捉拿耶稣的人以为他们要抓捕的是一个高度危险的人物。以他们所知，耶稣带领群众造反，不遵纪守法，并且扰乱圣殿和耶路撒冷城的安全。他们预期面对的，是一群凶恶的暴徒，和一个拥有魔鬼 “能力”的首领。
被派来捕捉耶稣的兵丁，是武装好并受过严格训练的，约有二百人之多。（经文中“一队兵” 的希腊原文- spiera - 在其他地方用来形容有200至600名罗马士兵的部队）这些人都是守卫耶路撒冷圣殿的士兵，他们在黑夜里拿着火把和灯笼冲着来拉人，还有那提供情报的犹大，协助他们辨认耶稣。
其实，他们根本不需要犹大亲嘴的记号。因为当兵丁来到橄榄山时，被通缉的人淡定地、独个儿走出来，身无寸铁，并承认自己就是他们要捉拿的拿撒勒人耶稣，而士兵们的反应也十分惊人，“他们就退后倒在地上”。
这个出人意外的情形，令这队武装士兵锐气大减，甚至说不出话来。眼前这位镇静而没有拒捕的耶稣，改变了一切，起码这一刻是如此。
主耶稣，祢在平静谦和中彰显的能力实在令人震惊。圣灵啊，求祢今天也把这种能力赐给祢的子民。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
约翰福音 18:1-7
1耶稣说了这话，就同门徒出去，过了汲沦溪。在那里有一个园子，他和门徒进去了。"Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it you want?'" — John 18:4
They assumed that the man they were after was dangerous. They were told he was leading a rebellion, he was a threat to law and order, and he was a danger to the temple and to Jerusalem. They expected to encounter a hostile band of rebels and a leader who had "powers" from the devil.
The well-armed and trained security force that came to arrest Jesus may have included about 200 men. (The Greek word in our text for "detachment of soldiers"—spiera—was used in other contexts to describe groups ranging from 600 to 200 Roman soldiers.) These were the forces that guarded the Jerusalem temple. They advanced through the midnight darkness with torches and lanterns blazing. They also had the informer Judas with them to identify the rebel leader.
But Judas's kiss turned out to be unnecessary. As the armed force approached the olive garden, the wanted man calmly came out to meet them—alone and unarmed. He identified himself as the one they were looking for, Jesus of Nazareth, and their reaction was quite surprising: "They drew back and fell to the ground."
These unanticipated circumstances unnerved the armed detachment of soldiers into a strange silence. Jesus' calm presence changed everything, for a moment.
Lord Jesus, for that moment, the plot against you paused, stunned by the power of your calm, unthreatening meekness. Holy Spirit, bless your people today with that kind of power. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
