Who Do You Seek?
Notes
Transcript
Who Do You Seek?
Who Do You Seek?
Bible Passage: John 18:4
Bible Passage: John 18:4
Have you ever gotten something different than you expected? In this world of online shopping, I’m sure you have gotten something that was the wrong size or didn’t quite match the picture. You may have bought something and been disappointed with the quality. I had a very disappointing experience a couple of months ago. The is a certain brand of hats that I like and the company regularly has new items or sales. i see them on social media all the time. One night, I stumbled across an incredible sale - 97% off a small selection of these hats. That is a great deal, even for clearance items. I went right to the website and ordered a few of them. It wasn’t until right after my purchase was complete that I noticed the issue. It was a fake website. It looked exactly like the real company, they were even paying for advertising on a legitimate social media site, but it was a scam. My expectation was that I was getting a great deal, but what I got was nothing. Our expectations can vary. Sometimes we get less than what we expect, sometimes we get much more.
As we gather together today, we may all have different expectations. We may have different things we are looking for as we seek Jesus, attend church, interact with a church family.
Why did Jesus come to earth?
Why did the Word become flesh and dwell among us. What did He want to accomplish? By His own words in
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came to save us from our sins. In Revelation 1:1 He says
“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Jesus came to conquer death. and in John 14:9
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus came so that we could see God revealed. And what if the revelation of Jesus is different from our expectation of Jesus. What if we don’t see what we wanted? Is it a scam? Some might think so. Who is Jesus? If He doesn’t match who you want Him to be, does it matter?
Many people had issues with Jesus. They did not like Him because He did not meet their expectations. He was not the Messiah they were looking for. He was not the Messiah they wanted. The moneychangers in the temple did not like Him because His view of holiness and morality interrupted their business. The pharisees did not like Him because he did not confirm their celebrity and they began to lose the crowds attention. The more their influence shrunk, the angrier they became. The Sadducees didn’t like Him because He did not affirm their positions of power. He was a threat to their control. They all wanted a savior that would be big enough lift them from Romes bondage, while enriching their place in society. They all wanted Jesus to serve their desires.
All of this comes to a head in John 18:4 when Jesus asks the question “Whom do you seek?”
Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
This is a pivotal question. So many people had come to Jesus wanting something, expecting something. But what if jesus does not match our expectations, what if He is not who we want Him to be.
Who do you want God to be? A cosmic grandpa that spoils you extravagantly? A buddy that always takes your side? Or an angry God that punishes all evildoers like a superhero?
Who do you want Jesus to be? Easygoing and laid back - the everything's going to be OK Jesus? Or maybe a wise sage able to give you advice when you need it? Maybe the table flipping Jesus to oppose the institutions in our way.
What are you looking for?
What are you looking for?
Whom do you seek?
As we approach our passage this morning, we are just on the other side of the upper room and the passover. Jesus and His 11 disciples move across the valley to the garden. Judas has already gone to betray Him. And now Judas returns with soldiers to capture Jesus.
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.
It is the middle of the night. Judas knows exactly where to find them in the garden and leads the soldiers there. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward. Notice who is in control. Jesus makes the first move toward the soldiers. He knows everything that will happen. He could at this moment slipped away under the cover of darkness and kept safe. But instead He engages in this moment and asks the defining question. Whom do you seek?
The mob is a mix of Roman soldiers and temple officials. The word used in verse three for Band of Soldiers is the same word generally used for a military cohort. A roman cohort could be 300-600 men plus temple officials and guards and the number could be as high as 1000 men. It makes you wonder what they thought about Jesus. How many people does it take to arrest one man? Who did they think Jesus was? A riot starter? A revolutionary? A legitimate threat to Rome?
Whatever they were told about him, they were taking no chances. The temple officials were there to keep an eye on how this all plays out for the religious leaders. They wanted to make sure that their masters came out looking good after everything was done. Who did they think that Jesus was? A traitor to Judaism? Someone who hated God? or someone working for satan himself?
Some Pharisees came as well. The completed the mob that had come out that night. Their power came from their popularity, so of course they wanted to be a part of His take down. In their previous interactions, they had made it pretty clear who they thought Jesus was. A liar, a manipulator, not part of their agenda. They did not want Him to mess up their lifestyle.
So this massive mob of roman soldiers, temple officials, and pharisees gather with lanterns, torches, and weapons and as they fill the garden, Jesus steps up to them.
Just a quick rabbit trail this morning - one of the things I love about this church is that it is full of godly men. So let me speak to the men for just a second. Notice the courage and boldness of Jesus in this moment. Knowing everything that is about to happen, he strides out to meet those who would take Him captive. He did this for at least two reasons: one is that He was strong enough to do the will of the Father in the most difficult circumstances. Second, we see from the next verses that His actions here protected His disciples from physical harm. In our world today, manliness is under attack. But here is an example of what a godly man does. He has the courage to keep his convictions and the strength to follow through with the Father’s will. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength under control. The same God who commands legions of angels allowed himself to be captured by mere men so that His next steps would lead Him to a cross. Godly men who follow Jesus are marked by courage, boldness and sacrifice. I am very thankful for the men we have here and my encouragement to you this morning is to be godly men on purpose and on mission.
Jesus boldly steps up to the mob and asks the question: whom do you seek?
This reminds us of another confrontation in another garden. When Adam first sinned and was confronted by the Holy God, he hid covered himself in shame. When the Holy God is confronted by sinful men, He strides out to meet them face to face, confident and in control. When Adam faces the guilt of his sin, he shifts the blame -”the women which You gave me” made me eat the fruit… Jesus, when faced with the guilt of our sin, Judas stands among them, confirms His identity and accepts our blame as His. He stands firm, does not flee or hide, He faces the soldiers - the just standing for the unjust.
Whom do you seek? They answer Jesus of Nazareth. While accurate, this shows the short shortsightedness of the crowd. They were looking for the man - Jesus. They didn’t ask for the Jesus who walked on water or the Jesus who raised the dead. They avoided the Jesus who claimed to forgive sin or the Jesus whose garment hem could heal the incurable. They asked for Jesus the man from Nazareth. Everyone brought their own expectations of who Jesus was, but in the end, all of them fell short of who He is.
Jesus responds - “I am he”. That is how we translate it, but the original words are Ego eimi which is the same phrase used in Exodus when God tells Moses to tell Israel, I AM has sent you. There is no mistaking what Jesus is saying here. One question we have not asked yet is who did Jesus think He was? - He knew that He is God and as He makes this statement, He is clearly communicating this to the mob. The Romans may have missed it, but the Pharisees would have heard this claim to deity loud and clear.
What happens next is one of the most mysterious things in the bible. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. We are not given much information here, but I have a hard time not believing this was anything other than a supernatural thing. We are talking about hundreds if not a thousand people in the garden armed to the teeth sent to capture one man. At His response Ego eimi, they make two moves. They draw back and fall tot he ground.
Who is really in control here? With two words He brought a non believing crowd to its knees. Even those who despised Him could not deny the power of this moment. I believe this is a precursor to a future that Paul describes in Philippians 2:10
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Tim Keller phrases it this way: “Nobody can stay on their feet in the presence of God. Everybody looses their footing.”
Everyone that night brought their own expectations. I’m sure none of them had arrest God in the garden on their bingo card. But in this moment they catch a glimpse of Jesus - the real Jesus. Some in the Bible caught a glimpse of majesty. Ezekiel fell on his face, Isaiah said “woe is me for I am lost”, Paul was blinded on the roadside.
Whom do you seek?
We all came to this place this morning with our own expectations. You are here seeking something. My prayer for us today is that we don’ let our view of Jesus be too small. That we don’t get so caught up in validating our own desires that we miss a glimpse of the real Jesus. He came to earth to reveal God to us. That is an encouraging thought. God wants us to know Him. He knows us with every flaw we have and He wants us to know Him.
Jesus reveals God to us by His presence among us. Jesus is …
Teacher - A humble guide sharing wisdom with those who listen.
Healer - A compassionate figure restoring the broken and sick.
Shepherd - A protector gently leading and caring for his flock.
Savior - A redeemer offering hope and salvation to humanity.
King - A sovereign ruler with authority over all earthly powers.
Light of the World - A radiant force dispelling darkness and illuminating truth.
Son of God - The divine offspring, embodying the essence of the eternal.
Lord of Lords - The supreme master, exalted above all names and dominions.
Alpha and Omega - The beginning and end, encompassing all time and existence.
Creator Incarnate - The living Word through whom all things were made, walking among us.
Are you willing to lay down your expectations and instead see Jesus for who He is? When we catch a glimpse of His divinity, like Isaiah and Ezekiel, our response is awe and worship. When catch a glimpse of who He is, our response is surrender and service. He will let you see a glimpse, but He will not force you to follow. Do you believe?
