Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” John 18:11 ESV¹

Read Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-50, Luke 22:47-53 & John 18:1-11

Have you ever been let down by someone you counted on to stand beside you? Or have you been betrayed by someone you had considered a friend? Have you ever been slandered by someone you had tried to help? Or have you been abandoned by someone who was supposed to love you?

I have. I can answer in the affirmative to each of those questions. Even though years have passed since some of those incidents took place, when they are brought back to my memory, the pain floods in anew and emotions rise in me which I thought had long ago subsided. Most of us can probably identify with such hurts. Jesus can too. But how we deal with being rejected may be quite different than the way Jesus did.

The next healing we will consider can be found among the events of one of the most trying times Jesus ever faced—the last week of His earthly life. This healing occurred right on the heels of Jesus being let down, betrayed, slandered, and about to be abandoned, yet He reacted with grace. Though He was physically and emotionally drained and was about to go through the most intense physical and spiritual trial imaginable, He was unusually kind to those who had been the meanest to Him.

After Jesus and His eleven faithful disciples had celebrated the Passover together, “He went out with His disciples across the brook Kidron, [to the Mount of Olives,] where there was a garden, [the Garden of Gethsemane,] which He and His disciples entered. Now Judas, who [later] betrayed Him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples” (John 18:1-2).

Jesus “began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then … He said to [His disciples], ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with Me.’ And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’  And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said …, ‘So, could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray …’. Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.’ And again, He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Sleep and take your rest later on … Rise, let us be going; see, My betrayer is at hand’” (Matthew 26:37b-46).

“While He was still speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The One I will kiss is the Man; seize Him.’ And he came up to Jesus at once and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ And he kissed Him” (Matthew26:47-49). “Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss’” (Luke 22:48)? “‘Friend, do what you came to do’” (Matthew 26:50).

“Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’ … When Jesus said to them, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. So, He asked them again, ‘Whom do you seek?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am He. So, if you seek Me, let these men go’” (John 18:4-8).

“And when those who were around Him saw what would follow, they said, ‘Lord, shall we strike with the sword’” (Luke 22:49)? “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus)” (John 18:10).

“Then Jesus said to [Peter], ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so’” (Matthew 26:52-54)? “‘Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me’” (John 18:11b)?

“[And] Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And He touched [Malchus’] ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against Him, ‘Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness’” (Luke 22:51-53). “‘But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples left Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56).

Jesus chose forgiveness.

Jesus knew what the Father was asking of Him. He prayed three times, if there was any other way, that He wouldn’t have to go through with it. I believe the Father gave Jesus a choice. I believe Jesus could have taken an easier road. Why else would Jesus have said, “‘Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels’” (Matthew 26:53)? Instead, for the sake of God’s glory and the forgiveness of all humanity, Jesus chose to fulfill the Scriptures and submit to the Father’s will no matter what it meant for Him. He didn’t have to, but He did.

For months Jesus had been escaping the attempts of the religious leaders to trap, arrest, and kill Him because it wasn’t yet His time (see John 7:6, 8:20 & 59). Now it was their time; the religious leaders now had the God-allowed ability to capture Jesus. Yet, Jesus still could have escaped when they were on their faces after He proclaimed His deity (see also John 8:58), but He didn’t.

Instead of chastising Peter for defending Him, instead of asking those who came to capture Him for His disciples’ release, and instead of letting His followers flee, Jesus could have escaped Himself, or at least bought more time, by allowing His disciples to stand and fight for Him, but He didn’t.

Jesus could have left Malchus standing there screaming, holding his ear in his hand, with blood running down his face, instead He healed him. Jesus didn’t have to be kind to one who was so close to those who had, for His entire earthly ministry, rejected Him, harassed Him, attempted to arrest Him, and plotted to kill Him, but He was.

Jesus didn’t have to ignore the fact, when He was at His absolute lowest point, desperately needing the support of His friends, that His disciples fell asleep instead of watching and praying with Him in the garden, but He did.

When Judas came to kiss Him, Jesus could have avoided him or pushed him aside. He didn’t have to let Judas kiss Him, but He did. Jesus didn’t have to call Judas, “Friend,” as he was in the act of betraying Him, but He did.

Jesus didn’t have to choose anyone’s forgiveness for over His own comfort, but He did.

We don’t have to forgive, but we can.

Forgiving those who have rejected or betrayed us can be incredibly difficult, but if we are Believers, we have the same Spirit in us which resided in Jesus! “[We] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]” (Philippians 4:13). Forgiving those who have hurt or abandoned us can be exceedingly painful. Jesus suffered to provide our pardon. We may have to suffer some to give others forgiveness. Fortunately, we know “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction … For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

We don’t have to forgive, but we really should.

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). There really is nothing anyone has done to us that is even half as bad as the way we, in our defiant sinful nature, have transgressed against Jesus. “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13). “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19).

By the grace of God, may we be able to put our swords of unforgiveness and vindication into their sheaths, and drink the cup of pardon and absolution that the Father has given us (see John 18:11). That which appears to be unbearably bitter may actually turn out to be pleasantly sweet.

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.