John 18: 1 – 14
Okay, Who Brought Their Kid
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. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “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.” 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.” 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?” 12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
For today’s study I think it is important to include what the other Gospel writers say. In this situation all 4 Gospel writer are moved to talk about it.
Matthew 26:47–56 “47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 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? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” 55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Mark 14:43–52, 43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.” 45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. 47 And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 48 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then they all forsook Him and fled. 51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
Luke 22:47–53? 47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
John’s account of the events described in John 18 onwards differs to some extent from that of the Synoptic in a number of ways. Firstly he emphasizes the complete sovereignty of our Holy Lord Jesus as He undergoes what takes place. It is made repeatedly obvious that He Is completely in control of the situation. Nothing that happens to Him is seen as happening by accident or outside His control, and there is the distinct impression that if He chose to do so He could put a stop to the process at any moment.
Not that we must overemphasize this difference of presentation, for each writer sees The Lord Jesus as in control, and has little doubt that, had our Holy Lord Jesus wished to do so, He could have avoided what was to come, as indeed He Himself stated elsewhere (Matthew 26.53). But the point is that John makes it the underlying basis of his presentation.
Secondly, there are many details included in John’s account which are not recorded in the Synoptic. They demonstrate that the writer had inside knowledge through his relationship with the High Priestly family which the disciples as a whole would not have had access to.
Leaving the Upper Room our Lord Jesus led His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Almost all teachers who have covered this incident say that Judas knew where to find our Holy Lord. I want to describe here that Judas did not know for sure where our Lord and the rest of the disciples were at. As we put together a chronology of the time frame we see some interesting things which you will see helps explain how the young man [who I believe is Mark] winds up running away naked.
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.
I want you to be special investigators in reviewing the evidence and the landscape of this day. First of all I want us all to re-think why our Lord picked out two of His disciples and told them where to go.
We read this in chapter 14 of Mark’s version who received his information from Peter. “Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples. Please take note of what takes place and see if you can pick up something unique is happening.
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?” 13 And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. 14 Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” 16 So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. 17 In the evening He came with the twelve. 18 Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.” 19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?” 20 He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. 21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
Were you able to pick up something strange was taking place. Let me give you my findings and see if it agrees with you. You will note that the disciples asked the Lord where He wanted to celebrate the Passover. We can agree that all the apostles [including Judas] were hanging around catching the conversation. As we note in verse 10 Judas had already agreed to betray our Lord Jesus so he was waiting for an exact location so he could tell the religious leaders and get his money. Would you agree?
However, Judas even though he spent personally more than three years with God, he was blinded with his sin. He overlooked that our Holy Lord Jesus knows all things even the thoughts of people. He knew that Judas had met with the Pharisees and agreed to betray Him. When you look again at Mark’s version He lets this fact be known.
To through a curve ball at Judas our Precious and Wonderful Master picks out two of His faithful followers and instructs them about where the Last Supper will be held. You will note that He does not give any location. It is almost like a puzzle that He gives the two directions on finding the place. If you were there and not the two men picked would you be able to find the right location?
Our Holy Lord knew the exact location and when it was time traveled there with the rest of the disciples which included Judas. So, Judas now knew where they were but he did not know how he could get word to the Pharisees of where the Lord and all of the disciples. I can just picture Judas thinking that since they were all in an enclosed room the authorities could grab the whole lot of Jesus and His followers. Perhaps he could get some more money. I believe that this is why our Lord not soon after He tells Judas to do what he has planned to do leave the upper room and continues in chapter 14 through 17 teaching the disciples as they walk to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Judas headed immediately to the chief priests who would then return to arrest Jesus and hopefully the entire group. However, these religious leaders understood that they are to be sneaky because of fear of a potential riot. Mark tells us also in chapter 14, “After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”
The events around the actual arrest of our Lord Jesus were difficult for the chief priests, for it was indeed during the time of the Passover Festival when the population of Jerusalem increased approximately two million people and a riot I a group of that proportion would certainly bring down the full force of the Roman army.
We will see shortly in verse 3 of today’s scripture that the Roman authorities were willing to send their troops with the religious leaders to deal with the arrest of the Lord and His disciples. In fact it appears that the Roman leader sent a ‘cohort’ to assist the chief priests. A ‘cohort’ contains about 600 soldiers.
Now when we read the scriptures we fail to take into consideration time elements. You see that Judas does not immediately come to Gethsemane. There was probably a time element of at least 3 hours between the time he left the Upper Room and when he arrived at the Garden. Again don’t forget that our Lord had the time to speak to the disciples regarding the words of chapter 14 through 17 and then He prayed for three hours in the Garden.
Judas would need some time to travel to the location of the chief priests and wait until they could meet and get together their temple guards. Then the chief priests and Pharisees would travel with the temple guards to the Roman commander and convince him that it was in the interest of the Roman Government to help them in their task in order to keep peace.
Now with all the players gathered where do you think Judas would go? You may respond that he and the arresting group went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Good response but I believe that Judas would have first led the group to where he last left them. Stop and think. Wouldn’t you think you would stop where Jesus and the disciples ate the Passover meal first? After all you have to go by it first before you make your way to where our Lord camps out over night. Perhaps they were still there.
So, I am going to suggest something that from the hints brought out in the scriptures kind of unveils. I believe that the house where our Lord ate the Last Supper with the disciples was Mark’s parent’s house. It was the upper room where our Lord ate Mark reveals this in verse 15, 15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” So, the family’s living quarters were on the first floor.
So, I believe that Judas and the huge amount of followers show up at Mark’s home. When they were notified that Jesus and His group were gone then they set out for the Garden as we read in verse 2 of John as Judas knew the place. Mark of course was at home and heard all the commotion and decided to sneak out still in his night clothes and see what was happening. The word translated as ‘linen sheet’ means a thing made of fine clothe such of a light and loose garment worn at night over the naked body. This sudden leaving his house with just what he had on had to be the case for we find out later that it was cold outside because Peter went to warm himself by the fire after our Lord was arrested. On a cold night in early spring no one in their right mind would go outside just wearing only one piece of clothing, unless of course you were an inquisitive kid.
2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
The religious leaders as I mentioned also brought their Temple Police with them. Had the ‘Romans’ been performing the arrest they would not have allowed the Temple police to take such a prominent part.
John remembers the scene vividly, the dark, the oil lanterns, the flaming torches, the weapons, enough to frighten any small group at night. We should remember that when Judas went out ‘it was night’. Now he comes back and it is still night, and the only light now left to him is the artificial light of oil lanterns and flaming torches. This was his hour and the power of darkness. He has deserted the light of the world.
I want you to take note that John excludes much of the detail of the time in the garden contained in the other Gospels. This was already known in the churches and he does not wish to repeat it once again. Nor, presumably, did it fit in with his purpose. But verse 11 demonstrates that he was aware of it.
The ‘Roman’ soldiers are not mentioned in the other Gospels so that they clearly kept well to the back. As suggested above this shows that they did not see the arrest as directly their affair. The attention of the other Gospels was concentrated on the Temple Police who headed the action and were more readily noticeable in the gloom. It was John with his inside knowledge who obtained the full details of the arresting party.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “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.
Please note the significance of what John reveals in verse 4 - 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”
Our Holy Lord acted with full knowledge of the situation. In fact it says He was waiting for it. All was known to Him and had He wished He could have called on twelve legions of angels. Then where would the Roman cohort have been? But He was ready for what was to happen, for His hour had come.
Now, I want to comment about what some church’s who claim that they are Christian do in their meetings. Have you ever heard someone say that they were ‘slain in the spirit’? I watched some TV shows on Christian networks with some non-believers. It was a comedy. Instead of focusing on our Lord Jesus some clown was swing his jacket or touching someone on their forehead and the person lost consciousness. My un-believer friends ask what was happening. I told them that these people say that they have the gift of ‘slaying people in the spirit’. To my embarrassment the non-believer said, ‘Well doesn’t the word ‘slay’ mean to kill someone?’ To render someone unconscious does not mean to slay them. I told them that that was a true evaluation but those people just use the term ‘Slain in the spirit’ from what happened in the Garden when the evil mob came to arrest The Lord Jesus. After The Lord Jesus replied to the mob, ‘I AM’ He, the whole mob fell over.
7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 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.”
I want you to take a close look at what is going on here. This entire group is coming to get Jesus. They feel that with all the weapons and manpower they are in control of the situation. Yet, as you can see they are not, our Mighty God Jesus Is. He tells them that He Is the One they came after and that they are to let the others go. Our Lord Jesus’ concern for His disciples shines through in these words. He was trying to extricate His disciples from their predicament. His point was that as it was Him Whom they were seeking let them take Him and leave the others alone
John understood that at this point in their lives and ministry that it was actually necessary for The Lord Jesus to protect His disciples. In their state at that time they may not have been able to cope with beatings and torture and may have turned back. So He delivered them from it. Besides it was necessary for them to survive in order to fulfill the task for which they had been chosen.
Have you ever heard of the statement ‘ the shot heard around the world/”The phrase originated in a poem which describes the 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord which opened the American Revolutionary War. The two sides squared off one against the other and just stared each other down. Until out of somewhere a shot was fired. No one ever knew from which side it came from. The result however, started each side shooting.
In a similar manner the parties stood at each other until someone started the action going. Guess who it was? Yep, it was Peter.
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?”
John alone gives us the names of the swordsman and of the servant. Luke tells us that Jesus then healed the man, but this is surely what we would have expected. Only Luke, as a doctor, thought the healing important. We are going to see later that John is in the Priests home and in our next study John states that the High Priest knew him. That being the case then probably the servant would also know John and John the name of the servant.
It is possible that John’s love for the Lord Jesus overcame his fear and although he fled like the other disciples he ultimately made his way to where they took the Lord Jesus. Peter also loved The Lord but was rebuked by the Lord for striking the High Priest’s servant. He followed at a distance and also made his way to where the Lord was taken but in fear that people would dime him out as the one who struck the High Priest’s servant he kept on the peripheral area.
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Please note that now the Roman soldiers now immediately stepped in. They had watched the chaos among the Temple police with The Lord Jesus’ approach and had now seen a sword drawn in anger. This was why they were there. So they arrested Him and bound Him. Peter’s resistance had not been good for Jesus and only Jesus’ words and actions had saved Peter from arrest.
Let us not forget the young man. The soldiers started grabbing everyone who didn’t have on a uniform. Apparent one of the soldiers was also a young man as we read, “And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. ‘
Fortunately it was dark outside and there weren’t any street or house lights. Mark ran home naked after wriggling out of his night garment.
Now in an amazing sense prophecy is being fulfilled as these soldiers take our Lord to the High Priest’s home.
Just as the Passover lambs had to be examined by the priests before being sacrificed, so now Jesus, God’s Passover Lamb, was to be examined. It had to be made apparent that He was holy and without blemish.
Annas had previously been High Priest but he had been replaced by the Romans with Caiaphas. However as far as the Jewish people were concerned he was still seen as the High Priest for the office was until death as the book of Numbers chapter 25 verse 25 explains. He was thus in the ideal position to carry out a preliminary examination as he was recognized by the people as having authority and yet not officially involved.
Thus from the point of view of the Jews the official High Priesthood was for life, even though it was not so viewed by the external politics of the day in view of his powerful influence on things. So while Annas was deposed from the position in 15 AD, something religiously impossible, and was replaced, he remained High Priest as far as Israel was concerned. In 18 AD his son-in-law Caiaphas became High Priest.
Thus he retained a strong grip on the hearts of the people who still looked on him as High Priest, and resented Roman interference. Indeed he bore the title, along with some of its influence, for life. Thus Luke could say ‘the High Priest was Annas and Caiaphas’ (Luke 3.2), with a deliberate use of the singular because they were looked on by the people as sharing the office even though not officially.
Having already declared the things that he previously had, Caiaphas was clearly biased. Certainly the readers of John’s Gospel would recognize the bias. It was as though the judge has given his verdict before the case.
I always go back to what Joseph told his brothers after their dad was buried. He told them that what they had schemed and done to him was evil but God made for good. It was true then and the same thing true here in today’s scripture along being true in all our lives. Amen
