Gethsemane: The Garden Battle That Changed the World

Here's a question for you. Later in Jesus ministry, he told his disciples that if they did not have a sword, they should sell their cloak to buy one. But then later in the garden, Peter uses his sword to cut off the temple guard's ear. And Jesus said that he who lives by the sword will die by the sword. This sounds like a contradiction. Why did Jesus tell Peter to bring a sword only to rebuke him for using it? Is there an intersection between physical and spiritual warfare here? And is there prophetic significance to these events? And another question on everyone's mind. Are believers allowed self defense or to fight in a war with a sword? The event of Peter cutting off the guard's ear is more significant than most realize and caused a paradigm shift in believers that will allow the Gospel to change the world in an unprecedented manner. All because of this moment and the lessons it provides. Let's just be real. I understand why this can all seem confusing. Yeshua tells him, bring a sword, and then rebukes Peter for using it. Whenever it seems like God is doing something contradictory, it's not. It's a mystery. And it's a call for us to look deeper. We see in Luke 22:36 that he said to them, but now let the one who has a money bag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. Jesus ministry is about to take a radical shift towards facing violent persecution, even unto death at his crucifixion. And to the disciples, it may not seem unreasonable to assume that Jesus is telling them to bring a sword so that they may use it to protect him. But in this case, that assumption turns out to be against God's will. Jesus didn't want to be saved. He came to save them. We read in John 18:11, so Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into its sheath. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me? So why then did Jesus tell them to bring a sword? For two reasons, which we're going to explore in depth in this teaching. Number one, to teach his disciples an important revelation on the different types of warfare. And number two, for the fulfillment of two prophecies. First, let's talk about the Revelation. I want you to first turn to Luke 10:4 with me, where we're going to talk about the giving of the Great Commission and something really interesting that Jesus is doing with his disciples, testing their faith. We see in Luke 10:4, carry no money, bag no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road, okay, so first of all, as he is sending his disciples out, he is stripping them of basic things that someone would have with them. Sandals, a knapsack, which is like a backpack, and money bags. So the moment that these things are taken from a person and they are sent out away, of course this is going to cause them to feel anxious, perhaps, right? It's like I don't have control over just a. About anything, it seems. Not even a wallet, not a backpack, not sandals. And yet now we go 12 chapters later, in Luke 22:35. Now Jesus is looking back at that moment where they were sent out without these things. And he said to them, when I sent you out with no money bag, knapsack, or sandals, did you lack any anything? And they said nothing. The disciples learned of God's supernatural provision in ministry by surrendering control even over basics. Money bags, knapsacks, and sandals. By not having control, they learned that God is in control, that he is powerful, and that he provides that even if I don't have a wallet, he will provide for me food. Even if I do not have sandals, he will provide for my feet. And that's what Israel also experienced. In the wilderness, their sandals did not wear out. God provided manna from heaven for them to eat. And so now the disciples in Luke 10 are experiencing the same miracles as Israel did in the wilderness. And so after the disciples learned to depend on God, they were now told to bring these very things that before they were told to leave behind. In Luke 22:36, Jesus says to them, but now. But now let the one who has a money bag take it, and likewise a knapsack, and let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. So God took away money bags, knapsacks, and sandals so they may learn to be guided by the Holy Spirit and trust in him. And now he gives it back to them, expecting them to trust the Holy Spirit, just as they did when they did not have these things. But now he also adds something. He adds a sword as a test of whether they will continue to be led by the Spirit even being in possession of a weapon. See, in what you lack and in what you have, you are tested. And in testing his disciples, Jesus teaches them an important revelation on warfare. We read in Matthew 26:51, and behold, one of those who were with Jesus, this is Peter, stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, 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 12 legions of angels? So here we get a glimpse into the contrast between spiritual and physical warfare. And Jesus speaks of spiritual warriors making reference to angels, not physical warriors. In this situation and confrontation with the temple guards, Jesus points to the spiritual ability of the Father to influence the physical realm and this situation, even referencing how the Father can let angels overthrow these temple guards. But the Father didn't, for his plan of salvation was in motion. All of this, what was going on in that situation was as God planned. And that's why Jesus stopped Peter from trying to become this physical warrior for him. He had all of heaven behind him and he knew what he was doing. Jesus knew that this war, above all, was spiritual. He didn't want Peter to be a physical warrior. He wanted Peter to be a spiritual warrior. But Peter, he was afraid. It's well understood that when we are afraid, the flesh's instinct is to fight or flight. And this is what Peter experienced in that moment and in the times to come. Peter is being tempted by fear when those temple guards come to capture Jesus and he pulls out his sword because he wants to fight them. And then later, Peter would deny Christ three times as he would flight, as he would run away, as he would disperse like sheep without a shepherd. Both of these sins of Peter caused by a spirit of fear. While on the other hand, Jesus was led by the Spirit of his Father, not fleshly instincts. Jesus didn't fight with a sword, but he submitted to God. He didn't flight, he didn't run away from his calling, but he submitted to God. Now I think it's important to put out a disclaimer at this moment. The point is that every situation is going to be different and we must seek the will of our Father in every situation, whatever that will may be. In one moment Jesus may go to a place and in another avoid that place, as occurred before in John 7 we read after this, Jesus went about in Galilee and he would not go about in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him in that time. His time had not yet come and he was fleeing so that he was not captured. But later his time did come and he allowed himself to be captured in the timing and accordance to the will of God. This is why it's so important to not act upon our instincts of the flesh, but to be led by the Spirit of God. Our flesh always will lean towards fear and make decisions from fear, but leaning on the Spirit of God, we will make decisions in accordance to the will of God. So that brings about the question, how can we be led by the Spirit and avoid the mistake that Peter made? The secret in this lies actually in where Jesus was arrested. The actual place is very significant. The garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane means oil press. I want to call this the garden of spiritual warfare, just for the sake of this teaching, because it was a place of extreme spiritual warfare. We read in Matthew 26:39, and going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, father, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but your will be done. In Gethsemane, that garden, Jesus praying against temptation, and he is wrestling with the will of God. See, at the end of spiritual warfare, being pressed like an oil press, we come away from there with the will of God made manifest and having full assurance of it in our heart. That's what Christ had after his prayer. But Peter in that same garden, what happens to him? We read in verse 40 and he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, so could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation, for the Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Jesus is warning here again of this whole walking by the Spirit and walking by the flesh. Pray that you would be walking by the Spirit and be led by the Spirit, that you would not fall into the temptation of the flesh, which is fear. Peter's lack of prayer in Gethsemane is why he is unprepared for the persecution to come. He could not withstand the temptation of fear, and he did not understand the will of God. Peter felt the need to physically fight in a moment where God did not call for it, because he had not been fighting spiritually. Ephesians 6:12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand firm, the church would face many evil days. And in the days to come, for persecution against the followers of Christ would increase exponentially. So how believers will handle persecution would be key. How Jesus handled persecution in that moment of his capture would bring a paradigm shift that would allow the Gospel to change the world in an unprecedented manner. Rome's paganism would not be overthrown by Sword and by spear. People would not have their hearts changed by physical violence, by wars or by force, but by the Prince of Peace. The temple guards were coming to capture Jesus by force, and the religious leaders wanted to destroy his ministry using violence. It says in Matthew 26:47, 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. While these religious leaders were on a violent conquest to retain their power. In contrast, Jesus doesn't fight or establish his kingship using worldly weapons like swords and clubs, but he uses spiritual weapons. He resurrects from the dead, saving billions from the darkness. His disciples use the armor of God for warfare, overthrowing worldly and pagan kingdoms. They love their enemies even unto death. And because of this unconventional form of warfare, the Gospel spreads powerfully to the world. It is the reason you're sitting where you're sitting watching this video right now, because we do not war in the ways that the world wars. We war in a much more powerful way. Jesus taught that his followers are to be known as peacemakers, not combatants. And this is so important, especially in the time of the first century, because the Zealots were a well known religious group, very famous, who were actually trying to overthrow Rome by violence in the name of the God of Israel. They utilized guerrilla warfare to implement their religious ideologies by force. And many people in Israel in the first century, they hoped for the Jewish Messiah to be the leader of such a revolution. In fact, in 132 AD with the bar Kochba revolt, this was one such revolutionary act against Rome, where many believed that the leader of the revolt was the Messiah of Israel. Simon Bar Kochba was widely proclaimed to be the Jewish Messiah by the religious leadership of the day, specifically by the prominent Rabbi Akiva, according to the Jerusalem Talmud tractate to anit 4, 8. So we know that in the first century many people wanted Jesus to be this violent war leader to overthrow Rome. And for those Jesus disappointed. And for a moment it seemed as if the kingdom of Yeshua was defeated. He was physically killed hanging on a cross and he had now breathed his last. His disciples had scattered in their hearts. They were defeated. But Yeshua, actually he had just won the spiritual war. And when the disciples saw his resurrection, they recognized the victory and the power of spiritual warfare. Brothers and sisters, do not judge your world and your situation, your trial in the physical. Do not just look at the physical. For when we look at just the physical, like the disciples did, we Walk away in our hearts failing us and in defeat and in surrender and giving up. But if we look with spiritual eyes towards the spiritual war that is being fought, that does not look like the physical. If we look deeper, if we look at what God is doing and the will of God under the surface of all of the junk that's here in the physical, if we look at the what is God doing? That's what the disciples should have asked God, what is the Father? Father, what are you doing in the guard of Gethsemane? They should have asked God, what are you doing? What are you doing in our lives? What are you doing in our Messiah's life? What's the purpose of all of this? Where is this going? What is your will? So that I can stand and step into an accordance with your will and not work against your will. O God, help me. Help me to be led by your spirit and not by my flesh. See, brothers and sisters, what may seem like our defeat physically by everything that comes our way may well be a spiritual victory. If we yield to our Father, the whole world, and everyone who sees us, they'll say, he's dead, he's defeated, he was a failure, he's a reject, he's cursed by God. Everything he did was a waste of time. That's what everyone thought when they looked upon the body of Yeshua hanging on a tree. But thou could not be further from the truth. Be careful of judging situations in other people and in yourself by what you see. Rather with everything. Ask the Father to open your eyes to his will, his righteous judgment, so that you may see the truth behind what is happening. It is so important to spend time in the garden of Gethsemane where we will be pressed, where we will face great hardship and trial and suffering. But if we use that time wisely, we will not only save ourselves by yielding to God and letting him save us from our situation, but we may also allow others to be saved. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete. So we have now established that the life of Yeshua proves that spiritual warfare is even more powerful than physical warfare. And to us, that may sound impossible and it may even sound scary because, like for Peter, it's our natural desire to want control and to physically take things into our own hands. Right? We tend to trust ourselves, our plans, how we can overcome our enemy. Well, spiritual warfare means that we pray and we trust that God fights for us, but we must trust him and we must surrender our need for control over every situation. Now, at the same time, we should address something that I know many of you are asking in your hearts. What about self defense? Does the call to spiritual warfare mean that we aren't allowed to defend ourselves? What about yielding weapons in war? Contrary to how people have used this story of Peter and the sword in the past, this story is not a blanket prohibition of using weapons, but rather we have to read it in its applicable context of gospel proclamation. Personal defense against criminals is allowed according to the Bible. In Exodus 22:2, we see an example where God gives a commandment on how to adjudicate a man who is defending his house against a thief breaking in. It says in Exodus 22:2, if a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there should be no blood guilt for him, that is upon the homeowner, but if the Son has risen on him, there shall be blood guilt for him. So what these verses are saying is that if a thief breaks in at night into a house and is killed by the homeowner, and the homeowner is innocent, for it may be unclear to that homeowner what the thief is intending. And if the thief wants to hurt someone, and so the homeowner may do what he feels is necessary to ensure his safety and the safety of his family. But then he talks about what should be done if the thief breaks in in the daytime and is killed by the homeowner. And he says that the homeowner is not innocent. And the reason that he says this is because if it's daytime, you can clearly see the intentions of someone who is breaking in, right? If it's a thief, he's breaking in, he just wants to steal something, and the moment you catch him, he's running away and he is not intending to hurt you. Right now there is that recognition and you should absolutely not kill the guy. This instruction is specifically on how to deal with a thief breaking into your house. And self defense is permitted if the thief's intentions on whether they want to hurt you are unclear. Therefore, if someone is trying to murder you outright or hurt you in some way physically, how much more is self defense permitted? But now that is different from being persecuted for your faith, as in the case of Jesus and the disciples that we addressed. Consider the disciples in the many years to come as we read our New Testament, there are many New Testament cases of disciples and followers of Christ being persecuted, whether thrown into prison or or even executed by stoning. But there is not one case of them defending themselves with violent force. Instead, we see that Yeshua explicitly instructed them, when you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Matthew 10:23. We see that the early church continued to practice this in Acts 8:1, for example, where they were scattering when they were persecuted so that they can spread the Gospel and they did not fight back with force. Another thing that we see in the Scriptures in the New Testament is that a legal defense is often put up. For example, the Apostle Paul frequently used his rights as a Roman citizen to protect himself from flogging or an unfair trial. In Acts 16:22 and 25, Paul likewise did not fight back to those who were persecuting him using violence or force. We also see that God divinely intervened in many cases, just like Yeshua made reference to the Father's ability to divinely intervene when he was being captured if the Father so willed it. We see that the Father did divinely intervene in cases of like in Peter's imprisonment in Acts 12 or in the case of Paul and Silas when they were in Philippi In Acts 16, they relied on prayer and God sent angels or earthquakes to liberate them from their bondage. Believers who are persecuted and killed for their faith are known as martyrs, and martyrdom has a special purpose in the Kingdom of God. We read about it even in the Book of Revelation in the End Times. Next week we intend to speak more on martyrdom specifically, because I believe there is so much power and glory in understanding the role of martyrdom from a biblical perspective. So stay tuned for that next week. But now also, what about wars between nations? War is an unfortunate byproduct of this fallen world, and unfortunate as it is at times. War has been necessary for the defense of the vulnerable and for the liberation of the oppressed. As we saw in our Recent World War II history. Nazi Germany was doing horrific things to marginalized people, placing people in concentration camps and torturing them. We can also think about how God used King David and Israel in righteous wars. We also can think about how God commanded Israel to make war with various people groups throughout the Exodus journey for the purification of the land and in the end of the world itself. We read how the physical and spiritual wars will intersect like never before, for King Yeshua will make war with the enemies that are surrounding Israel. We read in Revelation 19:19, and I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. Regarding war, each person must pray and ask God, there are unjust wars and there are just wars. In this teaching, we're only establishing that there is no blanket prohibition or sin on war and participating in war between nations. But that doesn't mean that war is God's will for you. It doesn't mean that any particular war you may be thinking about right now is just. There are many modern wars in this world that believers should have nothing to do with. And they are not just. I pray that all men may escape anything to do with war. Yeshua said, the one who lives by the sword dies by the sword. It is a simple fact of life that if we conduct our life using violence that we will see violence come our way. This is a warning against various things, including gangsterism, the eagerness to harm another person using force or violence in whichever way. It's a warning against religious conquest, I.e. religious convergence by violence and force. And it's also applicable to our personal lives that we should not be using anger, manipulation, violence, or lying to achieve success, power, or to maintain control. So this brings us to our second reason as to why Jesus told his disciples to bring a sword to fulfill prophecy. In Matthew 26:56 we read, but all this has taken place that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. The first prophecy that Jesus fulfills using this situation is that he would be numbered with transgressors. It says in Luke 22:36 that he said to them, and let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me. And he was numbered with the transgressors. For what is written about me has its fulfillment. Because Peter had a sword with him because Christ told him to take a sword. Peter used the sword, however improperly, to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Peter acted as a transgressor in that moment, and Jesus was treated as a transgressor in that moment when the elders came with swords and clubs, Jesus was then exchanged for a transgressor, Barabbas. And Jesus then saves the transgressors fulfilling prophecy, Isaiah 53:12, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors. Yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors. The second prophecy that is fulfilled in this Moment is that when Jesus said, of those whom you have given me, father, I have lost, not won. We read in John 18:8. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfil the word that he had spoken. Of those whom you gave me, I have lost not one. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's servant's ear and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Peter would be prosecuted along with Jesus for the crime that he had committed, striking the ear of Malchus. But what was to come was not about Peter. It was about Jesus and the voluntary sacrifice that he was about to make for the sins of the world. And so that's why Yeshua comes and heals Malchus ear. Jesus said no more of this. He touched his ear and healed him. Jesus reverses the transgression and refocuses all accusations upon him alone. He exonerates Peter, and he allows the fulfillment of the prophecy. John 17:12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them have been lost, except the Son of Destruction. That the scripture might be fulfilled. And in this we see something beautiful. An enemy is loved. That temple guard who Peter struck was not just any temple guard, but the servant of the high priest Malchus. And that mutilated ear of him would have prevented him from continuing his servanthood at the temple of God. For the commandment states that no man who has a mutilation on his body in that man may approach the temple. Christ uses this situation to show grace to the very enemy who is coming to capture him, healing him and restoring him to his temple office, allowing him to continue serving God. This symbolically shows us all that even he who came to persecute the temple of God, who is Christ, can be redeemed and saved and forgiven to become a temple of the Holy Spirit Himself. Serving in the temple of God. Even those who came to the Messiah with swords was on his mind when he died for them. So no matter what you've done, you can be redeemed. God offers his forgiveness, and you have a way forward in faith. The fulfillment of the prophecies we just read is a reminder of how the suffering and sacrifice of Christ was planned from the beginning of the world. For God spoke to it, not just to the prophets of old, but even spoke it out before this world was made. Revelation 13:8. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. And even your suffering is not catching God off guard. He is outside of time and he has a prophetic perspective that you don't have on your situation. One day you will understand all things and you will rejoice in it if you remain faithful despite your trials. I want to conclude with reading you about one of the churches in the book of Revelation that I find applicable to this Revelation 2:10. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and for 10 days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Father, I pray for anyone who is going through a difficult time this day, who do not know where to turn, who do not know what to do, who do not know why this is happening to them, and who have nothing to pray but to say, help. Lord, I thank you that even saying just help is enough and that you hear us, that you hear all of our hearts, even in that one word. I thank you Lord, that you come into our lives and into our situations every day, that you do not slumber and that you are working even when we are wondering where you are, that you are working, that you have plans, plans that are good plans to prosper us and to bless us. But Father, in this time of testing and pressing in our garden of Gethsemane, let us not fall asleep, but let us pray. Let us conduct spiritual warfare. Let us stand up and understand the will of God. I pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen. Join me next week as I plan to explore the glory of martyrdom with you with historic stories of martyrs so that we can learn new perspectives on suffering and see what the role of martyrs will be even unto the end of the world. Many blessings to you. Subscribe if you're new here to see that and I'll see you in the next video. My love to you. Sa.