John 18:1-11

John 18:1-11

After Jesus said these things, He went out with His disciples to the other side of the ravine of the Kedron where a garden was, into which He and His disciples entered.  And Judas, the one who hands him over, had also known about the place because Jesus often gathered together there with His disciples.  Therefore, after Judas took a cohort of soldiers and some out of the chief priests and some assistants out of the Pharisees, he also went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.  Therefore Jesus, having known everything that was coming upon Him, went out and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”  They answered to Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.”  He said to them, “I am.”  And Judas, who handed Him over, had also stood with them.  Therefore when He said to them, “I am,” they moved back from Jesus and behind Judas and fell to the ground.  Therefore again He asked them, “Whom do you seek?”  And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”  Jesus answered, “I said to you all that ‘I am.’  Therefore if you seek me, permit these ones to go away” – in order that the words that he said should be fulfilled, that “Those whom You have given to me, I did not lose anyone out of them.”  Therefore, while Simon Peter has a sword he drew it and struck the slave of the chief priest and cut off his right ear.  And the name for the slave was Malchus.  Therefore Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath!  The cup that the Father has given to me, should I surely not drink it myself?”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Judas knew where to find Jesus.  Jesus knew that Judas knew where to find Jesus.  Jesus could have went anywhere else if He wanted to avoid arrest and cause the chief priests to lose faith in Judas as the one who would really turn Jesus over to them.  Jesus could have easily escaped the will of God.  But He doesn’t.  Knowing that Judas knew where to find Him, Jesus puts Himself directly in the line of fire.  After all, Jesus isn’t about serving His own agenda.  Jesus is about being obedient to the Father.  The Father has asked Him to die for the sake of those who need to be redeemed.  Jesus willingly abides by the will of the Father.  This is a tremendous model of obedience.  He could have gone anywhere.  But He chose to be in the Father’s will, even knowing that it meant His death.

How is this a humbling thought?  If you are truly His disciple, should you not do the same?  Where can you put yourself in the will of God, even if it means personal sacrifice?

Second Thought:

Many Bibles translate Jesus’ response to the force that has come out to arrest Him as “I am he.”  This is wrong.  Jesus says, “I am.”  (ἐγώ εἰμι)  Jesus is not telling the arresting force that they have identified the person that they are looking for.  Rather, He is telling them that they are about to arrest God.  Remember Moses and the burning bush?  When Moses asks the name of the God in the bush, God tells Moses, “I am.”  Now we see why the soldiers and the chief priests and the assistants to the Pharisees all draw back from Him.  He is claiming to be God.  The veil is off.  Jesus has declared that He is God and they are either waiting to be smote by Him or to have God smite Jesus for blasphemy.  This is a clear place where we see the authority of God coming through Jesus.  This single unarmed man can make an entire armed party draw back in fear just by saying the name of God in their midst.  Here is the power of the Messiah on display!

Why might it be important for Jesus to claim His divinity at this part of the story?  How impressive is it that Jesus causes all of these armed pursuers to draw away from Him with only a single word?

Third Thought:

It would seem like Jesus is in fact the only person who truly knows what is happening.  Judas hands Jesus over – but more than likely what he is hoping will happen is that Jesus will put God’s power truly on display and become the Messiah that he believes Jesus will become.  Peter cuts off a man’s ear trying to prevent Jesus from being arrested.  The armed party that intended to arrest Jesus actually draws back in fear.  Everyone is doing exactly what they shouldn’t be doing except for Jesus.  Jesus gives Himself up into the will of the Father.  As He does, He also arranges for the safety of His disciples as He tells the crowd to let them go.  When tension and strife come unexpectedly, we often find ourselves scrambling to just do anything that makes sense.  But those who are in God’s will can pass through strife and tension with their mind easily resting upon the Father, knowing that things are in His hands.

How do you react under pressure?  Are you like the soldiers who back away?  Are you like Judas who tries to force his own will?  Are you like Peter who reacts in defense without thinking?  How can you become more like Christ and learn to trust in the Father as you walk closely with Him?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 18:12-18