John 18:1-11 - The Betrayal of the King

Well, because of that break and the fact that we left off at a significant pivot-point in the narrative, I’m going to give us all a recap of what we’ve seen up to this point in John’s gospel account.

Alright, the big picture:

Jesus went back and forth from Galilee to Jerusalem teaching and performing miracles in chapters 1-6.

Then he did this predominantly in or around Jerusalem in chapters 7-12.

Then he taught his disciples in the upper room in chapters 13-17.

And that’s as far as we got, but he will go on to be betrayed, denied, convicted, crucified, buried, and raised from the dead, and then restore his dejected disciples back to ministry in chapters 18-21.

Now for a bit more of the specifics of what we’ve gone through in the gospel of John.

We started in John chapter 1 with a theological prologue that told us exactly what John’s gospel is about…

Jesus, the Christ, God’s Son, the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.

We also saw how John the Baptist testified about Jesus being the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and how Jesus called his disciples in vastly different ways.

Then in chapter 2 we saw Jesus perform his first authenticating miracle…

Displaying his power over creation by turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana…

We also saw how he went from there to Capernaum and then to Jerusalem where he cleared out the temple in his zeal for the Lord’s house and he subtly predicted his death and resurrection and made enemies of the religious leaders.

Then in chapter 3 Jesus had a lengthy conversation with one of those religious leaders, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, about how Jesus would grant eternal life as those who believe in him are spiritually born again in the new covenant.

We also saw how John the baptist exemplified the attitude and actions of one who has been born again by humbly exalting Christ.

Then in chapter 4 Jesus had another lengthy conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well about how Jesus came to give spiritual life, and through this woman’s belief and how she told the whole town about Jesus, that entire town in Samaria was given spiritual life because of their faith in Jesus.

We also saw how Jesus went back to Capernaum and healed an official’s dying son from afar, again proving his deity through this miracle.

Then in chapter 5 Jesus went back to Jerusalem and healed a lame man on the Sabbath and spoke at length with the religious leaders there proving his authority to heal on the Sabbath as the Christ, the Son of God, but they refused to believe the obvious truth.

In chapter 6 Jesus went back to Galilee and ended up feeding a massive crowd of people with only 5 loaves of bread and two fish, and then he taught them the spiritual significance of that miracle, that he is spiritual sustenance as we feed on the gospel remembering and meditating on all of the implications of his sacrifice on our behalf.

Then in chapter 7 Jesus secretly went back to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths and tension about him steadily rose to a fever pitch as he taught and gave a genuine offer of the gospel to everyone there and the religious leaders finally made a move to arrest him that was unsuccessful because Jesus’ time had not yet come to be glorified.

In chapter 8 Jesus continued his conversation with the religious leaders who were trying to arrest him and he revealed some of the benefits of believing in him and scathingly admonished the religious leaders for their unbelief, and ended up giving the clearest claim of his own deity in all of the Bible, “before Abraham was, I am.”

Then in chapter 9 Jesus healed a man who had been born blind, and the religious leaders showed their cruelty and Jesus showed his compassion in the events that followed that miracle.

In chapter 10 Jesus continued a conversation with the religious leaders in which he revealed his relationship with those who believe in him and his relationship with those who don’t through the metaphor of a shepherd, sheep, and strangers.

He continued this same metaphor in a later conversation in chapter 10 with the religious leaders in Solomon’s Colonnade where he claimed equality with God the Father saying, “I and the Father are one,” and they tried to stone him to death right there, but again, his time had not come so it was unsuccessful.

In chapter 11 Jesus was laying low back in Capernaum, but his good friend Lazarus was sick and ended up dying, so Jesus and his disciples went to Bethany, a town very near Jerusalem, so that Jesus could display his power as the Christ, the Son of God yet again by proving his resurrection power over death by raising Lazarus after he had been dead for many days.

We also saw at the end of chapter 11 how the religious leaders finally put together a formal plan to put Jesus to death.

Then in chapter 12 a lot of things happened which revealed that Jesus’ time to be glorified in his death and resurrection was about to happen.

Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume preparing him for his burial, Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on a kingly donkey, and he revealed that he was about to be killed to save the world.

In chapter 13 the narrative shifted to Jesus intimately teaching his disciples, and he began with an object lesson of humble, unconditional, and sacrificial love that he commanded his disciples to perpetuate.

He also revealed to his disciples that one of them would betray him.

In chapter 14 Jesus comforted his disciples who were anxious about him leaving them.

He comforted them by assuring them that he would come back for them, and that he would leave them with another helper, the Holy Spirit.

Then in chapter 15 Jesus went back to his teaching about humble, unconditional, and sacrificial love by giving the metaphor of a vine and branches to show how we are to bear the fruit of love in the power of Jesus to the glory of God the Father.

He also revealed the hatred of the world against those who love with Jesus’ love.

In chapter 16 Jesus comforted his disciples again who were now anxious about the difficulty of the task he had left them with.

He comforted them with the details of specifically how the Holy Spirit would help them, how their sorrow would turn to joy when Jesus would come back for them, and how Jesus had overcome the world which would continue to hate him and them so much.

Then in chapter 17 Jesus prayed for his disciples in a way that summed up all of what he had been teaching them that night, he prayed for their love, protection, and unity in him.

Now, as we begin the last section of John’s gospel we have another narrative shift from his intimate teaching of the disciples to the events surrounding his glory… specifically the glory of his death and resurrection on our behalf.

I’m going to refer to Jesus in each of these events as the King because one of the last narrative events Jesus did before this section is ride into Jerusalem as a conquering king in chapter 12.

And the first of these events is his betrayal, the betrayal of the king, here in John 18:1-11.

There’s no doubt that this betrayal is evil.

And it’s really easy to see evil like this and think that either God’s sovereignty is limited just like our own perception and power are limited against such evil, or that God’s goodness is not so good.

It’s easy to think, “how could a good God allow such horrible evil?”

If God is good and sovereign, then why would he allow such blatant wickedness?

And with such evident evil it’s tempting to think that either God isn’t good or he isn’t sovereign.

But we’re going to see in our passage that Jesus demonstrated both his perfect goodness and his ultimate sovereignty in the midst of the evil of his betrayal.

Because the truth is that IN God’s goodness and sovereignty he allows evil to exist for perfectly good reasons.

In John 18:1-11 we’re going to see Jesus’ goodness and sovereignty in the midst of his betrayal because he has a perfectly good reason for allowing it.

We’re going to walk through this brief event to see Jesus’ peace, power, and protection all while allowing the evil of his betrayal to take place for the perfectly good reason of laying down his life for us.

So first, we’re going to see his peace in verses 1-3 .

John 18:1–3 ESV

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.

Here we see…

The Peace of the King as He was Betrayed (1-3)

Leading up to this event, Jesus was praying for his disciples as they walked together though the busy streets of Jerusalem.

John wrote that this was after Jesus had spoken these words.

These words referring to the prayer Jesus had just spoken on behalf of his disciples both present and future.

After Jesus finished praying for his disciples he led his current disciples to a place away from all the hubbub of Jerusalem during the Passover.

He led them to a place on the other side of the seasonal brook called Kidron which would have been dry at that time of the year.

And the place he led them was a peaceful and quiet garden to await the betrayal that was taking place.

But the disciples thought they were just going to rest up and have a late-night prayer and hymn-sing in their favorite garden like they did so many times before.

You see, Judas also knew about this peaceful place and the custom Jesus had with his disciples to go there.

Remember, he was one of Jesus’ twelve closest disciples.

John has mentioned Judas by name only three times in his gospel leading up to this point, and each time he made sure to mention something about this betrayal.

John 6:70–71 “Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.”

John 12:4–6 “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

And John’s third mention is lengthy surrounding Jesus’ example of humble, unconditional, and sacrificial love in the first half of chapter 13.

John 13:2 “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,”

John 13:11 “For he (Jesus) knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.””

John 13:27 “Then after he (Judas) had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.””

John 13:30 “So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he (Judas) immediately went out. And it was night.”

Judas was one of the disciples, and he intimately knew Jesus’ routines and habits, so he knew that Jesus and his disciples would be retiring to that particular peaceful garden that very night.

But Judas wasn’t the only one who knew what was happening.

Jesus knew exactly what Judas was up to, that’s why he said back in 13:27, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

But notice how peaceful Jesus is.

John simply says that after he prayed for his disciples, after he had spoken these words, he went out to the place he always went out to, the place where he knew Judas would lead the religious leaders to arrest him.

He went out peacefully because this was all part of Jesus’ plan.

He wasn’t surprised by Judas’ betrayal, he had planned for it to happen.

Remember, Jesus said back in John 13:18–19 “But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.”

He told his disciples that this would happen, and that it was all part of the plan as it was prophesied by David in Psalm 41:9.

And now that betrayal was happening, according to Jesus’ sovereign and good plan.

We see in verse 3 that Judas gathered a crowd of people, decidedly not peaceful, to come and arrest Jesus.

The ESV says that he gathered a band of soldiers.

The Greek word is commonly translated “cohort” which was a 600-soldier detachment of the Roman army.

Now, it doesn’t make much sense for the entirety of those 600 soldiers to come and arrest one guy.

That’s why the ESV translates this word the way it does.

Because it was probably a smaller group of the cohort of soldiers to serve as physical backup in case the arrest went sideways.

It’s like calling 911 and the cops show up… not all of the Eureka PD… but enough of them for whatever the situation warrants.

But Judas also gathered officers from the chief priests and Pharisees.

These were probably the same temple police officers that tried to arrest Jesus at the Feast of Booths back in chapter 7 verse 32.

So, Judas has gathered a crowd of Roman soldiers and Jewish police officers, and they all came marching into that peaceful garden with torches and lanterns and weapons.

They were expecting to have to search for Jesus.

They were expecting to have to take him by force.

They were expecting resistance.

They were not expecting to find Jesus at peace or for him to come peacefully…

Because they had no idea who they were really coming to arrest, and they had no idea that he had expected and sovereignly planned for this to take place.

So, we saw the peace of the king as he was betrayed, the peace Jesus had as his betrayal was taking place.

Next, we’re going to see his power in verses 4-7.

John 18:4–7 ESV

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. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Here we see…

The Power of the King as He was Betrayed (4-7)

In verse 4 notice how it was Jesus who initiated the interaction with these officers and soldiers.

And he initiated this interaction fully knowing all that would happen to him.

John will go on in the rest of this chapter and the next to describe the torture and mistreatment Jesus would go through after his arrest.

I can’t even imagine the pain and sorrow Jesus would go through.

But Jesus fully knew all that would happen after his arrest…

And he still stepped forward and initiated this interaction that would lead to that agony.

He stepped forward and asked them a simple question.

“Whom do you seek?”

Remember, they didn’t really know who Jesus was.

He was very open about his identity throughout his ministry

But the religious leaders refused to believe it, and the roman soldiers didn’t care to even listen.

They had no idea that they were sent to arrest the Christ, the Son of God, and they answered Jesus’ simple question almost as if they are reading the name on the warrant for his arrest.

“Jesus of Nazareth.”

In the other gospels it was Judas who identified Jesus as the one they came to arrest by kissing him on the cheek, an act of intimate affection turned into the worst betrayal.

But in John’s gospel Jesus is the one who revealed his own identity.

John leaves out the kiss because he is presenting Jesus’ full sovereignty and control of this entire situation.

So, Jesus asks them who they are looking for, and they answer, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

And then Jesus turns himself in willingly, peacefully, and as we will see, powerfully.

He says, “I am he.”

Now the Greek does not have the word “he” here.

It’s simply the words ego eimee… “I am.”

This is the same thing Jesus claimed back in John 8:58 “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.””

This is the name God identified himself by with Moses in Exodus 3:14 “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ””

This is a powerful name and a powerful claim.

But before we get to the effect this name has on the crowd of soldiers and officers, John reminds us that Judas was with them.

Judas, who was in the act of betraying Jesus, was also with the crowd who did not believe in Jesus.

And John uses the exact same Greek wording and phrasing as he did back in verse 2.

Judas, who was betraying him, also knew the place.

Judas, who was betraying him, was also standing with them.

You see Judas is caught between identifying with Jesus as one of his disciples who knew about his custom of going to that garden because he had done it with him so many times before.

He’s caught between that and identifying with these soldiers and officers as one who doesn’t believe in Jesus who was standing there listening to Jesus claim to be God in a powerful way.

So Judas is standing there as an unbeliever with the rest of the crowd of soldiers and officers, and the power of God in the voice of Jesus claiming to be “I Am,” puts all of them on the ground.

They were standing there, but Jesus’ power forcefully drops them to their knees.

This is what’s going to happen with all unbelievers when Jesus comes back.

They aren’t going to suddenly believe in Jesus and bow before him as Lord.

No, Jesus’ sovereign power and judgment will drive them to their knees while we who believe willingly bow before him.

As Paul puts it in Philippians 2:9–10 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

Well, after Jesus’ display of sovereign power driving them to their knees at his claim to be God, “I Am,” Jesus asks the exact same question a second time.

“Whom do you seek?”

And they answer the exact same way.

“Jesus of Nazareth.”

His display of power that they all felt had no effect.

Their answer didn’t change.

They were still just as unbelieving as they were before witnessing Jesus’ power personally.

That is the state we are all in before the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life and sight to see and understand who Jesus really is and love him and submit to him willingly.

Blind, and unresponsive to Jesus, to the gospel, as Paul says in Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”

So we saw both the peace and the power of the king as he was betrayed.

Finally, we’re going to see his protection in verses 8 -11.

John 18:8–11 ESV

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.” 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?”

Here we see…

The Protection of the King as He was Betrayed (8-11)

Even while he was being betrayed he still actively protected his disciples because this is the perfectly good reason why he allowed this evil to happen in the first place.

His protection of us from sin and death by dying in our place and rising from the dead.

Jesus had two different reasons for asking who they were seeking each time he asked that question.

The first time he asked it was to set up his powerful answer as he claimed to be God, “I Am,” and at his name every knee present in that garden bowed.

The second time he asked who they were seeking it was to confirm their persistence to arrest him and to use their answer to protect his disciples.

He confirmed that they were only there to arrest him and not to arrest his disciples.

He says, “I told you that I’m the guy on your arrest warrant, I’m the guy you’re seeking, so arrest me, but let my disciples go.”

“Take me, punish me, but let them go.”

Even as he’s being betrayed and arrested, knowing exactly what pain and sorrow awaited him, he was mindful of his disciples, protecting them from harm.

This is what the good shepherd does.

It’s what Jesus said back in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

And he lays down his life willingly, sovereignly, in full control of the situation.

It’s not taken from him, he lays it down willingly that he may take it up again.

This is what Jesus said in John 10:17–18 “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, 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.””

Again, Jesus was not taken by surprise with this betrayal and arrest, it was part of his sovereign plan.

I mean, he just displayed his power, that he could force this entire crowd of trained soldiers and officers to their knees by simply saying his name, “I Am.”

Jesus was not helpless, he was not taken into custody against his will, he willingly laid down his life for his sheep.

And then John comments that Jesus did this, he protected his disciples in this way, to fulfill what Jesus had already said, that not one of those the Father had given him would be lost.

That’s what Jesus prayed in the previous chapter, in John 17:12 “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.”

It’s also what Jesus said about all who believe in him, all of his sheep back in John 10:28–29 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

This is the whole reason Jesus became a man in the first place, to protect those who believe in him, to protect us from sin and death by laying down his life for us.

And we have assurance that we will not be lost, nothing can snatch us away from him because in his sovereignty and goodness he protects us in the midst of the evil he allows for his good purposes.

Well, Peter didn’t get the memo.

He saw this crowd of soldiers and officers as enemies, as threats, and somehow he thought Jesus needed to be protected from them.

He’s making good on his claim from John 13:37 where he said, “I will lay down my life for you.”

Peter claimed that he would lay down his life for Jesus, and here he is jumping between Jesus and the crowd who came to arrest him.

A single fisherman with a sword challenging an entire crowd of trained soldiers and officers with torches and lanterns and weapons that they were experts at wielding.

Peter had no idea how to properly wield a sword, he was used to wielding nets and sails.

But he strikes out anyway and ends up cutting off the right ear of one of the servants named Malchus.

Now, John gives us these details for a reason.

Assuming that Peter is right-handed, to cut off someone’s right ear is a cross-body strike.

It’s a wild swing not a clean one.

Further evidence that Peter has no idea how to use a sword.

He’s way out of his depth.

And the name of the guy Peter struck is important because he’s going to come up again later in the chapter as one of his relatives confronts Peter about this incident.

These details also reveal that John was an eye-witness to these events that really happened.

Some may look at what Peter did and say that it was brave, but in reality it was the most foolish thing he could have done.

He didn’t lay down his life for Jesus like he thought, he was throwing his life away for no reason.

Jesus didn’t need protecting.

I mean, look at what he did by just speaking his name to this crowd!

Peter’s the one who needed to be protected.

And Jesus does protect him…

But instead of simply rebuking him, Jesus speaks to Peter’s heart, his motivation for striking out and cutting off the servant’s ear.

You see, Peter didn’t want Jesus to be taken away from him.

He didn’t want Jesus to have to go through with this pain and sorrow.

We can be like Peter with the prospect of pain and sorrow we and our loved ones experience.

We want to protect our loved ones from pain and sorrow, so when threats come we lash out and fail to rely on God’s sovereignty and goodness.

Now, we should absolutely protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm.

But how often to we see threats to us or our loved ones as allowed by God in his sovereignty and goodness for his good purposes?

When we pray about these threats, do we remember how Jesus prayed in this very garden before he was betrayed.

Luke recorded Jesus prayer that night in Luke 22:41–42 “And he (Jesus) withdrew from them (his disciples) about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.””

And that’s how Jesus responds to Peter, reminding him of his commitment to allow this evil in his sovereignty and goodness for his good purposes.

He tells Peter to put away his sword, to stop resisting, because he had already resolved to drink the cup the Father had given him, to go through with this pain and sorrow, this evil, because of his good purposes.

His perfectly good purpose for allowing this evil in his sovereignty and goodness is the gospel.

The good news that Jesus took your place under God’s wrath, he received your death penalty so that you could be forgiven.

And he did it in his sovereignty and goodness.

He protected his disciples in that moment, even foolish Peter swinging wildly to try and save Jesus from what Jesus had sovereignly orchestrated to save him.

And by enduring this evil he has protected you from sin and death if you have faith in him.

Conclusion

So, through this account of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest we’ve seen Jesus’ peace, his power, and his protection.

We’ve seen his sovereignty and his goodness in the midst of this great evil because he had a perfectly good reason for it.

The cup the Father had prepared for him to drink.

His sacrifice on our behalf.

How he willingly laid down his life for his sheep.

So that none of us would be snatched out of his hand.

So that we could be forgiven and have eternal life to live with him forever.

Jesus was peaceful in the midst of the evil of his betrayal and arrest because he was sovereignly in control of the situation.

We can be peaceful in the midst of evil in our lives as well when we trust Jesus’ sovereignty and goodness, and when we trust that he has a perfectly good reason for allowing it, though we may not get to know what that specific reason is.

Jesus is sovereign, he’s in control, and he’s good, so whatever the reason for the evil you experience might be, you can trust that it is a good reason because Jesus loves you and he laid down his life for you, and nothing will be able to snatch you out of his hand.

Jesus displayed his power in the midst of the evil of his betrayal and arrest to show that he’s in control, that he’s laying down his life, and that no one is taking it from him.

We can rely on his power in the midst of evil in our lives as well when we trust Jesus’ sovereignty and goodness rather than our limited perspective, and when we rely on his power rather than our own.

Jesus has the power to stop any evil that may happen to you, so you can trust that if he wants it to stop then it will absolutely stop, but you can also trust that he has a perfectly good reason if he allows it to continue.

And Jesus displayed his protection in the midst of the evil of his betrayal and arrest to show that this is the good reason for allowing this evil in the first place.

We can have confidence in his protection in the midst of evil in our lives as well when we look evil in the face and respond like Paul in Romans 8:35–39.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So in the face of evil in the world rest in the peace, power, and protection of Jesus your king.

And if you haven’t yet put your faith in Jesus, then all of this may seem a bit foolish to you.

I mean, it doesn’t make much sense for a man to give up his life like this, to just lay down and take it, to be a door mat.

But Jesus did all of this, he endured all of this so that you could be forgiven if you simply have faith in him.

It makes sense for Jesus to willingly and sovereignly give up his life like this because he did it for you.

You can be forgiven for your sin, you can be protected from sin and death because Jesus willingly laid down his life for you.

All you have to do to be forgiven is believe in him and confess your belief in true repentant faith.

Pray to God and tell him that you believe in his Son who died for you to be saved from sin and death.

And tell us that you believe in Jesus so that we can rejoice and embrace you as a fellow believer.

Pray

Father, thank you for showing us the glories of your Son Jesus in your Word.

Thank you for showing us his peace, power, and protection in the midst of the evil that you allowed for your good purposes.

Thank you for saving us through Jesus’ sacrifice, for forgiving us and rescuing us and protecting us from sin and death.

Lord, it’s hard to see and receive the evil and injustice in the world.

Help us to remember your sovereignty and your goodness, and help us know that you have a perfectly good reason for allowing that evil to persist.

We know that you will come back and judge all of this evil and injustice.

Help us rest in your sovereignty, and your timing.

Give us peace in the face of evil as we remember your power and protection, your sovereignty and goodness to bring about your good purposes, to bring about our salvation.

Help us look to Jesus’ example.

It’s in his glorious name we pray. Amen.

Communion

Well, we are going to turn our attention to communion now.

Just like we do on the first Sunday of each month.

And if you are visiting with us today, and you are a baptized believer in good standing with your home church then you are welcome to join us.

The elements are going to be passed out, and just hold onto them when you get them until everyone has been served, then we will all eat and drink them together.

Well, as the men pass out the elements, I want to consider what we looked at earlier, the betrayal of the king, and how that applies to what we are doing now with this bread and cup.

When Paul taught about the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:23 he said, “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,”

He locates the time that Jesus instituted this “on the night when he was betrayed.”

This betrayal was so significant to the events that followed that Paul treats it like a hook on the timeline to hold in place the institution of the Lord’s Supper.

But why is it so significant to the events that followed?

Before Jesus was betrayed he told his disciples to eat and drink this bread and cup as a reminder of his sacrifice as often as they could.

After he was betrayed he went through with that sacrifice that they were to remember and identify with.

This betrayal and arrest are the pivot point or the gateway to Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

It was necessary in God’s sovereign plan and for his sovereign purposes for Jesus to be betrayed by one of his close friends, then he would give his body and blood so that we who believe in him could be forgiven.

With this bread and cup we remember Jesus’ sacrifice, his body given and his blood shed for us.

But when Paul mentions the night Jesus was betrayed it brings to my mind the fact that Jesus gave more than his body and blood.

He also gave up a relationship with a close friend who would forever be lost.

It’s easy to cast Judas as the ultimate villain, like Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello.

It’s easy to read about him and almost be happy that he got what he deserved.

He ended up feeling so guilty that he killed himself without being reconciled to God.

What he got was eternal punishment in Hell.

But I can’t help remembering Judas as one of Jesus’ close friends, and how this betrayal must have hurt Jesus just as much as the whip on his back, the nails in his hands and feet, and the thorns on his head.

The pain of this betrayal was necessary just as the pain of the cross and the pain of God’s wrath against the sin of the world was necessary for Jesus to bear.

The rest of the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 says this, “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Pray

Father, thank you for the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus.

Thank you for that sacrifice, for Jesus’ body given for us, and his blood shed for us.

Thank you for the new covenant in his blood, that we could have new hearts and your Spirit living inside of us because of Jesus’ death on the cross.

Thank you for this reminder.

I pray that you would help us remember this as often as we can, as often as we eat and drink, as often as we fellowship with each other.

I pray that you would help us live in light of Jesus’ sacrifice both physical and relational.

And help us proclaim his death, his sufficient sacrifice to reconcile us all back to you.

Help us proclaim this wonderful good news until he comes back.

And help us look forward to that day when all of the evil and injustice will be made right, and all of your good purposes become clear.

And help us trust in your sovereignty and goodness as we wait with hopeful expectation.

We thank you, and praise you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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