Symbols of God's Love (2)

Betrayal, Scorning, and Feelings of Rejection...

This morning, I would like to start by reading the story of Jesus’ arrest. There is so much that we can look at today: Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, the religious leaders conspiracy, but let’s start by reading

John 18:1–10 NLT

After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I Am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.” Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.

Let’s start with a little background to what leads to Jesus’ arrest.

Background...

So much happens in such a short time.

We call it Passion Week.

It all starts out with

the Triumphal Entry,

or what we call Palm Sunday. Jesus comes into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. People are laying their cloaks and palm branches on the ground, declaring that their king is coming.

They were shouting,

“...Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

This was to fulfill prophecy from

Psalm 118:25–26 NIV

Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.

Before this takes place, the religious leaders noses are out of joint. Jesus had touched a nerve, where they knew that something needed to be done with this, Jesus of Nazareth, guy. A plot was already under way that He needed to die.

To add insult to their injury

Jesus turns over the tables...

We have the story in each of the four gospels, possibly John’s is a different account.

We think of Jesus being gentle, and yetHe sees God’s house being turned into a market place.

This caused righteous indignation to stir up in Him. John said that He made a cord and go into the temple area. Jesus proceeds to drive out animals, turn over tables of money changers.

Why all the commotion?

According to the Life Application commentary, God had instructed those coming to offer sacrifices to bring their own from their own flocks and herds, but the religious leaders had set up four markets on the Mount of Olives where animals could be purchased.

There was a large court yard known as the,

Court of the Gentiles

The High Priest allowed merchants and money changers to set up in the only place that Gentile converts were allowed to worship.

They raised the price of the animals, as well as charged exorbitant exchange rates for people buying their merchandise. They were exploiting travelers. Not only did this anger Jesus, but they had lost the plot, it was like the people were paying to have their sins forgiven by purchasing these animals. It was convenience.

Matthew 21:13 NLT

He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

If Jesus healing the sick on the Sabbath day and speaking out about their legalism and their hypocritical attitudes wasn’t enough, now He had crossed the line. They needed a plan, and low and behold,

Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus

John called Judas Iscariot a thief who often stole money from the money bag that he took care of for Jesus and the other disciples.

I’m not sure what was going through Judas’ mind when he made an agreement to sell Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, but He agreed to betray Jesus.

Maybe he thought that he’d get in the good books fo the religious leaders. Maybe he thought that Jesus would be put in jail for a little while and be let out and nothing would really come of it, but nonetheless, Satan convinced him that it was the right thing to do, so he waited for the right time to betray Jesus.

The same night in which Jesus was betrayed...

As Passover was coming, Jesus made plans to have Passover with His disciples. All twelve disciples came into the upper room where they would celebrate Passover, which commemorated Israel’s deliverance from slavery…but before they did this, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, all twelve.

Then they partook in what we call the Lord’s Supper. It was the last meal that Jesus would eat before He went to the cross. It was the last celebration of Passover that He would share with His disciples.

It was here that Jesus told Judas that He knew what the plan was. Jesus said, “Hurry and do what you are going to do.”

After Judas left, Jesus taught His disciples about going to be with the Father. He taught them to love and told them that He had to go so that the comforter, the Holy Spirit could come.

Can you imagine the struggle that must have happened while Jesus was

In the Garden of Gethsemane...

Once at the Garden, Jesus took Peter, James, and John. He asked them to come as He went to pray.

Jesus knew the agony that He would face. He knew the rejection, and yet His humanity was struggling.

Matthew 26:38–39 NLT

He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

It was here that Jesus submitted Himself to the Father’s will. Even though Jesus could have used His deity to His advantage, He submitted to the Father’s will. Luke said in

Luke 22:44 NIV

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Let’s stop for a minute and see what Jesus did. He knew what was going to happen. He knew the suffering, the temptation of the flesh, and what did He do?

He prayed

This is where Jesus gained strength. You can see time and time again that Jesus was in constant contact with the Father, and before Jesus was facing the most difficult hours of His life, He found strength.

Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV

pray continually,

Romans 12:12 NIV

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

We need God to be our hope and strength in times of trouble. Let’s not wait until we are in trouble to pray, let’s be in relationship with Jesus.

We can’t thrive or even survive if we aren’t abiding in Christ.

John 15:5 NIV

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Betrayed with a kiss

After Jesus had prayed He got up and crossed the Kidron Valley and went to a Garden. This was a place that they often went.

Each gospel verifies that Judas Iscariot came with a group of soldiers and religious leaders. They came with torches, lanterns, and weapons.

Judas knew routine. He knew where Jesus and His disciples would hang out, so He told them how he would identify Jesus. “It will be the one that I kiss.”

In Luke 22:48

Luke 22:48 NIV

but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Could you imagine what it must have been like to be betrayed by one of your closest friends?

Maybe you’ve felt betrayal. Maybe you’ve felt rejection.

Isaiah 53:3 NIV

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

John 1:10–11 NLT

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

The people were so hard hearted when they came for Jesus, they didn’t recognize Him when they saw Him.

i find John’s account very revealing.

John 18:4–8 NLT

Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I Am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.”

Even in His arrest, Jesus showed compassion. Peter got excited and pulled out his sword and cut off Malchus’ ear. Before Jesus was led away, He healed the High Priest’s servant’s ear. Did he deserve it? Did Jesus need to show compassion on these people?

After they fell back on the ground when Jesus said, “I AM he!” Even after Jesus had healed Malchus, they arrested Him and took Jesus to be crucified.

Peter’s denial

Peter had shown great courage, but once Jesus was arrested, Peter lost all courage. His heart melted. Reality started to set in. If I stand up, I could die.

Three times Peter had a chance to stand up for His faith. Three times he denied knowing Jesus.

Luke 22:54–62 NLT

So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted. About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

I’m sure that this came to more of a shock to Peter than to Jesus. Jesus had told him that He would deny Jesus 3 times. Peter said, that he would even die for Jesus.

Not only had Jesus been rejected by His own people, He was betrayed and disowned by His closest friends.

John 15:13 NIV

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Jesus didn’t just lay down His life for His closest friends, He laid down His life for His enemies.

Romans 5:10 NIV

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Charged with a crime He didn’t commit...

Even Pilate could find no basis to charge Jesus with a crime that was worthy of death.

Jesus had rocked the boat so something had to happen. Jesus had to die.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day didn’t realize it, but God allowed them to fulfill prophecy.

Isaiah 53:8–12 NIV

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The religious leaders decided that Jesus must go...

After Jesus had raised Lasarus from the dead, here’s what they did.

John 11:47–51 NLT

Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.” Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation.

As we close this morning, I want you to know that Jesus willing submitted to the Father’s plan: The abuse, betrayal, rejection, scorning, and death on a cross. Jesus took our place. He suffered in our place. He had done nothing wrong and yet He chose the cross. He chose the pain.

There was no other way. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Jesus bore the brunt so that we don’t have to.

There is no promise that we might not feel times of rejection or betrayal, but we can take comfort that Jesus understands. He cares, and He wants to carry us.

Matthew 5:11–12 NIV

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The early church rejoiced that they were worthy to be persecuted for Jesus. We too can rejoice and be glad when we are counted worthy for the name and Jesus.

Let’s pray!