Why Swords?

Exodus 3; Exodus 4; Exodus 5; Luke 22
Click Here To Read Today’s Daily Bible Reading

Scripture

Jesus Arrested

Luke 22

47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
49 When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.

Observation

Ok. Am I the only one that ever asks why certain things are mentioned in the Bible? Have you ever wondered why Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 22:36 "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.” Have you ever wondered why Jesus wanted his disciples to have swords?
Remember this conversation about the need for swords took place was when he and his disciples had just finished taking the Lord’s Supper and he had shared with Peter that Peter would deny him. When Jesus told the disciples that they should buy swords they responded that they had two swords in their possession. He told them that two was enough. Interesting to me that if they were going to need swords then how could two swords be enough, but Jesus knew what he was doing.

The scene then moves to the Mount of Olives where we find Jesus praying in such agony that the scripture says that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. After he finishes praying the high priest, temple guards, and Romans soldiers led by Judas approach Jesus and his disciples to arrest them. In one of the other Gospel accounts it says that a cohort of Roman soldiers came with Judas to arrest Jesus. A cohort would consist of at least 300 soldiers.

I think that the disciples must have still been asleep because then they asked Jesus what seems at first to be a very dumb question or was it? They said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” Remember what they were actually saying was, “Lord, should we strike with our two swords?” Before the Lord answered their question Simon Peter takes out his sword and whacks off the servant of the high priest’s ear!

OK. These are the disciples that had seen Jesus take a few small fish and a few small pieces of bread and feed over 5,000. And they had watched Jesus miraculously heal people probably on a daily basis. They watched him walk on water. He said to make sure that they had swords and he said that two swords were enough. I believe that they thought that with two swords and Jesus that they could win the fight in the garden that night. They were half way right. Jesus wanted to show them that they didn’t really need two swords and Jesus. He was going to show them that all they needed was Jesus.

When Peter whacked off that ear and that ear fell to the ground I imagine that for just a few seconds the disciples must have realized how stupid that action was and how helpless they suddenly were. I imagine that they instantly counted up the number of swords that Judas’ team had and realized that their two swords were not going to be enough. I am sure that at that very moment the disciples had a sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

It doesn’t say it here in Luke but I believe in the Gospel of John Jesus tells Peter to put up his sword and when he tells him Jesus uses a Greek word that means “little sword or dagger”. Then the scripture says that Jesus reached up and healed the servant’s ear and says, "No more of this!” At that moment all of the soldiers that came to arrest Jesus realized that Jesus was in charge and he had the power to protect his disciples and swords were no match for him.

Application

I will apply Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength”.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I see your Power and Majesty in this passage today. Those men did not have the power within themselves to come and arrest Jesus. He could have called ten thousand angels down to rescue him, but he wanted to suffer and die in my place instead. I serve such a Powerful God. Absolutely nothing is too hard for you. Thank you for showing me that nothing, nothing, nothing is too hard for you. Amen.


Today’s "Life Journal" Daily Bible Reading can be found on Line. Click Here!