Jesus prays for us to be with him

Jesus betrayed and arrested - John 18:1-14
James Muldoon - Carey Baptist Church- 30 July 2006

It's the night before the crucifixion. And as we come to v1, it's quite late on in the evening. The Lord has celebrated the Passover with the disciples and has instituted the Lord's Supper (Luke 22). He has taught them and prepared them for his departure (John 13-16). And he has spent time in prayer (John 17).

Now they all go out. They walk through Jerusalem. They leave the city. The cross the Kidron Valley. They go to the Mount of Olives. They enter a grove called Gethsemane. There, as Matthew, Mark and Luke record, our Lord is overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish. He spends some more time in prayer. That time of prayer is now over...

i The cold-heartedness of Judas

v2-3 show Judas in the process of betraying Jesus. He has spent three years with Christ. He knows him. He knows that Gethsemane is a place of special significance for him, a place where he has spent much time with the disciples. And he is so cold-hearted that he chooses Gethsemane as the place where he will carry out his betrayal. He has slumped from the greatest height of privilege to the lowest depth of sin.

There is no sadder story than that of Judas. To be with Christ for three years and then to betray him like this! The tragedy is that Judas is in hell now. Matthew 26:24 teaches that. Better never to have existed than to end up there.

There have been many stories like his, though. We can all think of people who once walked with Jesus but who now have betrayed him. Perhaps they speak against him. Perhaps they live their lives with no interest in him. Maybe they are backsliding. Maybe, however, they are apostate and never really knew him at all.

Pray for those who have slipped. And take heed to yourself lest you fall. I Corinthians 10:12. One little leak can sink a ship; one little cherished sin can “sink” a Christian. So remember Judas. Be careful that you don't fall.

ii The control of Christ

Here we see a series of events which prove that Jesus is in control of what is going on.

Firstly, v4. Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen. And that shows his glory. He knew what was before him. He knew that he would be betrayed, arrested, deserted, mocked, flogged, crucified, killed. He knew that the next 18 or so hours would be the worst in history. Yet he walked steadily towards the cross. He died for us.

So our Lord takes control. He takes the initiative. He approaches the men who have come to arrest him, and he asks them who they are looking for.

Secondly, v5-6. Jesus shows that he is more powerful than all who have come to arrest him: the soldiers, the officials and Judas.

In v5, the Lord uses two special words, the Greek words, “Ego eimi,” which literally mean, “I am.” This is the covenant name of God as it's found in Exodus 3:14. When he speaks them, the effect is dramatic. Everybody lurches backward and falls to the ground! One man stands against a multitude, and the multitude bites the dust!

Here we see Jesus' majesty and power and authority. When he seemed to be most weak, he was actually most strong. That's just the way our God likes to work things. See I Corinthians 1:26-29, for example.

Thirdly, v7-9. The Lord gives orders to the Roman soldiers! They were certainly well able to arrest the disciples as well as Jesus. But Jesus tells them not to. And they obey! He is in control.

It's lovely that, at this point in his life, Jesus still cared for his disciples so intensely. He keeps them safe spiritually by keeping them safe physically. In the same way, he will let nobody snatch us from his hands.

Jesus, then, is in complete control. He fulfils John 10:17-18. He is laying down his life of his own accord; nobody is taking it from him. And v10-11 explain why. In Matthew 26:36-46, he had prayed that the cup of suffering he was facing might be taken from him, if it was his Father' will. Clearly it was not his Father's will. So now he says to Peter, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” He is going to the cross, fully resigned to his Father's will.

What should our response be to this? To worship and admire and praise and thank and adore him.

iii The cold-heartedness of others

Firstly, we see the cold-heartedness of the soldiers in v12. They have just been confronted with Christ. They have seen him carry out two great miracles (their falling to the ground; and the healing of Malchus, recorded in Luke 22:51). What effect does it have on them? Apparently no effect at all. They are cold-hearted.

Many today are like them. They are confronted with Jesus Christ as Christians present him to them. But it makes no impression upon them.

If that is true of you, it's a fearful thing. The message of Jesus will do one of two things. It may soften you, in which case there is hope. Or it may harden you, in which case you are in great danger. If you are unmoved by Christ, cry out to God for mercy. Don't be cold-hearted.

Secondly, we see the cold-heartedness of Annas and Caiaphas in v13-14. Jesus will be tried before them, but Caiaphas has already made up his mind that he wants Jesus dead. See John 11:49-50. He is cold-hearted.

But he spoke more wisely than he knew! Jesus would die for the nation: for the Jewish nation, and for every other nation too. He died to save sinners from everywhere.

The question is: has he saved you? If not, turn to him. Confess your sin to God. Trust in Jesus Christ who died to save sinners. Follow him. And he will save you. Submit to Christ, and love him warm-heartedly!