Anchor My Faith

Previous Lesson
Next Lesson
Author: Stephen Weller
515 words, 3 minutes read time

Jesus Arrested

Scripture: Matthew 26:55-56; Luke 22:52-53; John 18:12

In the previous lesson Jesus had a few words to tell Peter after he cut off the servant’s ear. With this lesson we reach a new milestone by writing the 700th lesson for this harmonization study. This lesson will focus on what Jesus told those who came to arrest him.

^{Lk 22:52} Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, ^{Mt 26:55} “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 seize me. ⁵⁶ But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. ^{Lk 22:53} But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” ^{Jn 18:12} So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. ^{Mt 26:56} Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Jesus now turns to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who were among those that came to arrest him and asks them if they had come out with swords and clubs to capture a dangerous criminal. Jesus is seeking a reason for why they want to arrest him.

He next wants to know why they didn’t arrest him during the daytime when he was teaching in the temple. Why did they want to do it away from the general public under the cover of darkness? He seeking to determine if they had good reason, or any reason, for his arrest.

Their scheme has been predicted in the Old Testament, especially in Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Zechariah 12 – 13. Take some time and review these texts by using this link.

Jesus then tells them that this is their hour and the power of darkness to do their evil. They may think that if they can destroy Jesus they will have won the victory, but little do they realize that they are actually doing God’s will in bringing Jesus to the cross not in their victory but in their defeat as Jesus overcomes sin and death in providing the way of salvation. There is no better example of God taking something that man under the influence of the devil had planned out as evil and use it to accomplish his plan of proving salvation for sinners.

At this point Jesus yields control to the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews and allows them to bind him and arrest him. As this is happening the disciples out of fear of also being arrested, left Jesus and fled.

Conclusion

The arrest that Jesus has been telling his disciples about has taken place and brings us to six stages of trial in our narrative. A large portion of narrative is required to cover these stages and his crucifixion and will take our study well into this year.