Matthew 26:51-56 51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think that I am not able to call upon my Father, and he will put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55At that moment Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56But all this has taken place so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
The arrest of Jesus turned violent. Matthew does not record the name of the person who cut off the ear of the priest’s servant, but John tells us that it was Peter who cut off the ear of Malchus (John 18:10). There is no mention of Peter’s motive but we can imagine the intensity of the moment with the large crowd, soldiers, and important people who had come to get Jesus. The disciples were under significant stress and had just woken up from sleep. It was a good thing Peter’s aim but band and that he only cut off the ear since his strike could have been deadly. There is no evidence that Peter was a soldier or had any fighting background, but evidently he was carrying some type of sword or large knife, possibly as a tool of some type.
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, intervenes in the situation in two ways. First, he scolds Peter for taking out his sword. Violence only leads to more violence. Bad things could have happened to Peter in this situation, such as being arrested or worse. A small battle could have ensued and many people hurt, particularly the small group of disciples. Jesus was the one to suffer and die, not them. Their time would come in the future. Violence is not the answer to our problems. Fallen human nature causes people to lash out in anger and selfishness, both on the individual level and group level, including nations. The world is a sad place when people choose violence over peace.
Second, Jesus notes the Father’s protection and that God’s plan of salvation will be worked out in God’s way. Jesus could have asked his heavenly Father for twelve legions of angels. A legion was 12,000 foot soldiers, so twelve of these would equal 144,000. The exact number is not the emphasis but the extravagant number. Twelve was considered a good round number, and so twelve of twelve would be astronomical in one’s thinking. If Jesus really wanted divine help, he could have it; but he chose the way of suffering to identify with the human race at its weakest and most desperate point. He knew what Scripture said, such as passages like Isaiah 53. The Messiah must suffer and die for the sins of the world. This was a path he had to choose himself to walk. The time for the disciples’ action would come in the future.
Third, Jesus turns to the crowds with a mild rebuke and reminder of his purpose as stated in the Scriptures, such as Isaiah 53:12. Some in this crowd likely heard his teaching in the temple. These were the scholars and elite of the Jewish people. They should have known what was at stake. But they were blinded by their own religiosity and hypocrisy. Their coming with swords and clubs indicates they did not listen to Jesus or know him. He was a person of peace, not a revolutionary like the false messiahs that rose up from time to time. Their violent approach showed the condition of their hearts.
The disciples were confused and afraid about all that had happened. Their bold claims about never deserting Jesus disappeared with the threat of suffering. None of the disciples, not even bold Peter, stayed around but all left him and fled. They needed to pass through the cross, and experience the power of resurrection and the Pentecostal presence of the Spirit.
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