Or, Not Your Garden-variety Arrest
Scripture: John 18:1-11
Date: May 4, 2014
Speaker: Sean Higgins
What is the worst sin ever committed? What sin deserves the most severe punishment? Though a fictional account of his pilgrimage through hell, Dante portrays the 9th and deepest circle of the Inferno as occupied by traitors: Lucifer who rebelled against God, Brutus and Cassius who betrayed Julius Caesar, and Judas who betrayed Jesus. Two millennia’s worth of parents have not named their sons Judas in light of his sin.
Whether or not Judas experiences the weightiest and fiercest depths of divine punishment, his act certainly was unlike any other in history. Judas was one of the Twelve, one who was intimately acquainted with Jesus’ earthy life and teaching and power and love. Judas lived with the Son of God in flesh for three years. He even heard Jesus foretell and warn him about betrayal. Judas sinned against revelation and relationship. Not only that, Jesus was sinless, and Jesus was God. No other ruler, Caesar for one, was so undeserving of such an act of hatred. The first section in John 18 tells the story. This is the last time we meet Judas in John’s account.
What stands out, however, in John’s account, is not the evil of betrayal or the guilt that Judas felt. What stands out is not the craftiness or the capability of men to trap Jesus. What stands out is that the Lord was betrayed and He was the Lord over His betrayal. The tone of Jesus, demonstrated by His movements and behavior, shows Jesus in charge of His own arrest. This is not your garden-variety (that is, a standard or typical) arrest in a garden. In John 18:1-11 we see four ways that Jesus is Lord of the traitor.
The location of Jesus’ arrest is relevant material.
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. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 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. (John 18:1–3, ESV)
When Jesus had spoken these words refers to all the words spoken in the upper room recorded for us in chapters 13-17. Chapters 18-20 switch from a lot of talking to a lot of action. Without these chapters of the story there is no gospel story. The betrayal, arrest, trials, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the historical gospel.
Having finished the evening with the eleven, he went out with his disciples across the book Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. This area is east of Jerusalem between the city and the Mount of Olives. John is the only one who tell us that they went to a garden. Matthew and Mark refer to it as “Gethsemane” (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32), a name that means “oil press.” That the group entered means that this garden of olive plants was walled off somehow by a fence. It was an enclosed grove of olive trees where olive oil was made and it provided a quiet place for all of them to go.
It was also located within the boundaries. On the night of Passover, pilgrims in town for the feast were required by Law not to go too far out of the city. Bethany, where Jesus returned most nights during this final week, was outside the limits. This garden was inside the limits and was where the disciples would have spent the night. They must have known the owner of the garden and they had been here before.
Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. Judas knew Jesus’ movements. Judas knew the itinerary because he was on the inside. He was close and he used that knowledge to his advantage.
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. The word band is better translated more technically as “cohort” (NAS), a tenth of a legion numbering 600 soldiers (BDAG). Rome sent extra troops to Jerusalem during national feast weeks in case of problems. They brought lanterns (portable lights, “cylindrical terra-cotta vessels with an opening on one side” with “a ceramic ring—or strap—handle on the top” for carrying, Köstenberger), torches, and weapons against twelve lightly-armed, peaceable men.
With the Romans came the Jewish religious leaders and some of the temple guard. They came at night to a place away from the watching crowds in order to avoid pushback. They were the only mob necessary.
Before we move on, why did Jesus go to this place? He knew more than Judas did; He knew what Judas was going to do with what Judas knew. Jesus put Himself in place, in the place where Judas expected Him to be, in the place to meet His traitor.
Jesus doesn’t wait for those coming to arrest Him.
Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:4–6, ESV)
His knowing all that would happen to him is not because He could see the handwriting on the wall, it was because He was God. This is why He came to earth. It was time.
So He came forward. The ESV translation misses that the verb means “coming out” from somewhere. Just as they entered the garden, so now they came back out of the garden, led by Jesus. Neither the soldiers or Judas went in after Him. He went out to address them.
He spoke first. “Whom do you seek?” John does not include one of the most well-known parts of the story: Judas’ kiss. More than likely, Jesus came out, Judas came up and kissed Him, Judas stepped back, and then Jesus spoke. Judas identified the target with his kiss, and the torches and lanterns made Jesus visible. But Jesus takes control and interrogates them as to what they’re doing. “Whom do you seek?”
Mustering as much authority as they could they reply. They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” And Jesus said to them, “I am he.” The answer is actually Ἐγώ εἰμι, “I am,” the same phrase John recorded multiple previous times in the gospel as a reference to the divine I AM, Yahweh.
Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. He had done his part, leading them to the place and pointing out the man. He had chosen his side. And see how the side reacted to Jesus’ answer.
When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. The repetition of the one “who betrayed him” and the repetition of Jesus’ assertion heighten the effect of their loss of control. Two things describe their reaction: they drew back or probably better, they “retreated,” and they fell to the ground. In John 7:45-46 many of the Jewish leaders responded that they had never heard any man speak like this. Now they were overwhelmed by God in flesh standing before them. 600 or so men, most of them professional soldiers, some of them hardened religious professionals, and Judas himself, were temporarily incapacitated by the word of Jesus’ identification. Nothing says only a few in the front fell back. They can’t even stand before the sacrificial Lamb. Imagine if He’d have said anything else.
How long the men were stupified John does not say. But they go through most of the sequence again.
So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” (John 18:7–9, ESV)
So he asked them again as if to point out (to them) their hard-heartedness. Didn’t they put together what just happened? Martin Luther remarked about this:
Here we may learn what an abominable thing an obdurate heart is, in order that we may learn to abide in the fear of God. They feel themselves falling to the ground but they do not recede in their hearts from the intention and evil purpose, thinking that their falling backward must be due to some witchcraft. These are hearts of utter steel and adamant. And the rogue Judas, the evangelist tells us, also stood with them, is so obdurate and hard and falls to the ground with the rest; yet he is not moved that he should think: Man, quit defying him who hurls us all back with one word. Even if heaven and earth were created anew before the eyes of such people, and the greatest miracles were wrought that could possibly be wrought, it would avail nothing. (quoted in Lenski)
Having no explanation they acted in bold stupidity giving the same answer. It’s all they had. “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
This time the clarification of their target Jesus used to His advantage in a different way. Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he, So if you seek me, let these men go.” He was protecting His men by pointing out that there was no reason to involve them. He was the one they wanted.
He was also commanding His enemies who were arresting Him.
John adds, This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “of those whom You gave me I have lost no one.” Jesus just mentioned that in His prayer in chapter 17. John doesn’t repeat the clarification about Judas because he didn’t need to.
Jesus has them right where He wants them because they are right where His Father wanted them.
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.) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:10–11, ESV)
Two things stand out about this part in the story. First, Peter put in jeopardy the safety that Jesus secured. The soldiers didn’t come for anyone other than Jesus. Jesus confirmed it with them and commanded them to let His men go. Now Peter gives them a reason to take at least him. Only John names names, Peter…struck…Malchus. That Peter cut off his right ear probably means that he swung for Malchus’ head. If he would have connected as intended, that might have been even harder for the soldiers to pass over.
Second, and most important, Peter put in jeopardy the sacrifice that Jesus came to make. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?
This is the cup He prayed three times about, the cup Peter, James, and John couldn’t stay awake long enough to pray about. The cup is the wrath of God; the cup is death. It was a frequent Old Testament image, and here is just one example from Isaiah.
Wake yourself, wake yourself,
stand up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD
the cup of his wrath,
who have drunk to the dregs
the bowl, the cup of staggering.
(Isaiah 51:17, ESV)
It is a stiff, bitter draught to drink. And it is the reason for Jesus’ life, namely, so that He could drink this cup.
The reason it is so important to recognize Jesus as Lord of the betrayal and Lord of the arrest is, not only does it show that He is sovereign, it also shows that He is willing. The sacrifice was voluntary, not forced on Him. He laid down His life. No one took it from Him. And His sacrifice was obedient. He took what His Father gave Him.
If Jesus was forced or backed into a corner, unable to escape, then it wasn’t obedient and it couldn’t save us. His full obedience, even to death on a cross, means that we have a substitute.
John will not speak about Judas any more. History will not forget him. He is immortalized in our stories as one who deserves all the punishment he gets.
Before we justly condemn Judas we should know that, apart from God’s grace, we would have betrayed. Or we would have arrested. Or we would have denied. Or we would have crucified. We have all sinned and so we all deserve hell. When we compare ourselves to the law, we know that we deserve everything hell could justly throw at us. But we have a substitute who drank the wrath from the cup with our name on it.
And that substitute was a voluntary substitute. He took up a body of flesh to lay it down for His sheep because He and the Father love them. This is the good news. This—even the story of Christ’s betrayal and arrest—is written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that by believing we may have life in His name.