The Garden
Notes
Transcript
Have you ever been hurt or betrayed by another person?
There was a british game show in the early 2000s where the entire show was if someone would betray their partner,
Basically their would be two contestants and they would be given a large amount of money and each round the money would increase
And each round they would bee given an opportunity to either split the money or steal it from the other person.
But if they both put steal then no one would get the money.
And so what would happen is people would get over 100,000 dollars and they would build trust and usually one person would decide they would steel the entire thing rather then split it and the other person (who was honest) would loose everything.
But you know having someone you trust turn there back on you hurts doesn’t it?
I mean it is a terrible feeling and today wee are looking at whats considered one of the biggest betrayals in history
Because if you were with us last week the disciples were having a meal with Jesus, but there was this interruption in the passage about how Jesus knew one of the disciples (named Judas) would betray him.
And we didn’t talk about this a ton but last week it said that Judas left the meal and it was dark out
An this has a little bit of a double meaning because this word on one hand is saying its dark outside (its nighttime now)
But on the other hand a lot of scholors believe this word is also indicaing that what follows this is really dark.
And today we see Judas carry out this betrayal by turning his back on Jesus.
And so we are in John 18:1-11 and we are just starting in verse 1 because it sets the scene for us because at this point Judas had left the disciples and look at verse 1:
1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.
So Jesus had finished this meal, He taught them, and prayed and they began to walk through the Kidron valley.
And whats interesting about the Kidron valley is in Biblical times this valley would have been below the city of Jeruselum
and we talked about this last week but it was currently passover so there were a ton of sacrifices being made
and this is kind of gross all of the blood from these sacrifices would have drained down to this valley
And so Jesus is walking through this valley getting ready to be betrayed and then He comes to a garden called the garden of Gethsemane
And I need to pause here because if you look throughout the Bible there are three really important Gardens.
There is the Garden of Eden, where man falls, there is a garden city in the end of the book of revelation where all things are made right.
And then in the middle there is the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus begins this journey to the cross and really reconciling humanity with our sins
And so you can kind of feel just the weight that this night would have had.
And Jesus is in the middle of praying in this garden and I want to point something out here.
Because in other books of the Bible (that tell this story from another perspective) they go more into this and show that Jesus knows that he is about to be betrayed and He knows everything that follows.
And He is anxius beyond belief.
In fact they tell us that He is so torn up He is litterly sweating blood.
You know if you googled “I am sweating blood…” It will probably tell you seek medical attention now or go to the hospital. right?
Because it is actually a really rare condition where your body is under so much stress that it litterly sweats blood.
And Jesus is here weeping, He is sweating blood, If you look at his prayers He is actually asking God if there is any other way for it to happen differently.
AndI think this is important to pause here, because sometimes we look at Jesus as God and wee forget just how Human He was.
Because Jesus had real emotions, pain, struggles, He was not just going “welp… here we go I guess”
But he is stressed beyond belief for what He is about to go through.
I think there is something to be said here that the God we serve is fully God, but also fully Human.
And I don’t know about you but it makes me feel better that He experienced what we experienced.
And look what happens in the rest of the passage because Jesus is praying and it says this in verse 2:
John 18:2–9 (NIV)
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”
So Judas comes and he brings a band of soldiers.
And I don’t know if anyone else thinks like this but when I picture this I always picture a few soldiers coming and getting Jesus, but heres the thing because Rome would go overboard on this stuff.
And a band of soldiers at this time most likely would have been 500 soldiers coming to capture 1 man.
And they come to Him and you can picture how terrifying this would have been and you might have caught this, but Jesus says “Who are you looking for” or “who is it you want?”
And each time they say Jesus of Nazareth
And I want to point this out because the first part of this emphasizes Jesus’s humaness right?
But this part tells that He is God.
Because each time Jesus replies and says “I am He”
And the actual translation is “I am”
Here is why this would be a big deal, because in the Old Testemnet there is a guy named Mosses (some of us know this story,
And long story short God calls Mosses through a burning bush do do something really big.
And Mosses ask God what will I say to anyone who ask what your name is?
And God replies tell them “I AM” has sent you.
And so what Jesus is saying here is actually a really big deal because this would be him saying I am God.
And in verse 6 and he says this is says and the soldures draw back and fall to the ground, because of this statement.
And you can picture all of these 500 men who were these fierce warriors just falling to the ground in fear because of Jesus making this statement “I am”
You know I think whats neat here are these Roman Soldiers that were trained to do what they were commended to and were conditioned to worship the “gods” of the Romans and here they recognized that Jesus was God.
You know I think sometimes we kind of have this mind set that we have to make Jesus cool so He can relate to us.
And there is nothing wrong with using different ways to help people realize how great God is (I mean I am thankful for music, sports minsitires, art and all this stuff that helps us experience God in different ways.
but I think sometimes we forget just how amazing God is on His own.
Its almost like how when Finn was little we had a library book that we checked out
And I guess Finn decided the book was not good enough on its own and so he drew in the book tore out some pages that he either really liked or really did not like.
And He made it his own right?
I took that back to the library and told them about it and you know what they did not say.
Thank you so much for the additions, this reaally helped the book.
No! We paid for that book.
And you know I think sometimes we catch ourselves evangelizing like a used car sales-man trying to pull a fast one rather then someone who sees the value and is going look at this!
Because if these soldures could see it I can guarantee that the people that we talk with daily can see it too.
And look at this last part (verses 10-11) because this is my favorite part. It says
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
So all this has happed and you can Peter sees the Romans draw back and fall to the ground, and Peter Grabs his sword.
And goes Ive got this! and He swings it and cuts off a guys ear, which by the way, Peter was not going for the ear, (he was trying to cut off the mans head)!
And you can picture Jesus going “Peter what are you doing get back here!”
And I think something for us to note here is Peter probably has good intentions right?
Hes going you attack my God, well I am going to attack you!
But whats interesting in Jesus is going no thats not how we do things.
And I know that this scenario is a little different, but I think sometimes we can get a view where maybe we feel like things in our faith are being challenged by the world
And our response is really similar to Peter, lets get ready to fight!
Lets show them who their messing with.
But its interesting to note that Jesus (in other gospels) comes to this man and actually reattaches His ear and heals him.
Which is really different then what Peter does. Isn’t it?
You know I think sometimes we love fighting (and 100% there are times to stand up)
But I think when our stand comes through healing and reflecting Christ, it probably has so much more of an impact then saying lets fight the world.
Because I imagine that soldier thinking about that and not being able to get it off his mind that the “enemy” helped Him.
And let me wrap everything together, because verse 12 finishes it up
12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
So they take Jesus away and I think its interesting how thy do not take Peter away for cutting a guys ear off.
But they take the guy who brought healing.
And I think its because you might have saw this Jesus says in verse 8
You want me, not them.
And I think this shows us what Jesus is doing as He gets ready to die on the cross.
He goes you want me not them.
And ultimately we see him give his life for the people around Him.
And He even gives his life for the Roman that wanted to take His life
And this morning as we close, there is a lot in this passage.
And I think there are a lot of ways to close, but the thing that sticks out is that this night while dark, Jesus does not turn his back on his disciples, He does not attack the Romans, He does not go on the run where He can live a nice life in the town over,
But He willfully accepts whats getting ready to happen and He does it out of His love for each person in this story and really His love for you.
This morning I don’t know if you have ever felt just far from God, but there is a place where God meets us
And that place He mt us over 2000 years ago was on the cross.
And I love this quote that some of you hear me say, but if we have a God that met you on the cross, one of the most painful places in Human history.
There is no area to painful, no place to messy where God will not meet you today.
Lets pray.