Daily Bible Reading Plans to help you read and understand God’s Word

Scripture Reading: John 18:1-40, Isaiah 9:2-7, Daniel 7:14

Do you remember the game Whac-A-Mole, where the mole pops out of different holes you smash as quickly as possible with a rubber mallet? It was a popular arcade game in the 90s, and I loved it.

My first attempt at evangelism was, funnily enough, similar in many ways. While onlookers listened to a concert that my friends hosted in downtown Las Vegas, I acted like that little mole, popping out from behind bushes and trees with an intense desire to engage people in conversation about Jesus. Though I can laugh at the metaphor, my misplaced zeal distracted me from the goal I actually had and meant I handled that desire to serve in the worst way possible. And yet, that is the very thing so many of those whom we read about in John 18 were guilty of: misplaced zeal.

Peter was guilty of misplaced zeal when he energetically cut off Malchus’s right ear in verse 10. He experienced another point of misplaced zeal when he fervently denied that he was one of Jesus’s followers. The temple guard and Jewish officials showed misplaced zeal as well—even though they had a desire to please God, they became so distracted by their rules that they missed the ruler of all. The Jewish people experienced misplaced zeal when they demanded a revolutionary named Barabbas be delivered to them on Passover while pronouncing the suffering servant guilty.

Still, there was a zealousness that sent Jesus to the cross. And it just wasn’t human zeal; when we read Isaiah 9:2–7, the last line of verse 7 reads, “The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this.” It was with great energy that the Lord of Armies chose to send Jesus to the cross, a plan that was put into motion long before the time of John or Isaiah. In return, Jesus enacted an eternal kingdom so that people of every nation and language would come to serve Him (Daniel 7:14).

In surrendering to His Father’s zeal, Jesus fulfilled the purpose for which He had come. With that same goal in mind, He informed Pilate of His kingdom while on trial. When He testified that He wouldn’t have been handed over to the Jewish soldiers unless He’d permitted it, He reminded us of that zeal. This intense passion drove Him to surrender Himself so His kingdom would be established and transcend any earthly powers.

Jesus could have required His servants to fight but instead demonstrated that He fights against powers and principalities rather than flesh and blood. It was with great zeal that Jesus chose to testify about His kingdom and ensure that we were secured through His sacrifice. Today, I thank God that His zeal continues to accomplish His Word, as it always has.

Written by Liv Dooley