“Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. ‘Am I some dangerous revolutionary,’ he asked, ‘that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?’” (Luke 22:52 NLT)

The scene in Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested is chaotic and confusing in the Gospel account. Imagine how much more chaotic and confusing it was in person. Judas Iscariot, who knew Gethsemane well because of the time he’d spent with Jesus, led the arresting party. With him was an odd mix of characters: Roman soldiers, temple guards, Jewish officials, and assorted servants. Strange bedfellows, to say the least.

John 18:4 says, “Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them” (NLT). It must have been a little unsettling for Judas and his cohorts to plan Jesus’ surprise arrest, only to find that He was expecting them. That may explain why “they all drew back and fell to the ground” when He identified Himself (verse 6 NLT).

By taking control of the situation, Jesus aimed to avoid a violent confrontation. But Peter didn’t get the memo. He drew his sword and took a wild swing. He missed the armed soldiers and guards but managed to cut off the ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.

Jesus healed the injured man and then helped Peter recognize who was really pulling the strings. “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Matthew 26:53–54 NLT).

There’s our takeaway from this story. Despite the chaotic nature of the scene and despite the unpredictability of human nature, there was never a moment when the Lord wasn’t in control. When did Judas and his cronies show up? After Jesus had finished praying. They didn’t catch Him by surprise. They didn’t interrupt His conversation with His Father. They made their entrance when they were supposed to. They didn’t disrupt the plan that was unfolding; they were part of it. They played the roles God intended them to play.

The disciples didn’t see it that way—not in that moment, at least. Matthew wrote, “At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Matthew 26:56 NLT). He should know; he was one of them. Jesus was abandoned in the garden by all His closest friends—except, of course, for the one who betrayed Him.

Yet, despite the optics of the situation, Jesus was still in control. And that’s important for us to remember today. Because if we face a situation that seems to be beyond the Lord’s control, we should look at it from a different perspective.

Reflection question: What’s an area of your life that you need to remind yourself is under the Lord’s complete control, even though it may not appear that way?

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