this story is absolutely full of ironies is that full of ironies is that 311 00:33:49,459 –> 00:33:56,579 Malchus is the slave of the high priest. In other words the only form of religion 312 00:33:56,579 –> 00:34:01,140 that this man has ever known is a form of religion that enslaves. That was all 313 00:34:01,140 –> 00:34:09,300 he ever knew but Jesus who’s going to be bound in the garden in just a moment is 314 00:34:09,300 –> 00:34:16,060 the great high priest who comes to set his people free. And so here you have 315 00:34:16,060 –> 00:34:20,939 Malchus- think of it, really he’s standing between two high priests. The official 316 00:34:20,939 –> 00:34:25,479 recognised one and the one who is not yet recognised. Jesus the great high 317 00:34:25,600 –> 00:34:33,860 priest. The one, the recognised one, makes him a slave but the unrecognised one 318 00:34:33,860 –> 00:34:40,360 heals his wound. The recognised high priest that seems to have all of the 319 00:34:40,360 –> 00:34:46,439 power sends a great crowd armed with swords and clubs to do his will but this 320 00:34:46,439 –> 00:34:52,060 unrecognised high priest tells his disciple to put his sword away he has no 321 00:34:52,500 –> 00:35:00,360 need of it because he’s the lord of all angels. Absolutely no question in my 322 00:35:00,360 –> 00:35:07,239 mind as to who I want for my high priest right. I thank god that Caiaphas is long 323 00:35:07,239 –> 00:35:15,840 since gone, Jesus Christ our living great high priest. We have the privilege of 324 00:35:15,840 –> 00:35:19,060 coming around the Lord’s table in just a few moments so let me just pose these 325 00:35:19,479 –> 00:35:23,679 two questions that naturally arise from the scriptures today. The first is, 326 00:35:24,300 –> 00:35:29,860 is there a sin that is on your conscience that needs to be confessed 327 00:35:29,860 –> 00:35:35,459 today? Remember Paul says I would bend over backwards not to be in the position 328 00:35:35,459 –> 00:35:40,600 of carrying unconfessed sin on my conscience. I want to have a clear 329 00:35:40,600 –> 00:35:44,100 conscience before God and I want to have a clear conscience before other 330 00:35:44,239 –> 00:35:48,320 people in the world. What what a better place for that to be moved 331 00:35:48,320 –> 00:35:51,760 forward than right here at the Lord’s table as He speaks to us through 332 00:35:51,760 –> 00:35:57,659 His word. Is there a sin on your conscience that needs to be confessed 333 00:35:57,659 –> 00:36:00,860 to the Lord Jesus Christ today and perhaps after the service something 334 00:36:01,000 –> 00:36:08,739 put right and as much as you are able with someone else today? You know, 335 00:36:08,739 –> 00:36:11,959 that was Peter’s position, wasn’t it and then you know what it was. He 336 00:36:12,879 –> 00:36:18,820 became worse. I mean from this violent act What happens then when 337 00:36:18,820 –> 00:36:22,520 Jesus is arrested? We then find him in the courtyard and someone 338 00:36:22,520 –> 00:36:25,399 says, aren’t you one of his disciples and now we’re finding 339 00:36:25,399 –> 00:36:30,780 this anger that’s still there boiling over and cursing and 340 00:36:30,780 –> 00:36:35,020 swearing and denying that he ever knew Jesus and then the 341 00:36:35,020 –> 00:36:40,860 cock as and then he goes out and he weeps bitterly. See, that’s 342 00:36:41,120 –> 00:36:44,520 back. The dawn is that this Jesus rose from the dead and 343 00:36:44,520 –> 00:36:47,520 after his resurrection, he comes to Peter and he says, 344 00:36:47,520 –> 00:36:52,939 Peter, do you love me? He restores him to feed the sheep 345 00:36:52,939 –> 00:36:57,840 and to give him ministry and to take a man who has sin in his 346 00:36:57,840 –> 00:37:03,300 past big time. and to say, I’m going to use you and make you 347 00:37:03,300 –> 00:37:07,760 fruitful. In all these years that lie ahead. That’s hard. 348 00:37:07,939 –> 00:37:11,120 And it’s the greatest transformation that he can 349 00:37:11,120 –> 00:37:16,179 bring. Listen, Jesus Christ allowed his wrists to be bound 350 00:37:16,179 –> 00:37:20,979 in the garden and his hands to be nailed to the cross. so that 351 00:37:20,979 –> 00:37:28,040 men and women with unresolved guilt. with unrestrained anger 352 00:37:28,040 –> 00:37:35,760 and misdirected loyalty could be forgiven. Could be restored 353 00:37:36,679 –> 00:37:40,360 wrongs and right to loyalty to our Lord and Savior Jesus 354 00:37:40,360 –> 00:37:43,899 Christ. That’s what happened to Peter and it’s the same grace 355 00:37:43,899 –> 00:37:48,239 of Jesus that makes it possible for every one of us the sins 356 00:37:48,239 –> 00:37:52,239 that need to be confessed to be brought under the blood of 357 00:37:52,239 –> 00:37:57,000 Jesus Christ who died to atone for our sins because nothing we 358 00:37:57,000 –> 00:38:02,300 do could ever atone for our own and here’s the second question 359 00:38:32,300 –> 00:38:36,399 that I think will be a wonderful thing. What a story 360 00:38:36,399 –> 00:38:41,540 he surely has one thing is so very Very clear. He knew the 361 00:38:41,540 –> 00:38:47,379 touch of a loving savior in his life bringing healing to him and 362 00:38:47,379 –> 00:38:51,219 however difficult his future years may have been and they 363 00:38:51,219 –> 00:38:55,780 may have been very hard indeed with the position in life that 364 00:38:55,780 –> 00:39:01,719 he endured. would always be able to say. I know that there is 365 00:39:02,719 –> 00:39:08,080 The violence of those who wield the sword I know that there is 366 00:39:08,080 –> 00:39:11,50 something better than the oppression of those who 367 00:39:11,560 –> 00:39:20,040 enslave because I have met Jesus and he cared for me even 368 00:39:20,040 –> 00:39:25,399 when I was his enemy standing with the rope in my hands ready 369 00:39:25,399 –> 00:39:31,280 to bind him. Wounded friend, you have more proof of the love of 370 00:39:31,379 –> 00:39:35,860 Christ Christ for you today. than Malka ever had in the 371 00:39:35,860 –> 00:39:42,120 garden of Gethsemane. Christ demonstrates his love for us. 372 00:39:42,120 –> 00:39:46,639 Here’s the healing that comes to us in the while we were still 373 00:39:46,639 –> 00:39:53,600 sinners, Christ died for us. He was pierced for our 374 00:39:53,600 –> 00:39:59,120 transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquity is the 375 00:39:59,340 –> 00:40:06,100 he has brought us. Peace was upon him and it. By his wounds 376 00:40:06,100 –> 00:40:12,300 that we are healed. Let’s pray together. 377 00:40:13,500 –> 00:40:18,419 Father, please deal with us deeply today from your word and 378 00:40:18,419 –> 00:40:25,020 around your table. in our many misguided loyalties, are often 379 00:40:25,379 –> 00:40:31,320 compassion towards each other and their unresolved guilt. 380 00:40:31,320 –> 00:40:35,320 Please heal our wounds so that where there is anger, there may 381 00:40:35,320 –> 00:40:40,739 be peace. where there is guilt. There may be forgiveness and 382 00:40:40,739 –> 00:40:46,000 where there are wounds there may be healing through Jesus 383 00:40:46,000 –> 00:40:52,320 Christ, our wonderful Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.