Paid In Full: An In-depth Look at the Defining Moments of Christ's Passion (10 page)

Peter’s spontaneous, hasty behavior earned him a place in history that no one has ever forgotten. However, to see the full picture of what happened that night, it is essential to piece the story together from both Luke’s and John’s Gospel, for each Gospel writer tells a different part of the story.

While the soldiers and temple police were lying on their backs, Peter looked around and realized that the armed men were disabled. So he pulled out his own sword, and with sword in hand, gleefully asked, “…Lord, shall we smite with the sword?” (Luke 22:49).

Before Jesus had an opportunity to answer, Peter swung into action and did something outrageous and utterly bizarre! He gripped the sword and impulsively swung down, slicing right past the head of the high priest’s servant. Imagine how shocked Jesus must have been to see Peter lop off this poor man’s ear and then to watch the severed ear fall into the dirt on the ground! John 18:10 tells us that Peter “…smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear….”

Let’s look at these words to see exactly what happened in that impulsive moment when Peter swung this sword. The word “smote” is the Greek word
epaio
, from the word
paio
, and it means
to strike
, as a person who viciously strikes someone with a dangerous tool, weapon, or instrument. It can also be translated
to sting,
like a scorpion that strongly injects its stinger into a victim. In addition, it means
to beat with the fist
. In this verse, the word is used to picture
the force
of Peter’s swinging action. This tells us that Peter put all his strength into the swinging of his sword, fully intending to cause some kind of bodily impairment.

Do you think Peter was aiming for the servant’s ear? Why would anyone attack an ear? Furthermore, it wouldn’t take this much force to cut off an ear. No, I believe Peter was aiming for the man’s head and missed, swiping the man’s ear by mistake. When that sword missed its target, it slipped down the side of the servant’s head and took his ear with it.

When John 18:10 says Peter “cut off” his right ear, the words “cut off” are from the Greek word
apokopto
, which is a compound of the words
apo
and
kopto.
The word
apo
means
away
, and the word
kopto
means
to cut downward.
Put together, the new word describes
a downward swing that cuts something off
. In this case, Peter swung downward so hard that he completely removed the ear of the servant of the high priest.

Some try to insinuate that Peter merely nipped this man’s ear, but the Greek shows that the swing of Peter’s sword caused the ear’s complete removal. The Greek word for “ear” is
otarion
, and it refers to
the entire outer ear
. The Bible is so detailed about the events that occurred that night, it even tells us it was the servant’s
right
ear. The servant of the high priest lost his entire right ear when Peter swung in his direction!

John 18:10 tells us the servant’s name was
Malchus
. Who was this Malchus? Did Peter indiscriminately select Malchus as his target that night? Was there a particular reason Peter chose this man as the focus of his wrath?

The name Malchus has two meanings:
ruler
and
counselor
. We don’t know that this was the servant’s original name. It may have been a name given to him because of his close position to the high priest, who at that time was a man named Caiaphas. Caiaphas was a member of the Sadducees, a sect that was particularly opposed to the reality of supernatural happenings, viewing most supernatural events of the Old Testament as myths and legends. This is one reason Caiaphas was so antagonistic to the ministry of Jesus, which, of course, was overflowing with miraculous events every day.

When Peter saw Malchus in the Garden of Gethsemane, it no doubt brought back memories of the many times he had seen Malchus standing at the side of the high priest. Although this man is referred to as the servant of the high priest, he in fact was the high priest’s personal assistant. This was a very prominent position in the religious order of the priesthood. As a high-ranking officer of the religious court, Malchus was regally dressed and carried himself with pride and dignity. To Peter’s eye, he probably represented everything that belonged to the realm of the priesthood, an order of religious men that had instigated numerous problems for Jesus and His disciples.

Because Malchus was present at the time of Jesus’ arrest, we may conclude that he was sent as the personal representative of the high priest to officially oversee the activities connected with Jesus’ arrest. Few scholars believe that Peter singled him out by chance. Although the following thought can’t be said with absolute certainty, Malchus may have become the intended target because of Peter’s deep resentment and long-held grudge toward the high priest and his entourage, all of whom had been continually critical of Jesus’ ministry.

I must point out that the healing of Malchus’ ear was the last miracle Jesus performed during His earthly ministry. What a statement this makes to us about Jesus! Just before He went to the Cross, He reached out to help a publicly declared and avowed foe!

More than likely, Peter acted out of a long-held offense, but Jesus demonstrated love and genuine care even to those who opposed Him during His life and who were instrumental in leading Him to His crucifixion.

This man was part of a group that had been menacing and antagonistic toward Jesus. But Jesus didn’t say,
“Finally, one of you guys got what you deserve!”
Instead, He reached out to the man in his need, touched him, and
supernaturally
healed him. Keep in mind that the high priest, a Sadducee, was vehemently opposed to Jesus’ supernatural ministry. Yet it was the high priest’s own servant who received a
supernatural
touch
from Jesus!

What a contrast Jesus’ actions were to Peter’s behavior! More than likely, Peter acted out of a long-held offense, but Jesus demonstrated love and genuine care even to those who opposed Him during His life and who were instrumental in leading Him to His crucifixion.

So don’t follow Peter’s example in the Garden of Gethsamene. Instead, pray for the grace to be like Jesus! Decide today to let the Holy Spirit empower you to reach out in forgiveness to those who have offended you or caused you harm. Determine to love your offenders and opponents the way Jesus loves them.

It is the goodness of God that draws people to repentance (Romans 2:4). Is there a person or a group of people who are antagonistic toward you? How have they made their negative intent toward you known? In what ways are you allowing the Holy Spirit to equip you to reach out to them in love?

In a moment of rashness, Peter cut off a man’s ear. Can you think of times when you acted out of haste without thinking through the root and the results of your actions? Thinking back on those times and the consequences that followed, can you think of alternate ways that you should have responded to those situations?

When we refuse to wait on God, impatience will always produce a problem in our lives. By taking matters into our own hands, we often dig a hole so deep for ourselves that only He can get us out.

Every choice has a consequence. Are you making the choices today that will produce the results you want tomorrow?

Chapter 11:
Jesus Cleans Up
Peter’s Mess!

Have you ever had a time when it nearly broke your heart to see what a mess a friend had made of his life? Because you loved your friend so much, you were willing to do anything necessary to assist him in getting his life back in order again. Although you knew it would be difficult, you were nonetheless willing to step into his disorder, chaos, and confusion to help him because you knew he’d never get out of his mess by himself.

Let’s see what Jesus did for Peter that night in the Garden of Gethsemane after Peter chopped off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. There is something we can learn from the example Jesus gave us that night.

What Peter did to Malchus was not only scandalous — it was against the law and therefore punishable. Peter’s action was criminal! Peter’s wrongdoing was sufficient to ruin his entire life, since he could have been sentenced for physically injuring a fellow citizen. And this wasn’t just any citizen. As the servant of the high priest, Malchus was an extremely well-known man in the city of Jerusalem. Peter certainly would have been imprisoned for injuring a person of such stature.

Jesus had just been sweating blood from the intense spiritual battle He fought in prayer in the Garden. Then He had received the kiss of betrayal from a friend and was therefore facing the prospect of the Cross and three days in the grave. Now a new problem had been thrust upon Him. Because of Peter’s impetuous, unauthorized behavior, Jesus had to put everything on hold for a moment so He could step forward and fix the mess Peter had created!

Because of Peter’s impetuous, unauthorized behavior, Jesus had to put everything on hold for a moment so He could step forward and fix the mess Peter had created!