Adapted from a message included in the Concordia Publishing House Lenten Series Witnesses to Christ

Malchus

Text: John 18:1-11

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

All four Gospels record the event in Gethsemane when the servant’s ear is cut off. It’s such an unexpected event that it caught the attention of everyone. And remains for us a reminder of the disciples’ loyalty to their Savior, as well as Jesus’ compassion for everyone. Only John gives us the names – Peter and Malchus.

One of my fellow pastors tells a story that has an unexpected twist as well. On January 17, 2004, a sixty-six ton sperm whale died and was beached on the southwestern coast of Taiwan. Two weeks later, authorities decided to truck the dead whale to a laboratory, where they could do an autopsy. It took fifty men and three lifting cranes thirteen hours to hoist the whale onto a flatbed trailer. People poured into the streets of a local city to watch the spectacle of a whale carcass being driven through town.

And then it happened! As the truck crawled through the city, with crowds looking on, the whale exploded. That’s right, the whale exploded! The insides of the whale splattered cars, people, and local shops. Traffic stopped for hours. The smell was almost unbearable. I’m sure no one saw that coming!

Isn’t that just like life sometimes? We’re going about our business, and a whale explodes! Not literally, but something happens that we could not have possibly expected. In fact, it happens more often than we’d like it to. Something that upends our lives. We’re left hurt and confused, with lots of questions that begin with the word why. Why did she leave me? Why did he have to die so young? Why can’t we all just get along? Why does our daughter continue to cause us so much pain? Why? Why? Why?

Tonight, as we continue to meet the Witnesses to Christ along His path to the cross, we encounter Malchus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Malchus was going about his business, and before he knows it, it was as though a whale exploded. Suddenly, his right ear was cut off by a fisherman from Galilee. No one saw that coming!

Let’s set the stage here for how this comes about. “Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.” The “band” Judas procures were Roman soldiers.

Roman soldiers will also come into the picture on the next day—that’s when they’ll mock Jesus, flog Him, and crucify Him. The crowd that collects here is a crowd of Romans (who controlled the country), chief priests (who controlled the temple), and Pharisees (who controlled the religion). This is like the Supreme Court and Congress sending the FBI to arrest Jesus!

But the one leading this Jewish posse with so much firepower and muscle is Judas! Judas, who Jesus knew would betray Him, is there to do just that. Every time we celebrate Holy Communion, we hear the words, “Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed.” This is that night!

“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus).” Peter cuts off Malchus’s ear. The crowd gathers, and the chaos commences. For Malchus, that’s when the whale exploded!

Maybe a mess has suddenly appeared in your life? Are you doing everything you possibly can to survive? Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe the issue is one of control. You feel like it’s totally out of control. Out of your control. For Malchus this could have been the problem as well. He must have felt like they had everything under control. Judas, the Jews, and the Romans appear to be running things. You noticed that I stressed the word appear? Because regardless of what they believe, Christ is really the one in control!

 “Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward.” The control is clear! When His enemies come, Christ goes out to meet them. When Judas approaches, Christ doesn’t run. When Peter strikes Malchus, Christ commands Peter to put away his sword.

Listen to what Jesus says, “No one takes [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.” Though the powers of darkness rise against Him, Christ is in control. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that at this point Jesus could ask His Father for more than twelve legions of angels. Twelve legions of angels? There were 6,000 men in one Roman legion. If we do the math that’s 12 x 6,000 = 72,000 angels! Christ doesn’t need 72,000 angels because Christ is in absolute control!

During World War II, psychologists compared ground troops with fighter pilots. They determined that after sixty days of continuous combat, the anxiety of ground troops was off the charts. After sixty days, though, an astounding 93 percent of fighter pilots were happy and at peace. Why is that? The fighter pilots had control. They had their hands on the throttle! Ground troops, on the other hand, felt helpless, at the mercy of others. They could just as easily be killed standing still or running away. What’s the point? Popular wisdom tells us, “Always seek control!”

We don’t need a war to prove it. All we need is a backup on the highway! Try heading south into Milwaukee on 43 sometime. A team of German researchers recently found that a traffic jam triples our chances of a heart attack. Makes sense. That’s why popular wisdom tells us, “Always seek control!”

So, what’s the plan when a whale explodes? Follow the popular wisdom. “Always seek control!” Never board a plane without a parachute. Never leave the house without a gas mask. Never let your kids out of your sight. That’s it. Face every exploding whale by taking control.

There’s only one problem with this popular wisdom. It doesn’t work! You want something that does work? Rather than seek control, relinquish control—give it all up! Let go! Resign as CEO of the universe! Give your entire mess to Jesus. Christ’s control is clear! And His calm is contagious. “This was to fulfill the word that He had spoken: ‘Of those whom You gave Me I have lost not one.’ ” Christ is calm because He trusts the Scriptures. And His calm is contagious!

In a Peanuts comic strip, Lucy is struggling with her Sunday School memory verse. Finally, she suggests that maybe it’s a verse from the “Book of Reevaluations.” The Book of Reevaluations!

The Scriptures are a book of reevaluations! They help us reevaluate who really is in control. John 1:29: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Christ is in control of sin—and He takes it all away. John 4:14: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” Christ is in control of our aching thirst—He quenches it with His unconditional love. John 8:12: “I am the light of the world.” Christ is in control of darkness. He’s the light of the world.

When we send our kids to camp, we have to sign a form that asks this important question: Who is the responsible party? If someone breaks their arm or comes down with an illness, who is the responsible party? So, as parents, we sign our names.

Christ signed His name for us—and He wrote it in His own blood. When we were baptized, Jesus took full responsibility for us. When the whale explodes, Jesus is the responsible party! Not us! It’s His job to see us through. Christ is the Shepherd; we are the sheep. Christ is the Bridegroom; we are the Bride. Christ is the Rabbi; we are the disciples. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!”

One of three things is happening in our lives right now. We’re either heading for a mess, we’re in a mess, or we just went through a mess. No matter where we are, we don’t have to be hopeless, or anxious, or faithless. We can stay calm. And the reason we can do this is because even when everything is exploding around us, Jesus delivers perfect peace. He reaches out His hand and heals us. He did it for Malchus, and He will do it for you. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.