Shall I Not Drink the Cup? - John 18:1-11

©Copyright September 26, 2021 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

You never really know how you are going to react in a crisis or in the time of testing, until you are there. Someone may run into a burning building or be completely paralyzed. You might stop and rush to the scene of an accident or you may drive right on by. You might intervene in a bad situation (like a horrible argument), or you may stay out of it.

We all would like to think we know what we would do in a time of testing. Truthfully, we don’t know. You can learn a great deal about a person from how they handle a crisis.

Such is the case with Jesus. As we turn to John 18, we see Him facing the test of His life. He went into the Garden of Gethsemane knowing exactly what He was walking into. As we will see, He faced this awful trial with faith, courage, and resolve. We do not see Jesus in His time of greatest defeat . . . we see Him in the time of His most powerful expression of His love and deity.

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.

A Familiar Place

After the Passover meal and the rich teaching of chapters 14-17 Jesus and the disciples entered the Garden of Gethsemane. We are told it was a place Jesus had often gone with the disciples. I wonder about those other visits. Was it a place where they went to relax and be alone from the crowds? Was it a place where Jesus went to pray? We don’t know. What we do know is Jesus went to a place that would have been familiar to Judas.

If the Lord had wanted to dodge His arrest He could have gone with the disciples to a new place; a place Judas would not think to look. Jesus went boldly into the Garden knowing what was ahead.

It is interesting that between verses 1 and 2 some other things happened as reported in the other gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke, tell about the anguished prayer of Jesus as He neared this pivotal turning point in His life. He asked Peter, James and John to accompany Him and then He left them and went to pray. He was deep in prayer. He was in deep anguish and asked if the cup of suffering could be taken from Him.

We don’t know the reasons for His anguish. Was it the human side of Jesus not wanting to leave His friends (especially when He knew how hard and painful this would be for them? Jesus loved his disciples and separation would be painful. But, He knew He would shortly be back and their joy would be that much greater.

Was it the thought of enduring the pain of ridicule and persecution? Jesus would not have been human if He did not have such feelings. But I think the anguish was something far greater.

Jesus knew He must face the wrath of God for us so we could be forgiven. This agony of the Father turning His wrath on the Son caused His deepest anguish. Up until this point these two persons in the Trinity had been in absolute and total harmony. The temporary disruption of that harmony I believe was the crux of His suffering. To be deprived of that perfect fellowship for even a few hours; to have that intimacy with the Father and the Spirit turn to wrath; lead Him to the anguish that brought drops of blood.

We know Jesus ended the struggle with, “Not my will, but yours be done.” This was not a prayer of defeat; it was a prayer of submission and trust of the highest magnitude.

The question we ask in our study is: Why didn’t John include these well-known accounts in his account? One possibility is since John wrote last he knew this was well-documented in the other gospels. He set out to expand on the other gospels.

Another possibility is John was emphasizing something different. Throughout his gospel He set out to stress, not the human weakness of Christ but His mastery over this situation just as he had mastered every other situation. He was stressing the divine element of Christ.

An Aware Savior

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.

This story itself of the Garden is actually quite remarkable. Judas came out to betray Jesus so He could be arrested, tried, and crucified. We are told He had “a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards. The temple authorities had a kind of private police force to keep good order. They were under the direction of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish leaders). But the Roman contingent is from a Greek word that could mean three different things. It could refer to a group of 600 men, 1000 men (240 cavalry and 760 infantry), or on rare occasions it referred to 200 men! This is a much bigger contingent than we generally picture. All of this to arrest one man!

With all of this firepower. Jesus was not intimidated. He did not hide or attempt to deceive. He stepped forward to meet them. He asked them who they were looking for. Jesus has wrestled in prayer and came out of it with clear resolve and an absence of fear.

This kind of courage can only come to one who has gotten his strength from the Lord. If you and I are going to stand strong in a hostile world, we must spend time in prayer and the study of the Scriptures. HE is our refuge and our strength. It is not about the strength we can muster, it is about the strength that comes from Him.

A Powerful Demonstration

“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 Amhe,” 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.”

What we read next gives Jesus the upper hand. He responded to their answer with “I AM he.” In most translations the words “I AM” are capitalized (the word “he” is not in the Greek). This is a reminder of the way Jesus used this term to claim deity. When Moses asked God to tell him His name, the response was “I AM who I AM” which was shortened to “I AM.” God is the always present One. Jesus, then is using God’s name (correctly)!

At this simple statement we read “they all drew back and fell to the ground.” All these soldiers had come to arrest Jesus and in two words He showed them they were powerless before Him. Knet Hughes wrote,

Jesus’ response was the last exercise of the power by which he calmed the seas, stilled the winds, and healed the sick. Was Jesus caught on the wheel of history? Hardly! He is the axis of history. In a very real sense the cohort did not arrest Jesus—he arrested them! His words were a gracious warning that they were in way over their heads. Christ could have called 10,000 angels, each sixty feet high and armed with laser beams. But he did not. I wonder what was in Judas’ mind as he struggled back to his feet.[1]

I like that last comment. Do you think Judas was reconsidering what He had agreed to do. He should have been.

Jesus, who is now in the position of power even though He was vastly outnumbered, pleads for His disciples. He asks they be spared. Perhaps at this point the soldiers are suggesting to each other, “Let’s not push our luck.”

In the midst of this intense crisis, Jesus is in complete control. And this is important for us to remember as His followers today. No matter what happens to us. No matter how out of control and chaotic things seems to be, we can hide ourselves in the One who is never ever out maneuvered, out-numbered, surprised, or out of control.

You may be wringing your hands about a relationship that is struggling, an economic situation that seems to get worse every day, a physical problem that keeps going from bad to worse. It is possible you feel you are being backed into a corner where there is no means of escape, or your emotions are so raw you think you may lose it at any moment, here’s the message we must remember . . . Our Lord is always in control of any situation. Rather than panic, lean into Him. Run to the shelter of His wings and trust His wisdom and His power. He may deliver us from our crisis, or He may deliver us THROUGH the crisis but either way He will deliver us.

The Bible is filled with stories of God’s rescue. Moses was backed into the corner at the Red Sea; Israel faced armies that far outnumbered them; Daniel was thrown to the Lions; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace; Noah had to ride out the flood; Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale; Paul endured a thorn in the flesh, Jeremiah was put in a cistern; Joseph was sold into slavery. All these people had one thing in common: they were delivered in the end because they remained faithful. They kept their eyes on the Lord.

I know I get in trouble when I take my eyes off Him. When I focus only on what I can do, I am vulnerable and often at wits end. However, if I keep my eyes on Him; if I follow His directions; I can face whatever comes. The road may not always be smooth, but it will always take me to where I truly want to end up.

An Example to Follow

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?”

The scene changes. Jesus was in complete control of the situation but Peter, certainly out of love and loyalty for Jesus, took out his sword to defend his master. It was a foolish thing to do and could easily have provoked a blood bath.

Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s slave. From the other gospels we learn that Jesus restored the ear (and completely diffused the situation). Jesus then looked at Peter and said, “Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given to me?”

First of all, we see it is possible to have the best of intentions and still do the wrong thing. When we are guided by our passions, and not by the Holy Spirit, or the Word of God, we inevitably make a bad situation worse. We know this from personal experience, don’t we?

· Like Peter, in a tense situation we respond in anger and a show of force to show how strong we are, and in the process, we destroy our reputation and undermine our witness. We blow up any bridge we were working to build in just one act. Anger does not accomplish the will of God.

· We are hurt by what someone does, and we impulsively decide to do something that will hurt them back.

· Someone criticizes us, and instead of listening, we strike back with words meant to sting.

· Someone treats us with a lack of integrity, and we respond with a similar lack.

When we do such things, we may feel we are standing up for our rights. We are proud of ourselves and may even brag about our behavior. Yet, it is not the way God has mapped out for us. We believe we are doing what is right, but in reality, we are doing more harm than good.

The second thing we need to do is hear what Jesus says to Peter, “Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” These are hard words to hear.

They are hard to hear because many proclaim, and we eagerly embrace, the teaching that “God wants to bless us and wants us to have all good things.” I do not disagree with this statement. However, some interpret “bless” and “good” in worldly terms. In other words, they believe good and bless result in prosperity and a life that is free of trouble, or disease, or heartache. These folks tell us that if we are facing hard things, it is a result of a lack of faith.

We mentioned earlier all the Biblical people who went through times of great trial. Every one of the disciples, with the possible exception, of John, were executed for their faith. Paul was likewise killed and did not have an easy life. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, whipped, and left for dead several times. Brothers and sister in other countries are paying a tremendous price to follow Jesus. Some are giving their very lives. If it is true that hard times are the result of a lack of faith . . . all the heroes in Hebrews 11 are not really heroes. They simply lacked faith!

And then there is Jesus! He told us if they persecuted Him, we should expect to be treated no differently. Did He suffer from a lack of faith?

Jesus words to Peter, I believe, remind us that real faith in God is not seen in the times when everything is going our way. We don’t have to have any faith in those times. We do need faith when things are not going well,

· When our child is dying

· When the disease is advancing

· When the slander is growing

· When the funds are tight

· When the pressure is building

Faith is continuing to be faithful even when we are asked to drink a cup of suffering. We do this in the firm conviction that God has something planned we do not yet see. That “blessing” is more about our relationship with Him than it is about ease in our circumstances. And likewise, God’s definition of “good” is that which increases our dependence on Him. The statement is true: God wants to bless us and give us all good things . . . but it is only true when we define “blessing” and “good” as He does and not as the world does.

Later, Peter (was he thinking about these words of Jesus?) wrote,

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

The fact that life is difficult for you right now may be because you are disregarding God’s wisdom, and you are living according to the wisdom of the world. But it may also be just the opposite. The difficulties of your life may be God’s way of leading you or using you for something greater than you can yet see. God does not ask us to believe because of what we see. He says true belief is when we trust Him even when we don’t see.

When we accept the cup of suffering

· We will see opportunities for ministry around us

· Others will watch and be amazed at our attitude and be drawn to Him

· We will be forced to loosen our grip on the things we look to for satisfaction and pleasure and therefore have the opportunity to find the greater satisfaction that is found in Him.

· We will stop being so wrapped up in ourselves and the feeling that we are so “deprived” and be freed to enjoy the blessings He so richly bestows every day that most of us completely overlook.

· We will find in our humble submission a sweetness in His presence that words cannot convey.

Is our enjoyment of life tied to our comfort and circumstances, or is it tied to our Lord? Is our deepest blessing the trinkets of this world, or the grace extended through Christ? Are we putting all our focus on this world, or are we striving for glimpses of the next? Has He shown Himself trustworthy?

Jesus faced the most bitter cup of suffering ever . . . because He knew God’s plan was better than this world’s comforts. He refused to insist on calling the shots while He was here. He trusted the superior wisdom of His Father in Heaven. And the sooner we give up calling the shots, the sooner we will enjoy the sweet refreshment of walking with Him . . . whether it is in the way of ease, or the way of suffering.

[1] R. Kent Hughes, John: That You May Believe, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 417.