Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear.” (John 18:10)
Peter had declared to Jesus that he would die for Him. Jesus responded that Peter would deny Him three times. When the army came to arrest Jesus, Peter didn’t just stand there. He drew a sword and cut off an ear of the servant of the high priest. Now Peter wasn’t trying to cut off an ear. He was trying to cut off a head. But he missed.
This was an Alamo moment for the disciples. At the Alamo 186 Texans stood against some 5,000 Mexican troops. Those Texans knew they were not walking out of the Alamo alive. Yet they stood their ground to their deaths. The disciples, and Peter, knew they were probably not going to leave that garden alive. They only had two swords (Lk 22:38) against some 600 armed Roman and temple Jewish guards. Peter was determined to live up to his boast of dying for Jesus. He meant it.
But when Jesus rebuked Peter for his violence, and healed the servant’s ear, this threw Peter and the disciples into a tailspin. Jesus had just blown this army to the ground by His word (v6). Why won’t He fight? Why did He submit to their arresting Him? The Messiah was suppose to be a warrior king, but Jesus was not doing any warrior king stuff.
Peter used a man-made sword. Jesus used a sword too but it didn’t hang on His hip. It proceed out of His mouth (Rev 19:15)--the word of God (Heb 4:12). It would bring conviction and salvation, winning souls into God’s kingdom, not by violence but by love.
Peter used violence. Jesus used a healing.
