“Could they be that dumb?”

John 18:12-14

“So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.”  (John 18:12 ESV)  When you read that verse what comes to your mind, for me I think, “Could they be that dumb?”  What happened moments earlier; when Jesus ask whom do you seek, and they said Jesus of Nazareth, and Jesus to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.”  Now stop and ask the Spirit of truth, your Helper, to help you use your imagination to see that scene.  You have a company of soldiers, the commander, and the Jewish temple police, falling down at the words of Jesus, and at that moment is there any question as to who is in charge?  Now when they get up off the ground I wonder if they are surprised that they are still alive?  For sure the Jewish temple police have heard or been taught the history of God answering Elijah’s prayers and making toast of the captain and his fifty men who had come on orders of the king.  In fact, they may have shared it with the Roman soldiers.

This is the account in 2 Kings Chapter one, “Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the LORD, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ “So Elijah went.”  (2 Kings 1:2-4 ESV)

Now that took faith and Elijah went to the messengers and relayed what the angel of the Lord had told him, and they returned so quickly the king wanted to know why, and he said a man of God had given them this message for the king.  The king inquired about what the man look like and after being told, the king said that it was Elijah the Tishbite.  Picking up the story, ” Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.  Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king's order, ‘Come down quickly!’” But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” (2 Kings 1:9-12 ESV) 

We do not know what happen other than they fell to the ground at the words; “I am He,” but this we do know, for Jesus said, “          For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”  (John 10:17-18 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice