Luke 22:47-71

Am I Leading a Rebellion?

God’s questions are always deeper than our answers. From the first question, “Adam, where are you?” to God asking Moses, “What do you have in your hand?” to Paul being asked, “Why are you persecuting Me?”; God’s questions lead us to places of enlightenment.

On the surface Jesus’ question is a simple one. They were coming after Him in the same manner that the powers would come after a threat of rebellion. It was a raid. Why?

The first place this question leads us is to consider the threat the powers were facing. This was an unarmed man who had never advocated the overthrow of any governmental entity. He had a dozen or so sleepy followers with Him in a garden as He prayed. They had two swords between them but they didn’t know how to use them. When they tried to use them Jesus stopped them and healed the hurt. What kind of treat is this? To the recognized government is really wasn’t much. So what’s going on?

The next place we go is that very question: “What’s going on?” In fact Jesus represented a gravely serious threat. The threat wasn’t so much aimed at the Jewish leaders or at Rome. No, these guys were just street dealers. The threat was to the entire world system. He was out to totally destroy the entire corrupt evil world system to it’s very core. The big boys including death and the devil were squarely in His sights and they were feeling rightly and seriously threatened.

Finally, even with all of this He was not leading a rebellion. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it; the world and all of the people on it. God did not give it to mankind. Mankind are only tenants. The devil never took rightful possession. He is simply pretending this place is his, but his time is short.

Was Jesus leading a rebellion? Yes, and No.