The intimacy Jesus shared with the disciples in the Upper Room was not the be all – end all event of the evening. As they departed, they entered the Mount of Olives (see John 18) where Jesus would eventually be arrested and hauled away like a common criminal by the Romans and Temple guards. When you consider the emotions of the disciples in that moment, it is no wonder that Peter lost control of himself and lashed out! It is also no surprise that Jesus’ response to the guards was to confess exactly who He is, causing them to react accordingly.
Considering how we respond to things today — are we willing to model ourselves after Jesus or Peter when confronted with challenging events? If anything, it is worth sitting with for a few minutes (or maybe even several years) and consider what are the governing principles that you live by? How do you respond to the world’s challenges? Do you model Jesus’ calm, or Peter’s flesh-led response and lose control?
God bless you.
What say you?