Written by: Brian Kirby

All four gospels include the account from Jesus’ arrest in the garden where one of the disciples cuts the ear off of the high priest’s servant who had come with the mob to arrest Jesus (Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50-51, and John 18:10). 

Matthew and Mark present a similar account of the cutting, but they don’t provide too many details. Luke describes the cutting and includes the miracle that Jeus performs when he heals the wounded servant’s ear. John clarifies that the person who did the cutting was Peter, and the servant he attacked was named Malchus. When you put them all together, you get a very clear picture of what Jesus was about to do for all of us through his work on the cross.

Here’s what I mean…

When Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, he became guilty of a capital crime against the Jewish leaders that would have resulted in his own conviction and execution. However, when Jesus healed the servant’s ear, he completely removed every bit of evidence that a crime had ever been committed. In doing so, he saved Peter from arrest and execution.

The following day, Jesus did the same thing for you and me. The blood he shed on the cross effectively removes every bit of evidence that proves that we–like Peter–are transgressors, and it saves us from the guilty verdict and penalty we deserve. Like Peter, we are no longer counted among the transgressors because of the work that the Lord did on our behalf.

That’s amazing grace. That’s amazing love.