Betrayal and Arrest of Our Lord, Part 2

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins the exposition of the current passage, focusing on the disciples' impulsive attempt to defend Jesus and themselves, first through a question about using swords and…

Martin explains that the servant whose ear was cut off was likely Caiaphas's personal slave, sent to report back, illustrating the high priest's direct involvement and proximity to the arrest.

Now this person, called a servant or a slave, is identified with a definite article pointing most likely to the fact that he was a personal slave or servant of Caiaphas who was a slave of the high priest. And you remember it was in collusion with the chief priest and the other leaders of the Sanhedrin that Judas had agreed to betray the Lord. And what is probably occurring here is that Caiaphas charged this personal slave or house servant to go with the arresting party and to report back to him exactly what happened. So next to Judas, he is right at the front. He is right at the front of the a...

14:02 - 15:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins the exposition of the current passage, focusing on the disciples' impulsive attempt to defend Jesus and themselves, first through a question about using swords and…

He uses the analogy of the eleven disciples attempting to take on a Roman cohort of hundreds of soldiers to highlight the ludicrousness and carnal faith of their impulsive defense.

When they see this great multitude, with at least a large segment of a Roman cohort, comprised of six hundred soldiers, so there may have well been several hundred soldiers, and the temple police with their big clubs, and this other element of the mixed multitude, what in the world is in their minds asking the question, shall we smite with the sword? We eleven will take them all, and then Peter waxing bold enough and impetuous enough to draw out his sword and go to whacking and to slashing. Well remember what they had just seen.

15:54 - 16:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He details Jesus' decisive response, first through his deed of healing the high priest's servant's ear, highlighting this act of mercy towards a captor and its significance in…

Martin shares his wife's question about why only Luke recorded the miracle of healing the ear, illustrating the unique and astounding nature of the event.

And here again, we look to Luke, who alone records this incident. As my wife and I were going off to sleep last night, somewhere around eleven o'clock or ten after eleven, and I was going over some of the elements of the message, she asked me, she said, Dear, why would only Luke record this miracle? Such an astounding thing. And I had to say what we say to all such questions, only God knows.

19:18 - 19:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Do good to those that despitefully use us, blessing and cursing not, following the example of our Lord Jesus.

He pictures the severed ear 'hanging by a little thread of skin' to vividly convey the extent of the injury and the immediate, complete nature of Jesus' healing.

Peter saw Ringo off the right ear of the slave of the high priest. Perhaps it was just hanging by a little thread of skin. I like to picture it that way. Somewhere down here, close to his shoulder or his neck.

20:40 - 20:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Do good to those that despitefully use us, blessing and cursing not, following the example of our Lord Jesus.

He contrasts Jesus' instantaneous healing with modern microsurgery, emphasizing the miraculous power and divine nature of Christ's act.

And he stretches out at least one of them, touches this ear. I like to picture him gently picking it up as it dangles by the side of his neck, puts it in his place, presses it back, lines it up correctly, and by the time he takes his hand away, it's as though the sword had never done, it's slashing work. He did in an instant of time what man, modern technology, could only do with hours of careful microsurgery and weeks of prolonged recovery. Jesus stretches out his hand and with a touch makes him perfectly whole.

21:35 - 22:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He analyzes Jesus' inquisition of his captors, particularly the religious leaders, through a question about their treatment of him as a robber, an affirmation of his daily…

Martin uses the analogy of a 'professional stagecoach thief' or 'mugger' from the 'old wild west days' to explain the meaning of 'robber' (brigand), emphasizing the violent and desperate nature of such individuals and the indignity Jesus felt at being compared to one.

those professional muggers who did in the man of Samaria in Luke chapter 10 you know the parable of the good Samaritan and one of Jesus describes a certain man was going down in a certain direction and thieves fell upon him and how did they do it how did they leave him they left him robbed beaten and half dead now this is the word that is used and almost all of the commentators pick up on this and say a better rendering would be a brigand to use an old English word to go back to old wild west days this would be a professional stagecoach thief who comes riding up on his horse and goes shooting ...

44:14 - 45:37 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon concludes with the sad note of Jesus' inclusive desertion, first by the eleven disciples who fled, and then by a strange unnamed young man who also fled naked…

He uses the analogy of someone showing up to a neighborhood ruckus wrapped only in a bed sheet to illustrate how the unnamed young man stood out in the crowd, making him an easy target for the arresting party.

The normal outer garments. And so he stood out in this crowd. As much as you would. If in the midst of your nap.

58:24 - 58:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I trust God will bring home. To our hearts. As never before. The utter aloneness. Of our Lord's passion. Of his suffering. And his death.

Martin quotes lines from a hymn, 'Alone the Savior prayed... Alone the Savior died... Alone He suffered all alone,' to convey the profound sense of Christ's isolation in his passion.

And I couldn't even recall all of the words. One that I used to sing years ago. It was alone. The Savior prayed.

61:33 - 61:42 Read in full sermon