Betrayed

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have your Bible and I hope that you do, keep ‘em open with me to the Gospel of John…we’ll get into that in just a moment.

Before we do that, let’s recite our memory verse together. Remember, its Acts chapter 2, verses 42 through 47. We’ll recite verses 42 and 43 a couple more weeks before we add in verse 44. Fair enough?

Alright, if you’re ready, I’ll get us started, you finish us up.

Acts 2:42–43 (ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

[Prayer]

Alrighty…this morning, we’re gonna start a new sermon series, digging into the final moments of Jesus’s life…we’re gonna look at Jesus’s betrayal, His suffering, His crucifixion, and then of course…on Easter Sunday, we’ll look at His resurrection. And to do that, we’ll be walking through John’s accounts. And then after this sermon series, starting on April 7th, we’ll move into the Book of Revelation for 13 weeks.

But listen, I’m excited for this series…I love this time of the year. This story, it just never gets old to me and I feel its one of the easiest things to preach because its literally the centerpiece of all Christianity. Without the cross…without the resurrection, we can’t have a saving faith in Jesus…because ultimately, all of Christianity, it hinges on the work of Jesus. And so, I just love talking about it…and listen, I hope you do too.

As we come to our passage this morning in John chapter 18, you could say it’s kind of the beginning of the end. This passage, its about Jesus’s arrest, His betrayal…which of course, if you’re familiar with the story, it leads to His trial and His execution. This story, it’s the climax of Jesus’s earthly ministry. And so, to say this passage is important, it doesn’t really do it justice.

This passage, or this section of Scripture (John 18 through 21), it encompasses the center of all human history. It encompasses the coming to the earth and the dying of God Himself, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. Which is why the Easter season’s so important…its why its worth devoting an entire sermon series to every single year. We should never tire of hearing about the person and work of Christ…because this story…it impacted all of us…it was just as much for us as it was for the people we read about in these accounts.

And listen, as we begin to really dive into these passages, we start to see that it was always Jesus’s plan to carry out this story. Jesus might’ve been a prisoner…but He was a sovereign prisoner.

Listen, in 1946, one of the world’s most secure prisons was overtaken by its inmates. Of course, most of you have heard this story…Alcatraz, it was said to be a prison that no one could escape from.

But in 1946, a number of inmates, they saw a flaw in the system and they overtook an entire cell block…and because of that they gained control of the entire prison. Of course, a riot ensued, and tragically, a number of men died.

But the idea there, the reason that was such a strange event in that prison’s history was because that was the place in America where prisoners definitely had no authority at all. The worst sorts of men were confined there, with no way to escape. And so what was striking about that 1946 event was that for a little while, the prisoners there were in charge.

But here’s the point of sharing that with you. As we walk through our passage this morning in John chapter 18, Jesus is in charge the entire time. And it wasn’t that He was in charge for just a little bit…He was in charge since the very beginning, since the foundation of the world. His arrest, His betrayal, His suffering and crucifixion, it was all planned out by a sovereign God…which of course, we’ve talked about over the past several weeks, Jesus is that God. He planned to dwell among us, He planned for this event, He planned this entire account…so that, as Paul mentioned in Colossians 1:20, “He could make peace by the blood of His cross.” These events, He sovereignty ordained…so that all things could be reconciled to Himself…so that all things could be restored.

But listen, as we walk through this first message in our Easter series, there’s several things that pop out…several things that strengthen our confidence in Jesus…things that give us even more hope as people today.

The main idea of the passage, its that Judas’s betrayal, it displayed Jesus’s sovereignty over all creation. He’s in control of everything.

If you’re taking notes, I have four points for us this morning. Number one, Jesus initiated His arrest…number two, Jesus proclaimed His deity…number 3, Jesus protected His flock…and then finally, number 4, Jesus fulfilled His plan.

And so, if you’re there with me in John 18, let’s look at this first point together.

I. Jesus Initiated His Arrest (vv. 1-4)

Jesus initiated His arrest.

And so, if you know the story…Jesus and the disciples, they’ve been in Jerusalem for almost a week now, its coming up on the end of Holy Week… they just left the upper room where they had the last supper and celebrated passover (which of course has it’s own significance)…And in this passage, as we begin, they’re in the Garden of Gethsemane which is on the Mount of Olives.

Look at verse 1 with me. John writes, “When Jesus had spoken these words” (that’s what happened in John 13 through John 17 which again was the words Jesus shared in the upper room and His prayer to the Father). It says, “he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 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. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”

Now listen, there’s a couple of things that should stand out to you here. The first thing’s in verse 2…notice it says that “Judas, who betrayed Jesus, he also knew the place [where they went].” It says that Jesus often visited this place with His disciples.

In fact Luke 22:39 states:

Luke 22:39 (ESV)

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.

Luke says in Luke 21:37 and 38:

Luke 21:37–38 (ESV)

And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

Whenever Jesus was in Jerusalem, He visited this place often. It was His normal pattern. And He visited this place because it was secluded…He often poured His heart out to the Father here…He taught His disciples here. It was a private place. But more significantly, Jesus went to this place on this night because He knew this was the place Judas would come looking. Jesus sovereignly arranged the time and place of His own betrayal.

I mean think about…if you were being hunted down by the government…if you knew someone was going to betray you…Jesus told that to His disciples in the upper room. Why on earth would you go to a place where the person betraying you, knew it well?…Why go to a place that they knew you regularly visited?

I used to watch Dog the Bounty Hunter years ago. I just found it entertaining…But listen, in that show, the bounty hunter team…they would work together on large bounties where people broke the terms of their bail bonds…and what they would do is try and capture these individuals. Well, the first place they’ll always look, it was always the places where those people frequented…and of course, very rarely were those people in those regularly visited places. Why? Well, because they didn’t wanna get caught, right?

Listen, Jesus, He wanted to get caught…it was His plan to be arrested. And so, He went to a place that Judas knew well. I love how the Greek text reads word-for-word here…it says, “Judas, knowing where he would be, betrayed him.” And so, the idea here…its that John wanted his reader to know Judas knew the place where Jesus would be.

And then it says, that Judas, he comes with a band of soldiers to arrest Jesus. If you remember, just a few chapters back, Jesus, in the upper room, He told Judas to go and do what he was gonna do and do it quickly. Jesus, knew he was about to be betrayed…Jesus knew Judas had sold Him out for some pieces of silver…Jesus knew He was gathering a group of men together to arrest Him.

And what’s interesting here…its that Judas had Roman soldiers with him and men from the Pharisees. Again, it was Passover week and so because of that, people from all over were traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate. And so for that reason, security was tight and of course it made soldiers readily available and more on guard to potential issues. Meaning, it would’ve been much easier for Judas to gather a group of men and cry “wolf,” so to speak.

But listen, I love verse 4. John says, “Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen…” He knew everything…He knew they would arrest Him…He knew they would take Him through a number of trials…He knew that Peter was gonna deny Him…He knew that it was all gonna end on the cross…He knew the Father was gonna raise Him up on that Sunday…Jesus knew it all.

But I love it, “Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” Knowing what would happen, Jesus stepped forward. He didn’t go and hide…He didn’t fight…He just stepped forward, “Whom do you seek?”

If you’re paying attention to John’s words here…he’s focusing on Jesus’s sovereignty. He’s showing us how Jesus was in control the entire time…how He initiated His own capture. That’s John point here…throughout his whole gospel, the point, its been to show Jesus’s deity…to show that Jesus is God. That’s why he mentions the miracles and the “I Am” statements.

I mean John chapter 10, 17 and 18, it proves John’s point here. Jesus says:

John 10:17–18 (ESV)

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me (listen, inset whoever you want here…not Rome, not Caesar, not Pilate…No one takes my life from me…not the chief priests, not the Pharisees, not the Sadducees, not Judas, not Satan…”no one” Jesus says), but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus alone, He’s in control of His arrest and His capture…it’s all on His own terms.

And listen, for us, what this means…if He was sovereign over His arrest…if Jesus had that kind of power…don’t you think He’s capable of handling your problems? I mean if Jesus planned these events before the foundation of the world…don’t you think its actually possible He has a plan for you…that He knows you, intimately?

Listen, that’s what David said in Psalm 139. He says, starting in verse 1:

Psalm 139:1–6 (ESV)

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

He goes on in verse 13:

Psalm 139:13–16 (ESV)

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Listen, David says that in the same ways Jesus planned His arrest…in the same ways He knew all the events that would occur…he says, its the same for us. He knows us better than we know ourselves…and He knows every day that lies behind us and every day that lies before us.

And He knows this because Jesus is the sovereign Lord over all creation.

II. Jesus Proclaimed His Deity (vv. 5-6)

Which of course, moves us into our second point…Jesus proclaimed His deity.

Why is He in control? Because He’s God…because He planned it all out from the very beginning. And listen, He shows them that here in this passage.

Look at verse 5 and 6 with me again. Jesus just asked, “Whom do you seek?”…Verse 5, “5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.”

Listen, it’s easy to miss what Jesus is implying here if we’re not careful. He’s not just answering their question, “Yea, I’m Jesus!” He’s not saying that. In the Greek, that phrase there, its not translated as “I am he.” In the other places we see that same phrase, it’s actually translated as “I Am.” If you’re familiar with John…there’s seven famous “I Am” statements that Jesus makes in his account. These are the places where Jesus says, “I am the bread of life…I am the light of the world…I am the door of the sheep…I am the good shepherd…I am the resurrection and the life…I am the way, the truth, and the life…I am the vine. And listen, in each of those statements, He was showing the people around Him something about who He was.

As the bread of life in chapter 6, Jesus was saying that He’s necessary for you…for your spiritual sustenance. You can’t live without food. In the same ways, you can’t have real life apart from Christ.

As the light of the world in chapter 8, Jesus, He’s our guide. It’s impossible to have our minds illuminated and our lives sanctified apart from Christ.

As the door and as the good shepherd in chapter 10, Jesus, He’s the way that we enter to find rest for our souls…to find protection and security. He’s our shield.

As the resurrection and life…as the way, the truth, and the life in chapters 11 and 14…Jesus, He’s our hope in life after death. He’s our hope in restoration. He’s the place we find real peace because He’s where salvation’s takes place.

And listen in chapter 15, as the vine, Jesus is the only source of eternal life. Israel used to be called the vine in the Old Testament because they were God’s chosen people…and being connected to them, meant you were connected to God…but Jesus says, “I’m the vine. I’m the One you need to be connected to. I’m the way to the Father…and those that are connected to Me, I’ll make them fruitful.”

Jesus…He constantly made the “I Am” statement…And listen, this wasn’t an accident. Those statements, they were blasphemous if they weren’t true because what each of those things were saying about Jesus…what He’s saying in this passage, it was that He was God. “I Am,” it was the term designated for the Old Testament idea of Yahweh where God answered Moses’ question about His name by saying, “I Am what I am.”

That’s why our passage says the soldiers fell down. Notice, it wasn’t Jesus saying, “Yeah, I’m Jesus of Nazareth.”…That wasn’t what caused them to fall down. No, its Him saying, “I Am.” It’s this statement of deity.

“Whom do you seek?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “I Am,” Jesus says…and they all fall down.

Listen, I was never a police officer…I did serve in the Army for 6 years…but I’m sure that in training…I’m pretty sure they don’t teach officers to fall down when they’re arresting someone. I know when they were teaching us how to clear buildings with our fire team and when we had to apprehend someone important, they didn’t teach us to fall down when we found that person. That probably wouldn’t have been good, right?

And so, why’s this such a big deal? Because even the most powerful people in the world, they all fall at Jesus’s feet…because He’s God. And make no mistake…just as we saw last week…all will fall when Jesus speaks…and all will declare Jesus is Lord.

These men, coming to arrest Jesus, they didn’t have control…they couldn’t help their own bodies or their own actions. At the sound of Jesus’s voice…at His will…they all fall.

Jesus was proclaiming His deity.

III. Jesus Protected His Flock (vv. 7-9)

Which moves us into our third point…Jesus protected His flock. And listen, He protected His flock because ultimately He was sovereign in this situation…He had the power.

In this scene…just think about how chaotic things must’ve been. The disciples were probably confused and bewildered…anybody other than Jesus, they would’ve either fought or fled, being in His situation…but listen, one of the things we see Jesus do in the garden here…He sees to it that His sheep…His disciples…He sees to it, that they’re protected.

Look at our passage with me again…starting in verse 7, “7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”

And so, Jesus, He asks them again, “Whom do you seek?” And listen, He didn’t say this because He wanted to answer them twice, He’s showing them His authority again…but He’s also showing them where His hearts at…why He’s doing everything He’s doing. He’s saying, “Okay, I’m here…I’m the one you seek…let these others go.” They came for Jesus…and listen, Jesus, He wants to draw that out of their voices…that they’re there for Him and not them. This is Jesus protecting His own. In the midst of His own arrest, His concern, its only for His disciples.

And listen, you might think this isn’t a big deal but in John 11:57 the Pharisees gave an order for anyone that knew Jesus’s whereabouts that they turn it over to the authorities so that Jesus could be arrested. Well, these disciples obviously knew Jesus’s whereabouts and didn’t comply with this order…and so, therefore they were guilty according to the Jewish leaders. There would have been grounds to bring the disciples in with Jesus…in fact, it probably would’ve strengthened their case to the public and prevented the start of the church after Jesus’s resurrection. It would’ve been the smart thing to do because again, they had the grounds to do so.

And so, what’s Jesus do? He asks the guards twice, “Who are you here for?…You’re here for Me, let these others go.” Now of course, we’re seeing Jesus’s sovereign power here but we’re also seeing that He uses His power to protect His flock…to protect His own.

And listen, the end verse 9…John writes it to just prove that point. “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”

Jesus’s desire, it’s to preserve the disciples…and listen, not just in a physical way…but spiritually as well. Just a chapter back, when Jesus was in the garden, praying to the Father…He said in John 17:12:

John 17:12 (ESV)

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Jesus, He’s saying to the Father, “You gave me a group of people and I’ve protected them…not one has been lost.” And you might be saying, “But what about Judas?…He lost Judas!” Go back to our passage. “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” Meaning, Judas was never Jesus’s to begin with. He never truly followed Jesus…His heart was never there. But those that actually followed Jesus, He kept them…He protected them…He persevered them…and listen, it was all despite their own faith or their own actions.

And listen, the spiritual element of what’s happening here its that if these guys were arrested with Jesus in the garden, none of us would be here this morning…the church would’ve never been established. If they were to be arrested…they might’ve lost faith…they might’ve fallen from “grace” so to speak, spiritually…because they would’ve lost hope. But Jesus protecting them, it’s persevering their faith for the long term…not the short term. Of course we know that Peter denies Jesus in the following passages…but without Jesus protecting His own here from arrest, they would’ve never persevered in their faith later. It’s not just about the physical.

And so what’s this show us today? Well, first…Jesus knows exactly what physical circumstances to place us in…and listen, He knows exactly what physical circumstances to keep us from. He protects us in the same exact ways. But spiritually, it also means that if you truly belong to Christ…if you’re one of the ones the Father has given to Jesus…if you’ve repented and believed and turned to Jesus…then the Scriptures tell us that no one snatches us from the hand of Jesus. Nothing separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. That’s John 10 and Romans 8. Meaning, no matter what it is we face…no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in…no matter what temptations we might slip or fall into…Jesus keeps His own…He protects His own by His power alone.

And listen, I know this is a point of contention for some…but that’s why John includes the accounts with Peter in the following verses…Peter denies Jesus three times after He’s arrested…for some of you, you might say he’s lost faith. But listen, after the resurrection, it wasn’t Peter who came searching for Jesus…it was Jesus who came seeking Peter, despite Peter’s actions…why? Because Jesus protects His flock…He keeps them from danger…and once they’re His, He never loses them. It’s His promise to us…and He’s faithful despite us.

Let that give you comfort this morning. Jesus protects His own, that’s the third point.

IV. Jesus Fulfilled His Plan (vv. 10-11)

And then finally, the fourth point…Jesus fulfilled His plan.

Look at verse 10 with me again. John writes, “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 its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

First off, here’s Jesus protecting His own again. I mean, Peter cutting off Malchus’ ear, that has to be another reason to arrest the disciples…but listen, the main thing I want you to see here…its verse 11. Jesus says, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Listen, Jesus, He’s not there to fight…He’s not there to appeal to anyone or lobby for anything. He’s not trying to run away. Jesus, He’s there to fulfill His plan of suffering. That’s the reason this is happening. “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

And so, what’s this cup Jesus is talking about? Its the cup of wrath from the Father. Students of the Old Testament, they would’ve known what the prophets spoke about concerning this. The prophets, they warned people over and over again about the cup of God’s wrath. They warned people about God’s judgement because of sin. And so, Jesus, He’s saying, “I need to drink that cup…let me be arrested…let me die…let me suffer…let me receive all of God’s wrath and judgement…let me do that for everyone that I’ve created in my image.”

Let me read a paragraph from one of my Bible dictionaries on this cup of suffering or this cup of wrath. It says:

The image of the cup of wrath carries special horror because drinking (unlike being overtaken by battle, earthquake, or plague) is something a person does deliberately. Drunkenness implies a humiliating progression: people begin confident of their own power to handle the wine, but it eventually masters them. In several passages that feature the cup of God’s wrath, we see that sinners start out arrogant but lose any vestige of human dignity as they drink the cup God hands them “down to its very dregs.” They stagger and fall unconscious in the streets; they are exposed and disgraced; they go mad; they are scorned and “walked over” by their enemies. Yet clearly their own choices, not God’s anger, have bought on their destruction.

The idea that the prophets shared in the Old Testament, it was if you’re gonna to drink the cup of God’s wrath…if you’re gonna continue in your sin and take on God’s just punishment…its something you willingly do. And at first, it might seem fun and exciting and great…it might seem like things are going the way you want…but eventually, as you continue in your own decisions and your own actions, as you continue drinking from this cup of wrath…it will overcome you…and it’ll bring on a righteous judgement.

But listen, I love this…Jesus, He’s saying, “I’ve come to drink down that cup of judgement…and I’m not gonna leave a single drop in that cup…I’m gonna take on all of God’s wrath!”

And listen, that’s why He tell’s Peter to sheath his sword…that He has to continue on…because this plan, if it wasn’t fulfilled, we’d all be hopelessly doomed for all eternity…because without Jesus, there’s nothing…there’s no one that could take on the Father’s cup of wrath on our behalf.

Closing

Guys, Jesus initiated His capture…He proclaimed His deity…He protected His flock…He did all of that, so that He could provide a way for His own to come to Him.

And listen, there’s two implications for us this morning as a result of that truth. Number one, if you haven’t already…you need to fall down before Jesus and trust Him to drink your own cup…you need to repent and believe in Him this morning…you need to turn your life over to Him and let the sovereign Creator of the world lead you and guide you.

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” And listen, as a result…Jesus’s work on the cross…it’ll apply to you as well. You won’t have to drink the cup of wrath…you won’t have to experience judgement for your sins…because Jesus paid that by being our perfect and willing sacrifice.

But listen, the second implication…it’s that as believers, we can entirely trust in the sovereign power of Jesus to protect us. He said, “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” Yes, He’ll lead you into places of difficulty…and yes, your flesh, it’ll seem like it’s won sometimes…but take heart, because Jesus He’s sovereign…He’s powerful…and He’ll keep you and protect you. He’s a faithful God.

That’s what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10, verses 12 and 13:

1 Corinthians 10:12–13 (ESV)

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

It’s the same thing we see in our passage. Yes, the disciples were placed in a time of trial…and yes, some of ‘em even went into some low points…but He’ll never place us in a situation physically that we can’t overcome through His power spiritually.

And so, this morning, I don’t know what you’re going through but maybe you just need to find yourself in His presence and just ask Him to strengthen your faith and trust in that power.

And so listen, what whatever the Spirit’s doing in your heart right now…would you just bow your heads and close your eyes with me this morning?

I just want you to seek Him…I just want you to rely on Him and His power…I want you to find confidence in His person and work.

And so, if that means you need to turn to Him, to give your life to Him…to repent and believe…then do that this morning.

If it means you’re struggling with your circumstances, where God has you…maybe you’re just walking through some tough times…maybe its a sin that you’re just struggling to overcome…seek Christ and His power…trust that He’s protecting you through whatever it is. Repent, like we see with Peter at the end of John, and seek Christ. Find your hope in Him.

And so, our praise team’s gonna play…this is your time to seek the Lord this morning. I’ll be down front if you need me…so you take this time, and I’ll close us in prayer in just a moment.

[Song - Prayer]