The Betrayal

Over the next couple of weeks we are going to be looking at the last hours of Jesus’s life. These series of events started at the passover or the last supper. The last supper was a time in which Jesus shared his final meal with his closest friends. The catch though was that one of his closest friends was also the person who would betray him into the hands of sinners. Jesus knew what was going to happen in the upcoming hours and he also knew that Judas was going to betray him BUT Jesus still ate and cared for him the same as the other disciples.

The passover meal concluded with Jesus demonstrating the Lord’s Supper with the disciples in order for them to remember his love and sacrifice for them, which is exactly what we do whenever we partake in the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper that we partake of and will partake on Easter Sunday is the perfect time to reflect on what Jesus did for each of us.

Once the Lord’s supper concluded Jesus and the disciples minus Judas went into the Garden of Gethsimine to pray.

This was one of the most difficult prayers for Jesus to pray because he repeatedly prayed that the cup would pass from him but ultimately for God’s will to be done. Jesus willingly took the cup of death in order for God to be glorified through it.

The cup was for God’s wrath to be poured out on his son for us to be made righteous.

The crazy thing about this Garden is that it was not a secret place or a hidden place but rather a well known area that Jesus frequently went too because Judas was expecting Jesus to be there.

John 18:1–14 NLT

1 After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. 2 Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. 3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. 4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. 5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I Am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) 6 As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! 7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.” 10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” 12 So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”

John 18:19–24 NLT

19 Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. 20 Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. 21 Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.” 22 Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded. 23 Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?” 24 Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.

John 18:28–32 NLT

28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?” 30 “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted. 31 “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. 32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)

Jesus being fully man and fully God came to this earth to willingly die for us. Nobody took Jesus’s life because no one could control him. Jesus purposely went and prayed in a garden that was known in order to give his life for us.

1. Jesus willingly gave his life.

John 18:4–9 NLT

4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. 5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I Am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) 6 As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! 7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”

Judas and the priest brought about an army to arrest Jesus. They came about with many soldiers and crowd of others to arrest him.

The craziest part about it though is that they came to arrest him in the dark of night so that others would not overthrow them.

They did all of these extra steps to arrest a person who willingly came to them.

Jesus knew that he was about to be arrested and then put to death in the most cruel way possible but yet he willingly surrendered to them. Jesus was in complete control of the entire situation.

Jesus knew the torture that he was about to endure for our sake but yet he went. He could have simply commanded legions upon legions of angels to come and kill these men that were accusing him but he didn’t.

Jesus walked out of the garden and faced his accusers. Jesus then asked the people what they wanted or who they were looking for as if He didn’t already know what their plan was.

But as soon as he said that I am he. The whole crowd of people stumbled backwards and fell.

So many times we feel as if Jesus was overtaken in the garden because they brought an army to arrest him and we almost want to make Jesus the victim of this story but in reality Jesus willingly took the pain to become our savior.

There was at no point in this journey to the cross in which Jesus was not completely God in human form.

Throughout Jesus’s life he was preparing to die but through that he was leading people to the cross as well.

2. Jesus was open with his ministry

John 18:19–24 NLT

19 Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. 20 Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. 21 Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.” 22 Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded. 23 Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?” 24 Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.

Throughout his life Jesus was teaching and leading people to himself. He was never shy to teach against false teacher or lead people to God. The high priest accused Jesus of preaching falsely and wanted him to tell the council what wrong he had done.

But Jesus’s response was let the people who regularly heard me to tell you what I preached about in the synagogues among all Jewish people. His ministry was a public ministry in which he publically pointed people to the Christ through preaching but also through caring for others.

If we want to call our selves Christians how are we emulating Christ in the way we live. It is easy to say that we are a Christian but if you were accused of something would your friends and those closest to you be able to say the same things.

Would your actions show that you are a follower of Christ?

He wanted His actions to speak for him because he did no wrong. Throughout his life they could not find a single fault in him and not because he defended himself but that he wanted other people to defend what he was being accused of.

How can our lives replicate this same life in which we allow for our actions to speak for us?

Through him not doing any wrong he was then sent to be judge by the people because they had the problem.

3. Jesus innocently was sentenced to die.

John 18:28–32 NLT

28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?” 30 “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted. 31 “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. 32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)

Jesus the innocent man was sentenced to death to become our savior. But the reality is that Jesus himself orchestrated the entire series of events in order for him to be crucified.

We are called to live as Christ in a way in which we share him throughout the world. We are called to live differently than the world but not separate from it.

Whenever we look at the way that Jesus was falsely accused we can quickly get mad about it or think how he could of handled it differently and be a free man. But Jesus allowed for his actions to speak for him through the people that have surrounded him.

How are you actions bringing people towards Christ?

There is a saying that says this:

“Preach the Gospel and when necessary use words!”

If you were being falsely accused of acting contrary to a Christian could your friends defend you by your actions.