May 20, 2018
Morning Service

To recap from the message previously in John, Jesus prayed for himself, his disciples, and for the future believers. He prayed for our unity, he prayed that we would one day be with him in His glory, and he prayed that we would know God. If Jesus prayed for these things, we know that as followers of Jesus that these are very important for us to strive to do. We have the written Word to help guide us to a life that is pleasing to the Lord and how we should be able to find anything in the Word to help us with life’s struggles. There is no promise in the Word of a life that is trouble free and without trials and pains. In fact, it is the opposite of this from Jesus’ own words, in John 15:18  “If the world hates you, remember that they hated me first.” This clearly lets us know that the world we live in will be a struggle and a trial, but with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, he will be there to strengthen us to overcome. Let us continue on in John chapter 18 as we read of the betrayal and arrest of our Lord Jesus.

 

John 18:1  When Jesus finished praying, he left with his followers and went across the Kidron Valley. He went into a garden there, his followers still with him. 

John 18:2  Judas, the one responsible for handing Jesus over, knew where this place was. He knew because Jesus often met there with his followers. 

John 18:3  So Judas led a group of soldiers to the garden, along with some guards from the leading priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons. 

John 18:4  Jesus already knew everything that would happen to him. So he went out and asked them, "Who are you looking for?" 

John 18:5  They answered, "Jesus from Nazareth." He said, "I am Jesus." (Judas, the one responsible for handing Jesus over, was standing there with them.) 

John 18:6  When Jesus said, "I am Jesus," the men moved back and fell to the ground. 

 

When I read this last verse of the men falling to the ground, I thought of the overwhelming power of Christ to speak the words “I am Jesus” and how they were no longer able to stand. This is something in my own life I have thought of when actually meeting Jesus when my faith becomes sight that I cannot see myself being able to stand. In fact, I don’t know if I would even be able to utter a single word unless my Lord allowed me to do so. This day of our faith becoming sight will be a glorious day of rejoicing and celebration when our Lord welcomes us into His presence. As the scripture stated, Jesus knew everything that would happen ahead of time and willing went out to meet those who were betraying him and planning his demise. These soldiers and guards had no power over Jesus, he willing allowed these things to happen to him because of the divine plan of our Father in heaven to provide a new covenant (the cup) for us Gentiles to be able to be saved also.

 

John 18:7  He asked them again, "Who are you looking for?" They said, "Jesus from Nazareth." 

John 18:8  Jesus said, "I told you that I am Jesus. So if you are looking for me, let these other men go free." 

John 18:9  This was to show the truth of what Jesus said earlier: "I have not lost anyone you gave me." 

John 18:10  Simon Peter had a sword, which he pulled out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 

John 18:11  Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back in its place! I must drink from the cup the Father has given me." 

 

Once again, Jesus shows his love for us by willingly going with the entourage of soldiers and guards knowing fully of the outcome of these events. He tells Peter to put his sword back in its place because this is the cup (or divine plan and covenant) the Father has made to reconcile us sinners back to him. Jesus was willing to be a sinless sacrificial lamb in our behalf; he loved us so much that he willing went to the cross with our burdens and our debts to pay it for us. This is something we cannot pay and a debt that we truly owe, the wages of sin is death and with accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior and allowing Him to be first in our life, we can be saved through His righteousness! Nothing of ourselves can save us; we will suffer death and a permanent separation from God our Father without accepting Jesus as Lord!

 

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

John 18:12  Then the soldiers with their commander and the Jewish guards arrested Jesus. They tied him 

John 18:13  and brought him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the high priest that year. 

John 18:14  He was also the one who had told the other Jewish leaders that it would be better if one man died for all the people. 

 

The Jewish leaders of the day were quite afraid of Jesus and His teachings. They felt that Jesus would disrupt the whole hierarchy of the Jewish leadership and cause their positions to be threatened and changed. In this thought they were correct, in fact the whole plan of Jesus coming to the world to die in our place and the new covenant was exactly the change our Father planned. The Jewish leaders however did not know that every move they made was completely the plan God had made and He was in control of all the events to take place. They had planned to kill Jesus and Jesus had planned to willingly die for us to provide the new covenant so that all believers in Christ Jesus may be saved. There has never been nor will ever be a greater love for man shown than the actions of Jesus.

Peter Denies Jesus

John 18:15  Simon Peter and another one of Jesus' followers went with Jesus. This follower knew the high priest. So he went with Jesus into the yard of the high priest's house. 

John 18:16  But Peter waited outside near the door. The follower who knew the high priest came back outside and spoke to the gatekeeper. Then he brought Peter inside. 

John 18:17  The girl at the gate said to Peter, "Are you also one of the followers of that man?" Peter answered, "No, I am not!" 

John 18:18  It was cold, so the servants and guards had built a fire. They were standing around it, warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them. 

John 18:19  The high priest asked Jesus questions about his followers and what he taught them. 

John 18:20  Jesus answered, "I have always spoken openly to all people. I always taught in the synagogues and in the Temple area. All the Jews come together there. I never said anything in secret. 

John 18:21  So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard my teaching. They know what I said." 

John 18:22  When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing there hit him. The guard said, "You should not talk to the high priest like that!" 

John 18:23  Jesus answered, "If I said something wrong, tell everyone here what was wrong. But if what I said is right, then why do you hit me?" 

John 18:24  So Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest. He was still tied. 

John 18:25  Simon Peter was standing at the fire, keeping himself warm. The other people said to Peter, "Aren't you one of the followers of that man?" Peter denied it. He said, "No, I am not." 

John 18:26  One of the servants of the high priest was there. He was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. The servant said, "I think I saw you with him in the garden!" 

John 18:27  But again Peter said, "No, I was not with him!" As soon as he said this, a rooster crowed. 

 

I’m sure the guilt Peter felt when he heard the rooster crow at his third denial as Jesus told him he would do was very bitter medicine for him. We think at times nothing could waiver our faith in Jesus and we would certainly not deny Him! But this passage shows us how clearly and very plainly that faith in ourselves and our actions is futile! Without the Lord’s help, we are doomed to hell and it will surely be our fate without repentance of our sins and our full entire trust being placed in Jesus! We must confess ours sins, believe in our heart, and be baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus to be saved. This world has nothing to offer us that would even come close in comparison for those the Lord has claimed as his servants and followers. God has promised us that he was going to prepare a place for us and that he would come again to receive us into that place to be with him eternally.

Our prayer from this passage should be Lord please help us to glean from your Word and works every good thing you have planned for us as believers in Christ Jesus our Lord!