“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.) So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?'”
(John 18:10-11 ESV)
John doesn’t tell us the end of this story—that Jesus healed Malchus’ ear, the last miracle of healing He would do before He died for us all. Why? Maybe because John figured the story was well known enough already. After all, the other Gospels had already been written, and it’s likely that Malchus himself was a member of the young Christian church.
John focuses on something else—Jesus’ reason for stopping Peter. Because Peter is doing what anybody would do when someone they love is under attack, right? He tries to protect Jesus. But this is not the right time for that. Jesus is about to drink the cup of suffering the Father is giving Him—and that means He’s the one doing the protecting.
From now on, everything Jesus does is for that one purpose: to destroy the power that sin, death, and the devil hold over God’s creation, and to set God’s beloved people free to live with Him forever. The price will be very high, as Jesus knows. He will be beaten and mocked and scourged and nailed to a cross. He will endure pain and thirst and shame. And He will carry the sins of the whole world—mine and yours. All of this He will do gladly, to protect us from eternal death and to make us God’s children forever.
We Pray: Lord Jesus, You are my Protector. Thank You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Who is a protector you respect?
* What kinds of protection do the people around you need most?
* What leads a person to protect others, even at the cost of their own life?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 16, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights