LEssons from this scene in the garden
john 18:1-9 ~ Terry phillips
September 2, 2018
We've been working our way through John's gospel for some time now, and for some months we've been in the 17th chapter of John's Gospel. Looking at the Lord's prayer to the Father. We are going to move on this morning and begin to look at the 18th chapter and I'd ask you to turn there with me if you would. We have been in these chapters from 13 through 17. We've been considering the words of our Lord, and now the narrative continues in terms of the chronology of events as they progress drawing near to the time that our Lord would suffer and die in our place.
This morning I would like to look at the first nine verses of the 18th chapter, if we could, and maybe read them to begin with. “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden into which He Himself entered and His disciples. Now Judas also who was betraying Him knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “whom do you seek?” they answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene”, He said to them, “I Am”. And Judas also who was betraying Him was standing with them, when therefore He said to them, “I Am”, they drew back and fell to the ground. Again, therefore, He asked them, “whom do you seek?” and they said, “Jesus the Nazarene”. Jesus answered, “I told you that I Am, If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way that the word might be fulfilled, which He spoke of those Thou hast given Me, “I lost not one.”
The scene that is before us as we begin the 18th chapter is a dramatic one indeed. If you try and really, sort of put yourself in the place of this, of these moments try to observe what's going on; it's nighttime, obviously, the Lord and His disciples are leaving the city of Jerusalem, going over this ravine that had a brook that would fill up and become, quite a stream apparently during the rainy season. And then they headed over to the Mount of Olives, the garden of Gethsemane is located - as I understand it - towards the lower portion of the Mount of Olives. Number of olive trees in that place, and even to this day there is, as I understand it. This is where the Lord is with His disciples. Jesus has finished His discourse with them and He's led His disciples very specifically to this place at this point in time.
The hatred of the Jewish leaders for Jesus had finally reached the boiling point. A point of no return, if you will. They had been waiting for just the right time. We've seen that a number of times already in John's Gospel. They'd been looking for an opportunity to get rid of Jesus. They been waiting for just the right time. And in God's perfect wisdom and in His sovereign purpose, this was indeed the right time. On other occasions, Jesus had alluded their grasp, and surely He could have at this point in time as well, especially under the cover of darkness. But this was the time that had been ordained from eternity past, and so this is when it was going to take place.
There is a sense in which it seems that the scene is somewhat chaotic. If you really stop and try and picture this, the Lord is there with His disciples, it’s very small group of men. This group that comes to arrest the Lord is a large multitude of people. We’re told, and as we harmonize this account with the synoptic Gospels, we recognize that it was a large multitude. You have Jewish leaders, you have those who served the leaders of Israel, and you also had the Roman cohort, which John mentions here in verse three, which typically would have been around 600 men, Roman soldiers. We’re not sure if it was exactly that many, and obviously it might have varied to some extent, but this was not a small group of people. Hundreds of people. They have as we recognize from this account and the other accounts, they have torches, they have weapons, they have clubs. It’s an unruly group, in some respects. Though there is the discipline of the Romans, the soldiers. But it's a chaotic scene to some extent. Judas, of course, is in the middle of this leading the way. And the Lord's disciples are not sure how to respond to this threat. We notice as we read further here, and as we considered other accounts of this, the disciples weren't sure what to do. Whether they were to take a stand with the Lord, Peter of course is impulsive and lashes out and we’ll deal with that Lord willing next time.
They're not sure how to respond. The moment is a very tense one, not only from the perspective of the disciples but from the perspective of this multitude. You recall, it had only been a few days since Jesus had been received into the city of Jerusalem in His triumphal entry of Jerusalem. They had received Him as their King, you recall. Jesus had done so many wonderful things in the midst of these people, and they were fearful of creating real problem, a significant problem, a riot. It’s one of the reasons they have been very fearful to arrest the Lord to lay hands on Him in public in broad daylight, as it were. So they had very carefully planned this, this is something they had obviously planned and orchestrated with Judas and they'd obviously got the help of the Roman authorities. I'm presuming that they had convinced the Roman authorities to send this cohort of soldiers telling them this was a troublemaker. This was somebody who had the capacity or the capability of causing real problems. So, it’s a tense scene. No doubt the Jewish leaders themselves are very anxious about how this is all going to play out, whether or not this time their plan is going to come to fruition.
Now, John here is led by the Spirit of God to record a perspective of this event that Matthew and Mark and Luke do not include. It seems likely to me as I read through and I'm looking through the different accounts that Matthew and Mark and Luke give to us and then this account from John - It seems likely that what John records here precedes immediately what is recorded in the other three Gospels. It seems likeliest to me - not by any means wanting to be dogmatic about it - but it seems likeliest that this, what John records is the first thing that happens, that is before Judas comes up and betrays the Lord with a kiss. One thing for sure, though, I trust we can all agree upon is that this record is given to us for a divine reason. This is not included accidentally. God by His spirit led John to give us this insight into this event and I find to be very interesting one, not necessarily a real easy one to understand - in some respects - especially to teach on it and to say what is this, what is there for us here? But it seems to me, we have to acknowledge there is something. What is it that we are to glean from this unique record? These events that take place just before an hour talking about before they actually lay hands on the Lord and take Him away.
These first nine verses describe for us what takes place just prior to the Lord being arrested. Theres several things that come to my mind as I look at this passage and as I was pondering and asking the Lord to show me what I need to learn from this passage. The first thing - and I think this one is should be fairly obvious, so will start there - the first lesson to me is simply this - that God is always in complete control. God is always in complete control. These men had laid their plans. They knew what they wanted to do. They were determined to get rid of Jesus of Nazareth and they thought they finally had come up with a way to do it, and to minimize the risk to their own safety and reputations.
It appears at first that they are the ones who are in control, that they’re in the driver seat as it were, but that's not the case. I want you to notice something very interesting in the fourth verse, “Jesus therefore knowing.” - now the verse preceding that is says that – “Judas, having received the Roman cohort officers from the chief priest and the Pharisees came with lanterns, torches, and weapons.” Ok, so Judas has gotten all of these men together, the plan has been laid. And here they come. The fourth verse says this, “Jesus therefore knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went forth.” Jesus went forth. Jesus is not taken unawares in this moment. The timing is divinely ordained. In other words, it's perfect, timing is just right. The multitude arrives and if you go to the three previous accounts in Matthew, Mark and Luke we’re told that as Jesus is finishing His sentence, they show up. The timing is precise. Jesus is just finishing His sentence, warning them that this time is come and they're coming to get Him, and here they come.
Then Jesus unexpectedly makes the first move. This had to have been very alarming, maybe would be the word to use, or at the very least, it must have taken them back a little bit. They're going after what they presume to be someone is going to be hard to catch, someone who's a fugitive, someone who's going to resist, obviously. Why would they have clubs and weapons? Now they knew Jesus was not an armed threat and yet they were determined to get Him and yet Jesus approaches them. We’re told in that fourth verse, “when He knew they were coming, He went forth.” Kind of reminds me of David joining the battle to fight with Goliath, Jesus knew what was coming. He didn't hold back. He didn't shrink back. He didn't hesitate. In fact, He makes the first move. He went forth and He says to them, “Whom do you seek?” These men assumed that they were taking control, and at this point in time I'm sure they felt that they were in control.
They were finally taking control of a situation that had troubled them for three years. A situation they had grown to hate. They were finally, they would be in that position where they would get Jesus in their hands and they’d get rid of Him. But, the only thing that they were doing was nothing more, nothing less than what God had already ordained. I remind you of the passage in Luke's gospel. After these events had taken place and Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended to the glory to the right hand of the Father. And the church in Jerusalem, very early on in their life together as God's people, in that prayer to the Lord together in the fourth chapter, the 27th and 28 verses they said this to God:
“For truly, in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur.”
I love those words. These people had an insight as they look back on it, now I grant you, the disciples probably didn't have that insight in these moments on that night, but Jesus did. These men were only going to do what God's hand in His purpose had predestined to occur. I also remind you of what Jesus said back in the 10th chapter as He portrayed Himself as the good Shepherd in John's Gospel, the 10th chapter, notice what Jesus said in the 18th verse, “No one has taken it away from me” – He’s referring to His life. The 17th verse he said, “For this reason, the Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again.” Verse 18, “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My Own initiative. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” Jesus is acting in accordance to the Father's will.
Jesus is not in a position where He's finally quite got Himself cornered and they've caught up to Him and there's nothing He can do about it. That may be the way the world would look at it, but that's not what you see in the Lord Jesus. Jesus steps out towards these men. He approaches them, He goes forth were told. So that's the first thing that I noticed in this passage is that God is always, always in complete control. Whatever the situation may b. And this moment had to seem pretty dark, especially if I'm one of His disciples. I see this group of men coming, uh, can't be a good thing to see. You know that's going to be trouble. No doubt about it.
A second thing that I want to point out to you from this passage and I simply am going to state it this way - God is God. Jesus goes forth and He asks this question, “Whom do you seek”, who you looking for? Who are you after? They answered him, “Jesus the Nazarene,” and He replies to them, “I am”. that word is italicized, and you know that means is not in the original. You also I'm sure, are very familiar with the fact that these two little words “I am” the very designation of the God of Israel, the One of eternal being the One who always has been and always will be, always is. Jesus. In two little words of self-identification, Jesus exhibits a moment of Majesty that unnerved and dismayed His enemies instantly. Two little words from the mouth of the Word made flesh and a multitude of coldhearted God haters were stopped in their tracks and dropped to the ground.
This is something we must never forget. Jesus is God. Fully man, but He is fully God and God is God. In spite of the purposeful muting of the fullness of His glory, during the days of His flesh on this earth. I was really thankful that Matt chose that second chapter of Philippians. In spite of that fact that Jesus has for a time set aside the fullest of His glory, He is still God. I'm reminded of what Paul says in his epistle to the saints at Colossae. He says in chapter 1 verse 19, “that it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.” - that is in Christ. He is the fullness of deity. He says later on, Paul says in chapter 2 verse nine, a verse that is very familiar to us, “for in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.” Jesus is God in flesh. But I want to remind you that Jesus very carefully, very precisely controls the extent to which His Majesty was seen by men during His incarnation. He’s very careful. There were times, you recall, many times when He told people, don't tell anyone about this miracle, this attesting miracle that He’d performed. When He revealed Himself, when He was transfigured, He was only transfigured before three of His disciples for very brief time. Jesus was very careful. He controled very precisely the extent to which His Majesty was seen by men.
And I want to remind you that earlier in the Lord's ministry, Jesus had made this exact same declaration. Do you recall when. earlier in our study in John's Gospel? Remember back in the eighth chapter Jesus was having a discussion. A heated discussion with the Jewish leaders and you recall that they of course are wanting to kill Him, and Jesus was exposing the desire of their heart, which is that they were wanting to murder Him. The Jews, and Jesus in the fifty fifth verse, actually I’ll begin verse 54, He said, “if I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say He is our God, and you’ve not come to know Him, but I know Him and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it and was glad.” The Jews therefore said to Him, “You are not yet 50 years old and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.”
But what was their response at that point in time? It says they immediately picked up stones and they were going to kill Him. Jesus declared to them at that moment in time who He was, but He did not reveal the glimpse of His Majesty that He did on this night. I'm convinced of that. These men were given a momentary and a limited glimpse of the glory of God and felled them on the spot. We can't in any way take lightly John's description here - “They drew back and they fell to the ground”. I was reading where somebody tried to explain this away, that they were startled and one of them tripped and they all fell back on each other like dominoes. Right - 600 Roman soldiers, I don't think so. They drew back and fell on the ground.
In spite of the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was fully human, He always was, He is and He always will be, Almighty God and God is God. Right in their presence these men were in the presence of God in the flesh and in that moment, they caught just a glimpse of His Majesty. I don't know what it sounded like, I don't know how it was that Jesus uttered those two words. But that's all it took. It's an interesting thing when you think about it, Jesus walked on this earth and there weren’t lights flashing around Him, proclaiming Him to be the Son of God. He can wear special clothes. He didn't have some special features or a sign or tattoos on Him, declaring who He was - He was a man like others, but there were times, there were moments where men, mere mortals caught a glimpse of this fact that Jesus is who Jesus said He was. “I and the Father are One.” Mere mortals have no ground upon which to hold themselves upright in the revelation of the King of Glory. Let this God hating world hurl the fullness of its fury at the Lord, at the Lord of glory and the outcome is certain, the Lord will prevail.
You know this picture, there's a picture of that we have in the revelation of Jesus Christ to John in Revelation, several passages. I'll just mention a couple, but you see this picture of the Lord and the words coming from His mouth are pictured as a two edged sword. I remind you, even of the way Jesus reveals Himself to John the apostle, Revelation chapter 1 verse 12, “And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands one like a Son of Man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet and girded across His breasts with a golden girdle and His head and His hair were white like wool, like snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire, and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and in His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. And His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man.”
This God hating multitude caught just a glimpse of who Jesus is. When Jesus answered, I Am. Whom do you seek? I Am.
The third thing that it seems to me we can learn from this passage, and that is this - that on-going reverence for the Lord is crucial. On-going reverence for the Lord is crucial. These people, for a moment in time recognized that they were not in the presence of a mere man but it didn't last long. They were given a glimpse of the glory of the Almighty, but they were unwilling ultimately to submit themselves to His overriding authority. In a matter of moments, they regained their murderous momentum. They were on their feet and they were ready to lay their vile hands on the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that Jesus Himself prods them into making a choice. I find this fascinating. They’ve fallen to the ground, “And again,” verse seven says, “Jesus asked them, “whom do you seek?” Jesus puts the question to them once more, after they’ve caught a glance of His Majesty, “whom do you seek?”. It's as though Jesus is asking, are you sure you want to go through this? These men were on the cusp of committing the greatest injustice that is ever been committed. Jesus asked them one more time. Whom do you seek, who are you after?
I don't know this. I have no idea, but when they answer, “Jesus the Nazarene”, I just, my thinking is that they didn't answer quite as boldly as the first time would be my guess. I don't know that. It seems to me that there really is a profound lesson in how this event transpired and the fact that its recorded for us. Here's what seems to me to be important - genuine reverence for the Lord is a persevering reverence. It's not just a momentary thing. I see God for who He is, in a moment, and I go on my way, I go back to what I was doing. I get busy again with whatever it is I'm going to do. In fact, even if it's something very evil. Genuine reverence for the Lord is a persevering reverence. It’s not merely a momentary acknowledgment who God is. I think this is a danger, even for us as God's children, I don't think this is only a danger for the lost. It is a significant danger for those who are apart from Christ. God, were told that He makes Himself known, even through creation itself, and there are times when this world gets a glimpse of the glory of God, but they make a decision whether they will continue to suppress the truth in unrighteousness, or will they bow the knee.
If proper reverence is not just a momentary acknowledgment, it's not merely a formal amenity to get out of the way before more moving on to a more cavalier approach to God. It's not a mindless ritual or a shallow concession, if you will. Yeah, yeah, God is, He's, He's great. We need to be sure that we reverence Him. That’s not genuine reverence. Genuine reverence is a persevering and a reverential respect that refuses over time to allow the slightest depreciating of the Lords honor and majesty. In our character, our conduct, and even in our thinking. And it’s crucial that we have an on-going reverence for the Lord. These people were thrown back, really in a forced reverential respect for the Lord, but they did learn from it, they didn’t and glean from it, they didn't work it out. I don't have a record here. I don't know, sometimes you look at this and think, I wonder if there was at least some of these people who said, that’s enough for me, and took off. We’re not told that, it appears they all go ahead. And we don't know, it maybe even some of these people that came to know Christ later, we don't know that. But at this moment in time, this is how they responded.
I think you and I need to search our own hearts in this regard. I think that there is a tendency for us to not be as persevering in our reverential respect for the Lord as we should. How so? How do you think that can happen? How can that possibly be? I was to ask you to consider that with me this morning, as you’re thinking about it, I want to remind you of a verse that came to my mind as I was contemplating this. In the acts of the apostles, we have first description of the early church as it began. In the ninth chapter and the 31st verse we have sort of a summarization of what was going on, how things were going with God's people up to that point in time. Verse 31 of Acts chapter 9 says, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace being built up,” - and these the words I want you to notice – “And going on in the fear of the Lord.” Think about this a minute, going on in the fear the Lord not going on from the fear of the Lord, going on in the fear of the Lord. They persevered in a reverential respect for the Lord.
How do we show that? How does that make itself known? I give you a couple of examples in the New Testament, from the New Testament epistles, very specific examples. One of the ways that this respect is demonstrated is in a holy life. What does Paul say to the saints at Corinth, in second Corinthians chapter 7 verse one, and he has just completed the end of the sixth chapter, actually the bulk of the six chapter deals with this whole question of compromise with the world. “What harmony has Christ with Belial, or what in common does a believer have with an unbeliever…” so on and so forth we’re told to come out from among this world and be a separate people, a holy people. Then Paul concludes in verse one of seven chapter 7, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness…” – How? – “…in the fear of God.” Going on in a reverential respect the Lord. Another way that this is seen - in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 21, do you ever notice this verse? “…And be subject to one another…” – How? How so? – “…in the fear of Christ.” “Be subject to one another, in the fear of Christ.”
How I treat you, how we treat one another will reflect the extent to which we have an ongoing persevering reverential respect for the Lord Jesus Christ. It will expose whether or not we tend to be fickle and we tend to see or we tend to put on sort of, errors of reverence at certain points in time, but we your merry way and live our lives and we disrespect the Lord in the way we live, the things we allow to have place and part in our lives. The things that we allow to come before Christ. The way that we don't take Jesus at His word, when Jesus said “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.” Do we do that? When Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Do we respect Him? When He said, “Be anxious for nothing”, do we respect the Lord Jesus? When He says, “Pray at all times, Don't lose heart”, do we respect Him and do that? This is how an ongoing respect is going to look. We’re going to honor the Lord, we’re going to be honoring the Lord in everything we do. We’re going to be looking for ways to respect Him, to honor Him.
One last lesson that I see in this passage. It is such a lesson of, it’s something that I think that can give us great comfort. Back in this 18th chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus, in verse seven He says again, He asks them, “whom do you seek”, they said, “Jesus the Nazarene”, and Jesus answered, “I told you that I Am”, and then He goes on. “If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way”, - Why? – “that the word might be fulfilled, which He spoke of those whom Thou hast given Me a lost not one.” Remember we’ve talked about this so often in the upper room discourse. The love that the Lord has for His disciples, for His own. He's in the midst, He's facing an agony they can't even begin to relate to, but He keeps caring for them. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled; My peace I leave with you; these things I’ve spoken to you that you may have peace in Me.” Jesus is worried about His disciples. He's concerned for their welfare, their well-being. In this moment, this is the moment in which they are about to lay hands on the Lord and the Lord is concerned for His disciples. He knew they were going to flee anyway. But Jesus is ensuring that these men don't chase them down a don’t go after them.
Now it's been, the question is, what is Jesus saying here? Is He concerned, surely this can't just mean, when He speaks of losing one of them, He can't surely mean of physical death alone. I think that's certainly true because they would each lose their lives for the Lord eventually. Most of them, almost all of them. It seems likeliest that Jesus is concerned for what an effect it would have had upon these men if they been arrested with Him, I don't know. It seems likeliest that that's what Jesus is concerned about. At the very least we can see that He’s concerned for their welfare, not just their physical well-being, but their spiritual well-being. They weren’t ready - doesn't seem to me - for this kind of this level of persecution. One day they would be. One day they would have the Spirit indwelling them. One day they would understand the need of the cross, but at this point they didn't understand hardly anything. They were in no position to make a stand. The day would come when they would. But the Lord's love for His own, Oh, what a thing that is!
Think about this, it doesn't matter what you and I face, the Lord's love is everlasting. It’s to the uttermost. I love that, remember the very first verse the 13th chapter, when we began the upper room discourse? “Now before the feast of the Passover Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the uttermost.” Literally. I don't even understand love like that! There may be times we feel like we love one another, or people in our lives to the uttermost, but we don't really understand what that means. And usually it doesn't take long in the thick of real difficulties that we realize the frailty of our love. Even though we may still love, it's not quite like it should be, and we realize that. It’s disappointing, isn’t it? Isn’t it disappointing when someone we thought loved us, we realize their love isn't quite as strong as I had assumed it would be, or worse yet, I realized my love isn’t what I thought it was. That can never be said of the Lord. He loves His own to the uttermost. What He says through Micah, in that seventh chapter, “Who is a God like this, who pardons iniquity, He delights in unchanging love.” That's the God who loves you and I.
This Man, the Man Christ Jesus, God in flesh, even in the moment in which He's about to be arrested, bound and taken away, exhibits openly, publicly, His love for His disciples. This moment is really a precursor to the moments that would soon follow that would unveil the ultimate demonstration of divine love for sinners on the cross itself. But it begins even in these moments, Jesus’ concern for these men. What a blessed encouragement this must be for us. Let’s bow together in prayer.
This morning I would like to look at the first nine verses of the 18th chapter, if we could, and maybe read them to begin with. “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden into which He Himself entered and His disciples. Now Judas also who was betraying Him knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “whom do you seek?” they answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene”, He said to them, “I Am”. And Judas also who was betraying Him was standing with them, when therefore He said to them, “I Am”, they drew back and fell to the ground. Again, therefore, He asked them, “whom do you seek?” and they said, “Jesus the Nazarene”. Jesus answered, “I told you that I Am, If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way that the word might be fulfilled, which He spoke of those Thou hast given Me, “I lost not one.”
The scene that is before us as we begin the 18th chapter is a dramatic one indeed. If you try and really, sort of put yourself in the place of this, of these moments try to observe what's going on; it's nighttime, obviously, the Lord and His disciples are leaving the city of Jerusalem, going over this ravine that had a brook that would fill up and become, quite a stream apparently during the rainy season. And then they headed over to the Mount of Olives, the garden of Gethsemane is located - as I understand it - towards the lower portion of the Mount of Olives. Number of olive trees in that place, and even to this day there is, as I understand it. This is where the Lord is with His disciples. Jesus has finished His discourse with them and He's led His disciples very specifically to this place at this point in time.
The hatred of the Jewish leaders for Jesus had finally reached the boiling point. A point of no return, if you will. They had been waiting for just the right time. We've seen that a number of times already in John's Gospel. They'd been looking for an opportunity to get rid of Jesus. They been waiting for just the right time. And in God's perfect wisdom and in His sovereign purpose, this was indeed the right time. On other occasions, Jesus had alluded their grasp, and surely He could have at this point in time as well, especially under the cover of darkness. But this was the time that had been ordained from eternity past, and so this is when it was going to take place.
There is a sense in which it seems that the scene is somewhat chaotic. If you really stop and try and picture this, the Lord is there with His disciples, it’s very small group of men. This group that comes to arrest the Lord is a large multitude of people. We’re told, and as we harmonize this account with the synoptic Gospels, we recognize that it was a large multitude. You have Jewish leaders, you have those who served the leaders of Israel, and you also had the Roman cohort, which John mentions here in verse three, which typically would have been around 600 men, Roman soldiers. We’re not sure if it was exactly that many, and obviously it might have varied to some extent, but this was not a small group of people. Hundreds of people. They have as we recognize from this account and the other accounts, they have torches, they have weapons, they have clubs. It’s an unruly group, in some respects. Though there is the discipline of the Romans, the soldiers. But it's a chaotic scene to some extent. Judas, of course, is in the middle of this leading the way. And the Lord's disciples are not sure how to respond to this threat. We notice as we read further here, and as we considered other accounts of this, the disciples weren't sure what to do. Whether they were to take a stand with the Lord, Peter of course is impulsive and lashes out and we’ll deal with that Lord willing next time.
They're not sure how to respond. The moment is a very tense one, not only from the perspective of the disciples but from the perspective of this multitude. You recall, it had only been a few days since Jesus had been received into the city of Jerusalem in His triumphal entry of Jerusalem. They had received Him as their King, you recall. Jesus had done so many wonderful things in the midst of these people, and they were fearful of creating real problem, a significant problem, a riot. It’s one of the reasons they have been very fearful to arrest the Lord to lay hands on Him in public in broad daylight, as it were. So they had very carefully planned this, this is something they had obviously planned and orchestrated with Judas and they'd obviously got the help of the Roman authorities. I'm presuming that they had convinced the Roman authorities to send this cohort of soldiers telling them this was a troublemaker. This was somebody who had the capacity or the capability of causing real problems. So, it’s a tense scene. No doubt the Jewish leaders themselves are very anxious about how this is all going to play out, whether or not this time their plan is going to come to fruition.
Now, John here is led by the Spirit of God to record a perspective of this event that Matthew and Mark and Luke do not include. It seems likely to me as I read through and I'm looking through the different accounts that Matthew and Mark and Luke give to us and then this account from John - It seems likely that what John records here precedes immediately what is recorded in the other three Gospels. It seems likeliest to me - not by any means wanting to be dogmatic about it - but it seems likeliest that this, what John records is the first thing that happens, that is before Judas comes up and betrays the Lord with a kiss. One thing for sure, though, I trust we can all agree upon is that this record is given to us for a divine reason. This is not included accidentally. God by His spirit led John to give us this insight into this event and I find to be very interesting one, not necessarily a real easy one to understand - in some respects - especially to teach on it and to say what is this, what is there for us here? But it seems to me, we have to acknowledge there is something. What is it that we are to glean from this unique record? These events that take place just before an hour talking about before they actually lay hands on the Lord and take Him away.
These first nine verses describe for us what takes place just prior to the Lord being arrested. Theres several things that come to my mind as I look at this passage and as I was pondering and asking the Lord to show me what I need to learn from this passage. The first thing - and I think this one is should be fairly obvious, so will start there - the first lesson to me is simply this - that God is always in complete control. God is always in complete control. These men had laid their plans. They knew what they wanted to do. They were determined to get rid of Jesus of Nazareth and they thought they finally had come up with a way to do it, and to minimize the risk to their own safety and reputations.
It appears at first that they are the ones who are in control, that they’re in the driver seat as it were, but that's not the case. I want you to notice something very interesting in the fourth verse, “Jesus therefore knowing.” - now the verse preceding that is says that – “Judas, having received the Roman cohort officers from the chief priest and the Pharisees came with lanterns, torches, and weapons.” Ok, so Judas has gotten all of these men together, the plan has been laid. And here they come. The fourth verse says this, “Jesus therefore knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went forth.” Jesus went forth. Jesus is not taken unawares in this moment. The timing is divinely ordained. In other words, it's perfect, timing is just right. The multitude arrives and if you go to the three previous accounts in Matthew, Mark and Luke we’re told that as Jesus is finishing His sentence, they show up. The timing is precise. Jesus is just finishing His sentence, warning them that this time is come and they're coming to get Him, and here they come.
Then Jesus unexpectedly makes the first move. This had to have been very alarming, maybe would be the word to use, or at the very least, it must have taken them back a little bit. They're going after what they presume to be someone is going to be hard to catch, someone who's a fugitive, someone who's going to resist, obviously. Why would they have clubs and weapons? Now they knew Jesus was not an armed threat and yet they were determined to get Him and yet Jesus approaches them. We’re told in that fourth verse, “when He knew they were coming, He went forth.” Kind of reminds me of David joining the battle to fight with Goliath, Jesus knew what was coming. He didn't hold back. He didn't shrink back. He didn't hesitate. In fact, He makes the first move. He went forth and He says to them, “Whom do you seek?” These men assumed that they were taking control, and at this point in time I'm sure they felt that they were in control.
They were finally taking control of a situation that had troubled them for three years. A situation they had grown to hate. They were finally, they would be in that position where they would get Jesus in their hands and they’d get rid of Him. But, the only thing that they were doing was nothing more, nothing less than what God had already ordained. I remind you of the passage in Luke's gospel. After these events had taken place and Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended to the glory to the right hand of the Father. And the church in Jerusalem, very early on in their life together as God's people, in that prayer to the Lord together in the fourth chapter, the 27th and 28 verses they said this to God:
“For truly, in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur.”
I love those words. These people had an insight as they look back on it, now I grant you, the disciples probably didn't have that insight in these moments on that night, but Jesus did. These men were only going to do what God's hand in His purpose had predestined to occur. I also remind you of what Jesus said back in the 10th chapter as He portrayed Himself as the good Shepherd in John's Gospel, the 10th chapter, notice what Jesus said in the 18th verse, “No one has taken it away from me” – He’s referring to His life. The 17th verse he said, “For this reason, the Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again.” Verse 18, “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My Own initiative. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” Jesus is acting in accordance to the Father's will.
Jesus is not in a position where He's finally quite got Himself cornered and they've caught up to Him and there's nothing He can do about it. That may be the way the world would look at it, but that's not what you see in the Lord Jesus. Jesus steps out towards these men. He approaches them, He goes forth were told. So that's the first thing that I noticed in this passage is that God is always, always in complete control. Whatever the situation may b. And this moment had to seem pretty dark, especially if I'm one of His disciples. I see this group of men coming, uh, can't be a good thing to see. You know that's going to be trouble. No doubt about it.
A second thing that I want to point out to you from this passage and I simply am going to state it this way - God is God. Jesus goes forth and He asks this question, “Whom do you seek”, who you looking for? Who are you after? They answered him, “Jesus the Nazarene,” and He replies to them, “I am”. that word is italicized, and you know that means is not in the original. You also I'm sure, are very familiar with the fact that these two little words “I am” the very designation of the God of Israel, the One of eternal being the One who always has been and always will be, always is. Jesus. In two little words of self-identification, Jesus exhibits a moment of Majesty that unnerved and dismayed His enemies instantly. Two little words from the mouth of the Word made flesh and a multitude of coldhearted God haters were stopped in their tracks and dropped to the ground.
This is something we must never forget. Jesus is God. Fully man, but He is fully God and God is God. In spite of the purposeful muting of the fullness of His glory, during the days of His flesh on this earth. I was really thankful that Matt chose that second chapter of Philippians. In spite of that fact that Jesus has for a time set aside the fullest of His glory, He is still God. I'm reminded of what Paul says in his epistle to the saints at Colossae. He says in chapter 1 verse 19, “that it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.” - that is in Christ. He is the fullness of deity. He says later on, Paul says in chapter 2 verse nine, a verse that is very familiar to us, “for in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.” Jesus is God in flesh. But I want to remind you that Jesus very carefully, very precisely controls the extent to which His Majesty was seen by men during His incarnation. He’s very careful. There were times, you recall, many times when He told people, don't tell anyone about this miracle, this attesting miracle that He’d performed. When He revealed Himself, when He was transfigured, He was only transfigured before three of His disciples for very brief time. Jesus was very careful. He controled very precisely the extent to which His Majesty was seen by men.
And I want to remind you that earlier in the Lord's ministry, Jesus had made this exact same declaration. Do you recall when. earlier in our study in John's Gospel? Remember back in the eighth chapter Jesus was having a discussion. A heated discussion with the Jewish leaders and you recall that they of course are wanting to kill Him, and Jesus was exposing the desire of their heart, which is that they were wanting to murder Him. The Jews, and Jesus in the fifty fifth verse, actually I’ll begin verse 54, He said, “if I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say He is our God, and you’ve not come to know Him, but I know Him and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it and was glad.” The Jews therefore said to Him, “You are not yet 50 years old and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.”
But what was their response at that point in time? It says they immediately picked up stones and they were going to kill Him. Jesus declared to them at that moment in time who He was, but He did not reveal the glimpse of His Majesty that He did on this night. I'm convinced of that. These men were given a momentary and a limited glimpse of the glory of God and felled them on the spot. We can't in any way take lightly John's description here - “They drew back and they fell to the ground”. I was reading where somebody tried to explain this away, that they were startled and one of them tripped and they all fell back on each other like dominoes. Right - 600 Roman soldiers, I don't think so. They drew back and fell on the ground.
In spite of the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was fully human, He always was, He is and He always will be, Almighty God and God is God. Right in their presence these men were in the presence of God in the flesh and in that moment, they caught just a glimpse of His Majesty. I don't know what it sounded like, I don't know how it was that Jesus uttered those two words. But that's all it took. It's an interesting thing when you think about it, Jesus walked on this earth and there weren’t lights flashing around Him, proclaiming Him to be the Son of God. He can wear special clothes. He didn't have some special features or a sign or tattoos on Him, declaring who He was - He was a man like others, but there were times, there were moments where men, mere mortals caught a glimpse of this fact that Jesus is who Jesus said He was. “I and the Father are One.” Mere mortals have no ground upon which to hold themselves upright in the revelation of the King of Glory. Let this God hating world hurl the fullness of its fury at the Lord, at the Lord of glory and the outcome is certain, the Lord will prevail.
You know this picture, there's a picture of that we have in the revelation of Jesus Christ to John in Revelation, several passages. I'll just mention a couple, but you see this picture of the Lord and the words coming from His mouth are pictured as a two edged sword. I remind you, even of the way Jesus reveals Himself to John the apostle, Revelation chapter 1 verse 12, “And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands one like a Son of Man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet and girded across His breasts with a golden girdle and His head and His hair were white like wool, like snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire, and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and in His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. And His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man.”
This God hating multitude caught just a glimpse of who Jesus is. When Jesus answered, I Am. Whom do you seek? I Am.
The third thing that it seems to me we can learn from this passage, and that is this - that on-going reverence for the Lord is crucial. On-going reverence for the Lord is crucial. These people, for a moment in time recognized that they were not in the presence of a mere man but it didn't last long. They were given a glimpse of the glory of the Almighty, but they were unwilling ultimately to submit themselves to His overriding authority. In a matter of moments, they regained their murderous momentum. They were on their feet and they were ready to lay their vile hands on the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that Jesus Himself prods them into making a choice. I find this fascinating. They’ve fallen to the ground, “And again,” verse seven says, “Jesus asked them, “whom do you seek?” Jesus puts the question to them once more, after they’ve caught a glance of His Majesty, “whom do you seek?”. It's as though Jesus is asking, are you sure you want to go through this? These men were on the cusp of committing the greatest injustice that is ever been committed. Jesus asked them one more time. Whom do you seek, who are you after?
I don't know this. I have no idea, but when they answer, “Jesus the Nazarene”, I just, my thinking is that they didn't answer quite as boldly as the first time would be my guess. I don't know that. It seems to me that there really is a profound lesson in how this event transpired and the fact that its recorded for us. Here's what seems to me to be important - genuine reverence for the Lord is a persevering reverence. It's not just a momentary thing. I see God for who He is, in a moment, and I go on my way, I go back to what I was doing. I get busy again with whatever it is I'm going to do. In fact, even if it's something very evil. Genuine reverence for the Lord is a persevering reverence. It’s not merely a momentary acknowledgment who God is. I think this is a danger, even for us as God's children, I don't think this is only a danger for the lost. It is a significant danger for those who are apart from Christ. God, were told that He makes Himself known, even through creation itself, and there are times when this world gets a glimpse of the glory of God, but they make a decision whether they will continue to suppress the truth in unrighteousness, or will they bow the knee.
If proper reverence is not just a momentary acknowledgment, it's not merely a formal amenity to get out of the way before more moving on to a more cavalier approach to God. It's not a mindless ritual or a shallow concession, if you will. Yeah, yeah, God is, He's, He's great. We need to be sure that we reverence Him. That’s not genuine reverence. Genuine reverence is a persevering and a reverential respect that refuses over time to allow the slightest depreciating of the Lords honor and majesty. In our character, our conduct, and even in our thinking. And it’s crucial that we have an on-going reverence for the Lord. These people were thrown back, really in a forced reverential respect for the Lord, but they did learn from it, they didn’t and glean from it, they didn't work it out. I don't have a record here. I don't know, sometimes you look at this and think, I wonder if there was at least some of these people who said, that’s enough for me, and took off. We’re not told that, it appears they all go ahead. And we don't know, it maybe even some of these people that came to know Christ later, we don't know that. But at this moment in time, this is how they responded.
I think you and I need to search our own hearts in this regard. I think that there is a tendency for us to not be as persevering in our reverential respect for the Lord as we should. How so? How do you think that can happen? How can that possibly be? I was to ask you to consider that with me this morning, as you’re thinking about it, I want to remind you of a verse that came to my mind as I was contemplating this. In the acts of the apostles, we have first description of the early church as it began. In the ninth chapter and the 31st verse we have sort of a summarization of what was going on, how things were going with God's people up to that point in time. Verse 31 of Acts chapter 9 says, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace being built up,” - and these the words I want you to notice – “And going on in the fear of the Lord.” Think about this a minute, going on in the fear the Lord not going on from the fear of the Lord, going on in the fear of the Lord. They persevered in a reverential respect for the Lord.
How do we show that? How does that make itself known? I give you a couple of examples in the New Testament, from the New Testament epistles, very specific examples. One of the ways that this respect is demonstrated is in a holy life. What does Paul say to the saints at Corinth, in second Corinthians chapter 7 verse one, and he has just completed the end of the sixth chapter, actually the bulk of the six chapter deals with this whole question of compromise with the world. “What harmony has Christ with Belial, or what in common does a believer have with an unbeliever…” so on and so forth we’re told to come out from among this world and be a separate people, a holy people. Then Paul concludes in verse one of seven chapter 7, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness…” – How? – “…in the fear of God.” Going on in a reverential respect the Lord. Another way that this is seen - in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 21, do you ever notice this verse? “…And be subject to one another…” – How? How so? – “…in the fear of Christ.” “Be subject to one another, in the fear of Christ.”
How I treat you, how we treat one another will reflect the extent to which we have an ongoing persevering reverential respect for the Lord Jesus Christ. It will expose whether or not we tend to be fickle and we tend to see or we tend to put on sort of, errors of reverence at certain points in time, but we your merry way and live our lives and we disrespect the Lord in the way we live, the things we allow to have place and part in our lives. The things that we allow to come before Christ. The way that we don't take Jesus at His word, when Jesus said “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.” Do we do that? When Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Do we respect Him? When He said, “Be anxious for nothing”, do we respect the Lord Jesus? When He says, “Pray at all times, Don't lose heart”, do we respect Him and do that? This is how an ongoing respect is going to look. We’re going to honor the Lord, we’re going to be honoring the Lord in everything we do. We’re going to be looking for ways to respect Him, to honor Him.
One last lesson that I see in this passage. It is such a lesson of, it’s something that I think that can give us great comfort. Back in this 18th chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus, in verse seven He says again, He asks them, “whom do you seek”, they said, “Jesus the Nazarene”, and Jesus answered, “I told you that I Am”, and then He goes on. “If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way”, - Why? – “that the word might be fulfilled, which He spoke of those whom Thou hast given Me a lost not one.” Remember we’ve talked about this so often in the upper room discourse. The love that the Lord has for His disciples, for His own. He's in the midst, He's facing an agony they can't even begin to relate to, but He keeps caring for them. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled; My peace I leave with you; these things I’ve spoken to you that you may have peace in Me.” Jesus is worried about His disciples. He's concerned for their welfare, their well-being. In this moment, this is the moment in which they are about to lay hands on the Lord and the Lord is concerned for His disciples. He knew they were going to flee anyway. But Jesus is ensuring that these men don't chase them down a don’t go after them.
Now it's been, the question is, what is Jesus saying here? Is He concerned, surely this can't just mean, when He speaks of losing one of them, He can't surely mean of physical death alone. I think that's certainly true because they would each lose their lives for the Lord eventually. Most of them, almost all of them. It seems likeliest that Jesus is concerned for what an effect it would have had upon these men if they been arrested with Him, I don't know. It seems likeliest that that's what Jesus is concerned about. At the very least we can see that He’s concerned for their welfare, not just their physical well-being, but their spiritual well-being. They weren’t ready - doesn't seem to me - for this kind of this level of persecution. One day they would be. One day they would have the Spirit indwelling them. One day they would understand the need of the cross, but at this point they didn't understand hardly anything. They were in no position to make a stand. The day would come when they would. But the Lord's love for His own, Oh, what a thing that is!
Think about this, it doesn't matter what you and I face, the Lord's love is everlasting. It’s to the uttermost. I love that, remember the very first verse the 13th chapter, when we began the upper room discourse? “Now before the feast of the Passover Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the uttermost.” Literally. I don't even understand love like that! There may be times we feel like we love one another, or people in our lives to the uttermost, but we don't really understand what that means. And usually it doesn't take long in the thick of real difficulties that we realize the frailty of our love. Even though we may still love, it's not quite like it should be, and we realize that. It’s disappointing, isn’t it? Isn’t it disappointing when someone we thought loved us, we realize their love isn't quite as strong as I had assumed it would be, or worse yet, I realized my love isn’t what I thought it was. That can never be said of the Lord. He loves His own to the uttermost. What He says through Micah, in that seventh chapter, “Who is a God like this, who pardons iniquity, He delights in unchanging love.” That's the God who loves you and I.
This Man, the Man Christ Jesus, God in flesh, even in the moment in which He's about to be arrested, bound and taken away, exhibits openly, publicly, His love for His disciples. This moment is really a precursor to the moments that would soon follow that would unveil the ultimate demonstration of divine love for sinners on the cross itself. But it begins even in these moments, Jesus’ concern for these men. What a blessed encouragement this must be for us. Let’s bow together in prayer.
