Jesus Arrested. Peter cuts off the soldier's ear & Jesus heals it.

"Judas," said Jesus, with deep repulsion, "do you betray the Son of Man with a
kiss ? "

At this, Judas fell back. But Peter drew a sword, and asked whether they should not defend themselves. Not waiting to hear an answer, Peter struck out and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers.

Jesus, knowing that they might all be killed then and there, and not wishing to have any bloodshed on His account, at once told Peter to stop:

"Put your sword back in its sheath, for all those who take the sword shall perish by the sword. If I wished to be defended, do you not know that I could pray to my Father and He would send me twelve legions of angels? But it is written that what is to be, must be. Put up your sword." (*A legend was between 3,000 and 6,000 men, therefore, Jesus was telling Peter that God would send between 36,000 and 72,000 angels to defend Him if He so desired it.)

Peter and the other Disciples shrank away, thus rebuked. But Jesus, turning to the soldier whose ear was bleeding, stepped toward him, saying:

"Just let me touch you."

At the touch of Jesus the wound was healed. Even the soldier who had come to arrest Him felt the miraculous power of the Great Physician, and yet the incident passed almost unnoticed in all the bustle and confusion. Majestically, calmly, Jesus stepped back from His act of mercy, and asked them:

"Whom do you seek? "

"Jesus of Nazareth," they answered.

"I am He," Jesus told them.

But at this unexpected statement, the soldiers and others stepped back quickly and some fell down. They stared at the Nazarene as at a ghost. Could this be the man they had come to take into custody?

"Whom did you say you came for?" Jesus asked again.

"Jesus of Nazareth," they answered once more.

"I tell you that I am He," said Jesus. "If it is I you want, let these others go away." In these words, Jesus released His Disciples from all connection with Him, so that they might not suffer the abuse that was to be heaped upon Him. "You come out with swords and sticks as though you were to take a thief - I was daily in your temple, and no hand was raised against me. But this is your hour. Under the cover of darkness you have come for me. Take me, then."

The soldiers placed Jesus under arrest and led Him away. The Disciples meanwhile fled from the spot, unable to help and unwilling to stay where they saw their Master thus treated.

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