The Hope of Easter: Finding Clarity in Confusing TimesSample

Day 3: Betrayal and Arrest: Hope in God’s Control

Matthew 26: 48-54 says, The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss." Judas came straight to Jesus. "Greetings, Rabbi!" he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.

Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for."

Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

"Put away your sword," Jesus told him. "Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now? "

Here, we see the two sides of the coin that represent control. Peter, who shows little restraint, lets his anger get the best of him. He commits an act of violence and is corrected by Jesus. If you are like me, you like to have control of the situation; you take pride in being type A and getting things done. Your first instinct may be to act first and ask questions later. But what if our acting out is going against God’s plan being fulfilled?

Knowing when to act and when to stay still is discernment that comes from the Holy Spirit. In Peter's acting out, he was trying to gain control of the situation, but he had no place in controlling it. Can you recognize that God has control, and there may be times you do not need to hold on to fix the situation? In fact, maybe the bad situation could lead to the outcome you have been praying for. Instead of taking up your sword and being ready to fight, stop, pray, and wait for the prompting and guidance of the Spirit. Your hope can not lie in your ability to be the hero of the story; it must rely on the only savior we actually need, Jesus.