Jesus’ Arrest: Injustice, Sovereignty, and Obedience
John 18:1–11 (NKJV)
The Arrest of Christ
Matt. 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–52; Luke 22:47–53
18 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”
5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
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 the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
Message
Jesus washed His disciples, taught them, and prayed for Himself and them during the Last Supper in John 13-17. Today, we study what happened after this in John 18:1-11.
I. Jesus Under Arrest (1-3)
See v1-2.
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.
After the Last Supper in Jerusalem, they went to a nearby garden called Gethsemane. Jesus often met there with His disciples. Because of this, Judas, who betrayed Jesus, knew the place. See v3.
3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Judas brought a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, armed with lanterns, torches, and weapons. This scene is reminiscent of a movie where a group of police officers arrives to arrest a criminal, with sirens blaring and lights flashing on their cars. The government became complicit in wrongdoing by committing injustice against an innocent man, Jesus. This kind of injustice happens in the world. How sad it is for anyone to be unjustly mistreated. We experience deep sorrow in a world filled with injustice. Isaiah 53:4 NKJV foretold about the Messiah bearing our griefs and sorrows. See the first part of Isaiah 53:4 NKJV:
4a Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Most people can only see the situation apparently and do not know its truth. They think the authority is doing right. They scorn the victim of injustice instead of protesting for justice (‘We do not care’ in Isaiah 53:3 NLT, Isaiah 53:8 NLT). Jesus experienced this kind of situation of ours. See the second part of Isaiah 53:4 NLT:
4b And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
Worsley, Jesus was unjustly condemned (Isaiah 53:8 NLT). The fact is that Jesus was punished in our place as a redemption for our sins (Isaiah 53:5-7 NLT).
Again, people did not protest against injustice (Isaiah 53:3 NLT, Isaiah 53:8 NLT) but scorned Him when Jesus was hung on the cross (Matthew 27:40, 42 44, Mark 15:30-32, Luke 23:35, 37, 39). While He was paying for our sins, He also experienced our griefs and sorrows to understand our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). So, even if no one knows, understands or cares about our griefs and sorrows, Jesus knows and understands them.
II. Jesus in Control (4-9)
See v4-9.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”
5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
Jesus helped them know He was the “Jesus of Nazareth” they were looking for (4, 5). But when Jesus said to them, “I am He.”, They were not able to arrest Him. Instead, they drew back and fell to the ground (6). This shows He wasn’t victimised powerlessly but was in control. He said in John 10:18 NKJV,
“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
This fact makes it clear that He voluntarily, purposefully, and by His own choice, laid down His life for us because He loves and cares for us.
III. God-Centeredness (10-11)
See v10.
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.
Peter fought against injustice and tried to rescue his Master because he loved Him and had a righteous mindset. Peter would have been willing to risk his life to save Jesus. But what does Jesus say to Peter? See v11.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
Did Jesus thank Peter? No! Never! Jesus must be offended by Peter – we can know this based on Matthew 16:23 NKJV. So, Jesus asked him to put his sword into the sheath.
Peter made a similar mistake in Matthew 16:21-23 NKJV.
21 From that time Jesus began to show to 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 the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Then, Jesus rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind Me, Satan!” According to Jesus, we have to be mindful of not the things of men but the things of God. Here, ‘Satan’ is defined as a person who is not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.
In addition, v11 shows that
- This situation that led to the arrest and crucifixion was the cup the Father had given Him to drink.
- Jesus was determined to obey the will of the Father as the loving and obedient Son.
We can learn that it is crucial to know and do the will of God rather than just blindly following human-centred thoughts and decisions.
Are you God-centred or human-centred? Is it the will of God or the will of men?
When we believe in the power of death, like those who mourned Lazarus's death in John 11, we are consumed by grief and cannot move past the injustice Jesus faced in John 18. However, when we believe in the resurrection that follows death, we see death as merely a prerequisite for resurrection. In the same way, the negative experiences in life become prerequisites for the best that is yet to come.
