The Journey From Life To Death (Part 1)

This Lenten season we are talking about Jesus' journey from death to life. After Jesus’ time with the disciples in the upper room, He prayed His High Priestly prayer and as Rob spoke about last Sunday. Jesus was praying for unity, indwelling of the Spirit, joy, glory, giving and salvation for those who come to believe in Him. All of His prayers are woven together and are anchored in the love of God. His prayer revealed the profound extent of His love for His disciples and for the world. In this next chapter we see what Jesus was willing to go through just to make that love a reality for us. Let’s turn to:

John 18:1-12

1 After Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where they entered a garden. 2 Now Judas His betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 3 So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the garden carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.

4 Jesus, knowing all that was coming upon Him, stepped forward and asked them, “Whom are you seeking?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. Jesus said, “I am He.” And Judas His betrayer was standing there with them. 6 When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”“Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered.

8 “I told you that I am He,” Jesus replied. “So if you are looking for Me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word He had spoken: “I have not lost one of those You have given Me.”

10 Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11“Put your sword back in its sheath!” Jesus said to Peter. “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” 12 Then the band of soldiers, with its commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him.

After Jesus and His disciples had celebrated the Passover and after He prayed the high priestly prayer for Himself, the disciples, and for those who would become His disciples, they crossed over the Kidron Valley and entered the Garden of Gethsemane. The Kidron Valley and Garden of Gethsemane were two places that were rich in historical and theological meaning to the reader. In fact John’s gospel is full of OT references from the very first verses. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word” - referring back to God’s pre-existence before time began. He was testifying about Jesus’ life from eternity past till He came to dwell among men as the Light and Redeemer of the world.

And in His journey from death to life, we see Jesus:

Cross the Valley

In the Garden

In God’s Will

In John 18:1, we see Jesus:

1. Cross the Valley

The Kidron River in the Kidron Valley got its name from the Hebrew word, cedron which means dark or murky. This described the waters that flowed from Kidron all the way to the Dead Sea. The location, which is near the East Gate of Jerusalem, is associated in the Scriptures with sorrow, the final judgment, and death. We know each year on Passover, blood from the passover sacrifices would be running down the valley into the Kidron River, turning the water red as it was mixed with the blood of the sacrificed animals. Josephus recorded that at some Passovers the Jews had slaughtered up to 15,000 lambs in one day. Each year the priests took the blood and poured it out over the alter and that blood flowed from the Temple down into the Kidron.

Kidron Valley, also called the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2; Rev 14:14-20) which means, “God has judged” speaks of God’s judgment on sin. Each year Israel brought animal sacrifices to pronounce judgment on their own sins and to pay or atone for their sins through the blood of these animals.

The cost for sin was staggering and John recorded in chapter 18:1 how Jesus crossed over this same valley, knowing that very soon, He would be sacrificed and that His own blood would be poured out for the sins of the world. But when Jesus crossed the Kidron valley, His intent was to pronounce judgment on sin and then to pay for the sins of the world with His once and for all sacrifice. In the last days, the OT tells us that when the Lord returns, He will gather all the nations into the Kidron Valley and bring judgment upon those who rejected His perfect (Joel 3:14).

(2 Sam 15), 1100 years before Christ we read how King David crossed over the Kidron when he was fleeing from his son Absalom. The Scriptures record that he “went up the slope of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went” (2 Sam 15:30). To make matters worse, David was then told that Ahithophel, his close friend & trusted advisor had betrayed him. It was on this occasion that David wrote Psalm 41, where he said, “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.” This is the same verse that Jesus quoted just hours before crossing the Kidron, during the Last Supper, when he predicted that one of His own disciples would betray him. This valley of Kidron was also called the valley of decision.