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your Bibles to Matthew chapter 
26. Matthew chapter 26, we have spent 
several weeks in the Garden of Gethsemane, specifically our 
Lord's Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Last week we saw 
his betrayal in that selfsame garden, and this morning we'll 
note his arrest in Gethsemane. But I want to begin reading in 
chapter 26 at verse 31. Then Jesus said to them, all 
of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. For 
it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of 
the flock will be scattered. But after I have been raised, 
I will go before you to Galilee. Peter answered and said to him, 
even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never 
be made to stumble. Jesus said to him, Assuredly, 
I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you 
will deny me three times. Peter said to him, Even if I 
have to die with you, I will not deny you. And so said all 
the disciples. Then Jesus came with them to 
a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples, Sit here 
while I go and pray over there. And he took with him Peter and 
the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and 
deeply distressed. Then he said to them, my soul 
is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch 
with me. He went a little farther and 
fell on his face and prayed, saying, oh my father, if it is 
possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, 
but as you will. Then he came to the disciples 
and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, What, could you 
not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter 
into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, 
but the flesh is weak. Again a second time he went away 
and prayed, saying, O my father, if this cup cannot pass away 
from me unless I drink it, your will be done. And he came and 
found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So he 
left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying 
the same words. Then he came to his disciples 
and said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, 
the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed 
into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my 
betrayer is at hand. And while he was still speaking, 
behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude, with 
swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the 
people. Now his betrayer had given them 
a sign, saying, Whomever I kiss, he is the one, seize him. Immediately 
he went up to Jesus and said, Greetings, Rabbi, and kissed 
him. But Jesus said to him, Friend, 
why have you come? Then they came and laid hands 
on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly one of those who 
were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, 
struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 
But Jesus said to him, Put your sword in its place, for all who 
take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that 
I cannot now pray to my Father and He will provide me with more 
than 12 legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures 
be fulfilled that it must happen thus? In that hour Jesus said 
to the multitudes, have you come out as against a robber with 
swords and clubs to take me? I sat daily with you, teaching 
in the temple, and you did not seize me. But all this was done 
that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all 
the disciples forsook him and fled. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
you for the word of God and we pray now for the ministry of 
the Holy Spirit. The God who has given us the 
word is the God we call upon now, asking that you would guide 
us and help us to understand this word. We thank you for the 
Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for his life, his 
death, his resurrection. We see his complete resignation 
to the divine will as he submits to this arrest, as he is led 
away as a sheep without, like a sheep who doesn't utter anything 
to the slaughter. How we praise you, Lord God, 
for such a gracious and such a glorious and such an obedient 
Savior. For certainly, God, apart from 
Christ, we would all perish in hell forever. how we thank you 
for the gospel, how we pray that today would be the day of salvation 
for any and all who have yet to believe the gospel. We pray, 
Father, that you would move through the preached word by the Spirit 
to bring that conviction of sin and to show and demonstrate before 
all of us the sufficiency and the excellency of our Lord Jesus 
Christ to save. So fill us now with Your Holy 
Spirit. Forgive us now for all of our 
sins and our transgressions, and guide us by Your Holy Spirit. And we pray through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. Well, as I mentioned last 
week, if we look specifically at verses 47 to 56, structurally 
there are four sections or four parts. First, we have the betrayal 
of Jesus in verses 47 to 50. We saw that last week. This morning 
we'll take up the defense of Jesus in verses 50B to 54. Thirdly, 
the assertion by Jesus in verses 55 and 56a. And then finally, the desertion 
of Jesus in verse 56b. So there is a lot going on here 
facing our Lord. There is a lot going on here 
that does indeed fulfill or demonstrate or highlight what the prophet 
said concerning Christ. He was indeed a man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief. We see that in his arrest. We see that in obviously the 
betrayal. We'll see that as he stands before 
the various political leaders of his day. And we'll see that 
ultimately as he is enthroned, not upon a throne, but upon the 
cross for the salvation of his people. But let's look specifically 
now at the defense of Jesus in verses 50B to 54. Notice, after the betrayal, in 
verse 50B it says they came and laid hands on Jesus and took 
him away. Now, the language here connotes 
hostility. They didn't do this in a friendly 
manner. They didn't say, come on with us. Rather, they seized 
upon him. They put their unholy hands upon 
the one who was wholly harmless and undefiled. And we see the 
obvious contrast between the two parties. Christ comes into 
this world, sinners to save, by identifying with us. He takes 
on all the essential properties of manhood and the common infirmities 
of manhood, yet without sin. When it comes time to deal with 
Him, it is physical violence. It is coercive. It is that infliction 
of punishment upon one who is absolutely guiltless. It is a 
travesty of justice that we see in this passage. But we also 
notice in the hostile action of their having laid hands on 
Jesus and taking Him, we note His voluntary surrender. If, 
as we saw last week when we looked at John 18, When Christ says 
to the Roman soldiers, he says to Judas, he says to this mob, 
when he says, I am, the text says, they drew back and fell 
to the ground. Certainly if Christ has that 
authority and that power and that majesty, he could have avoided 
arrest. He could have certainly subdued 
these persons. He could have, as he goes on 
to suggest, called upon the Father who would have supplied him with 
twelve legions of angels. Note here the voluntary resignation 
of our Lord to the Father's will according to the Scriptures in 
order to save us from our sins. Again, we are not to identify 
in terms of example with Christ in this passage. We'll certainly 
identify with the disciples, but what Christ is doing here 
is unique. His betrayal is not like our 
betrayal. His arrest is not like our arrest. His crucifixion would not be 
like our crucifixion because He was the guiltless one. He 
was the holy one. He was indeed the Lamb of God 
who takes away the sin of the world. And so we ought to observe 
this in a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude, respecting what 
the Geneva Bible says. He was taken that we might be 
delivered. The fact that this transpires 
means the salvation of our souls. Now note the action by Peter 
in verse 51. Certainly, verse 51 reads in 
a very dramatic and a very vivid sort of a way. Matthew, the evangelist, 
sort of piles up the verbs and he gives us this bird's eye view 
of what transpired here in verse 51. And it's truly incredible. It's truly an amazing scene. 
On the one hand, we certainly sympathize or enter into the 
plight of Peter. It's a blessed thing to want 
to defend our Lord. But on the other hand, we need 
to defend our Lord the way that our Lord commands us to defend 
Him. But note the text in verse 51, 
Now the Apostle John identifies the swordsman as Peter. Matthew doesn't, Mark doesn't, 
nor does Luke tell us specifically that it's Peter. But John tells 
us that specifically. It was Peter who held the sword. Also, John identifies that it 
was a man by the name of Malchus that was struck by Peter. But if you look with me quickly 
at Luke chapter 22, we do see something interesting in the 
parallel passage there. In Luke chapter 22, At verse 49, after the betrayal, 
after Christ's words to Judas, we see in verse 49, when those 
around him saw what was going to happen, they said to him, 
Lord, shall we strike with the sword? So it was collective, 
all the disciples. All of them asked, should we 
strike with the sword? Now note, there is no response 
given by our Lord Jesus, but Peter takes out his sword and 
goes for the head of Malchus. So it was something that wasn't 
unique to Peter in terms of desire, but it was unique to Peter in 
terms of execution. D. A. Carson says, obviously, 
Peter does not share Jesus' resolution, thy will be done. John Calvin 
makes this observation, we are much more courageous and ready 
for fighting than for bearing the cross. And also, when we 
see the denial of Jesus by Peter in John's gospel, Peter is identified 
because of this particular incident. It's because he struck the servant's 
ear that he's identified in the courtyard, which then ultimately 
leads to his denial of Jesus in the parallel account in John's 
Gospel. Now, as I said last week, make 
no mistake about it, Peter was going for the kill. Peter wasn't 
just trying to cut off Malchus's ear. Some suggest that that was 
indeed the case because of ceremonial reasons. No, Peter missed. Peter swung that sword. He was 
swinging for the fences. He was not simply trying to maim 
or wound the servant. He was trying to lop off his 
head. Now he misses, obviously, and he lops off his ear. Now 
the parallel in Luke tells us that Jesus healed Malchus's ear. Jesus, before this crowd, before 
this mob, before the betrayer, before the disciples, He heals 
Malchus from this particular wound. I think there's a few 
things we ought to appreciate in this whole scenario. First, 
the absolute sovereignty of God. Remember that this mob has swords 
and clubs. Peter withdraws his sword. He's 
not a trained soldier. He's not a military sort of an 
individual. He was a fisherman. He doesn't 
have the sort of savvy and ability as a trained soldier would. But 
none of those men raise their swords to counteract what Peter 
has done. Also, the fact that our Lord 
Jesus heals Malchus underscores something. Christ is not a criminal. Christ is not a revolutionary. 
Christ is not a terrorist. Christ is not here or had not 
come to destroy. So he heals that. That validates 
his claim. But additionally, the fact that 
he heals Malchus keeps Peter from being arrested. Remember 
in John 18, one of Jesus' purposes in that Garden of Gethsemane 
and throughout the entirety of His ministry was that none of 
whom the Father had given Him would be lost. So if He doesn't 
heal Malchus, there is evidence to indeed indict Peter and take 
him away and throw him in prison. So Christ's healing of Malchus 
certainly functions in a wonderful way to show that he is not a 
criminal, he's not a revolutionary, but as well as is the case, Peter 
is not arrested for this situation. So Peter takes out the sword, 
he strikes the servant of the high priest and then he cuts 
off his ear. Now notice in verses 52 to 54, this is the rebuke 
by Christ. In other words, Christ doesn't 
say, good shot, Peter. If you'd have been a few more 
inches over, you'd have got him. You'd have cut his head off. 
He would have died. That's not why he rebukes him. He rebukes 
him for putting into practice the sword. And we need to spend 
a bit of time here because there's a lot of abuse with reference 
to this passage. On the one hand, we're not to 
advance Christianity by the carnal sword. But on the other hand, 
we're not to suggest that there's no place for swords or guns in 
the lives of God's people. This is a misunderstood passage, 
and while I think Carson is right, when we come to it and ask things 
concerning gun control or pacifism, that's really not what the text 
is addressing, but we need to understand, because sometimes 
texts are wrested out of their context, and they are applied 
in ways that God never intended them. So, let's look at this 
rebuke by Christ. Notice in verse 52, Jesus said 
to him, put your sword in its place. In other words, Peter, 
we're not going to advance the kingdom by physical might. We're 
not going to advance the kingdom by the physical sword. So, I 
would suggest that in the first place, the concern for Peter's 
life is uppermost in the mind and heart of Christ. Because 
he goes on to say, as a reason, put up your sword or put your 
sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by 
the sword. The concern for Peter's life is obvious. The use of the 
sword invites the reciprocal use of the sword. In other words, 
if you don't want to be killed by the sword, don't go wielding 
the sword. I realize in our own day and 
age that doesn't always hold true. There's madmen with swords 
that just like to go out and shoot people. But for the most 
part, brethren, the principle is true. Those who take the sword 
will die by the sword. And Jesus is concerned about 
Peter's life. Peter's got work to do. Peter's 
got a mission to engage in. Peter's got preaching to do. 
Peter's got books of the Bible to write. Peter cannot die in 
Gethsemane. And so Christ's rebuke includes 
explanation on the function of the sword. I suggested earlier 
that another thing I think this shows us is the reminder concerning 
the messianic kingdom. It is not advanced by the sword. Brethren, we're not Muslims. 
We don't cut off heads to make converts. J.C. Ryle said, the 
sword is not to be used in the propagation of the gospel. Christianity 
is not to be enforced by bloodshed and belief in it extorted by 
force. We're not supposed to extort 
conversions. We're not supposed to coerce 
persons coming to Jesus Christ. We preach the gospel under the 
power and the sovereignty of God, hoping and praying that 
the Spirit attends and that He brings sinners forth by that 
power. He effectually calls them out 
of darkness into marvelous light and delivers them from their 
transgressions and gives them that righteousness that avails 
with the Father. That's the way we do it. We don't 
employ the physical sword. We don't lop people's heads off 
in the name of advancing the kingdom. You see that in 2 Corinthians 
10, the apostle Paul says, the weapons of our warfare are not 
carnal. In other words, we don't evangelize 
by means of tank. We don't evangelize by means 
of shotgun. We don't evangelize by means 
of a Glock 9mm. We evangelize by preaching the 
gospel. So the weapons of our warfare 
are not carnal, but they're mighty for the pulling down of strongholds. 
Notice Jesus' own words in John 18 with reference to the advancement 
of His messianic kingdom. It doesn't come through physical 
force. Notice in John 18. specifically 
his place before Pilate. Verse 36, my kingdom is not of 
this world. If my kingdom were of this world, 
my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to 
the Jews, but now my kingdom is not from here. Now, I think 
we ought to just stop for a moment and see something here. My kingdom 
is not of this world. That means it doesn't originate 
from this world. It certainly includes the world. 
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Christ does 
not occupy the right hand of the Father and have universal 
and comprehensive sovereignty except for the world. No, it 
isn't from this world, but it certainly includes this world. 
Notice as well, he says, if my kingdom were of this world, my 
servants would fight. What does that indicate? Contra-pacifism. That in this world, at times, 
servants must fight. In this world, at sometimes, 
persons go to war. In this world, at sometimes, 
because of the reality of the sinful condition that we're in, 
when a violent group of people invades another, God does not 
call us to pacifism. Jesus implies, Jesus' words mean 
that if my kingdom were of this world, if I was an earthly king 
akin to Pilate or Herod or one of these others, and it was just 
a matter of dealing with you on a one-to-one basis, my servants 
would fight and they would decimate you. So never underestimate what 
that not only says, but what it also implies. Notice then 
in verse 37, Pilate therefore said to him, Are you a king? 
Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause 
I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that 
I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the 
truth hears my voice. What's Christ underscoring in 
this particular section? The advancement of the messianic 
kingdom comes via truth. Be easier to line people up and 
threaten them with a gunshot to the head if they don't convert, 
wouldn't it? I mean, if you're so inclined, 
I don't know that I think that was that easy, but obviously 
somebody out there does. Brethren, it is the truth that 
advances Christ's kingdom. That's why we oftentimes in this 
very place, several times during the course of our preaching, 
during the Wednesday night Bible study, emphasize that blessed 
word truth. If truth is as important as Jesus 
says in John 18, 37, then what should the church be about? Not 
guns and swords to advance the kingdom, not puppets and ponies 
to advance the kingdom, but the truth. The proclamation of God's 
holy word. This is why when Paul comes to 
write the very last corporate command to the church, he says, 
preach the word. He doesn't say cut off ads. He 
doesn't say entertain the masses. He says preach the word. Why? Because that's the means by which 
the kingdom of God is propagated. Notice, with reference to our 
text in verse 52, put your sword in its place, for all who take 
the sword will perish by the sword. As I mentioned earlier, 
it's important to qualify this. Christ says, put your sword in 
its place. I think that implies, or we can 
infer from that, that there is a place for the sword. This absolutely 
perplexes some of the commentators. Peter withdrew his sword. We 
don't know why he had a sword. Really? Why wouldn't we know 
why he had a sword? It was probably to defend himself. Why is that so outlandish? Why 
have we been beaten into submission to somehow think that turn the 
other cheek means leave your front door open so that a rapist 
can come in and not only attack your wife but your children? 
That's not what the Bible means, brethren, by turn the other cheek. The Bible does not envisage you 
just lying down for violent criminals to overrun you and take everything 
that sustains your life. This passage is abused if we 
end up as pacifists with reference to it. Put your sword in its 
place. They also go nuts at Luke 22 
when Jesus says to buy a sword. And then the disciples say, we 
have two swords. And then Jesus says, it is enough. 
I mean, the lengths that we'll go to to try and explain away 
the obvious. Well, he's talking about spiritual 
sword. No, he's not. If you're walking 
the streets of Galilee and a robber jumped upon you to take all that 
was good and near and dear to your heart, you wouldn't have 
withdrawn your spiritual sword. Or he would have taken your physical 
money and your physical life. Or they say, well, there were 
two swords for the 11, and that was enough. If there's one sword 
that advocates self-defense, I don't know that the number 
of swords, the number of guns, the number of whatever is somehow 
the issue. The issue is if you don't break 
the law with something, you're right to defend yourself. So 
when Jesus says, put your sword in its place for all who take 
the sword will perish by the sword, again, it's a truism. 
There's a reciprocal use of the sword involved when we advocate 
with sword. Revelation 13, 10. Jesus is keen 
to protect the life of Peter. Put it away. I don't want you 
to get your head cut off. Because the servants of these 
men, or the soldiers in their employ, they're going to be more 
accurate, Peter. You took that shot and swung a haymaker and 
God is here. They're not going to miss your 
neck. They will behead you, or behead you, I guess is the correct 
terminology. But notice, there is a legitimate 
use for the sword. I think as he often does, John 
Gill gets this absolutely correct. He says, this is not to be understood 
of magistrates who bear not the sword in vain, are ministers 
of God for good, and revengers of evil works, but of private 
persons that use the sword, and that not in self-defense, but 
for private revenge, or engage in a quarrel to which they are 
not called. The Bible does authorize the 
use of the sword. Now we cannot suggest that sword 
there doesn't mean what it obviously means. It means the power to 
inflict death. Certainly punishment doesn't 
necessarily mean the taking of a life, but it certainly includes 
that. If we say that the sword cannot 
or does not mean that, we are reading our liberal view of either 
theology or politics back into sacred texts. There are three 
instances authorized in the Bible for the proper use of the sword. 
In the first place, we have self-defense. Again, I think that this just 
blows the modern mind away because Jesus taught us to turn the other 
cheek. In the context where Jesus taught 
us to turn the other cheek, it is that whole idea of a vindictiveness, 
a Pharisaic-like attitude, a private revenge. I do not believe for 
a moment that when Jesus said, turn the other cheek, he meant, 
you know, open your front door to make it easier for rapists 
to find your daughters. You know, don't put any locks 
on your windows. You see, if we take that interpretation, 
we ought to reduce it to absurdity and say, away with all locks. 
Don't set your car alarm because Jesus taught us to turn the other 
cheek. And if somebody wants to take 
our car, let them. That's not what Jesus was teaching. 
Self-defense is authorized, Exodus chapter 22. It's assumed that 
if somebody breaks into our house, we're gonna use that force necessary 
to neutralize the threat. And if it's in the hours of darkness 
and the homeowner puts lethal force upon the person that broke 
into his house, there's no guilt whatsoever for the homeowner. 
If the day is shining or if it's daylight hours, then there may 
be guilt because you can better assess what the particular person's 
intentions were. But then as well in the teaching 
of our Lord. Think about what Jesus says and wonder, does this 
jive with a no self-defense view? Notice in Luke chapter 11. Luke 
chapter 11. Again, just so everybody knows, 
when Jesus says, put your sword in its place, I don't think that 
the particular purpose for him saying that was to vindicate 
and authorize self-defense. Nor do I think it was the place 
where he was advocating pacifism. But as I said, because there's 
a lot of debate concerning this particular issue, it makes sense, 
at least in my head, to get some proper perspective on this whole 
use of the sword. Notice in Luke 11, at verse 21. When a strong man, fully armed, 
guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. Now, I realize 
that this is a spiritual analogy, and I realize that Jesus is talking 
about the devil being bound, but in order for the analogy 
to work, it has to have some factual basis in reality. And Jesus says, when a strong 
man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in 
peace. How does a strong man typically guard his palace? with 
locks, or guns, or dogs, or fences, or barbed wire, or some sort 
of thing. See, brethren, it's modern liberal 
politics that has beat us into this idea that, oh, we can't 
ever defend ourselves. Jesus assumes that we'll defend 
ourselves. Again, with Exodus 22, probably 
in his head, certainly in his heart. Notice in Luke 12 at verse 
39. Luke 12 at verse 39, but know 
this, again, spiritual situation, but for the analogy to ring true, 
we ought to appreciate what Jesus assumes. But know this, that 
if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would 
come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken 
into. You see, self-defense, property 
defense is legit. It's a common category in biblical 
ethics. So self-defense is one of the 
means by which or one of the lawful areas where we employ 
the sword. But as well, legitimate war. 
I've always wondered how pacifists could be pacifists in light of 
an open Bible. Typically, it goes akin with 
a dispensational view. Well, that was the Old Testament. 
That's just how they functioned back then. They just killed people 
for God. Yeah, they did kill people for 
God. God commanded them to kill people for God, for the purity 
of the land, and as the promise to Abraham in terms of land gift. 
Deuteronomy 7 and the mandate for holy war. Go in and utterly 
dispossess the land of all the Canaanites. Now, for us, we go, 
whore of whores, that's a terrible thing. We can't believe that 
was ever the case. Are we more holy than God? Have 
we ascended to a position where we're higher and more righteous 
than God? God commands it. It's right. 
Our job is simply to obey it. Now, in the New Covenant situation, 
we're not under the mandate for holy war. Don't go home today 
or say, I'm going to go to dart and tackle tomorrow and buy me 
an arsenal because Jim Butler said, we're in a holy war. If 
you do that, I will say, don't do that. We're not in a holy 
war situation. But notice in Luke 3, Christ's 
words or John the Baptist's words to men who are repenting. Now, 
John the Baptist is consistent with the message of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. We're not to posit some distinction 
between the two of them, but when there is repentant soldiers 
asking John what fruits of repentance are going to look like, notice 
in Luke 3.14, likewise the soldiers asked him saying, and what shall 
we do? So he said to them, do not intimidate anyone or accuse 
falsely and be content with your wages. You see, it seems to me 
that if pacifism was right, the counsel would be, get out of 
your military service, turn in your sword, turn in your gun, 
go to the armory. You shouldn't be in such a terrible 
position that you should ever have to inflict physical violence 
on another human being. That's not what John the Baptist 
says. And then think about the role 
of the civil magistrate who bears the sword. He doesn't bear it 
in vain. He is a minister of God, an avenger 
of God, a minister of God to execute wrath upon those who 
violate the civil order. Now, I certainly will apply that 
in just a moment to capital punishment in terms of criminal behavior 
within a society, but that selfsame magistrate takes up the sword 
to defend the body politic against foreign invaders. You see, war, 
again, it's a tough question. What's a just? What's a legitimate 
war? Deuteronomy 7 is clear, but in 
our situation, the wars in the Middle East, this war, that's 
a tougher issue. I'm not suggesting I have all 
the answers in terms of what is a just and what is a legitimate 
war. But if we ask the Bible, is war 
always condemned? No. It's not. So the magistrate uses the sword 
in such conditions. And then, of course, capital 
punishment. For those of you who have been around for any 
time, you'll have heard the arguments pro capital punishment in this 
pulpit. Genesis 9, theological sort of 
context for it. Romans 13, 1 to 4. Again, I'm 
not advocating the state cut off heads of everybody that ever 
moves. I realize there's abuse. I realize there's misuse. I realize 
there are those sorts of things. But if we ask the question, in 
what three categories is the sword authorized? It is for self-defense, 
it is for legitimate war, and it is for capital punishment. Peter was in none of these situations. Peter took his sword out, which 
demonstrates zeal, but it's a zeal without knowledge. A zeal without 
knowledge. Calvin says, in order that our 
obedience may be acceptable to the Lord, we must depend on His 
will so that no man shall move a finger except so far as God 
commands. Now think about your own life 
as a believer. Think about your own experience 
in your Christian testimony and witness. Have you ever just brutalized 
somebody with a zeal without knowledge? Again, I think we 
have a low ebb in terms of zeal. I'd love to see more zeal. But 
it's always gotta be a zeal tempered with knowledge. You know, we get a bee in our bonnet 
about a particular doctrine and boy, we just go run everybody 
down. We sometimes do a lot more damage 
than we do good, don't we? So we got a zeal that's not tempered 
with knowledge. We take that sword out, we find 
Malchus and we seek to lop his head off. Now you could sit down 
with Malchus and have a cup of coffee and tell him about the 
gospel. You see, brethren, zeal without knowledge is an abuse. 
We're to operate strictly in obedience to God's holy word. 
We do this, don't we? Maybe you don't. I'm looking 
at puzzled looks like, oh, that's not me. We gotta be in our bonnet 
about some preferential matter. Oh, for my family, this is everything. And for yours, it ought to be 
too. You can't do that with preferences. You can't make your preferences 
God's law. I'm glad it works for you. I'm 
glad it helps promote your holiness and advance your godliness. But 
unless it's a thus saith the Lord, you have no rights to bind 
the consciences of others. There is a zeal without knowledge 
that operates right before our very eyes. We love these blue 
trinity hymnals. If churches don't use these blue 
trinity hymnals, it's because they're godless. They don't know 
what it is to sing praises to the Lord. There's no 11th commandment saying 
that we have to use the Blue Trinity Hymnal. Now, that's an 
outlandish sort of an observation, not actually too outlandish, 
but fill in the blanks with your preference. Fill in the blanks 
with those things that the Lord has led you to do. in preferential 
manners. And again, I don't know if we 
can even say the Lord led me to do this. Obviously, the Lord 
leads us to everything. But when we want to make that 
somebody else's marching orders, just see yourself as Peter taking 
out that sword, taking a lop at Malchus's ear. It's not your 
job. It's not your role. It's not your function. This 
is to suggest that Peter has it more under control than Jesus. It's that Matthew 16 thing again, 
when Jesus says, I must go to Jerusalem, I must be tried, I 
must be killed, I must be raised the third day. What does Peter 
say? Oh, what a wonderful thing to 
hear the plan of God rehearsed and recounted. He says, no way. I am not going to let you go 
to Jerusalem and undergo these things. In fact, look there in 
Matthew 16. Again, I think there's a sense where we appreciate Peter 
on the one hand because he does have this zeal. And while it 
seems to be misguided, it does seem to be genuine. Verse 21, 
from that time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he 
must go to Jerusalem. He'll suffer many things from 
the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and 
be raised the third day. And Peter took him aside and 
began to rebuke him saying, far be it from you, Lord, for this 
shall not, excuse me, happen to you. What does Jesus say? Oh yeah, Peter, that's right, 
you're in charge here. You're the man with the plan. 
You ever heard that rehearsal of the second Samuel incident 
when Uzzah tried to study the Ark of the Covenant when the 
ox started to shake? Sproul's version. You see, there 
were particular prohibitions against who touched that Ark, 
and Uzzah wasn't one of them. So the ark is going, the oxen 
have it, they're shaking, looks like it's going to fall into 
the mud. So Uzzah, in his zeal, sticks his hand out to steady 
the ark. Good thing, right? He tried to 
keep the ark from falling into the mud. That's admirable. What did God do? He killed Uzzah. Now, persons probably are going 
to go home and cry and say, that seems so unfair. It's not. God said to Uzzahs, 
don't touch the ark. So Sproul says, what did Uzzah 
expect to happen? Did he expect to hear a loud 
voice from heaven say, thank you, Uzzah. You see, brethren, when we operate 
with zeal, apart from the word, we are in dangerous waters. And the Lord Christ here rebukes 
Peter, get behind me Satan, you are an offense to me, for you 
are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. So when Jesus rebukes Peter, 
the function of the sword is the first means by which he offers 
that rebuke. The second is the assistance 
to be had by the father. Notice in verse 53 in chapter 
26, or do you think that I cannot now pray to my father and he 
will provide me with more than 12 legions of angels? The statement 
doesn't contradict his resolve in verse 39 when he says, not 
my will but yours. It's not that. Jesus will not 
ask for this angelic intervention. It's not that He can't ask. It's 
not that God doesn't have legions of angels. But Christ says, do 
you not think that if I needed to mow down some troops, I couldn't? Do you not realize, Peter, that 
this is happening according to Scripture? Have you yet to appreciate 
what is unfolding right before your eyes, Peter? Twelve legions 
of angels. You know, a legion was about 
6,000 troops in the Roman military. What's Christ saying? Not only 
do I not need 12 legions of angels, I certainly don't need one of 
the 12 to deliver me from this particular situation. Why? Because it is the will of the 
Father. It is according to the written 
word. Everything that is transpiring, 
Christ is submitting to. Everything that takes place, 
Christ has resolved Himself to. One man says, 12 sword-wielding 
disciples or 12 legions of angels are equally unacceptable if they 
hinder Jesus' obedience to the command of the Father and the 
fulfillment of the Scripture. That's the third aspect of his 
response. Peter put the sword away, put 
it in its place. Why? Because all who take the 
sword will perish by the sword, function of the sword. Two, the 
assistance that can be proffered by the Father, and three, the 
fulfillment of Scripture. Notice in verse 54, how then 
could the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen thus? What 
did the Scriptures say concerning the Messiah? That He would come 
and regal power and glory and establish an earthly kingdom 
and reign with military might? No, He would be a man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief. He'd be Isaiah's suffering servant. 
And if you are not a believer here this morning, you need to 
understand why that is the case. Because I think that sometimes 
we miss this. We think, why in the world did 
Jesus go through what He went through? Because that is the 
means by which He saves His people from their sins. If he just established 
this earthly kingdom, just established this geopolitical rule, just 
established this sort of subjugation of the Roman government and every 
other empire out there, we would be dead in our trespasses and 
sins. Christ had to be one of us. Without sin, but Christ had 
to be one of us. He comes, he lives, he dies, 
he's raised on the third day. Why? To save his people from 
their sins. You and I made a mess out of 
our lives. We disobeyed God, we've rejected 
God, we have done lawless things in God's sight, probably up until 
this very moment. In fact, even now our minds may 
be elsewhere. Our minds may be on a whole host 
of other things. The mandate of Scripture is that 
we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and 
strength, 24 hours, 7 days a week. We don't do that. But Christ 
always did what was pleasing to the Father. Christ always 
obeyed the Father, and Christ on the cross satisfied divine 
justice. He didn't go to that cross simply 
as an example. He didn't go to that cross simply 
to communicate to us how we ought to love one another. He went 
to that cross to take the wrath and fury and judgment of God. 
You see, there's a greater sword involved in all of this. It's 
not Peter's going against Malchus. It's the sword of God's judgment 
that is going to fall on the head of the Son of God. It pleased 
Yahweh, according to the prophet Isaiah, to bruise him. to bruise 
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why it must take place. 
That's why it must happen. Verse 54, how then could the 
Scriptures be fulfilled? That it must happen thus. In 
other words, Peter, when you tell me no in chapter 16, Peter, 
when you cut off Malchus' ear in an attempt to stop and to 
thwart this particular unfolding of providence, what you are essentially 
saying is that we don't want the Scriptures to be fulfilled. 
Peter, if you land that sword on Malthus' neck, and if they 
derail this whole situation, and they gun down Jesus in the 
garden, well, that still would have been efficacious, I think. 
But you see, you cannot derail the plan of God, Peter. Just 
by way of the example, we are not to derail God's plan through 
our zeal without knowledge. I don't want to psychologize 
everybody, but go home today and think about how, in your 
zeal, you repel people from the kingdom of God instead of inviting 
them. Brethren, we're not supposed to be obnoxious. That doesn't 
somehow translate into zeal. Boy, that guy's obnoxious. That's 
really zealous. No, he's obnoxious. What's Peter 
say in 1 Peter chapter 4? Let none of you suffer as a murderer, 
as a busybody, or as a thief. This happens to people. I'm being 
persecuted for my faith in Jesus. No, people don't like you because 
you're obnoxious. I know this is not something 
we ever want to look at in the mirror and say, man, I am just 
obnoxious and I need to calm down. But boy, that can be helpful. That's the first Peter four thrust. 
Notice, for Christ, obedience to his father, fulfillment of 
the written word is paramount. Spurgeon said, neither Jewish 
bands nor Roman ropes could have held him captive if he had not 
been under the bond of a mightier force, even the eternal covenant 
into which he had entered on behalf of his people. So there's 
the defense of Jesus, the sword of Peter. Let's look thirdly 
at the assertion by Jesus. in verses 55 to 56. Notice question 
there. He says, In that hour Jesus said 
to the multitudes, Have you come out as against a robber with 
swords and clubs to take me? I sat daily with you, teaching 
in the temple, and you did not seize me. Now, this is certainly 
a rhetorical question that Jesus is going to answer for the purpose 
of making a particular point. Now, the word here translated 
robber has other connotations. It is intriguing, it's used in 
chapter 21 at verse 13, pulled from the book of Jeremiah. What 
had the house of God become? It had become a house of thieves. 
I think it's ironic here. The thieves, the true criminals, 
are treating Christ, the innocent one, as a criminal. But the word 
does connote something other than just a robber or a thief. 
It can connote terrorism or revolutionary. In fact, Josephus uses the word 
to refer to the zealots, these were sort of political insurrectionists, 
with that word, that sort of identifier. And I think that's 
probably more akin to the particular context. We would all agree that 
a criminal is not only one who steals a candy bar from Walmart, 
but is also one who bombs Walmart. It's criminal. But the one who 
bombs Walmart, we'd see him as a terrorist or a revolutionary, 
maybe not a Walmart, but let's say some governmental building. 
You know, to bomb it would be an act of terrorism. What's Christ 
accused of doing in the very next section? He's accused of 
claiming to destroy the temple. Why do you think they've come 
out in such force? Certainly they may have anticipated 
a response like Peter's in verse 51. But I mean, if Jesus is the 
sort of fellow that's going to destroy the temple, we need to 
treat him as a terrorist. We need to treat him as a revolutionary. We need to subdue him. We need 
to put him down. We need to take his ilk out. 
But here's Christ's counter to that whole thing. He says, have 
you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to take 
me? I sat daily with you, teaching 
in the temple, and you did not seize me. The idea being is that 
if I was the threat that you have heard that I am, you could 
have got me at any time. You could have picked me up right 
in the temple complex. I was sitting there. I was teaching 
among you. Christ says this to, once again, 
evidence to the civil authority that he is not the man they have 
claimed him to be. In other words, put your guns 
and swords and clubs and knives and all that sort of thing away. 
I am going to go with you willingly because, again, note the emphasis 
of verse 56a. But all this was done that the 
scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. For our Christ, 
everything that is written in the divine word is his marching 
orders. Everything that is written concerning 
him will be carried out. Everything that the Father has 
designed will indeed be fleshed out through Christ. But just 
before we leave this to see the desertion of the disciples, notice 
this. Feel the weight of verse 56 in light of the present circumstances 
that Jesus is facing. What's happening to Jesus? Wicked 
men have betrayed him. Wicked men are arresting him. 
And yet Jesus says that these acts are written of in scripture. What's it tell us? That God is 
absolutely sovereign over all things. God is absolutely sovereign 
over even the evil acts of men. That God is in the heavens and 
He does whatever He pleases. That God has sovereignly intervened 
over these things to cause them to work out for good ultimately. So you see, we don't live in 
a world where these sorts of things happen apart from a sovereign 
God. Even the betrayal and even the 
arrest was written about by or written of in the scriptures. 
Calvin says, he was not dragged to death by external violence 
except so far as wicked men carried into execution the secret purpose 
of God. We all need that perspective. 
And then finally, notice the desertion of Jesus in verse 56b. Then all the disciples forsook 
him and fled. You don't want to get psychological 
in your Bible study or Bible reading, but sometimes it just 
happens, doesn't it? How did Matthew feel writing 
56b? I can't imagine he felt proud. I can't imagine he felt like 
a hero. You see, here's what the Holy 
Spirit does. He communicates the truth, even 
if it causes others to say, wow, that doesn't reflect well on 
those disciples. You see, the purpose of the narrative 
isn't to reflect well on the disciples. The purpose of the 
narrative is to set forth Christ in his glory, Christ in his excellency, 
Christ in his beauty. It is to set forth the reality 
that Christ is occupying the place of the scapegoat in the 
Leviticus 16 situation. Remember on that day of atonement, 
there were two goats. The priest sacrificed the one, 
took the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled that 
blood on the mercy seat. There was another goat, and that 
priest laid his hands upon that goat's head, and he confessed 
the transgressions of Israel. And then they drove that goat 
out into the wilderness, all alone, solitary, bearing the 
sins of Israel. That's Christ. He's going to 
go it alone. You see, Matthew 1.21 does not 
tell us, and he, along with his disciples, along with his mother, 
will save his people from their sins. No, it's he and he alone. You see, Matthew writes the truth 
here. After having just told us that 
in their discussion with Christ, they all affirm that they wouldn't 
desert. They all affirm that they would stand by him. Peter 
said, I'll die with you. Now, Peter, you may kill for 
him, but you're not willing to die for him at this particular 
point. What we find in this section is the spotlight, as it were, 
shining upon Jesus. Brethren, disciples will always 
let you down. Disciples will always desert 
you. Disciples will always be sluggish. Disciples will always 
have their challenges and issues and trials. But Jesus Christ 
is faithful, and that's the solitary one upon whom the emphasis now 
shines. Listen to Spurgeon. He says, 
human nature is such poor stuff. even at the best, that we cannot 
hope that any of us would have been braver or more faithful 
than the apostles were." You might read this and say, oh boy, 
that's terrible that they deserted him. I would never desert him. 
They just said that, didn't they? Peter upped the ante. Even if 
everyone else does, I will And if I have to die with you, 
I will not. Brethren, pride, arrogance, and 
a brash confidence ought not to be our place. Watch and pray. Learn the language of the Savior 
as He bids the sluggish disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane watch 
and pray. Well, in conclusion, I think 
the text does a few things for us. In the first place, there 
is a warning. There is a warning. We covered this briefly last 
week. We'll cover it briefly again. Judas is a warning to 
us. Judas was a man who possessed 
external privilege. Judas was a man who was in close 
proximity to the Lord Jesus Christ. Judas was a man, according to 
Matthew 10.1, who had received blessings from Christ in terms 
of power and authority to exercise in the kingdom. So external position, 
internal privilege, does not necessarily translate into saving 
grace. You must be born again. You must 
be looking to Christ. You mustn't ever say, well, I 
go to church, so I must be okay. I said a prayer at Tim Hortons, 
so I must be okay. People rest on these sorts of 
things. People bank on these sorts of 
things. I was raised in the church. I went to Sunday school. Don't 
have a lot of time for it now in my busy life, but that's sort 
of what they're leaning their souls on. Before the throne of 
God, God's going to say, well, I know you went to Sunday school 
as a child. You know, bravo for you. Welcome, welcome, welcome. 
You cannot bank on external sort of position or even internal 
privilege. You may be gifted, you may do 
things. I believe that Judas was one of the ones that went 
out on the preaching and teaching tour that we read of in Luke 
chapter 10. They come back, they say, Lord, 
the demons, we cast out demons in your name. We did these miraculous 
things in your name. Christ says, don't rejoice in 
this, but rather rejoice that your name is written in heaven. 
You see, brethren, that's most important. That is most crucial. The disciples serve as a bit 
of a warning to us. The apostle Peter takes up the 
sword and is rebuked by Christ. Arguably, Peter had not heard 
anything that Jesus had said. I mean, I know he did. He certainly 
did. His epistles reflect that. His 
preaching in the book of Acts reflect that. But in terms of 
Christ's mission, in terms of Matthew 16, Matthew 17, Matthew 
20, Matthew 26, all that Jesus had said concerning the fact 
that he must die, and here Peter takes up a sword to cut off a 
servant's ear. Peter, don't do that. As well, 
the disciples depart from Christ according to verse 56b. But let 
this sink in for just a moment. Who were the disciples? They 
were the apostles, those very close associates to Christ. So 
they were arguably the most taught by Jesus. They were arguably 
the most sharpest theologically. They had the most privilege. 
And what happens? They desert Jesus. See, I think 
there is at least a lesson here for all of us that if the disciples 
forsook Jesus, they may forsake us from time to time. That's 
why it's good to find your blessing in Christ. Spurgeon again, human 
nature is such poor stuff, even at the best, that we cannot hope 
that any of us would have been braver or more faithful than 
the apostles were. I think we've dealt on zeal based 
on knowledge. Let us conclude with two thoughts 
on Christ. He's everything, isn't he? Don't 
you love reading these passages and say, wow, he went through 
that on my behalf. He doesn't invoke Peter's assistance. 
He doesn't invoke the father's assistance knowing good and well 
that he could. He willingly submits to these 
unholy hands laid upon Him to take Him away, to face the Jewish 
Sanhedrin, the Roman polity, and then ultimately be delivered 
up to the cross. He did that for sinners, for 
us men, and for our salvation. The glory of Christ is displayed 
in His willing obedience to the Father and His absolute obedience 
to the written word. step of the way. This was paramount. This was everything. This was 
the means by which Matthew 121 comes to fruition. He will save 
his people from their sins. Davies and Allison make this 
observation. The narrative conveys sorrow 
through irony. Judas is no stranger, but one 
of the 12. The crowd has swords and clubs, while the man they 
seek resists not evil. And Jesus' own disciples, instead 
of standing by him, forsake him and flee. At the same time, the 
sorrow is balanced by Jesus' authority and the motif of fulfillment. The Messiah's fate is his own 
will. He decides not to ask for legions 
of angels. Moreover, his resolution is determined 
by the voice the prophets, which is to say Jesus' will is God's 
will. That's a beautiful way to describe 
this situation in Gethsemane. And as I said, I had two thoughts. 
The last is this, what does the thought of Judas kissing Jesus 
suggest? It suggested to me the kiss of 
Psalm 212 and just how diametrically opposed these two kisses are. 
You see this idea of kissing used in scripture as a sign between 
friends, perhaps as a means of reconciliation, but it's also 
applied to those who submit and obey. It was said concerning 
Baal, God says, I have reserved 7,000 knees that have not bowed 
the knee to Baal nor kissed him, nor kissed him. It's the idea 
there. They didn't just ascend the statue 
and plant one on his cheek. The idea is submission. The idea 
is obeying. And Psalm 212 tells us, Kiss 
the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way. When His 
wrath is kindled but a little, blessed are all those who put 
their trust in Him. Judas' kiss was a kiss of treachery. It was a kiss of betrayal. It 
was a kiss which evidenced his unbelief. We see the parallel 
usage of the synonymous parallelism that is used in this kiss the 
Son, and blessed are all those who trust in Him. The means by 
which we gain access to the Father is through the Son. Kiss the 
Son. Spurgeon says the command is 
kiss the Son. The argument is lest he be angry 
and you perish in his way. And the promise or the benediction 
is blessed are all those who put their trust in him. So let 
Judas's kiss remind you of the Psalm 2, 12 kiss. And may you, 
by the grace of God, kiss the son today. May you believe, may 
you look, may you live, may you know the joy of being found in 
him who went like that scapegoat into the wilderness, bearing 
our sin and our shame. Isn't that going to be a great 
thing? When we stand before God, most high in glory, to be devoid 
of sin and shame? Doesn't sin bring shame? Isn't that one of the most crippling 
things in the Christian life? The good that I wish to do, I 
don't do. And the evil I don't want to 
do, I find myself doing. And there's this shame that floods 
the heart. Well, that day when we stand 
in His presence, gazing upon the face of the Son of God, because 
of that kiss, our sins are forgiven, the shame is gone, and we are 
in the presence of the One who is altogether lovely and chief 
among ten thousand. Kiss Him, believe on Him, and 
you will be saved. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for the Word of God, we thank You for the passage 
in Matthew 26 here. There are many things for us 
to learn, many lessons for us to take home, but first and foremost, 
may we gaze at the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and His willing 
submission to the Father even evidenced in his willing, voluntary 
surrender to this wretched mob. As well, God, help us to see 
and appreciate the fulfillment of the Scriptures and how important 
they were for Jesus Christ, how important they are for the likes 
of us. We ask that you would open hearts today, cause believers, 
or cause sinners, rather, to believe, to kiss the Son, to 
know the joy of being found in Him. Go with us now and watch 
over us and grant us grace to bring glory to you, and we pray 
through Christ our Lord. Amen.