With Dale Ratzlaff
John 18:1-11
Introduction
Before we get to the verse by verse commentary, we ought to note the major difference between John’s account of these events from that in the Synoptics. John leaves out the agony Jesus suffered in the Garden when He prayed to His Father to remove the cup of anguish from Him. He also leaves out the kiss of Judas. On the other hand, John includes events not mentioned in the Synoptics. Doubtless, John, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is choosing events which support his major theme. Events which were “written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (Jn. 20:31-21:1).
We will take each verse and then make a few comments which may give additional insight.
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.
Thousands of pilgrims were in Jerusalem at this time, and hundreds of lambs were slaughtered for the Passover services. The blood of the sacrifice was poured out at the base of the altar; then it found its way into the Kidron Valley. It is said that at Passover time the brook Kidron ran red with Passover blood ( http://www.templesecrets.info/jnbldwtr.html). John is the only Gospel writer to mention that Jesus with His disciples went over the ravine of the Kidron. Keep this in mind as the story progresses. The garden is the Garden of Gethsemane, but it is not named in John’s Gospel.
2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
John makes it very clear that Judas is the one who not only was betraying Jesus, but he also was involved in arranging for the Roman officials to make the arrest.
A Roman cohort typically consisted of between 500 and 800 men. Exactly how many were present that night we do not know. In Mark’s Gospel, we get a clue as to why so many people came to arrest one person.
Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people” (Mk. 14:1-2).
With the crowd of thousands of pilgrims present, many of them sympathetic to the ministry of Christ, the Jewish Leaders had to prepare for all contingencies. These facts speak for the power manifested in Christ. Five hundred or more coming out in the night to arrest one man!
4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
Jesus has the foreknowledge of what is taking place. He could have avoided their plan in any number of ways. But He knew exactly the part He must play in the grand scheme of the Gospel.
5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
At the time many people were named “Jesus” or “Joshua”(“Jesus” is the Greek form of “Joshua”). Asking for “Jesus the Nazarene” was their way of making sure they had the right man. This is now the third time Judas is mentioned by name. There is no turning back by this traitor. He is set in his decision to betray the One whom he saw perform so many signs and acts of mercy.
6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
John is the only gospel writer to include these facts. Why did these armed and trained soldiers fall down at the two words of Jesus? Looking closely at the words of Jesus, all He said was. “I am.” “He” is an added word, implied in the Greek. We are reminded of what He said in John 8:58:
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
The Greek words ἐγώ εἰμι are intensive and mean, “I, myself am.” The context in John 8 clearly shows that Jesus had reference to the “I AM” in Exodus 3. While it is not mentioned in the setting of Jesus arrest, it seems clear to me that by these same words, Jesus was giving yet another evidence of His divine nature and accompanying power that was at His disposal. Imagine what was going through the mind of Judas as he fell to the ground at these two words of Christ, “I AM!”
7 Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way, 9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”
Even in the very midst of Jesus’ arrest with hundreds of armed soldiers pressing in, Jesus still has His disciples on His mind. Truly, “He loved them to the end” (Jn. 13:1).
10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
All the Gospel accounts state that the high priest’s slave had his ear “cut off.” Both John and Luke state that it was his right ear. John is the only one to name Peter as the one who wielded the sword. Luke, who was known as “the beloved physician” and was therefore interested in healing, is the only one to state that Jesus touched the ear and healed him. The fact that the slave’s name, Malchus, is mentioned shows that John is an eyewitness and knew many of the people involved in the arrest and trial of Jesus.
Here again, we find Peter on the wrong side of God’s will. It was Peter who tried to persuade Christ not to go to Jerusalem.
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You” (Mt. 16:21-22).
Now Peter probably thought if Jesus had only listened to him, Jesus would not be in this situation. Trying to show his loyalty to Christ, Peter, who had promised: “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You” (Mt. 26:35), took out his sword and started to fight. Doubtless, Peter was not aiming for the ear of Malchus, but that is what his sharp sword cut.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Even though Peter’s act to defend Christ was carried out with courage showing his loyalty and love he was on the wrong side of the sovereign will of God. Christ was destined to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Jesus will not be turned aside from His mission. Now it is time for Him to “drink the cup” which His Father has given Him. The “cup” is a metaphor for the bitter passion of suffering, not only for the physical pain of beating and crucifixion but more precisely for the agony of bearing the sins of the world where He would cry out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Application
- There is nothing that can stop or hinder the sovereign will of God. Often we may, like Peter, think we know what is best and unknowingly be on the wrong side of God’s will. However, we note that Jesus corrected Peter; he did not cast him out. Instead, as we will see later in John, Jesus gave Peter the chief responsibility to carry forward the gospel. In the same way, there may be times that from our observation, things are going the wrong direction, and we take action to correct. I read just today that the Iranian Church is the fastest growing Christian church in the world. We think of the horrible atrocities that took place in Iran not many years ago, now, at least from one internet account. The gospel is growing rapidly in this Muslim country.
- We would do well to remember the authority and power invested in our Lord. Jesus spoke two words, and hundreds of men fell to the ground. If we are in God’s will, He will do what is needed to align us with His will no matter what the circumstances.
- God gives us evidence to believe. Judas, the soldiers, and the others who were present the night of the arrest of Jesus were given sufficient evidence of the authority, power, and divinity of Christ. They were under the authority of both the Jews and Roman leaders and felt it better to obey orders than to consider the evidence given them to believe. To turn away from evidence is to reject that evidence. This ought to cause us to continue to study the word and follow what is revealed.
Prayer
Father, thank you for Christ’s determination to follow through with His part in providing salvation for the sins of the world. Thank you that He did not let Peter and others turn Him away from His one mission to take our sins to the cross and then account to us the very righteousness of God. Help me to understand your will in Scripture as it relates to my life and the mission you have given me. Correct me, as you did Peter when I don’t understand and wander from your will. Thank you for loving me as you loved Jesus.
In Jesus name.
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