Hands Of Misguided Zeal (Peter)

Relax, Christ Jesus Is Always In Control

It just feels like he got caught up in the moment, doesn’t it? It’s dark. The city was crowded for the Passover, and Peter knew there were powerful enemies seeking his Teacher’s life. Then, in the middle of the night, (John 18:3) torches and lanterns began to light up the garden. (Mt. 26:40-41) Peter’s eyes were still drowsy. His heart was still heavy from the disheartening announcement Jesus made in the upper room. It just feels like Peter got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. In a matter of moments, flickering, dim lights flooded over Peter and Jesus and the other disciples. Weapons glimmered and glinted from the glow of the lanterns these wicked men were carrying. It must have been hard for Peter to make out how many men were there, that night, or even who sent them.

Emotions were high. The lighting was low. Peter and the disciples were outnumbered and out-armed. It just feels like the perfect storm for something bad to happen. It just feels like the kind of situation where a man reacts instinctively and does something born completely out of fear, something frenzied, something foolish—something desperate, dangerous, and dreadful.

Of course, that is what happened. A man did something born out of fear. Something frenzied. Something incredibly foolish. As Jesus’ disciples saw what was happening, they asked: (Lk. 22:49)“Lord should we strike with our swords?” In a deeply desperate and dangerous moment, Peter made his decision to strike quickly. Having one of the two swords, he (Jn. 18:10) drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. And it just feels like, if Peter had really thought about things, he would have realized that twelve men with two swords and little experience in hand-to-hand combat against a detachment of armed soldiers stood no chance.

It just feels like Peter got carried away by his emotions and did something without really thinking it through. That was kind of Peter’s thing. Peter often went with his gut—for better or for worse.

It’s easy for us to sympathize with Peter! He’s just trying to protect his friend. He’s just trying to defend his Lord. His heart is in the right place, right?He just didn’t go about it in the best way. And, if he had time to think about it, to prepare himself, he probably would have chosen a better way to respond than looping off Malchus’ ear.

There’s just one problem with this thought. It sounds nice. It feels sincere and kind-hearted. It just isn’t reality. Peter had been prepared for this moment. For the better part of the past year, Jesus had been preparing Peter and the other disciples for this high-stakes, high-stress, highly hazardous moment. For the better part of the past year, Jesus had been warning his disciples about the Jewish leaders.

(Mk. 8:31-32) The first time Jesus predicted his suffering and death plainly, Peter responded by trying to rebuke Jesus. At that moment, Jesus rebuked him harshly. (Mk. 8:33) Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns fo God, but merely human concerns.

The next time was on their way down the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus said: (Lk 9:44) “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. (Mk 9:31) They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”

As they were making their way to Jerusalem for the Passover, Jesus predicted what was going to happen to him a third time. (Mk. 10:33-34) “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

Jesus told them all about his suffering and death so that (Jn. 14:29) when it happened they would trust in God and in his Word.

But of course, all that instruction went flying out the window in a stressful moment. That night, as he was surrounded by a band of evil men, Peter relied upon himself. And he had the wrong motive. So he incorrectly identified the enemy. He used the wrong weapon and brought about the wrong result. In a heated situation, Peter fell into an old and foolish habit of trying to force his will to be done.

That’s not just an old and foolish habit of his, either. In stressful moments and heated discussions, we do the same, don’t we?

There are times when, like Peter, we feel God and his church need a little more muscle. So we back a bully who supports our cause even when we know he cares nothing for our Christ. There are times where we feel like God and his church need a little more pizzazz. So we support a talented voice that appeals to hearts and fascinates minds, but in reality cares little for sound Biblical teaching and practice. Sometimes, we feel like God and his church need better practices. So we look to the “successful churches” and beg, borrow, and steal without once considering their motives. Or we look to the business world and grab from their goody bags to stimulate people to come and see, to serve and support what we’re doing, without reflecting on the reason why those businesses do what they do. There are times when we are tempted to draw the sword and we have no idea what problems we are about to unleash.

Like Peter, there are times we are quick to go with our gut, instead of carefully considering what our Christ has taught us. Times when we speak and act hastily, because we are so convinced that we could not be wrong. We react to people and situations with vim and vigor and sometimes a little violence even, because we feel something strongly. We never think to stop and examine our hearts and minds to see if our motives and goals are actually aligned with God’s Word.

Of course, each and every sinner does this! But there is another particularly unique danger for Christians, especially those who know their Bibles pretty well. We can wield the sword of the Spirit in a way that damages lost or struggling sinners. We pile the heavy burdens of the Law upon people, to put them in their place, more than to move them to repentance. We are quick to identify all the flaws and failings in immature believers, but refuse to lift a finger to actually help teach or support them. The words we say might very well be copied and pasted from the Bible, but they are without love.

Those moments should shame us. Those moments ought to make us pause and think more carefully and more clearly the next time emotions are running high. But this moment gives us hope.

What our might cannot accomplish, God’s mighty one has. For us fights the valiant one, whom God himself elected. Who is this? I AM. Jesus of Nazareth. At least that is how he introduces himself. The almighty Lord. And there’s no other God. One little word fells his enemies. He’s by our side. He holds the field forever.

This Jesus is in complete control of this whole situation. Even as the torches surround him and the tensions rise, Jesus is cool, calm, and collected. This is the moment he has come for. He will (Jn. 18:11) drink the cup the Father has prepared for him.

Every detail in John’s Gospel demonstrates Jesus’ power and control. Jesus knew everything (Jn. 18:4) that was going to happen to him. Jesus approaches his betrayer. Jesus initiates the conversation. Jesus answers confidently and clearly. His words are so powerful they make his battle-ready enemies fall to the ground. They cannot catch the Son of Man by surprise.

Yet, Jesus’ power is not the only striking feature of this account. See how much he loved his disciples! He identifies himself twice, so that there will be no chance that they arrest one of his disciples. More than that, he commands his enemies to (Jn. 18:8) let these men go. He was insistent that he would not lose one of them. That is why he does his final miracle—reattaching and healing the right ear of Malchus. Jesus loved his enemies and longed to bless them, but this was also a blessing for Peter. Peter’s short-sighted sword stroke should have led to his arrest, and likely his crucifixion. But God was in control. So Peter’s ferocity did not spark a firestorm of violence and death that night. The Son of God would not let this night end in needless bloodshed. Rather, this night needed to lead to him shedding his blood on the cross. This is (Jn. 18:11) the cup the Father had given to him. And Jesus drank the cup of the wrath of God for his disciples, for us, and even for his enemies.

Jesus’ power and his love give us confidence in even the most stressful of situations. The Word of God is powerful—living and active. It does not grow in strength from our additions. The Gospel is not sweetened when we subtract or soften God’s Law. The Word of God is perfectly trustworthy, because it is life-giving. It assures us that God is always in complete control, regardless of how things feel, or look, or seem.

Peter himself came to see the power of that Word after Jesus kept his Word. After Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, Peter came to appreciate God’s power and his love and he saw why Jesus told him to put his sword away. God didn’t need it. In his first epistle he writes: (1 Peter 3:8-9) Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:12) For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. And Peter found a better weapon for tense, stressful moments. He put away the sword at his side, and instead relied upon his Lord and his Word.(1 Peter 3:15) in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. God’s Word prepares our hearts and minds and mouths and hands, to react and respond in a God-pleasing way, even in the most stressful of situations. Amen.