Resurrection Life of Jesus Church
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
PART 73: THE ARREST OF JESUS
RLJ-1976
JOHN S. TORELL
AUGUST 18, 2024
THE BETRAYAL
The late-night quiet came to an end when Jesus told the apostles it was time to get going. At that moment a large group of soldiers authorized by Caiaphas arrived to take the God-man into custody. Leading this motley crew was Judas, whose sole purpose was to identify Jesus with a kiss on a cheek so that He could be quietly arrested. Matthew 26:45; Mark 14:42-44; Luke 22:47
Judas shamelessly greeted Jesus and kissed Him on the cheek to mark Him for the soldiers. Matthew 26:49
Mark records that Judas said, “Master, Master and kissed him.” Mark 14:45
Jesus called Judas a friend and innocently asked – even though the God-man already knew – why he had come. Matthew 26:50
Jesus asked Judas why the kiss of betrayal? Luke 22:48
THE ARREST
For a moment there was commotion as one of the apostles drew his sword and struck at one of the men from the high priest. It was a quick and clumsy strike that only cut off his ear. Jesus immediately rebuked his apostle and instructed him to sheath his sword, knowing he would be killed if he continued on this path. Matthew 26:51-52
Jesus stated that there were more than twelve legions of angels standing by, ready to defend the Son of God the moment He asked for help. But that was not to be the case as the God-man had come to fulfil prophecy and redeem mankind. verses 53-54
Mark noted that one of the apostles used his sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants. Mark 14:47
Luke documented that one of the apostles cut off the ear of a man from the high priest, but that Jesus touched the place where the ear had been severed and the man was healed. Luke 22:49-51
John also wrote about the arrest of Jesus, but he does not mention Judas’ kiss; instead, he identified the apostle with the sword as Peter, and Malchus as the man whose ear was severed. John 18:10-11
DOSE OF POWER
The enforcers from the high priest experienced a dose of supernatural power when they asked Jesus if He was the man they sought. The God-man’s verbal response was filled with divine power that caused them to fall backwards. John 18:3-6; Psalm 27:2
After they recovered, the soldiers moved toward Jesus, bound His arms, and took Him to the to the palace of the high priest. Fear engulfed the remaining eleven apostles and they fled to escape with their lives. Matthew 26:56-57; Mark 14:50-52
SATAN’S HOUR
This was the opportunity Satan had been seeking since the incarnation. Having failed in the first attempt to kill the God-man as a child with King Herod, this second once-in-a- lifetime moment was not going to be wasted. Luke 22:52-53
The Devil knew that Jesus was the real deal as the incarnated Messiah. Matthew 1:18-23
The Son of God was tempted three times by Lucifer and rejected each attempt. Matthew 4:1-11
Satan and his minions did not know about the redemption plan for the human race and mistakenly thought if they could kill the physical body of Jesus, it would defeat whatever God had planned. If Satan would have known Jesus was going to be made sin for mankind and redeem humanity, he would have guarded Jesus and ensured that He died of old age. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
FACING CAIAPHAS
The Kabbalistic understanding of the Jewish messiah had been accepted by Caiaphas, the other priests, Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Herodians. They were waiting for a man anointed by God just like Samson had been in the past. Judges 13:1-25
The Kabbalistic doctrine held to the belief that its messiah would restore the Kingdom of Israel, cast out the Romans, and restore the golden age as it had been under King Solomon. The fact that the apostles held this mistaken viewpoint is evident when Jesus spoke about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and they asked about the Kingdom of Israel and its restoration. Acts 1:4-8
Isaiah prophesied some 700 years earlier about the suffering Messiah, how He was going to pay for the sins of humanity, and be wounded for mankind’s transgressions. Isaiah 53:1-12
The Kabbalistic doctrine promoted by Lucifer (A.K.A. Satan, the Devil, that old Serpent) and upheld by the ungodly Jewish leadership was the sole reason why they killed the God-man. Jesus did not fit their doctrine.
Remember, it’s not so important how you begin your life after salvation, but how you finish it!
Do you have an ear to hear with?
