John 18:1-11 | Oars and Swords
Notes
Transcript
Today we are continuing in our series through the book of John.
And we are now moving into chapter 18, which brings us the shift that will take us to the end of the book
For seventeen chapters, John has shown us Jesus moving freely.
He walks into cities and crowds
He teaches publicly.
He heals openly.
Men have tried to take Him before—and every time, they couldn't.
But this moment is different.
Not because His enemies have finally become powerful enough.
Because His hour has come.
No more sermons before the crowds.
No more signs.
No more traveling from town to town.
Jesus walks across the Kidron and into a garden—
and from this garden He will begin His walk toward the cross.
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.
Judas was one of Jesus’s disciples, who we read earlier had left the last supper to go and betray Jesus
He had arranged to receive money from the religious leaders, to take them at night to where Jesus would be, and identify him to the soldiers so he could be arrested
They knew that arresting Jesus in the broad daylight would no doubt cause a conflict with Jesus’s followers
So he had to be taken at night, away from the crowds, and he had to be taken quickly to avoid his disciples and other followers working to protect him, and possibly him escaping
So the plan is simple, Judas would lead them to Jesus, they would surround him, he would identify him, and they would quickly arrest him]
They thought they had it planned out perfectly, that nothing could go wrong, and they now had the upper hand
But from the beginning, Jesus shows them, he is the one in charge, he is the one with the power
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”
We like to look at our life, as something we have immense control and power over
We like to think that we have a level of authority over our life that allows us to control our outcomes
And our obsession with control is partly an attempt to compensate for our lack of knowledge.
We plan because we don't know.
We manipulate because we don't know.
We worry because we don't know.
Jesus doesn't merely possess greater control—He possesses complete knowledge.
And in this moment, the soldiers, the pharisees, even Judas, believed they had bested the God of creation - but ultimately they did not an understanding of what was going to happen, and the truth of that moment
This is a truth that is so integral for us to understand in this life
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW - ONLY CONSIST OF WHAT YOU ACTUALLY KNOW
AND THAT IS WHY WE WORRY
AND THAT IS WHY WE LACK TRUST
AND THAT IS WHY WE LIVE IN THIS CONSANT STATE OF FEAR EVEN THOUGH WE BELIEVE IN CHRIST
BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW OR THINK WE KNOW IS NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE - AND DEEP DOWN, WE KNOW THAT
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
This is not to say we shouldn’t plan, or we shouldn’t prepare
THIS IS TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD NOT BUILD OUR LIVES, OUR HAPPINESS, OUR JOY, OUR TRUST, AND OUR PEACE ON THINGS THAT WE DO NOT KNOW
WE ARE SO LIMITED IN OUR MINIMAL AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUTURE, AND THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD - YET WE WILL BASE ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVE ON THE HOPE OF WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN
But James says YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW
WHATEVER HOPE YOU HAVE IN THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD - COULD CHANGE TOMORROW
AND IT IS THAT MOMENT THAT YOU WILL BE FORCED TO COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT YOU DON’T KNOW ALL YOU THOUGHT YOU DID
Faith doesn't require you to pretend you know what tomorrow holds.
Faith allows you to admit that you don't.
Because you peace was never supposed to come from knowing what happens tomorrow.
Your peace comes from knowing the One who does.
You see the longer we build our life on the basis of what we think we know, the less trust we have in God.
And the unfortunate result for so many, is that one day something drastic happens in their life that reminds them just how little they really know
The man who was built his life, and his hope, and his joy, and his fulfillment, in a career for decades, loses it - and for the first time in a long time, he’s reminded of how little knowledge and control he has
The one who has built their life, and their hope, and their joy, and their fulfillment, in a person, loses them - and for the first time in a long time, they are reminded of how little knowledge and control they have
And I would hope that you could look at your life today and say....
Yes I prepare
Yes I plan
Yes I work
Yes I build relationship
Yes I strive to learn and understand this life I am
BUT AT THE SAME TIME I UNDERSTAND JUST HOW LITTLE I ACTUALLY KNOW
AND SO I WILL INSTEAD FIND MY HOPE, AND MY JOY, AND MY FULLFILLMENT IN THE ONE WHO KNOWS NOT JUST MORE THAN I DO, BUT KNOWS EVERYTHING
The men come to Jesus in the garden, he sees them approaching, and he goes to them
He knows why they are there before they even speak
He knows what Judas has done
And he approaches them
BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE IN CHARGE OF THIS SITUATION
HE IS THE ONE WITH THE POWER
And he is the one that speaks first
He says Whom are you seeking?
5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
This is one of those passages that we don’t really understand the fullness of what has happened, but we know the result
Jesus speaks the words I am He, and immediately the men fall to the ground
I find it unlikely that they are in some sort of shock as they know what they are there to do
They know they are coming to find Jesus so it wouldn’t make sense for them to be this shocked to see him
Some believe that because Jesus said I am He that they were shocked at his claim of being the I Am, the name of God, however i also find this unlikely because Jesus has made this claim before, so this would have been nothing new to hear him say this
Some believe, and I think this is the most likely explanation, that in this moment there was some supernatural force or power behind the words of Jesus in this moment, that it quite literally cause the men to fall to the ground in reverence and fear
There seems to be no explanation from John as to why they fell, possibly indicating there was no obvious visible reason for it
And I think in line with the theme of this passage, what do we see....
A group of soldiers, religious leaders, weapons, torches come to capture one man
AND THEY COME THINKING THERE IS NO WAY THAT JESUS COULD BEST THEM NOW
THEY COME THINKING THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY OVER HIM IN THIS MOMENT
AND FOR WHATEVER REASON - JESUS SPEAKS, AND ONLY BY HIS VOICE, THE SOLDIERS AND THE LEADERS, AND THE WEAPONS, AND ALL THESE THAT HAVE COME TO EXCERCISE AUTHORITY OVER HIM FALL TO THE GROUND
But Jesus doesn’t use this to his advantage and run away
he doesn’t order the disciples to attack, he stands right where is at and ask them again, WHOM ARE YOU SEEKING
THEY ARE FORCED NOW TO COME TO A REALIZATION OF WHAT THEY HAVE COME TO DO
HE HAS NOW FORCED THEM TO RECOGNIZE THE GREAT ERROR IN THEIR WAYS - THAT THEY HAVE COME TO CHALLENGE THE POWER OF THE GOD ALL OF CREATION
8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
Jesus ask them in this moment to allow his disciples to leave, and just take him, but the in this moment at least one disciples was not about to leave that easily
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 the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
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Can I take you back to another time, similar to this one
In the middle of Jesus’s ministry, he is sitting up on a mountain, praying after a long day of ministering to the multitudes
And as he is resting he looks down to see his disciples in a boat crossing over the sea of galilee
As Jesus looks at these men that he cares so deeply for, he sees chaos erupt around them
A storm comes over the hillside and just consumes
The disciples begin frantically doing all they can to save themselves
THEY ARE WORKING THE SAILS
THEY ARE ROWING AS HARD AS THEY CAN
They travel miles in the midst of this storm just trying to row themselves out of it.
And there is something almost exhausting about that picture.
Because every stroke of the oar is doing something.
The boat moves.
They make progress.
So they pull again.
And again.
And again.
But no matter how hard they pull—
they cannot make the wind stop blowing.
They can control the oar.
They cannot control the sea.
They can decide how hard they row.
They cannot decide what the next wave does.
And there are moments in life where that distinction gets awfully hard to accept.
Because there are things you can put your hands on.
A decision you can make.
A phone call you can make.
Another hour you can work.
Another conversation you can have.
Something you can fix.
Something you can plan.
Something you can hold together for just a little longer.
So you keep rowing.
Not necessarily because you're rebellious.
Sometimes because you're scared.
Because stopping feels like surrendering control of something you desperately want to control.
And eventually you will realize you have spent your entire life and all of your strength fighting the sea—
without ever admitting that you were never in charge of the sea to begin with.
WHAT A TRAGEDY OCCURS IN THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS EVERY SINGLE DAY
AS THEY TAKE THEIR LAST BREATH ONLY TO REALIZE THEY HAVE SPENT THEIR LIVES TRYING TO CONTROL A STORM BY ROWING A BOAT
And as Jesus in the garden, he is standing in the middle
With soldiers approaching him, weapons draw, trying to take control of this situation
Religious leaders, standing back, observing, orchestrating this entire plan, thinking they have control of the situation
Judas has just betrayed Jesus, feeling as if he is the one who is in charge this entire operation
AND NOW WE HAVE PETER, ONE OF JESUS’S CLOSEST DISCIPLES AND FRIENDS, TAKING A SWORD, AND TRYING TO CUT OFF THE HEAD OF THE SOLIDERS ATTACKING JESUS - BECAUSE HE FEELS HE NOW HAS TO CONTROL THIS SITUATION
THEY ARE ALL ROWING IN A BOAT, INCH BY INCH, MILE BY MILE, DOING ALL THEY CAN TO GAIN A LITTLE GROUND IN THE MIDST OF A STORM NONE OF THEM HAVE CONTROL OVER
But this wouldn’t be the first time Peter has relied on himself, and in what he thought he knew
We often think of the scene of the disciples in the boat in the midst of the storm, as happening in the span of a few minutes
But the Bible says they rowed miles
They would have been rowing for a very long time
AND AS MORE AND MORE TIME PASSES THEY NATURALLY DO AS WE DO, THYE START RELYING ON THEMSELVES AND THEIR OWN POWER MORE AND MORE AND MORE
But when they felt alone in that moment, relying only on their own power, what they didn’t know, was Jesus, was slowly making his way out to them
As Jesus saw them struggling in the boat, he stands up and starts making his way down
JESUS COULD HAVE JUMPED UP THE MINUTE HE SAY THE STORM
HE COULD HAVE TAKEN OFF RUNNING
HE COULD YELLED AND PLEADED WITH EVERYONE AROUND HIM THAT HIS FRIENDS WERE CAUGHT IN THE STORM, AND ASKED THEM TO COME HELP
HE COULD JUST APPEARED RIGHT BY THEIR SIDE
OR HE COULD HAVE STOOD UP, TOLD THE STORM TO GO AWAY, AND THE STORM WOULD HAVE JUST BLEW BACK BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS WHERE IT CAME FROM
But instead Jesus gets up, and walks out to them
and while he is walking out to them they are rowing, and they are fighting the storm, for mile after mile
BUT JESUS ISN’T RUSHING
JESUS ISN’T WORRIED
And I can’t help but see the same character of Jesus standing here in the garden
SWORDS ARE SWINGING
SOLDIERS ARE PREPARING
HIS DISCIPLE HAS BETRAYED HIM
TENSIONS ARE HIGH
AND JESUS DOESN’T RUSH
JESUS DOENS’T YELL AND SCREAM
JESUS DOESN’T RUN AWAY
HE STANDS THERE CALMLY, IN THE MIDST OF THE CHOAS, IN FULL CONTROL
The disciples in the boat look out to the sea, wondering if they will even live, and what do they see
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
WHO IS THE ONE WHO IS STANDING ON THE WATER IN THE STORM
AND HE LOOKS ONTO THIS CHAOS OCCURING
AND HE SAYS BE OF GOOD CHEER!
BUT HE DOESN’T SAY BE OF GOOD CHEER BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER
HE DOESN’T SAY BE OF GOOD CHEER BECAUSE YOU CAN DO IT
HE SAYS BE OF GOOD CHEER - IT IS I - BE NOT AFRAID
HE IS THE ONE WHO STANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHAOS, IN FULL KNOWLEDGE AND CONTROL OF EVERYTHING AROUND US AND EVERYTHING ABOUT OUR SITUATION, AND HE SAYS BE OF GOOD CHEER , BE NOT AFRAID - BECAUSE I AM HERE!
AND THE SAME GOD WHO STOOD ON THOSE WATERS, AND STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SOLDIERS IN THE GARDEN
STANDS BESIDE YOU, AND IN YOU TODAY
AND HE HAS JUST AS MUCH CONTROL IN THE CHAOS YOU ARE LIVING IN TODAY AS HE DID THEN
SO WHY ARE YOU SCARED?
WHY ARE LACKING HOPE?
WHY WILL YOU LEAVE HERE TODAY AND GO BACK TO ROWING YOUR BOAT THROUGH THIS LIFE, AND SWINGING YOUR SWORD AT WHATEVER YOU CAN TO TRY AND CONQUER THE CHAOS YOURSELF - WHEN JESUS IS STANDING BESIDE YOU!
HE HAS THE POWER
HE HAS THE CONTROL
HE HAS THE KNOWLEDGE
HE HAD IT THEN - AND HE HAS IT NOW!
But we will, doubtless, do just this
We will leave here today, and get back in our cars and start thinking about all the miles ahead we need to keep rowing through, and all the conflicts we need to take the sword to
That’s what Peter did
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
You’ll be here again soon
I’ll be here again soon
We all will
Soon, maybe even this week, after seeing the display of the power of Jesus today, we will still go back to him in fear, and we will look around at the chaos, and pull out our oars, and our swords again, and we will try and take control
And Jesus will be there for us, again and again, and he will pull us up out of our lacking faith, again and again
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And when this happens, maybe this week, it will then probably happen again the next week, and maybe the next again
And we will continue to live this life with oar in one hand and sword in the next, occasionally setting them down to grab the hand of Jesus, but our condition is one that no doubt we will continue to return to our own control even when we know we have none
Peter did.
In Matthew, we see Jesus respond to Peter, with the same condemnation as in the boat
52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
JESUS SAYS PETER DO YOU THINK I NEED YOUR HELP IN CONTROLLING THINGS
I CAN JUST PICTURE US SWINGING OUR SWORDS THROUGH THIS LIFE TRYING TO CONQUER EVERYTHING AND GAIN CONTROL OVER EVERYTHING
AND JESUS SITS IN HEAVEN WITH LEGIONS OF ANGELS AROUND HIM WATCHING US FLALE AROUND TRYING TO SAVE OURSELVES
Peter has just watched Jesus put an armed company of men on the ground with His voice—
and somehow Peter still thinks Jesus needs his sword.
He shows Peter of the same lacking faith he had in the boat, chaotically doing all he can in his limited understanding to gain some sense control, and as JESUS IN THE SAME STORM AS HIM, stand calmly, he reminds him, PETER STOP - I AM THE ONE IN CONTROL - NOT YOU
In Luke 22
We read that after calming Peter, he steps into the chaos, Peter caused, and he demonstrates his control
He reaches over to the man who’s ear Peter just cut off, and he heals him, the one who was there to arrest him
IT CAN BE DISCOURAGING TO THINK WE WILL PROBABLY LIVE IN THIS CYCLE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES
But what can happen, is with every moment we lack faith, Jesus grows our faith even greater as a result
JESUS DOENS’T JUST HAVE CONTROL, HE TAKES CONTROL
HE DOESN’T JUST STAND IDLY BY PROCLAIMING HE IS IN CHARGE
HE STEPS INTO THE STORM, HE WORKS IN THE MIDST OF THE CHAOS WE CAUSE TRYING TO GAIN CONTROL
AND AS A RESULT EVERY TIME WE DOUBT, AS WE WILL AGAIN AND AGAIN, WE CAN LOOK BACK WITH GREATER FAITH EVERY TIME
HOW WONDERFUL IT IS THAT THE ONE WHO HAS ALL CONTROL CHOOSES TO STEP INTO OUR LIVES AND DEMONSTRATE HIS CONTROL OVER THE MESS WE CAUSED
You understand that is the entire condition of mankind right
GOD PLACES US IN A PERFECT WORLD, WITH NO CHAOS, NO SIN, NO STORMS, NO NEED FOR THE OARS OR THE SWORDS TO PUSH OUR WAY THROUGH THIS LIFE
AND INSTEAD OF DWELLING IN HIS PERFECT CONTROL OVER THE WORLD FOR ETERNITY WE CHOOSE SIN, AND CHASE AFTER CONTROL OURSELVES
What did Satan tell Adam and Eve - YOU CAN BE LIKE GOD - YOU CAN HAVE THE CONTROL IF YOU EAT OF THE FRUIT
AND AS WE FULLY DESERVED TO FACE THE EFFECTS OF OUR SIN AND SPENT THE REST OF OUR TIME ALONE, STRIVING FOR CONTROL
INSTEAD GOD SENDS HIS SON TO STEP INTO OUR CHAOS AND TO DIE ON A CROSS, PAYING FOR THE SIN THAT WE CHOSE
AND AT NO POINT DID HE EVER LOSE CONTROL
NO MAN COULD CONTROL HIM
NO BETRAYER DISCIPLE
NO STORM
NO SOLDIERS
NO SWORD
NO CROSS
NO DEATH
AND NO GRAVE
BECAUSE HE HAD CONTROL OVER ALL, AND POWER OVER ALL AND HE EXEMPLIFIED THAT IN THE GREATEST WAY AS HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD SHOWING ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT HE HAS POWER AND CONTROL OVER ALL
AND IF HE HAS POWER AND CONTROL OVER DEATH ITSELF
DO YOU THINK HE HAS POWER OF THE STORM YOU ARE IN?
WHAT IF.....
JUST FOR A MOMENT, WE STOPPED RELYING ON OUR OWN POWER
WHAT IF WE JUST SAT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHAOS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
WHAT IF WE JUST PUT THE OARS DOWN FOR A LITTLE BIT
WHAT IF WE JUST PUT THE SWORDS AWAY FOR A MINUTE
AND STOPPED TRYING TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE STORM
WHAT IF WE STARTED RELYING ON THE ONE WHO HAS PROVEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT HE IS IN CONTROL?
I THINK YOU WOULD ACTUALLY START TO SEE SOME PEACE IN YOUR LIFE.
NOT BECAUSE THE STORM IMMEDIATELY STOPS.
NOT BECAUSE EVERY PROBLEM DISAPPEARS.
BUT BECAUSE WHEN YOU FINALLY STOP TRYING TO CONTROL EVERYTHING AROUND YOU, GOD CAN BEGIN TO BRING ORDER TO EVERYTHING WITHIN YOU.
THE STORM CAN STILL BE CHAOTIC WHILE THE MAN STANDING IN IT IS AT PEACE.
AND THE MOMENT YOU GIVE UP CONTROL - WELL THAT’S WHEN YOUR LIFE WILL START TO FALL IN ORDER
