Posted on 04.19.2019

Easter: A Servant and a Decision

The night Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, when the Temple guards advanced on Him and the disciples who were with Him, Peter pulled out a sword and slashed off the ear of a servant of the High Priest who was waiting in Jerusalem to try and condemn Him.

Jesus rebuked Peter and touched the ear of the servant and healed it.

I have wondered how this servant, who - to be sent on such a sensitive task - evidently had a place of trust and responsibility in the High Priest’s service, must have perceived this miracle performed by a man he had been sent to escort to his own mock trial and execution.

What must have been his reaction?

This man had been branded a heretic, a blasphemer by the highest religious experts in all Israel, a revolutionary who had called the Pharisees and teachers of the law a brood of vipers and compared them to whitewashed tombs that appeared clean and holy on the outside, but on the inside were rotten and corrupt.

How could there be any good in this man, this blasphemer who had called himself The Son of God, who had defied the very roots of a covenant that had been in place for two thousand years, who the elite religious leaders had accused of performing His many miracles by the power of the devil?

But how could and why would any being who served Satan heal the ear of someone who had been sent to forcefully take Him to a sham trial and ultimately to a horrible death nailed to a Roman cross?

Wonder what thoughts went through the mind of the servant as they lead this quiet young man to the house of the high priest taunting and mistreating him all the way.

The scriptures tell us no more about this servant, but one wonders, how could he remain silent after having his ear totally restored by one touch of this man his masters feared and were determined to destroy.

One would think that, being a man of importance in the High Priests household he would, at the very least have pulled the High Priest aside and told him what had happened and that he had reservations about how the Sanhedrin viewed Jesus, that maybe, just maybe, they should reconsider what they were about to do, this pseudo trial hidden from the eyes of the public in the shadows of night.

If he did anything like that it is not recorded in the scriptures and I can’t help but wonder if this servant lived the rest of his life in regret for letting an innocent man die a terrible death without even a whisper of what he may have felt in his heart.

The Pharisees were jealous of Jesus and they were not interested in finding Him innocent.

One of the cornerstones of their accusations was that the holy scriptures said the Messiah would come from the city of David, Bethlehem. As far as they got in their examination was that Jesus was from Galilee where he lived after Joseph moved his family back from Egypt, where he fled to keep the baby Jesus out of the hands of King Herod.

If they had only asked, He could have told them that He was born in Bethlehem. That and many other pertinent facts could have been exposed, but the Pharisees were so intent on preserving their highly favored place they feverishly hurried the process along and, after saying that he found no fault in Him, Pontius Pilate had Jesus Crucified.

Then the unthinkable happened, Jesus rose from the dead and was seen by hundreds before He ascended to heaven.

The High Priest’s servant must have had a front row seat to all the things that happened in Jerusalem over the course of three days, I would think that he touched that ear quite often and remembered the man who, on the way to an inexpressibly excruciating death had restored it.

In the face of all that happened to him and around him in this short period of time how could the servant not have become a follower of Jesus?

Perhaps he did, we don’t know, but the story should make us stop and think about our own relationship with Christ, that if, or actually when, the situation arises where we are presented with a fork in the road when we defend our faith and our Master or stand by silent, in spite of all the many blessings He has given us.

The day will most likely come when - to one degree or another - we will be faced with that decision.

I pray we will not fail.

From our family, all the folks at CDB and Twin Pines Ranch, we wish you all a happy and joyous Easter, taking comfort and confidence in the fact that;

HE IS RISEN!

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

— Charlie Daniels

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Check out "Mexico Again" from Beau Weevils - 'Songs in the Key of E'

Comments

He Is Risen
Amen, Amen & Amen Charlie, I wish you and everybody a Happy Resurrection Sunday and a Happy Passover to all. A usual sir you put some provoking thought into this article and I believe that just as this servant witnessed a true miracle, many people today are blinded by the everyday miracles of life and cannot see the tree because of the forest....nuff said God Bless Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy
Soap Box
Thank you, Charlie, for that lovely essay. I’ve often wondered about that servant too, and I am truly touched by your thoughts. Happy Easter! He is risen!
Posted by Gwen
Guns and Jesus
They don't mix....
Posted by Larry
Easter: A Servant and a Decision
Maybe because; it had to happen. When I was younger, I asked my Mom; Why would Peter, deny Christ or why would Judas, betray him. They both clearly loved him, they both followed him, so why would they do this? My Mom answered; Because it had to happen. If it had not happened, then Christ would not have died for our sins. So maybe this servant was quiet or was ignored, simply because...It had to happen.
Posted by Rinda
Grateful
God is good!! It is truly a gift to be sober and living a clean and productive life again!! The biggest blessing is to WANT Christ in my DAILY life. Like sobriety, you have to want it! Its awesome to want to pray and read the Bible and share. God bless you CDB.
Posted by Stephen
Hallelujah
Amen!!! Thank you, Jesus! Happy Easter!
Posted by Jessica
the servant...
And maybe Peter lived because this happened after he took the sword to that servant. That servant could have pointed him out as the one who sliced off his ear... however only those who saw the sword attack happen saw the ear healed.
Posted by Daniel
Thank you
Thanks for your poignant reminder, Mr. Daniels. While reading your message, it occurred to me, there was a young man who followed Jesus when all of His disciples fled (in order that scripture be fulfilled). It says the young man was seized for following Him and was wearing only a linen cloth that was left in the hands of the captors as he fled naked...Mark 14:51-52. I just wonder if this may have been the now-healed servant of the high priest??? I’d like to think so. Blessings to you and yours, sir.
Posted by Giea
interesting idea
That would make an awesome book/movie! The story of the soldier sent to get Jesus and then healed by Jesus.
Posted by Glenda
Signs
Well, Charlie, you done it again. Happy Easter to all of yours. And He just did it, without him asking. It also reminds me of all the miracles not mentioned in the Bible we aren't even told of. I hesitate mentioning a news channel that has theorized about the events in so-called specials. They had a story about Judas that has gone back and forth. They painted him as a most trusted follower and then it switched to confirming the more common perception of Judas, This has happened over 10 years. But I am not waiting for the news' or experts' confirmation to know.
Posted by Jeff
re: Easter: A Servant and a Decision
Charlie, I think anyone who is a Christian in their heart of hearts knows the answer. As horrible as it was, it had to happen exactly as it needed to, otherwise we would all pay the ultimate price. Miracles happen, even today, and do we notice? Most people chose to ignore and go on as if nothing has happened. That may have been the case here.
Posted by jon
Easter, 2021
Thank you for the thought-provoking comments about the servant of the High Priest in the Garden of Gethsemane. One thing we know for sure is that it was recorded because God wanted it in His Word. Only Heaven will reveal the reason why that particular event was recorded, but we know that it was God’s will. He never does anything without purpose. Not only the Gospel of John records it, but also the Gospel of Luke. For it to be recorded in two of the four Gospels, the event must have been significant, at least in the early church. Thank you for allowing me to post on your site, and I pray that it will help someone for God’s glory. God bless you!
Posted by Richard