3/22/2026 No more of this!

Sermon - No more of this!

Scripture: Luke 22:47-53

47While 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, 

48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 

50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

51But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?

53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Jesus clearly knew what the will of God was. He came according to the Father’s will to bear the sins of the world, and He died on the cross. Even in moments of hardship and injustice during His journey, Jesus obeyed God’s command and will.

The disciples, in the midst of the difficulties they faced, took what seemed like a heroic action involving violence in order to protect their teacher and Messiah, Jesus. However, Jesus refused to be protected by the disciples’ unlawful violence. He said, “That’s enough! No more!”

Today’s passage is recorded in all four Gospels and describes the moment when Jesus is arrested (Matthew 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; John 18:3–11). Before His arrest, on the Mount of Olives, the Lord prayed to God the Father that, if it were the Father’s will, the cup of suffering might be taken away from Him. Yet He prayed again that not His own will, but the Father’s will be done.

In the scene of Jesus’ arrest, we encounter three different groups of people: one is Judas; another is the crowd sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders; and the third group is the disciples. Jesus speaks differently to each of these groups.

At the scene of Jesus’ arrest, the first person He encountered was Judas. He was one of Jesus’ disciples, a thief, someone who had sold his soul to Satan, and a traitor who handed over his own teacher—the Savior—to the chief priests and the Jewish leaders. After finishing His prayer on the Mount of Olives, saying, “Let it be according to the Father’s will,” Jesus came to His disciples and told them to stay awake and pray. At that moment, Judas arrived with soldiers to arrest Him, and as Judas kissed Him, Jesus said, “Judas, are you betraying me with a kiss?” He clearly rebukes Judas, who is walking down an irreversible path.

A rebuke is pointing out and correcting someone’s wrongdoing. Both rebuke and reprimand can be expressions of love. In this moment, rebuking Judas may have been the greatest expression of love Jesus could show him. It carries the meaning, “Friend, how could you do such a thing?” The damage had already been done, and Jesus is rebuking him for what has led to this situation.

The second group Jesus spoke with at the arrest scene was the disciples. Seeing what was happening, they asked, “Lord, shall we use the sword?” Then one of the disciples struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear with a sword. Jesus said to them, “No more of this.” In the Gospel of Matthew, His words are recorded this way: “Put your sword back in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

From the disciples’ question, “Lord, shall we use the sword?” we can see what kind of people they were. They were angry. They were ready to fight. They were passionate. But their zeal led to impulsive action. They could not wait for the Lord’s command or permission, and their impatience drove them to unlawful violence. Because of this, they needed to properly restrain and govern their zeal. Among them, the impulsive Peter did not wait for the Lord’s command and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant with his sword (John 18:10).

What violent action are you tempted to carry out in impatience, without waiting for the Lord’s command or permission? What kind of zeal in your life needs to be rightly controlled in light of His word?

Jesus speaks again: “Put your sword back in its place” (Matthew 26:52) and “No more of this.” When Jesus says, “All who take the sword will perish by the sword,” He is reminding the disciples of God’s command that forbids murder and values life. His words to them—“That’s enough; no more”—may seem like avoiding an unjust situation. It can even appear weak. Especially to disciples full of zeal and passion, doing nothing and leaving the situation as it is might seem even more unjust.

However, Jesus is guiding the path His disciples should take. Even in the midst of hardship, He is teaching them what it means to obey God’s will. This is because God’s providence is not accomplished through unlawful violence.

Those who came to arrest Jesus were acting unjustly. But responding to that injustice with the same kind of violence is not obedience to God’s will. Let me ask you this: which comes first—irreverence (treating God as if He were invisible) or unrighteous behavior? Irreverence—failing to believe in or acknowledge God—comes first, and injustice follows as its result. Therefore, committing injustice is the same as not believing in or trusting God.

“Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness” (2 Timothy 2:19). If we truly trust God, we must not rely on unlawful means to meet our needs. “For our obedience to be accepted by God, it must depend entirely on His will.” Therefore, even in anxious and impatient moments, we must trust the Lord and wait for Him.

About two months ago, I met a female pastor at a gathering. After that, I had one phone call with her, and we continued to stay in touch by exchanging messages. During our first call, she shared her vision with me. I agreed with most of what she said—it was about God’s work, the ministry of saving souls, and how to accomplish it.

Things seemed to move quickly. She sent me an email outlining her vision. It had only been about two or three weeks since I met her, yet all of this was already happening. As I looked over her vision, I thought it was quite impressive. However, I hesitated to make a decision to join her in ministry, because I didn’t know much about her. Although her vision was good, I couldn’t make a commitment or a promise. Still, I believed this meeting might also be God’s guidance, so I began to seek His direction.

After about a week of prayer, while meditating on Scripture, I was led by the Holy Spirit. The passage for that day was Joshua chapter 9:1-13.

1 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)— 

2 they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 

4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 

5 They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 

6 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”

7 The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”

8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 

10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 

11 And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.” 

12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.

 13 And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”

As Israel was conquering the land of Canaan, the knowledge that the Lord was Israel’s God—and that He was delivering them—was spreading throughout the land. Some of the Canaanite tribes formed alliances to wage war against Israel, but the Gibeonites sought a way to survive. Because they feared the God of Israel, instead of joining other Canaanite peoples in fighting, they decided to make a peace treaty with Israel.

This passage tells how they deceived Joshua and the Israelites into making that treaty. The Gibeonites presented worn-out sacks, old wineskins, patched sandals, and moldy bread as evidence that they had come from a distant land. In this way, they hid their true identity.

Joshua, after receiving this seemingly convincing evidence, did not ask the Lord what he should do. Instead, he made a covenant of peace with them. Three days later, however, Joshua discovered that they were actually people of Canaan. Even so, he could not break the oath he had made. As a result, the Gibeonites were placed under a curse and became servants for life, cutting wood and carrying water for the house of the Lord.

The title of that day’s meditation was, “Slow down and examine the situation.” Through this, I realized that it was God’s will for me not to act rashly or make promises hastily, but to carefully discern the situation.

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to meet the pastor I had been in contact with. Another pastor was also present, and it was the first time all three of us met face-to-face. During that meeting, I clearly understood why God had been telling me to slow down and carefully consider this relationship.

As soon as we sat down with our coffee, that pastor handed out materials outlining her vision and began discussing how to operate the organization. She was already trying to talk through how to run a nonprofit organization. But I didn’t really know her—aside from her name, her face, and a little bit of her background, we hadn’t spent time truly getting to know each other. While the other two pastors were not complete strangers, it was also their first time meeting personally like this.

Even though none of us really knew each other well, we were already talking about a nonprofit organization that hadn’t even been established yet, and discussing how it should be run.

A strong resistance rose up in my heart. With just one meeting, one phone call, one email, and a few weeks of exchanging messages, I could not make a commitment to do God’s work together going forward. So I made a suggestion to the pastor who was trying to lead the discussion: before starting a ministry or forming an organization, we should take time to get to know one another.

She had already printed and handed out documents about how the new organization would be run—but my comment poured cold water on the situation. She responded by asking what more we needed to know about each other, and her face grew red with frustration. That reaction was exactly what I needed to see and confirm. Her response to someone who did not agree with her was something I needed to recognize and discern.

Wanting to move quickly in forming relationships and getting work started may simply be her style, so it’s not necessarily a matter of right or wrong. We just approach things differently. However, because her pace did not match mine—since I need time to build relationships—it became clear that we could not move forward together.

That day, if the Lord had not stopped me through His Word, I might have already signed on to establish that nonprofit mission organization with her and later regretted it.

Are you easily swayed by others’ proposals? Slow down and examine the situation. Before becoming attached or burdened by a relationship based on convincing appearances—like the moldy bread, worn-out shoes and clothes, or even flattery and praise—before hastily accepting any proposal, slow down and take a careful look.

Seek God’s guidance. His Word and leading are precise. Do not be carried along by others’ zeal or impatience, nor give yourself over to something that is not the Lord’s will and plan. Instead, ask the Lord and pray. Then He will show you a safe path. His guidance will lead you to know clearly when to stop and when to begin.

The third group Jesus addressed at the scene of His arrest was the chief priests, the temple guards, and the elders. To those who came to seize Him, Jesus questioned why they were coming at Him with swords as if He were a criminal, when He had been with them daily in the temple and they had not laid a hand on Him. Then He said, “This is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Jesus, who had just stopped His disciples from committing unlawful violence, does not stop these men from carrying out their unjust actions. Instead, He allows them to proceed—“Do it your way,” in a sense. How thrilling it must feel to act according to one’s own way, how satisfying it can seem. Yet they did not realize that what they were doing—trying to kill Jesus, the Savior sent by God—was an act of darkness, revealing the darkness within their own souls. They were simply consumed with the satisfaction of arresting the one they hated and seeing Him put on the cross. But what they failed to recognize was that they were taking one step deeper into darkness.

Jesus only stopped His disciples from what they were about to do, because they were children of salvation. If the Lord is blocking a certain path in your life right now and saying, “That’s enough—no more,” then it is a sign that you are God’s child.

On the other hand, God’s judgment on those who do not believe in Him and worship idols is to simply leave them to themselves. Romans 1:21-24 says,

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 

Allowing them to continue in their ways is itself God’s judgment. But for His believing children, He intervenes—stopping us—to rescue us from evil and unprofitable situations.

As the time of the cross drew near, Jesus was afraid. Being fully human, He experienced fear in the face of death. Yet He sought the Father’s will, and His obedience was the kind of obedience acceptable to God. Even as He was being arrested, He healed the wounds of the one coming to seize Him.

Jesus’ obedience is different from Judas, who betrayed Him with a kiss while pretending loyalty. His obedience was from the disciples, whose zeal led them to act contrary to God’s will, and was different from those acting in darkness without discernment, following only their own way.

If Jesus had not fully trusted and believed in the Father’s plan and will for salvation, He might have acted inconsistently—contradicting His very purpose and reason for being. His perfect obedience shows what it means to completely rely on God, even in the midst of fear, betrayal, and injustice. Luke 22:41-42 says,

41He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,

 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Yet even so, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” And at the very moment of His arrest, instead of acting according to His own will, He healed the wounds of the one who came to seize Him.

What is God’s will? The actions of those present at Jesus’ arrest did not end in that moment. Jesus was executed on the cross, yet He rose again and became our Lord and Messiah. Judas, who sold his own soul to Satan and betrayed his Savior, was swallowed by death. The disciples, whose actions Jesus stopped by saying, “That’s enough—no more,” went on to dedicate their lives to God’s kingdom. The chief priests and elders, children of darkness who acted according to their own judgment, rejected Jesus—the Light—until the end, and thus became subject to God’s judgment.

Are you hearing someone say to you, “Friend, how could you do such a thing?”

What violent or rash actions are you tempted to take out of immediate need, without waiting for Jesus’ command or permission? What zeal in your life needs to be rightly controlled according to God’s Word? Not every heroic action is obedience that relies on God’s will.

When Jesus says, “That’s enough—no more,” and you stop, that is true obedience rooted in God’s will. Are you living according to your own judgment, because no one seems to be guiding your life?

“Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness” (2 Timothy 2:19). ‘That’s enough—no more of this!’ When the Lord speaks and you obey His voice, truly, truly, it is a blessing beyond measure!”