WHEN PETER CUT OFF MALCHUS’ EAR
Jn. 18:1-11; Lk. 22:50-51
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Pastor Ray Stedman told the story of some Americans who were stationed in Korea during the Korean War. They rented a home and hired a local man to cook and clean for them.
2. These Americans were a bunch of jokesters. They’d smear Vaseline on the stove handles, suspend water buckets over the doors, and even nailed the poor man’s shoes to the floor. Day after day the man took the brunt of their jokes without saying anything.
3. Finally, the men began to feel guilty. They told the local man they were sorry and wouldn’t play any more tricks on him. He said, “No more sticky on stove?” “No.” “No more water over door?” “No.” “No more nail shoes to floor?” “No,” they said.
4. “Ok,” he said with a wide smile, “I no more spit in soup!”
5. There are times we’d all like to “get even,” but Jesus showed us a higher standard – to love our enemies. Let’s look at an example of it in scripture.
B. TEXT
When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples [to]... a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said....6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
C. THESIS
1. I never will forget the boxing match in which Mike Tyson intentionally bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear. People thought of Tyson as an animal to stoop to such tactics.
2. But not too far away is our beloved Apostle Peter cutting off a man’s ear, but even more shocking is Jesus’ revolutionary response. Let’s look at “When Peter Cut Off Malchus’ Ear.”
I. PETER’S MISGUIDED VIEW OF RELIGION
A. PETER DEFENDED JESUS
1. The world is full of religious zealots who think they are doing God’s will by killing others. Suicide bombers regularly blow themselves up in the name of Allah. Ahmad Alissa killed 10 people on March 22, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado. TERRORISTS ARE NOT DOING THE WILL OF GOD!
2. And it hasn’t always been other faiths: sometimes so-called Christians have been guilty of atrocities, as in the Crusades, Bosnia, and Ireland.
3. I don’t believe it’s wrong to protect your family, but it IS wrong to kill in the name of any religion! Jesus said, “I send you out as sheep among wolves” Mt. 10:16.
4. “Pastor, if we don’t defend ourselves, Christianity will be wiped out!” No, persecution has never stopped the Church; it only purifies it.
B. JESUS DOESN’T NEED DEFENDING
1. In John 18:6 Jesus said to crowd of soldiers who were asking for Him, “Ego Eimi” – “I, I am.” This was the Greek equivalent to the name God told Moses (Ex. 3:14) at the burning bush, “I AM THAT I AM.”
2. Jesus identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses; the God who delivered Israel from the mighty hand of Pharaoh and who sent the 10 plagues and opened the Red Sea.
3. And when Jesus spoke, the power of His identity threw them to the ground. You see, Jesus didn’t need human help or swords; He could’ve spoken a word and destroyed them all!
4. The Lord told Peter to put away his sword and the early Church never again picked it up.
II. MALCHUS’ MALEVOLENCE
A. PART OF THE WAR PARTY AGAINST JESUS
1. Malchus was probably the person in charge of the delegation sent to arrest Jesus. He probably thought, “This should be an easy arrest; no crowd around and we have Judas to lead us to Him.”
2. But Malchus was running with the wrong crowd. “Bad company corrupts good character” 1 Cor. 15:33. When you’re with a group you start thinking, talking, and acting like them. We need to choose our friends carefully, for they will affect us.
3. HUMOR. A little boy who’d just gotten saved sat on a park bench beside an old man who looked upset. The little boy said to him, “Mister, do you need to get saved?” The man, startled, said abruptly, “Young man, I’ve been a Deacon in my church for 30 years and Chairman of the Deacons for 15 years!” The little boy responded, “Sir, it don’t matter what you done, Jesus loves you and He’ll still save you!”
4. Malchus stepped forward to arrest Jesus and a sword flashed out of the shadows. His right ear fell to the ground. (Peter had intended to cut off his head but wasn’t a good shot and only cut off his ear.)
B. HE REPRESENTS ALL WHO’VE BEEN WOUNDED
1. THE PAIN MALCHUS FELT WAS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED
a. Especially when it’s Christians, you don’t expect it. Many people/Christians have stumbled because they expected the lost people to wound them, but not Christians.
b. Imagine him clutching his head, the pain excruciating. Would it make him feel better to know the man who struck him was a good man? No! NOT ALL WOUNDERS WEAR BLACK HATS! And Peter, God’s man, never even said, “I’m sorry.”
2. We get hurt the worst by those who should love us the most. It happens in marriages. Now when I got married, I married a sinner! What’s more surprising, so did my wife. So it’s inconceivable that we won’t offend each other!
3. If we forgive, the offense lasts but a moment; but if we don’t, it accumulates into bitterness and can destroy your love for one another.
4. HUMOR. An elderly woman was asked, “What is the secret of a good marriage?” She said, “When I got married, I decided to make a list of 10 things my husband did that I would overlook. So whenever he did something that made me mad, I’d say to myself, “Lucky for him that’s one of the 10!” The good thing is, I NEVER DID make a list of the 10 things!” So she overlooked a lot more than ten!
5. Back to Malchus. He could have shouted, “You will be hearing from my attorney!” Or he could have put his ear into formaldehyde and paraded it around for everyone to see and kept the transgression of Peter alive forever.
6. BUT WE CHRISTIANS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO FORGIVE.
a. Jesus said, “Forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” “If you won’t forgive others their trespasses, neither will My Father forgive your trespasses.”
b. If God can forgive our monstrous sins against Him, we can forgive the lesser sins against us. Don’t dam up God’s stream of forgiveness that flows to you. If we won’t forgive, we destroy the bridge over which we must ourselves cross!
III. THE GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST
Luke records in 22:50-51, “And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
A. THE MIRACLE OF GRACE
1. I’ve often wanted to preach this as “The Man Who Had Three Ears,” because I believe that in the darkness & confusion, Malchus’ ear which was cut off still lay on the ground. Jesus didn’t pick it up, He just created a new ear on the man.
2. Imagine when Malchus went home that night covered in blood, his wife said, “What happened to you?” “A man cut my ear off.” “Which one?” “This one” – pointing to his restored ear. His wife probably said, “Malchus, have you been drinking?”
3. Peter thought he should strike Jesus’ enemies; Jesus thought He should heal His enemies! What grace!
4. Forgiveness is not giving people what they DESERVE, it’s giving them what they NEED!
B. GRACE/FORGIVENESS WIN PEOPLE OVER
1. Every person is either a brother or a potential brother. (Sister...potential sister).
2. Mt. 18:15 KJV, “...if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother...” When God’s children won’t forgive, it...
a. Disgraces the Father,
b. Discourages the Saints,
c. Disgusts the Lost, and
d. Delights the Devil!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Mitsuo Fuchida, commander of the Japanese air force, led the squadron of 860 planes that attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. American bomber Jacob DeShazer was eager to strike back. On April 18, he flew his B-25 bomber, the Bat Out of Hell, on a dangerous raid over Japan. After dropping his bombs on Nagoya, DeShazer lost his way in a heavy fog and ejected as his plane ran out of fuel. He was taken prisoner, tortured by the Japanese, and threatened with imminent death. For almost 2 years he suffered from hunger, cold, and dysentery.
2. In May of 1944, he was given a Bible to read for 3 weeks. Scarcely sleeping, he read the Bible through several times. When he got to Romans 10:9, he prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior.
3. Jesus’ statement in Mt. 5:44 to “Love your enemies” became a critical text for DeShazer in dealing with his guards. Hostility toward them evaporated. He prayed for them. Their attitude toward him also changed and they began to slip him food & supplies.
4. After the war DeShazer returned to Japan as a missionary. Copies of his testimony, “I was a prisoner in Japan” flooded the country and 1,000s wanted to see the man who could love and forgive his enemies.
5. One man, in particular, was moved by his testimony and was led to Christ – Mitsuo Fuchida, leader of the Pearl Harbor attack. He became a powerful evangelist in Japan & around the world. DeShazer “won a brother.” [Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, etc., pp. 318-319]
B. THE CALL
1. Can you think of someone you have offended that you could reconcile with? Pray about making that step.
2. Have you been hurt (like Malchus) by someone who calls themselves a Christian? Let’s take your hurts to Jesus for healing.
3. Do you need forgiveness for some sin in your life? Let’s go to God in prayer.
