“The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.”
John 18:3 (NLT)
Jesus had just finished praying—first for His disciples, then for every believer who would come after them. And instead of hiding, He crossed the Kidron Valley and went to a familiar place. A place Judas knew. A place Jesus often went with the eleven. For the betrayal to happen, Jesus had to be willing to be found.
What stands out is not just where Jesus went—but who came for Him. A detachment of Roman soldiers and Temple guards. Hundreds of armed men sent to arrest one man. They came prepared. They came expecting resistance. They came convinced His power was real.
Their issue was never whether Jesus had power. They knew He did. Their issue was that His power threatened their control. So they responded with force, numbers, and weapons.
Here’s the tension we should sit with today: the people who refused to confess Jesus as Lord still respected His power enough to prepare for it. Yet many believers live as though that same power is distant, theoretical, or reserved for someone else. We talk about access, but live without expectation.
Jesus didn’t lose His power at the cross—He released it. And He didn’t keep it to Himself—He shared it with those who abide in Him. The question isn’t whether the power of God is real. The question is whether we are living yielded, prayerful, and surrendered enough to walk in it.