Christ’s Willing Surrender
Notes
Transcript
Read
Read
1 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.
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?” 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.
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.” 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?”
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
The Scene
The Scene
The Garden of Gethsemane was at the base of the Mount of Olives.
It was the place that Christ frequently stayed with His disciples.
Especially on weeks of feasts and celebrations.
It was His habit to pray there and stay there.
Judas knew there were high chances that they would find Jesus here with the others.
The Horde of People approaching Christ was most likely high in number…
Although we are not given the full amount.
A cohort/band of Roman soldiers could be as many as 400-600 soldiers.
One may ask why so many to arrest Jesus…
Well, extra garrisons of Roman soldiers were regularly brought into Jerusalem at the times of Feasts/Celebrations to squash any over-zealous participants or rioters.
Based on the last interaction with Jesus and the RL’s there were many crying out Hosanna, God save us as Jesus entered the temple.
The Temple Officers had also not yet been able to arrest Jesus.
So, the Roman soldiers would have been given by Pilate to help arrest Jesus…
And, to squash any upheaval of His followers.
Although, the Romans and the Jews were enemies…
Isn’t it amazing how enemies can partner together for common goals.
As the saying goes…
—> The enemy of my enemy is my friend
To Jew & Gentile alike…the true God is their enemy.
This whole scene takes our minds back to…
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
Why do the Nations rage?
Because the Nations hate God and seek to betray Him at every turn.
Now, we see a known character brought back into the story again…
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.
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
Here we are given the details of…
The Betrayal
The Betrayal
Judas Iscariot.
Under the ministry of Jesus for three years.
Jesus as caregiver
Jesus as professor
Jesus as mentor
An M.Div degree, in America, averages $45k-$85k and that’s just for the courses.
Not only getting an education that is greater than any seminary…
But, also being given practical ministry experience, exampled and lead by Jesus Himself.
Entrusted as the treasurer of the group.
John tells us he regularly stole from the common funds of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus pouring Himself into the disciples, including Judas.
Yet, Judas betraying Jesus for a mere 30 pieces of silver.
Which was at most 4 month’s wages.
Or the price of a slave…
Which shows the small value they placed on Jesus.
They esteemed Him not.
Imagine pouring 3 years of discipleship into someone.
Mentoring them in theological teachings, and practical ministry opportunity.
And, in the end, rather than being grateful to you, actually betraying you for a minimal amount of money.
But, let’s not grab our tar and feathers for Judas, quite yet.
There’s a passage that speaks of us in the same terms…
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
This is a universal judgment upon all mankind.
We Are Judas
We Are Judas
Judas is symbolic for how mankind treats God.
Although God pours out common grace upon all mankind…
Making it to rain on the just and unjust.
Making the sun to shine on the just and unjust.
Making the seasons to remain.
Rain for the crops
Crops for the livestock
Upholding the universe by the power of His Word.
Which includes the oxygen we breathe…
And, the ability to breathe it.
The list goes on, but the entirety of our lives should be a response of gratefulness to God for His providence…
But, rather we betray Him and seek to rid ourselves of Him.
You may say, but I’m a believer…
Yes, and in Christ there is no condemnation.
However, every time you sin, you are choosing to betray Christ for:
Temporal comforts
Temporal glory
Temporal emotions
Temporal economic gain
Temporal pleasure
After all that God does for mankind…
We betray Him for less than 30 pieces of silver.
We are not better than Judas.
We disguise our betrayal of God in all sorts of clever ways…
Judas disguised his rebellion and betrayal with a kiss.
Judas whom Jesus said…
23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
The one difference between Judas and us…
—> Is whether or not we are in Christ.
Whether or not we trust Christ for our salvation.
Judas rejected Christ.
Judas trusted in money.
Who do you trust in?
Only Christ will satisfy your needs before God.
All other things will not stand the test.
Only Christ is God’s provision for reconciliation.
Which brings us to Christ in this passage.
I want us to see…
The Power of Christ
The Power of Christ
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.
There’s this huge armed band of soldiers.
There’s officers from the Chief Priests and Pharisees.
They’re armed with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
At the time of passover is:
Full moon
Temperature being cold…
It would be a clear night.
The lanterns and torches are less about seeing, and more about checking for people hiding in crevices and caves in the mount of olives.
They came out for one purpose…
Arrest Jesus at any cost.
They’re armed and ready to squash any upheaval or resistance.
They’re equipped to search for anyone hiding in the night.
They expect there to be a chase and hiding.
That’s how it normally goes.
But, rather than a chase they find Jesus coming to them…
4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 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.
Jesus knowing all things, and always in control…
Comes out to surrender Himself.
After all, they’re not actually after a criminal…
But rather, one they’d like to disguise as one.
Judas is described as being with those who stand against Christ.
He is not for Christ. He stands against Christ.
But, Jesus in surrendering Himself, answers their question, and we see two things…
#1 – We see the name Jesus uses in response to their question.
#1 – We see the name Jesus uses in response to their question.
I am.
The same name God told Moses to give to the Israelites when God led them out of captivity.
We seek Jesus of Nazareth, they say.
I am, Jesus says. (he is absent)
#2 – We see the power of Christ.
#2 – We see the power of Christ.
6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
This is the same voice that told the winds and waves to be still.
Winds and waves that had seasoned fisherman crying like a baby.
This is the same voice that spoke creation into existence.
This is the voice who just leveled seasoned soldiers with the sound of His voice.
This is the voice that upholds the universe.
This is the voice that could have called down a legion of angels to do His bidding.
No one takes His life.
He lays it down willingly.
And, we see this very truth in which all Christ does is speak His name and the soldiers fall back to the ground.
But, in Christ’s mission to redeem His people…
Rather than using His power for escape from the will of God.
He used His power to surrender to it.
And, in His use of His power to surrender to the will of God in His mission of redemption, we see Him protecting His own.
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.”
The Protection
The Protection
Now, while there is no doubt that within God’s providence there is a care given to each of His own that protects them from physical harm when that physical harm would put us in too deep a spiritual danger.
We are not robots.
We are moral agents.
God uses means to:
persuade us
direct our steps
keep us off certain paths
All for the purpose of us walking in the good works that He has prepared beforehand for each of His children.
And, we do know that Christ has much ministry planned and promised for the disciples future, after His ascension.
And, so we do know that it is not their time for imprisonment or death.
And while many stress the physical safety that Christ is allowing the disciples by asking them to be let go…
I think that stresses the wrong thing of what Christ is doing.
I do not think this is primarily about the Disciples being let go in order to fulfill His word of Him not losing one of them…
Because ultimately the keeping is not about physical safety in this life.
But, rather, the not losing one is about the ultimate and fulness of salvation for all of Christ’s sheep.
And, that does not ultimately come through physical safety, but through Christ going to the cross.
So, rather than the fulfillment of His not losing one being primarily tied to the His request for them to be let go…
I think the not losing one should be primarily tied to His surrendering Himself to the cross by allowing Himself to be arrested.
What fulfills Christ’s not losing one is His surrender to the will of God in His arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection.
—> This is our security.
And, I think the contextual proof backs this up.
Look at…
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?”
The True Battle
The True Battle
The true security is not of flesh and blood.
It is not physical.
It is spiritual.
And, Christ states that Peter drawing his sword to protect the physical is actually an obstacle to what will truly secure all of the sheep of Christ…the CROSS.
Because without the cross:
there is no security
there is no forgiveness
there is no redemption
there is no reconciliation with God
there is no eternal life
Let’s think about this...
Let’s think about this...
None of this caught Christ off guard.
He knew what the will of the Father was.
He did not use His power to resist it…
—> But rather to surrender to it.
With the goal being:
the glory of God.
the eternal redemption of those whom the Father gave Him to redeem.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
