What Jesus Did! 'The Clash of Wills' — John 18:10-11

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

[After Jesus identified himself to the soldiers and guards who came to arrest him,] Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest's slave. But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?"
— John 18:10-11 NLT

Key Thought

Peter thought that the biggest battle would be a physical battle between the forces of Jesus and the forces of religious and political authority. He was wrong. The biggest battle was one of the will. Jesus had the authority to call down angels to slay his enemies. [1] He did not ask for the angels' help but instead offered himself up as a sacrifice to be our help. The battle was between Peter's earthbound vision of a worldly kingdom and Jesus' passion to glorify the Father by obeying his will. So often, we try to battle Satan with worldly wisdom and worldly weapons. However, our battle is with Satan's deceptive and seductive influence over our will. We need the power of the Spirit to win this battle. Do we choose to obey? Do we obey when we don't understand or if it doesn't make sense? Is our apparent victory less important to us than our obedience to God? Jesus chose the will of the Father. Will we?

[1] Matthew 26:52-53.

Today's Prayer

Holy and gracious God, my Abba Father, I surrender my will to you to obey and honor you as you command. I offer my body as a living sacrifice to you. Use me as you so choose and mold my heart to be like that of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Matthew 16:16-25
  • John 13:36-37
  • John 12:27-28

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Illustration

Illustration of John 18:10-11 NLT — "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?"

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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