The action of the Saviour in the Garden of Gethsemane that is usually considered is the anguish he showed as he anticipated the experience of the cross. This focus by us is not surprising, given that his anguish moves our hearts to respond in love and amazement because of where he was ready to go in order to deliver us from our sins.
Yet we can see in the Garden other actions by him that we can consider, and one of them is his authority. His power was revealed when he was confronted by the band who had come to arrest him, armed with their weapons. All of them were stopped in their tracks by the power of his word. Without delay, they were lying prostrate on the ground before him. Among them was Judas, perhaps for the first time truly bowing to Jesus, but not out of love for him. They recognised they were in the presence of Power.
Jesus also showed his authority by instructing the band of soldiers not to arrest his disciples. The soldiers could not touch them without his permission, and they could not arrest him until his disciples were secure. They were safe, even although Peter had responded in a manner that could have got him into trouble when he attacked Malchus. Of course, Jesus’ concern for the disciples was an expression of his love for them. Yet we should see that his love for them has the power to keep them safe in circumstances of danger.
Although Jesus had such authority, he knew what he wanted to use his power for. His aim was to drink the cup that the Father had given him, and about which he had wrestled already in the Garden. It would have been easy for him to leave his opponents helpless, but his aim was that he would go to the cross and suffer there instead of sinners. His intention was that he would fulfil the will of the Father.
One application for us concerns how we use the power we have. It may not be much, or it may be a lot, but the question for us is how do we use it. When Jesus revealed his power in the Garden, it was not limited to overpowering opponents. He also healed a wound inflicted by Peter on one who had come to arrest his Master. The power of Jesus was there to help the unworthy. How do we use the authority we have?
