The betrayal and the arrest

Note: I need to stand corrected. I did not effectively give proper understanding of the scripture when said we do not know where the prayer in John 17 was offered. According to our verses tonight you will see why I stand corrected. It is always good to go to the scripture for man is fallible as I have just proven it. So, let us look at the scripture together.

Let the words of God speak volumes

John 18:1–2 NASB95

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. 2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.

John 18:3 NASB95

3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

John 18:4–5 NASB95

4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.

John 18:6–7 NASB95

6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

John 18:8–9 NASB95

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”

John 18:10–11 NASB95

10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

What sticks out to you in this passage?

Do you think John is informative, instructive or maybe inviting in this passage?

Informative from aspect John is telling a historical recollection of event.

Instructive in aspect is John lets you know Jesus knew His purpose, His hour had come

Inviting, John gives it such a manner that the reader is invited into the story to experience the story of the betrayal and the arrest.

Where does Judas come to meet Jesus to betray Him (v.1-2)?

In a garden, over the ravine of the Kidron. A place that was known by Judas and the other disciples.

Look closely, from John’s view, who is in charge of the arrest of Jesus (v.3)?

Judas was, Judas led the cohort and the officers at the authority of the chief priests.

According to (vv.4-5) who took the initiative, the cohort, officers, or Jesus?

Jesus did, for He knew all things and He went forth and spoke to them.

What happened when Jesus identified himself as “I AM (v.6)?

They drew back and fell to the ground.

What is Jesus plea (v.8-9)?

Let these go their way. He did not want one of them to be lost.

Why does Jesus tell Peter to put the sword into the sheath (v.11)?

So not to hinder Jesus drinking of the cup the Father had given Him to drink.

Start of the garden exchange

Over the Brook Kidron from the City of Jerusalem.

Brook Kidron was a small stream that was drainage from the temple. It would be reddish in color due to all the blood from the sacrifices in the temple.

“From the altar there was a channel down to the brook Kedron, and through that channel the blood of the Passover lambs drained away. When Jesus crossed the brook Kedron it would still be red with the blood of the lambs which had been sacrificed.” (Barclay)

The brook of blood, from many lambs now the Lamb crosses over it.

They enter a garden (John does not give the name; See Mt26:36; Mk14:32 for name).

A familiar place, we can know that during Passover that the disciples often stayed on the Mount of Olives (Lk21:37).

There is no mention in John of the agony in prayer, the tears of blood, the other gospels cover that fact well enough.

Judas comes with those received. the Roman cohort and officers of the chief priests.

Roman cohort - a detachment some versions may say would range from 600-1000 men

Officers - these are the temple police, a body of men drawn from the tribe of Levi.

Mass numbers that come with lanterns, torches and weapons.

They fully expected trouble, and that they were going to have to look for Jesus,

One commentator wrote in summary it was the 14th day of the moons age in the month of Nisan, it would have been a full moon, the torches would not be needed unless they were expecting to look in caves, crevices for Jesus.

An interesting fact that Kuzik pointed out is “a sinless man in an appointed garden was about to do battle with Satan’s representative (Lk22:3) For the first time this happened, the sinless man failed. The Second Adam would not!

Note to self Lk22:3 is about Satan entering into Judas.

(Transition)- Now they, the cohort, the officers, Judas come in force; Jesus comes in authority and speaks to them.

Jesus speaks up with authority

John 18:4–6 GNB

4 Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward and asked them, “Who is it you are looking for?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “I am he,” he said. Judas , the traitor, was standing there with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they moved back and fell to the ground.

Jesus steps out, speaks up to them and questions and answers as the “I AM.”

Such a powerful statement that they draw back, move back and fell to the ground.

This phrase “I AM he” is the term “Ego eimi” in the Greek which means “I AM.” Jesus is claiming His divinity, His equality with the Father, His Oneness with the Father that His words bring them to the ground.

Clarke: “Our Lord chose to give them this proof of His infinite power, that they might know that their power could not prevail against Him if He chose to exert His might, seeing that the very breath of His mouth confounded, drove back, , and struck them down to the earth.”

In our passage as Maclaren puts it, just like other times we see the humility and the divinity side by side.

Jesus born as a humble baby; yet announced by angels

Laid in a manger; overlooked by a star

Baptized as “if” a sinner; had the divine voice of the Father speak to Him

Slept when exhausted, woke up to calm a storm

Wept at a grave, then called the dead to life

Here we see the surrender to arrest, but the I Am knocking them over.

He is going to die on a cross; to then defeat sin, death and Satan.

Jesus willing surrender

John 18:7–9 NLT

7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”

After the recovery by the cohort, officers and Judas, Jesus asks the same question and gives the same answer to them, different results this time.

Jesus wants the disciples to be left alone, He willingly surrenders to them.

Jesus did this fulfilling the scripture (17:12, 6:70-71, 6:39)

John 17:12 NASB95

12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Jesus is not making an entreaty he is speaking an authority

Jesus could have knocked them down, taken their very life, but yet He surrenders for His hour had comes, His take was finished, it was the hour of glory.

He surrendered also to protect, those whom the Father had given to Him, consider (Jn6:39)

John 6:39 NASB95

39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

(Transition) - From Jesus spoken authority and willing surrender to Peter in action.

Peter in action

John 18:10–12 NLT

10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” 12 So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up.

Peter jumps into action, even though Jesus had surrendered and had told them this was His hour.

Peter jumps into action like did before, but was man’s way, man’s view, not Gods. (Mt16:22-23)

Matthew 16:22–23 NASB95

22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Peter had good intentions, to fulfill his word to the Lord (Mt26:35)

Matthew 26:35 NASB95

35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

I will defend you to the end!

Peter trying to stop this from Jesus and His appointed hour, appointed cup of suffering He is to drink (Lk22:42)

Luke 22:42 NASB95

42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

I could get into talking about Malchus ear, but I do not think that is the point. The point is Jesus hour has come. They now arrested Him and bound Him.

They arrested and bound Jesus, the captain and the officers

Captain of the Cohort, the offices of the temple police

Jesus with authority, with power could have stopped this at any time, but He knew the purpose he came, was for this very thing, to go to the cross.

Jesus could have broken the cords, the binding on Him physically but he was

bound with cords of love, the love that the Father gave in sending Him

(summarize) (Prayer) (Exit)

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