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Explanation for:
Matthew
26
:
54
How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done?
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"I do not require the assistance of twelve apostles, even if they were all by my side, for I have access to twelve legions of heavenly hosts. In antiquity, a legion comprised six thousand soldiers. While we will refrain from delving into the specifics of these numbers, it is enough to consider that twelve legions correspond to seventy-two thousand angels, reflecting the division of humanity into such a multitude of nations. His subsequent statements reveal His willingness to endure suffering, for had the Lord not validated through His own afflictions the truth of the prophets, their predictions would have been rendered meaningless."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Who is the individual who severed the ear? According to the Apostle John, it is Peter (Jn. 18:10). This action stemmed from his passionate zeal. However, it warrants examination: for what reason did Jesus' disciples carry swords? Their possession of swords is evident not just from this incident but also from their acknowledgment that they had two swords. Thus, why did Christ allow them to have swords? The Gospel of Luke recounts that when Jesus inquired of them, “When I sent you without a bag, and without a purse, and without shoes, did you lack anything?” and they replied, “Nothing,” He responded, “But now, let him who has a bag take it, and likewise a purse; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.” When they said, “Here, Lord, are two swords,” He replied, “It is enough” (Luke 22:35-38). What, then, was the purpose of permitting such weapons? To inform them of His impending betrayal. Thus, when He instructs them to buy a sword, it is not about arming themselves for combat, but rather to illustrate the betrayal He was to face.\\n\\nChrist also chastised Peter with a serious admonition for brandishing the sword in a retaliatory manner against the servant, even though his intent was to defend not himself, but his Lord. Nevertheless, Jesus did not allow any negative consequences to arise from it. He healed the ear of the slave, performing a profound miracle that demonstrated His humility and authority, alongside the loving commitment and obedience of His disciple. Peter’s action represented his love; upon hearing the command to “Put your sword back into its place,” he complied immediately and never repeated such an act.\\n\\nAnother Gospel writer recounts that the disciples queried Him, “Should we strike with the sword?” (Lk. 22:49). But Jesus prohibited this and healed the servant, admonishing Peter to consider the gravity of his actions: “All who take the sword will perish by the sword.” He further articulated His reasoning, asking, “Or do you not believe that I can now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? But how would the Scriptures be fulfilled?” With these words, He tempered their fervor, illustrating that what had transpired was in accordance with the prophecies. He encouraged His disciples to accept the unfolding events with submission, understanding they were part of God’s divine plan. He sought to reassure them for two main reasons: first, to warn of the peril facing those who resort to violence—“all who take the sword will perish by the sword”—and second, to convey that He was enduring this willingly, asserting, “I can ask My Father.”"},{"author-name":"Hesychius of Jerusalem","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ca04ac3836441d1cf62_Hesychius%20of%20Jerusalem.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Through these statements, He demonstrated that He willingly constrained the might of His Divinity so that the mystery of the house-building foretold by the prophets could be realized in Him."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"He states, if I am not to be put to death in this manner, how will the prophetic Scriptures related to my death come to pass, as they declare that it must happen this way and that I must face this end."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"How will the sacred writings be realized? How will the foretold prophecies be brought to fruition that declare the Messiah must endure suffering and perish for the transgressions of humankind? It is necessary for the Messiah to experience death as a suffering servant; this was predicted by the prophets long ago. If this did not come to pass, the prophetic message would be proven false; however, that cannot be the case, and therefore Peter's defense is without merit. These statements were undoubtedly meant to reassure the disciples, illustrating that the Master’s death was neither unintentional nor unforeseen, thus they should not be led into despair by it."},{"author-name":"Philaret (Gumilevski)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c896f4b6fd32caa244b5d7_Philaret%20(Gumilevski).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Can the Word of God, which declared this long ago, be questioned? The Scriptures that the Savior primarily references here are the proclamations of the two Prophets. Isaiah spoke of the Lord’s servant: ‘Jehovah hath pleased to smite him with torment: if he lay down his life for sin: he shall see seed, he shall live long, and the will of God shall be successfully accomplished in his hands’ (Isaiah 53:10). The Prophet Daniel foretold, ‘after sixty-two weeks the Anointed One (Messiah) shall die’ (Dan. 9:26). More specifically, he indicates that this will occur at the conclusion of half a seven weeks, meaning at the end of the Messiah's three-and-a-half-year ministry (Dan. 9:27). Thus, Christ Jesus spoke before those who sought His life. They remained steadfast in their intentions. Yet deep within their hearts, they could not help but acknowledge the significance of the Teacher from Nazareth. Poised in the face of His adversaries, filled with divine love, and loyal to His exalted position, He behaved unlike any wise man or teacher of the people; the falsehoods prepared to accuse Him should have silenced Him but could not compel him to remain quiet."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"OR DID YOU BELIEVE THAT I CANNOT AT THIS MOMENT ASK MY FATHER, and if I chose to do so, HE WOULD SEND ME MORE THAN TWENTY LEGIONS OF ANGELS instead of just these twelve disciples? However, HOW WILL THE SCRIPTURES BE FULFILLED, and why must it be that the Messiah would endure suffering and death for the sins of humanity? ‘In guiding Peter to embrace the life of the Gospel, the Lord teaches that the sword should not be wielded, even though it might seem just to exact vengeance for God’ (Blessed Theophylact). ‘The Lord healed the servant,’ states St Chrysostom, ‘performing a remarkable miracle that demonstrated both His gentleness and power, as well as the compassion of love and the disciple's willingness to submit. Why did He not declare, Do you think I cannot annihilate them? Because His disciples had yet to grasp His true nature. Just moments earlier, He had expressed, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ and had pleaded, ‘let this cup pass from Me;’ He had recently experienced grief and sweat, and was being strengthened by an angel. So, given that He exhibited so many human characteristics, had He claimed, ‘Do you think I cannot destroy them?’ it would not have been believed. Thus, He poses the question, ‘Or do you think that I cannot now plead with My Father?’ Even in this, He displays humility when He adds, ‘and He will send more than twelve legions of angels.’ If a single angel could strike down one hundred and eighty thousand armed foes, did Christ even require twelve legions to confront a mere thousand adversaries? No, He spoke this considering the fear and weakness of His disciples, who were paralyzed by terror. The Lord of creation could have rained down fire from heaven upon His foes, just as He did upon Sodom, or the ground could have opened up as it did for Korah and Dathan. Yet, He chose not to act in that manner. The final words the disciples heard from their Lord and Teacher were a firm admonition directed at the officers and the Pharisees. Their initial fear had now dissipated entirely. The great Prophet surrendered to them, becoming their powerless captive. No thunder crashed, no angels descended from above to rescue Him, no divine fire fell upon His captors. They beheld only a weary, unarmed man, while a few frightened Galileans trembled uselessly at His arrest. Already, some priests and elders were gathering around Him, displaying insolent curiosity. It seemed that the miraculous revelation of the Lord's divine essence when He proclaimed, ‘It is I,’ His miraculous healing of Malchus, and Peter's resolute refusal to defend Him should have convinced them that He was willingly surrendering to them. They had attempted to seize Him before but had not succeeded. However, there was no hint of understanding in their smug expressions that they could do anything to Him unless He permitted it…"},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"If all of this remains unclear to you, consider what is currently unfolding as a fulfillment of the prophetic words concerning Me."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The disciples, likely recalling the Lord's teaching about maintaining courage in peril (Luke 22:36), believed that the moment foretold by the Master had arrived, prompting them to approach him with an inquiry: Lord, should we use a sword? Amidst the confusion where some questioned and others remained uncertain, the impulsive Peter took action: armed with his sword, he drew it and struck, severing the right ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. This bold gesture influenced the others, and they began to gear up to confront their attackers. However, the Lord intervened, saying to them, “Let it be for now,” and directing his admonition at Peter, he cautioned against his hasty fervor: “Put your sword back in its sheath; for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. The cup that the Father has given me, shall I not drink it? Or do you suppose that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will send me more than twelve legions of angels? How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?” In this manner, he sought to comfort the disciples for two reasons: first, by warning of the consequences for those who initiate violence, and second, by emphasizing that he was enduring this fate willingly in alignment with the ancient prophecies. The Lord then touched Malchus' ear and restored it, thus his final act of compassion during his earthly ministry was healing an adversary, exemplifying the command to love one's enemies, which he had imparted to his disciples (Matt. 5:44)."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In this account, the Evangelist John recounts how, after Judas had signaled the soldiers with a kiss to identify Jesus, they approached Him. Jesus asked them whom they were seeking, and they responded, \\"Jesus of Nazareth.\\" He replied, \\"It is I.\\" Upon hearing these words, the mob recoiled and fell to the ground. This display of His divine sovereignty served to illustrate that their attempt to seize Him stemmed not from their strength or authority, but from His willing decision to surrender to death. Jesus then repeated His question to the crowd, consented to be taken, and requested that they leave his disciples unharmed. According to the Evangelist, this was essential to fulfill what Christ had stated in His high priestly prayer in John 17:12. The disciples were already troubled by the fact that their Master had been handed over to sinners; had they also been captured, their faith would have been even more severely tested. The events that followed are recorded with varying details by all the Gospel writers. As the soldiers advanced to arrest Jesus, the disciples attempted to defend Him with violence, leading one of them—identified as Peter by John—to sever the ear of the high priest's servant, Malchus. In response to Peter's impulsive act, the Lord chastised him and, as Luke notes, healed the injured ear with a touch. Additionally, Matthew and Mark share Christ's words to those who came to seize Him, explaining that their numbers and weapons would not have succeeded unless He had freely chosen to surrender. Mark also tells of a young man who tried to follow Jesus but fled when the soldiers approached. This young man, dressed only in a linen garment, appears to have been roused from sleep by the commotion created by the crowd near his home in the Garden of Gethsemane. Whether it was Mark himself or another individual, it can be inferred that he may not have been a firm believer at that moment, yet he was drawn to witness how the events in Gethsemane would unfold."}]}
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