The Confidence

The Confidence

Matthew 26:52-54, NLT

“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”

Luke 22:51-53, NLT

But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. “Am I some dangerous revolutionary,” he asked, “that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? 53Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.”

Setting the Scene

Jesus “touched the man’s ear and healed him.” Even as Jesus was being led away to face a trial, torture, and death, he stopped to care for this one who was coming to arrest him. Jesus pointed out the ridiculous tactics of these people who had come to arrest him. Twelve peaceful men in a garden, most of them asleep, would hardly prove much of a threat. They didn’t have to come against him with “swords and clubs” because he was voluntarily surrendering. Jesus was not a revolutionary; he was a religious teacher who had been teaching in the Temple every day of the past week. On one of those days, he had cleared the place of merchants and money changers, but they hadn’t tried to arrest him then. Instead, they came at night.

Jesus knew the events were unfolding as they were in order to fulfill the Scriptures. Judas’s betrayal of Jesus, the coming mockery of a trial, and the trial’s ultimate outcome had all been prophesied (see Psalms 22:7-8, 14, 16-17; 41:9; Isaiah 50:6; 53:7-8). Although Satan seemed to be gaining the upper hand, everything was proceeding according to God’s plan. The time had come for Jesus to die. His time of prayer had made him serene in God’s will.

Jesus moved confidently toward the future, knowing the incredible pain that lay in his path. He knew who he was, and he knew the Father. He knew that through these events the world would be saved.

Getting Personal

What issues keep you up at night?

What are your fears for the future?

How can God help you live with confidence?

Jesus could face his future without fear. We may worry about physical safety in a storm, stress out over a relationship confrontation, feel tension in a high-level meeting, be afraid of losing a prized possession, and express concern about financial investments. Other more serious fears include issues of health, safety, loved ones, and financial security. Jesus has gone before us and is with us. We can face the future without fear, as Jesus leads the way.

Talking to God

Spend some time in prayer remembering how God has blessed and protected you in past months and years, then move on to reaffirm your confident trust in his control of your future.