An Incredible Moment in an Olive Grove

This is one of those places in the life of Jesus that just never sits right with me. Peter with a sword in his hand? A sword? Really? And Malchus gets part of his ear cut off and Jesus puts it back on and Malchus doesn't say, "Holy cow. That man just put my ear back on?" I think if I was Malchus, I'd be thinking twice about taking this guy into custody...

And I'm sure this was all how God intended it to be but it still rather bothers me. It feels out of character with the rest of what the disciples did. The one thing I did get out of this chapter that I never did understand before why Jesus didn't fight or stand up for himself. It wasn't until Gire pointed out that it was important that he go like a lamb to the slaughter and not like a caged animal that I finally got it. Now I understand that if he had fought or resisted or said a single word on His own behalf, it would have been a sin because it would have been in defiance to the will of the Father.

To go down because God says you must is one thing. To do it standing there without the will to protect yourself is even more courageous. I just can't get over that.

There have been times in this book when we've viewed the character of Jesus and I have thought, "I could grow to be like that" or "I hope one day I can stand up to things the way He does" but to be THIS in tune with God...it still just blows my mind. It's downright amazing to me that he could be in human form and get through this like He did.

I guess that's where my kernel of faith first started growing - right here at the olive grove. When I realized what He did for me it was one thing but when I realized how He did it - I knew in my heart He was God in the form of man. No one else would have stood up to these last days the way He did.

Who else but Jesus?