While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22:47-53)

In the chaos of betrayal by Judas, Peter, being zealous and reactive, drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. It was an impulsive and dangerous act, and even though he asked Jesus if he should do it, he didn’t wait for a response before he acted on his impulse. Not only was it an act of violence, it could have sealed Peter’s fate with a death penalty because he had attacked a servant of the high priest – one of the most powerful religious figures in Israel. This situation could have meant not only Jesus’ arrest, but Peter’s death too.

But Jesus did something astonishing in the middle of that dark moment: He stopped the violence, spoke peace over the scene, and then healed the servant’s ear, right then and there. No bandages, no scarring, no evidence that it had ever happened. The servant’s ear was completely restored – and Peter’s guilt, though very real, was suddenly without a consequence he’d have to pay.

What a beautiful foreshadowing of the cross.

Jesus didn’t just heal the ear – He also removed the evidence of the disciple’s wrongdoing. Jesus covered Peter’s failure before it could condemn him to death. That’s what Jesus came to do for us all on the cross. He bore our guilt and shame, and by His wounds, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Because of His sacrifice, God doesn’t just forgive our sin – He removes the record of it. He makes it like it never happened.

Sometimes we carry guilt for what we’ve done – the mistakes we’ve made, outbursts of anger that we regret, decisions we wish we could undo. And yet Jesus steps into the mess we’ve created, not to shame us, but to heal it. To touch what’s broken and fully restore it.

Yet notice that Jesus also confronted the injustice around Him. He rebuked the crowd for coming with swords and clubs, like He were a violent criminal. He called out their darkness – “But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Jesus didn’t go blind into His suffering. He saw it clearly, knew it was unjust, and yet submitted – not because He was weak, but because He trusted the Father’s plan. Remember, Jesus had just resolved in prayer to yield fully to the Father’s will, and now, He was walking it out with unwavering grace, peace, and obedience.

And when darkness surrounds us, when injustice seems to be winning, we can follow Jesus’ example of trusting the Father and submitting to His will; not because it’s easy, but because He is faithful. And in the middle of chaos, whether caused by others or by our own failures—remember that Jesus still heals, still restores, and still covers our sin by His grace and mercy.

Jesus not only healed the servant’s ear then, He desires to heal your soul now. Trust God and let Him heal you completely.