Holy Week Devotional, Part Four

Passion Week – Maundy Thursday

The Arrest

Read John 18:1-11

After Jesus and His disciples finished the Passover Feast, they went to a garden to pray. Judas was one of the disciples, but he had betrayed Jesus. He told the Jewish leaders where Jesus was, in exchange for silver. But none of this surprised God. He was in control of all things.

While Jesus and His disciples were in the garden, Judas came with a group of soldiers and officers. They had torches and weapons. Jesus knew why they were there. He went to them and asked them who they were looking for. They said Jesus. Jesus answered, “I am He.” In those three words, Jesus told who He was, but he also told them that He was the only Son of God. It says that when Jesus said those words, the soldiers fell to the ground. Jesus’ words were that powerful!

Then Jesus gave himself up. But Peter, his disciple, became scared. He felt out of control. Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of a servant. Jesus immediately stepped forward. In the book of Luke it says He touched the servant’s ear, and it grew back. Jesus surrendered himself because He knew the time had come. He knew that His surrender would mean we would be free to know God’s love for us.

· How do you think Jesus felt when He saw Judas and the soldiers?

· What would you have thought if you were there?

· How do you think Peter and the soldiers felt when they saw Jesus heal the servant’s ear?

· Thank God for sending us Jesus. Thank Him that Jesus gave Himself up willingly so that we could know God’s love for us.

· Praise God by singing verse 1 of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; praise the mount!

I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love.

Robert Robinson, 1758