When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2
Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3
So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4
Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5
They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6
When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7
So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”8
Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9
This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10
Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11
So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Often people wonder why the soldiers continued with their task of arresting Jesus after being knocked to the ground in some supernatural way. We
might have expected that they would have caught themselves, said to themselves, “What in the world are we doing here arresting the Son of God?” and begged for his forgiveness. But they did nothing of the kind. They finished their errand without hesitation.
Nor did Judas catch himself, seeing all those men on the ground before Jesus of Nazareth, and say to himself, “What have I done? Here I am fighting against God! Lord, forgive me!” Nothing
of the kind. But then again, if you really believe what the Bible tells us about the power of sin, then you understand quite well. Every one of us would have
done the same thing, for that is what the Bible tells us of the depth of man’s sin, we won’t repent and follow Jesus, because we can’t, not if the Holy Spirit doesn’t give us the ability to do so.
There is a great illustration for us of the power of sin of its bondage, of how man is totally unable to free himself, even with all the soldiers had experienced and
what had just happened to them, still sin was their master and will stay their master regardless of what they experience. But this again, does not surprise us…every one of us knows, even as Xns, just how dangerous sin is, not how dangerous it was but how dangerous
it is. By God’s grace we have come to love God and to love Jesus Christ his son. But sin remains in us and will until we are finally in heaven, and we can see very clearly what
it is and what it does.
Nothing makes a Christian more miserable, nothing surprises us more often, nothing is a greater disappointment than our own unwillingness to obey the Lord that we still find within
ourselves, even knowing God and loving him and wanting to serve him as we do. We see these foolish, foolish men in the olive grove recoiling and falling back from the Lord and then proceeding to arrest him and we see ourselves plain as day!
We know that Christ is the Lord, that it is wisdom to do his will, that his commandments are not burdensome but rather are the way to life as it ought to be…we know that he has
loved us and deserves our love in return, we know that in walking with him we will find the greatest conceivable fulfillment and satisfaction…and still, still we turn away from him, still we find ourselves drawn powerfully to what we know is wrong and displeasing
to him, still we find ourselves time and again preferring the world to the joy of walking with our Savior.
Oh, no, we have no difficulty believing that men could instinctively and intuitively and powerfully recognize that they were in the presence of the Son of God and still proceed
to betray him – as Judas did – and to arrest him – as the soldiers did…For all of us have done the same thing a number of times. It is why we don’t scold Peter for his denial of Jesus…we see ourselves…and at days end the only thing that separates us from those
whose LIVES are a betrayal and whose lives are a denial of Jesus, is grace…the grace and love of God is our only hope…and that isn’t just something Christians say, it is what Christians embrace because without this grace, we would all be lost.
The whole account looks like Jesus is passive, like He is at the whim and will of these men and those who sent them…But Jesus is revealing Himself and his power, he
is making it clear that even in this event, his betrayal and arrest, given to the hands of sinful men, HE not man, HEAVEN not the world is in complete control. Jesus wants his own to be certain, that no one takes his life from him, but that he freely gives
up his life for us. Is that what it looks like, here in the garden, to the eye of unbelief? No. But what do YOU see?
Jesus knew what would come: He knew who would betray him, he knew who believed and who didn’t he knew that God had given him all things, he knew that the hour had
come and in 19:28 when he hangs on the cross, He knew that now, all things were accomplished. Jesus is always in control of the events of the earth, he knew them and he welcomed them, for they are the plan of eternity, the counsel of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Remember when the disciples were on the sea and thought they would perish for the storm while Jesus slept? When we read carefully we see that it was Jesus’ idea that
they go out into the water to begin with…he took them there on purpose, he took them into the storm on purpose!…To display his power, to display his authority and even creation bows to Him. The text only bears this out more as we continue: What do you think
these soldiers and I assume Judas thought as they got up off the ground and dusted themselves off? He just knocked me to the ground by speaking???? What will He do to me next?
And again, it is Jesus, not the world, not the mob who determines the course of the events to follow: I have told you that I am He, therefore if you seek Me, let these
go their way…” Even here, Jesus is concerned for those he loves and the fulfilling of the will of God for he will not lose even one of those given to Him.
Here is what you and I must see: Our Savior, in everything that he did, at every moment of his life and death, is securing our place with Him. The reason he did not
kill those men, which he could have with just his words, was because He would not have it that he should lose YOU.
The reason he did not storm the temple and take over in supernatural power that he displayed on this and many other occasions is that to do so, he would have to leave
you in your sin and he would not allow that. These men came thinking they were in control, they thought they were the authority…but Jesus shows them that it is not their program that has preeminence, but it is His.
Whatever it is in your life at this moment and any subsequent moment, that brings doubt and fear to your soul any circumstance where men and the world tout their power
and authority, be assured of this: No matter what it looks like, neither man nor fate is in control of God’s world. The Lord Jesus with the breath of his mouth can and WILL set all things right. And, no matter what is happening, you cannot be lost, for Christ
will not have it!
You and I are tempted to think it is in our power, in our ways, in our thinking, in our programs. We must add something and help Jesus, for this plan is obviously
not working out all that well. I mean, look at the mess we have ourselves in, how can this be the kingdom advancing? Jesus, for all his power and authority is being far too passive, too patient, he doesn’t understand the 21stcentury, he does not
know how to make the gospel relevant…he doesn’t seem to understand the postmodern world and how those outdated ways of word and sacrament don’t work in today’s visual, entertainment based world…He doesn’t seem to grasp my pressures, doubts and fear…something
has to be done…Quick, reach for my sword and cut off some man’s ear! My way, man’s way, man’s weapons, man’s power, man’s authority. And Jesus says NO. Put your methods back in the sheath. Not man’s way, but God’s!
God has given us an entire book that tells us what His way is, where His strength is made known to us and through us. He has told us about the power of worship…of
how He will conquer the world through Word and sacrament…how bread and wine are more powerful than programs and commerce, how baptism raises up an army better than the enticements of this world. How this, what we do here, shakes the very gates of hell. He
has told us of biblical marriages and families, about how our Sabbath day celebrations brings down the evil one’s strongholds…how taking up our cross, denying ourselves, serving, loving, forgiving, and surrendering our lives to Him is the way of His kingdom…And
yet far too often we ignore what he says and end up drawing out the sword, our sword.
Jesus knew the cup he had to drink. He knew the kingdom of heaven and that the victory comes in and through death, even His own. Jesus’ power consists in his obedience
to do as the Father has commanded him to the bitter end. And wherein consists YOUR power and authority? Of course, we do not drink the cup of God’s wrath, for Christ did that for us because we would not endure if we were made to. But our power and authority
is in the same surrender to doing and living the will of God on the earth, as did Jesus. It is, as it was for Jesus, seeing above and beyond the events and circumstances that are visible to an understanding of the eternal kingdom that is not visible.
You want to do God’s will? Embrace the cross and all that it stands for. “…the nominal Christian, the Christian in name only, finds that by long refusal to heed
the Word of God that was preached to him, he has become sermon proof and sickness proof. Nothing can really shake him up. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that I was not going to spend my time and energy in the ministry trying to awaken Christians
whose settled habit of life was spiritual napping.”
Jesus is taken away…the disciples will run and hide, fearing for their lives…from a human perspective, everything seems up in the air…And yet, do you see love? Do
you see the extent that Jesus was willing to go to demonstrate His love for the Father and His love for you?
Do you see comfort, as the Savior makes it abundantly clear for anyone who has eyes to see, that He is orchestrating all of this…that he could have called it off at
any moment and yet chooses to lay down His life for you? This scene should leave us in silence, in awe, we should be shaken by the power and bondage of sin illustrated here, but much more taken by the depth of the love and grace of our God, who would so willing
make sure it all happened, just this way…so that He would lose none of us.
Prayer: Father, I bow before you my God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and confess that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy. I do not know you as I ought, I do not
seek you with all my heart, soul, strength and mind. I too often treat you as if You are not the mighty, awesome and powerful God that you are…please forgive me. Give me a sight, just a glimpse of Your wonder, awe and glory and I will be forever changed. But
most of all, help me to see You as You are in Your Word and make my knees never stiff but easily bent to You and Your will, through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.
Hymn: I Need Thee Every Hour