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?”
In our study we have seen that John sees things from a different perspective than Matthew, Mark and Luke all of which, remember, record this same event and whose accounts
are very similar with one another, but John’s is different. For example, did you notice that John does not mention the name of the garden, nor does he mention Mt. Olives, nor the prayer and agony of Christ in the garden, nor that Jesus sweated drops of blood
while the other disciples fell asleep…all of that happens before Judas comes and all of that is told to us in the other gospels but John leaves all of that out. We know that information is vitally important, but John says nothing…why not?
John is not simply interested in telling us what happened, he wants to make connections, he wants to show us the divine mind and the divine plan. John is an historian
of redemption and he wants us to see how everything is tied together in God’s plan and purpose. Let me show you some of this, for it is a fascinating ride.
We are told that Jesus went over the brook called Kidron, where there was a garden. It is my guess that none of us stopped reading at that point to meditate on these
words. The garden, no doubt, is Gethsemane, but it is not called by name, it is not mentioned, just that there was a garden. John has purposefully left out the name, he wants us to think bigger, more redemptively…
Look back at John 1:1, what do you think John has in mind when he begins his gospel by saying: “In the beginning…”? What does he want us to think about, even
at the beginning of his work?
And then in the first chapter, he speaks of light…and life…John is drawing upon the opening of Genesis, back to the work of God’s power at the dawn of time. And, at
the beginning of time, in the book of Genesis we see that there was a garden and that the garden was very important in the narrative as the climax to the first Adam’s life before God.
John is the ONLY gospel writer who mentions in 18:26 that when Peter was confronted about his association with Jesus he was asked whether or not he, Peter, was in
the garden with Jesus…which of course Peter in his cowardice, denies.
In 19:41, again, only John mentions that the place Jesus was crucified had a garden as well as a tomb where they laid him. And then in John 20:15, only John tells
us that Mary Magdalene, when she was weeping at the tomb, because Jesus was not there, thought that the man talking to her was the gardener, when it was actually Jesus. Again, only John mentions the garden all these times.
To John, the garden is very significant.
Adam was in the garden with his follower, Eve, Jesus is in the garden with his followers, the disciples. Satan, the betrayer, knew where to find the man and the woman
and comes full of hate and fury…He comes to them in the garden, even as Judas knows, the text says, where to find Jesus and brings the hatred and fury of evil to where Xp is, in the garden.
It is in the garden of Eden that the word of God is betrayed and in the garden of John 18 that Jesus makes the explicit point that the Word of God is fulfilled. The
betrayal of the word of God in the garden of Eden brought about chaos and questions concerning the security and certainty of man’s standing with God, the garden betrayal left man without representation before God.
The question that screams at us in the Garden of Eden, “what now will happen to man “ is answered in the Garden of Gethsemane, “of those whom you gave me, I have lost
none.” The first Adam had everything pleasant in the garden and fell, the second Adam had everything painful and was the glorious conqueror. Man was lost in the first garden and Jesus assures us in speaking to the Father while in the midst of the garden that
all of those given to Him will be saved.
The world comes to the garden. It comes with clubs and swords it comes in the violence, authority and power of a kingdom that is perishing although seemingly in control.
It comes against the disciples who are there seemingly helpless, looking to the Master, wanting him to make sense of all the confusion that surrounds them. And what about the confrontation in the garden? Who is involved in this confrontation? Is it merely
soldiers and Judas? Is it merely a handful of disciples and some men with clubs? Or does John want us to see deeper? In Eden, was it just Satan and Adam and Eve, or did it go deeper, did it reach further than just those two people?
In John 14, Jesus told his disciples, I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming. In chapter 12 after the voice of the Father speaks
from heaven Jesus responds by saying: “Now is the judgment of this world, now, the ruler of this world will be cast out and I, if I am lifted up from the
earth will draw all people to myself.”
So, who is it that comes to the garden? Is it merely Judas and soldiers or does John once again lift the curtain of the realities of heaven that we might not miss
what is occurring in the real world?
Judas is not the ruler of this world, nor are those who come to seize Christ. And it is not Judas who is being cast down and destroyed when Jesus is raised up from
the earth. This is a confrontation of worlds…between the serpent of old and the King of eternity, once again, in a garden…only this time it will be different for God himself has come to be both representative and substitute. The ruler of this world comes,
and he comes with the powers of this world in tow…even with the one who professed to belong to Xp and yet who is consumed with self and sin.
So, what do we have: Soldiers and the betrayer coming, in control, in charge, with authority and power, right? Ah, we need to read more carefully. The mob comes and
Jesus goes to them, the text says that Jesus went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” He is not of course asking them what He does not already know for the text says that He knows all things that would come upon Him.
The question then is this: Who is really in charge of this entire situation? Who is its architect? I know what it looks like at first glance but it is not the mob
but rather Jesus who takes charge and asks for clarification. They answer, “Jesus of Nazareth” and the Savior says, I am. The Jews wanted to stone him to death for saying, before Abraham was, I Am. Jesus has used the Divine name of Yahweh, the divine I Am,
on a number of occasions:
I am the light of the world, I am the bread of life, I am the living water, I am the good shepherd, I am the true vine, I am the resurrection and the life…and all
of those in John’s gospel.
Jesus answers their question with two simple words that reveal to us who it is that is in authority, who is in charge of this entire episode and where the power really
lies, and it is not in the might and supposed authority of the men with the clubs.
Look at the conclusion of verse 5 “And Judas who betrayed
him also stood with them”
Why put that there? We already know that Judas was there and had brought the detachment of soldiers, why is this mentioned, it almost seems to break up the flow of
the story and the incredible action of God that happens next! This not only suggests that Judas’ task of identifying Jesus had been taken out of his hands but also that Jesus saying “I am” is powerfully directed at Judas himself.
Judas, look what you have done…you have betrayed God…You Judas, have sold your soul to hell…while staring at the very power of heaven.
That this is to be the point is emphasized all the more, when we read that at the words of Xp, at the revelation of God in these two words, I AM, those who were there
in man’s power were supernaturally knocked off their feet and fell to the ground! The soldiers imagined that they would be chasing down a fleeing peasant and instead, find themselves,
confronted in the gloomy and numinous atmosphere of that olive grove by a commanding presence, a presence that overpowered them, his presence affected them so powerfully – and there was a physical reaction, hit so hard they were knocked off their feet!
The men who came into the Garden to arrest the Lord were literally overwhelmed by His presence and yet they continued on their task, to arrest Him, but now, now known to everyone, they
arrest Him, only with His consent and permission. And it is JESUS who has to bring them back to the matter at hand, by asking his question a second time in v. 7. They were themselves on the ground, speechless and probably wondering, what in the world
just happened.
The world in its rage comes at the Xp in all their authority and power with the weapons of man and are left on their faces before the Xp at the mere mention of His
name…indeed, every knee WILL bow. “…the prince of darkness grim we tremble not for him his rage we can endure for lo his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.”
…to be continued
Prayer: Father, I know that you control all things but it is still astonishing to consider that my Savior, in complete control of the situation, willingly went
to the cross to save sinners. He embraced Your will, Father, so that I might be embraced by You. Father, help me to live in such a way that honors the sacrifice that Jesus made for the salvation of men. May I honor and please Him, who loves me so! In His name
I pray, Amen.
Hymn: O God Beyond All Praising