While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Luke 22: 46-51

Jesus was on His way to His appointment with the cross. He had accepted His fate. When those that wanted to end His life approached, Peter being true to his impulsive nature, cut off the ear of Malchus the servant of the high priest.

But Jesus being true to His nature touched the ear and healed him. Malchus didn’t ask for healing, he didn’t offer an apology or even say thank you that we know about. I can’t imagine facing one of the persons determined to destroy my life and being willing to heal him. This is the last miracle Jesus performed on the way to the cross. He could have performed a miracle to save His life, to escape the brutality of the cross. But He didn’t.

Even to the end, Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will and true to His nature. Jesus came to heal the hurting, to set captives free, to deliver those that are demonized and show the love and mercy and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father that are available to us because of Jesus’s staying the course all the way to the cross.

Phil Wickham’s song Living Hope is a beautiful response to a beautiful act of mercy:

Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The king of kings calls me His own
Beautiful savior, I’m yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Jesus healed all the way to the end and He still heals today. Thank You Jesus.