Day 18

John 18:11

So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?

When Jesus is arrested in the garden, everything in the moment points toward resistance. There is injustice. There is confusion. There is threat. Jesus has the authority and power to stop it all. And yet, He chooses surrender. Not because He is weak, but because He is obedient.

We often confuse weakness with what appears weak from the outside. From an external perspective, surrender can look passive or powerless. But biblical surrender is something very different. Think of a trained horse. The strength is still there. The power has not been removed. It is simply under control. That kind of restraint is not weakness. It is strength submitted.

Jesus embodies this perfectly. In the garden, He could have resisted arrest. He could have called upon power beyond anything the crowd understood. Instead, He chose obedience over control. His surrender was not a loss of strength. It was the clearest demonstration of it.

A very practical example of this shows up in how we engage in conversations with others. Many times, we enter discussions with the primary goal of being right. We want to prove a point. We want to defend ourselves. We want to win. But strength under control shifts the goal. Instead of elevating ourselves, we aim to encourage, bless, and reflect Christ.

Just as we talked about yesterday with the idea of moving from moment to moment in prayer, the same posture applies to our conversations. Before we speak, we ask different questions. How can Christ be represented here? How can this interaction point someone toward Him? Strength under control chooses humility over dominance and obedience over ego.

Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away. Not because the sword lacks power, but because it is not the right tool for the mission. The kingdom Jesus is building does not advance through force, but through surrender. When we live that way, people are not drawn to us. They are drawn to Him.

As you continue these final days of prayer and fasting, consider where God may be inviting you to practice strength under control. In conversations. In responses. In moments where you could assert yourself, but instead choose obedience. When Christ is elevated, He does the drawing.

Prayer

Jesus, teach us to trust You enough to surrender control. Help us choose obedience over ego and humility over the need to be right. As we continue these days of prayer and fasting, may our words and actions elevate You and draw others toward You. We want our lives to reflect Your strength and Your grace. Amen.