It was a full day despite the rain, Father! Thank You for Your protective arm around us in our comings and goings. All praise to our Almighty God!
John 18:1-11 (<<click here to read the passage)
This particular passage is a critical point in Jesus’ story. Things have been building and building and this is the moment where the hill is crested. It has taken years to get here but from this time it will be just a matter of hours until “it is finished” (John 19:28-30).
But even before Jesus’ betrayal and arrest transpire, I had to chuckle a bit. And I do not believe it to be an inappropriate response. Now what happened from a human perspective made sense but from a heavenly perspective, it was ludicrous.
Before I go further, I want to quickly interject an Old Testament story. The King of Aram was seeking to overrun Israel but every time he set out to do so he was thwarted. He suspected a traitor but was told that Elisha, God’s prophet, was giving a heads up to Israel’s king. So, he went after Elisha.
Elisha and his servant were in the town of Dothan. Aram’s army surrounded the town and when Elisha’s servant got up the next morning that’s what he saw! He freaked out and ran to Elisha, yet Elisha didn’t even flinch! Instead, he said,
“Don’t be afraid… For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 2 Kings 6:16 NLT
The servant must have thought his master had lost it but…
Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 2 Kings 6:17 NLT
Yes, Aram’s army was there but Heaven’s army was there as well!
When Judas came back on the scene, he knew where Jesus would be and led his contingent right to them. But it wasn’t just Judas and a few Temple guards, the leading priests and Pharisees had obtained a Roman cohort to accompany them all.
The Amplified and New American Standard Bibles both use the word cohort which normally consisted of 600 men! They were prepared, and then some, for whatever Jesus had to throw at them. They could handle it and He wasn’t getting away this time!
But Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.
“Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.
When Jesus said, “I AM he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!” vs4-6
(There’s another one of those I AM statements!)
And that is what I found to be amusing! They literally put together a contingent of warriors – hundreds of men – to ensure they got their man, and they fell apart with an utterance of three words!
Their power was nothing! If this had not been part of God’s plan, it wouldn’t have happened. If there had been a need Heaven’s army would have been there in the blink of an eye. Every Roman soldier in existence could have been there to see the job through and it would not have made one bit of difference. No matter how many of them were there, God – and God only! – was totally in charge!
God’s will would be fulfilled! And there was nothing anyone could do to force it or change it in any way!
“Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too difficult or too wonderful for You…” Jeremiah 32:17 AMP
Oct 24th, 2021, Sun, 6:48 pm
