And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
The verse belongs to the slow journey in company with the disciples to the garden of Gethsemane on Passover night, when the broad full Passover moon shone from a cloudless sky and the city of pilgrims' tents lay hushed in silence. It belongs to Jesus coming to Gethsemane on the night of His last agony with a heart full of sorrow. It belongs to the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane after His long agony there, when Judas, one of His professed disciples, betrayed Him and a band of men and soldiers with staves and spears arrested Him. It belongs to the betrayal and arrest that came before His agony and crucifixion, trials for which He had prepared His faithful disciples so that the betrayal and hostility toward Him would not take them wholly by surprise.
As Jesus was being seized, Peter in vehement anger rashly drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. The disciples had just seen divine power prostrate the mob, so they were disappointed and indignant to see cords brought to bind hands that had always been employed in doing good, and Peter's stroke was human resistance to Christ's willing surrender. Jesus answered the stroke by freeing His own bound hands to touch the wounded ear and instantly make it whole, then rebuked Peter to put up the sword because all who take the sword perish by the sword, affirming that He could pray to His Father for more than twelve legions of angels, yet must let the Scriptures be fulfilled and drink the cup His Father had given Him.
The verse stands where Jesus enters suffering after a life walked in the light of God's presence, now seeming shut out from God's sustaining presence as He is numbered with transgressors and bears the guilt of fallen humanity. It means the iniquity of all was laid on Him who knew no sin, and sin appeared dreadful to Him. The weight of guilt tempted Him to fear being shut out forever from His Father's love, and feeling the terrible wrath of God against transgression, His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death.
The verse belongs to the slow journey in company with the disciples to the garden of Gethsemane on Passover night, when the broad full Passover moon shone from a cloudless sky and the city of pilgrims' tents lay hushed in silence. It belongs to Jesus coming to Gethsemane on the night of His last agony with a heart full of sorrow. It belongs to the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane after His long agony there, when Judas, one of His professed disciples, betrayed Him and a band of men and soldiers with staves and spears arrested Him. It belongs to the betrayal and arrest that came before His agony and crucifixion, trials for which He had prepared His faithful disciples so that the betrayal and hostility toward Him would not take them wholly by surprise.
As Jesus was being seized, Peter in vehement anger rashly drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. The disciples had just seen divine power prostrate the mob, so they were disappointed and indignant to see cords brought to bind hands that had always been employed in doing good, and Peter's stroke was human resistance to Christ's willing surrender. Jesus answered the stroke by freeing His own bound hands to touch the wounded ear and instantly make it whole, then rebuked Peter to put up the sword because all who take the sword perish by the sword, affirming that He could pray to His Father for more than twelve legions of angels, yet must let the Scriptures be fulfilled and drink the cup His Father had given Him.
The verse stands where Jesus enters suffering after a life walked in the light of God's presence, now seeming shut out from God's sustaining presence as He is numbered with transgressors and bears the guilt of fallen humanity. It means the iniquity of all was laid on Him who knew no sin, and sin appeared dreadful to Him. The weight of guilt tempted Him to fear being shut out forever from His Father's love, and feeling the terrible wrath of God against transgression, His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death.