Arrested According to Plan - John 18:1-14
I’m sure many of you are aware of U.S. Airways Flight 1549. If that’s not ringing a bell perhaps the name Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger will. Sully was the captain that performed the emergency landing in the Hudson river. There were 155 people on the flight and amazingly everyone survived.
As a side note, Lauren and I have two friends whose fathers were both on the flight. Small world, right? The flight was heading from LaGuardia to Charlotte. Apparently, everyone who was on the flight gets together for a reunion every so often.
But Sully’s immortal words from that particular moment were, “brace for impact.” That was all he said over the intercom.
In my mind, it’s one of the greatest stories of remaining calm under pressure. Sully couldn’t panic because lives were at stake, he had to think clearly as the plane was going down.
Staying calm under pressure is important because it demonstrates control. Because isn’t that what everyone wants? When things aren’t going well, like, for example, your plane is going down, you want to know that someone is in control of the situation, they have a plan and know what they’re doing.
John doesn’t record Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, but the other gospels tell us that he’s arrested after spending time in prayer. And so, Jesus resolutely stands to face his accusers after spending time in prayer. He remains calm under pressure.
John 18 is the meat of Christ’s passion because here, Jesus is arrested and is hours away from his crucifixion. In fact, the crucifixion takes place in the next chapter.
And so, ‘the hour’ that Jesus has referenced for many chapters is finally upon him. You could even say that Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer was centered upon his crucifixion and how everyone would handle it.
But Jesus is more than simply calm under pressure. Like Sully, things are not looking good for Jesus and his disciples, yet we know that he is in complete and total control.
I hope you picked up on this, but throughout the passage we just read, even during Jesus’ arrest, he’s still in complete and total control. And we see this in three ways: First, Jesus chose the location (vv. 1-3). Second, Jesus openly and clearly identified himself (vv. 4-11). And lastly, Jesus turned himself over to them (vv. 12-14).
He chose the location (vv. 1-3)
For the last three or so chapters, Jesus has been with his disciples in the upper room teaching them. John chapter 17 is obviously Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, and after he prays, Jesus along with his disciples head to the garden of Gethsemane across from the brook Kidron, which is where they arrest him.
And we’re told in verse 2 that this was a regular gathering spot for Jesus and his disciples. They’d likely meet in the garden for prayer or perhaps to have Jesus teach them, regardless it was a familiar spot to his disciples.
Across the brook Kidron to the Garden.
But although John does leave out details that are mentioned in the other gospels, he does give some other incredibly interesting details. For example, John makes the point to tell us that Jesus and his disciples crossed over the brook Kidron in verse 1.
And no doubt, you have this image in your mind of this sad group walking across the brook Kidron, in the middle of the night, just outside of the walls of Jerusalem in order to head into the garden where they would regularly pray.
And of course, we’re told that Judas would have been keenly aware of the garden as a typical gathering place for Jesus and his disciples. He knew about the garden and brought the mini army with him there to find Jesus. It seems to be one of the first places Judas took them.
The whole episode is very reflective of 2 Samuel 15. 2 Samuel 15 records another king, King David, as leaving Jerusalem, heading over the brook Kidron in a state of deep grief and sadness because his son Absolam had usurped the throne and taken control of Jerusalem.
But there’s a key difference between these parallel accounts: King David went over the brook Kidron to flee from his enemies, but Jesus went over the brook Kidron to meet with his enemies.
I play a fair amount of hide and seek with our kids. And whenever I hide from them, they immediately search all the obvious places. They look behind doors, in showers, or under beds.
It’s gotten a lot tougher because there’s only so many hiding spots. You have to get creative.
But I have to confess, that on more than a few occasions, I’ve been roped into a game of hide and seek and my heart just wasn’t in it. I didn’t feel like playing. So you know where I’ll hide? I’ll hide in all the obvious places like behind doors, in showers, or under beds. And so the game is over in like two seconds.
No doubt, that’s what’s going on here. Judas finds Jesus with the disciples in their typical gathering spot, which of course begs the question: did Judas find Jesus or did Jesus want to be found? Obviously, Jesus wanted to be found, right? Jesus knew where to go so that Judas would find him.
Which is why the large band of Roman soldiers, temple, guards, and Pharisees with their swords and torches were not only unnecessary but insulting.
Jesus had no intention of fleeing from them or making it difficult for them to arrest him. It was all to fulfill God’s plan, which of course, goes to my main point: who’s really in charge here?
The mean looking men with swords and torches or Jesus Christ who is very God of very God, begotten not made being of one substance with the Father? The reality is, Jesus selected the when, where, and manner in which he would be arrested which demonstrates his sovereign control.
He identified himself (vv. 4-11)
And of course, Jesus really had every opportunity to hide. He could have slipped into the shadows of the night. He could have disappeared. He could have avoided detection and avoided arrest. He didn’t have a smartphone tracking his every move.
But of course, to slip into the shadows would be contrary to the will of God, and so instead of slipping into the shadows what does Jesus do? He steps out of the shadows and walks right up to them, to ask them who they’re looking for at the end of verse 4. Jesus wasn’t avoiding them.
Which of course, demonstrates that they’re not hunting Jesus down, but rather, Jesus is presenting himself to them.
And Jesus walks right up to them to tell them that he’s the one they’re looking for. The band of soldiers and Pharisees tell him that they’re looking for Jesus of Nazareth and he tells them, “I AM.” The word, “he” is supplied in English, but isn’t there in Greek.
So they say, they’re looking for Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus responds with, “I AM.”
And of course, we’ve run into these two little words many times in the gospel of John.
“I AM” is a reference to God’s covenant name that he revealed to Moses at the burning bush. God told Moses that his name is, “I AM WHO I AM.”
And so whenever Jesus referred to himself as “I AM” we should understand him as applying God’s covenant name to himself. But more to the point, when Jesus uses the words “I AM” he’s making a divine claim. It’s a shorthand way of announcing his divinity.
Which is why it knocked the band of men to the ground. Look at verse 6: “When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” They were in the presence of the Almighty. You could say, they were on holy ground.
Jesus knocking them to the ground was a demonstration of divine power. You would think that when someone simply identifies himself and it miraculously knocks you over, you’d have some questions. You think that it would get you thinking, but that’s not the case for the soldiers or the Pharisees.
Jesus uses God’s covenant name which knocks the band of men over, but apparently, they thought nothing of it, got up, and carried along with business as usual. They don’t stop and think, perhaps this man really is who he claims to be. Maybe there’s something to this man.
No, instead they move forward to arrest him. They ignore the miracle.
Which really serves to highlight the play in this passage between weakness and strength.
Because on the one hand, Jesus appears very weak doesn’t he? Not only does the mini army composed of Roman soldiers, temple guards, and Pharisees look more intimidating with their armor, weapons and torches, but it is Jesus who, at the end of the day, is put in handcuffs, or as Scripture says, is “bound.”
But on the other hand, Jesus never ceased being fully God and fully man. After all, when applied God’s covenant name to himself, it knocked the men down who came to arrest him.
Again, who’s really in control? Who is the person that is really in power here?
This band of men, this mini army is not taking Jesus by force, rather, he’s turning himself over to them.
It’s not so much that they’re there to arrest Jesus, but rather, Jesus is there to give himself up.
He gave himself up (vv. 12-14)
In your Bibles this passage is titled the, “Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus” and of course, that’s true because that’s what happens in this passage, but what you should see in this passage is Jesus turning himself over to his enemies. Again, he’s not being taken by force against his will, rather, he’s giving himself up.
And of course this is an important distinction because it highlights who’s actually in control. The men who are there to arrest Jesus may appear to be more powerful and in control, because they look more intimidating but Jesus knocked them over simply by the power of his word.
The point is, Jesus had to accomplish the will of God through the cross. He had to be arrested! He had to be tried! He had to be crucified, because it was all a part of God’s loving and gracious plan to save sinners.
Jesus made no attempt to preserve himself, but he did preserve his disciples.
Look at verses 8-9 with me:
“8 …So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”
Jesus told the mini army that if they’re after him, they should let his disciples go. Because if they’re there to arrest him they have no need to arrest his disciples. He’s advocating for his disciples even as he is being arrested.
But isn’t verse 9 an odd anecdotal comment? How is not one of his disciples not lost?
Because if you remember, Jesus prayed for his disciples in his High Priestly prayer, and said that not one of his disciples had been lost. And in the context of the High Priestly prayer, it’s obvious that Jesus is referring to their souls. That none of them would be spiritually lost, except for Judas, who he called the ‘son of destruction.’ But here, it appears that John is applying that statement to their physical preservation.
I don’t know how closely you’ve been following the whole Israel/Hamas war, but recently, Hamas just released many hostages. And obviously, whenever hostages are released their lives are spared. It’s almost like they get a second lease on life.
Something very similar is happening in this passage. John Calvin said of verse 9,
“Let us consider how great [the disciples’] weakness was; what do we think they would have done, if they had been brought to the test? While, therefore, Christ did not choose that they should be tried beyond the strength which he had given to them, he rescued them from eternal destruction.”
In other words, Calvin is saying that Christ not only preserved his disciples’ lives, but more importantly preserved their souls by protecting them from experiencing more than they could bear. They could not have endured what Christ was about to endure. And so, Jesus protected the souls of his disciples by giving himself up and pleading for their release.
The clear implication of the whole passage is that Jesus is intent on giving himself up peaceably, which clearly was a message that Peter failed to receive.
Are any of us surprised that it was Peter that drew his sword and lopped off the High Priest’s servant’s ear? Peter had an outburst in Matthew 16 when Jesus told his disciples about how he must suffer, go to the cross and rise from the dead after three days. And Peter replied, “Far be it from you, Lord! [That] shall never happen to you.” To which Jesus famously said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan!”
Peter was notoriously overzealous. He wanted to physically defend Jesus.
The Bible commentator Matthew Henry said, “Christ's soldiers must wait the word of command, and not outrun it…” Because Jesus never encouraged his disciples to fight anyone.
And so the major problem with Peter’s actions is that he’s trying to take matters into his own hands.
Peter was resisting what Jesus said must happen. Peter is resisting the word of God. Who can’t relate to that on some level? Haven’t we all at various times tried to take matters into our own hands and work against God’s Word.
We’ve all thought at various times, God’s word says this, but I’m sure things will be fine if I do the exact opposite this one time. No one will know! It won’t hurt anyone! Maybe things will even turn out for the better!
It’s what Peter is thinking when he lopped off the High Priest’s servant, Malcus’s ear. Peter was thinking he could make things better by defending Jesus, which on one level is admirable, but in this case is entirely wrong. Jesus didn’t need to be defended, Jesus needed to be arrested.
Which is of course why Jesus not only rebukes Peter, but we’re told in Luke’s gospel that Jesus heals Malcus’s ear.
He literally undid Peter’s actions, because Jesus wanted Peter to understand that all of this must take place to accomplish the will of God and save sinners.
And the rich irony is that Mr. Bold Brave Peter will soon become Mr. Fearful Timid Peter.
This whole passage isn’t about Jesus being arrested as much as it is about Jesus giving himself up. He isn’t kicking and screaming, resisting what must take place. He accepts it. He even accepts an unnecessary, unfair trial.
They arrest Jesus and take him before Annas. Ironically, Annas held no position of formal authority. Rather he was at one time the High Priest, and he was the father-in-law of the Caiaphas who was the High Priest during Jesus’ arrest, conviction, and crucifixion. In fact, more than one of Annas's sons-in-law served as High Priest.
Annas, despite having formal authority at this particular time, had tremendous influence among the Jewish religious elite. He was probably the guy that the High Priest’s would run things by before falling through with them. Some scholars even speculate that it was Annas who pushed for the arrest of Jesus. And since Annas believed that Jesus should be arrested, the Jewish religious elite had him arrested.
Because he was so focused on arresting Jesus, and his influence was so significant, he got the first crack at interviewing Jesus.
But you don’t have to be an expert in Jewish law and customs to figure out some guy, no matter how influential or important he is, he can’t just insert himself into a formal legal proceeding. It isn’t right!
I can’t just walk into the Roanoke County courthouse and say, “I’m going to be the judge today.” Even if you used to be a judge you can’t just walk into the courthouse and say, “I’m going to preside over ten cases today.”
It doesn’t work that way now, and it wasn’t supposed to work that way then.
Jesus is being subjected to a kangaroo court. Jesus has already been deemed guilty; they just needed to find a charge that they could condemn him with.
And John reminds us all again of Caiaphas’s tremendously ironic prophecy in verse 14: “It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.”
It’s one of those things that operated on two levels. Because Caiaphas said that from a political perspective. He was afraid that Jesus’ following would continue to grow and that it could turn the Roman government against the Jewish people, therefore, it was better for Jesus to die so that they could maintain their power and influence than for the whole nation to die.
And his prophecy was true, just not in the sense that he meant it. It was true because one man, Jesus, would die for his people.
But nowhere along the way does Jesus object! He’s not resisting this unfair, unjust process. Rather, he’s subjecting himself to it. He’s letting it happen. He’s giving himself up to them.
And I think that should be our main takeaway from this passage. Despite the appearance of weakness, Jesus is in complete and total control. He chose the location where they would find him. They came with torches and swords, but he knocked them over simply with the power of his word. It wasn’t that they were arresting Jesus, it was that Jesus was giving himself up.
And this should serve as a glorious reminder to all of us. Despite the appearance of chaos in the world, despite the hardship, struggles, and pain we all face, God is still in control. He hasn’t left his throne. And in some glorious, mysterious way, all things work together for our good.
Please don’t think I’m parroting some cheesy saying like, “let go and let God” or something like that. Don’t quit your day job. Rather, what I’m saying is that even when darkness is creeping in, and the stress is mounting, you can be calm under pressure. You can even have peace.
And what gives you peace? Well right here in the words that Christ speaks: “if you seek me, let these people go.”
Which is of course precisely what happened on the cross wasn’t it? He bore your transgressions and sins along with my transgressions and sins so that he could look to the Father and say, “take me, but let these people go.”
Even here in the garden, prior to the crucifixion, we see the gospel don’t we? It’s glorious news!
And it was precisely for that reason, he had to be arrested. He had to turn himself over to these men. So that you and I could be washed whiter than snow.
The punishment for sin was poured out upon an innocent man so that the guilty people like you and me could go free. How is that for injustice? Let’s pray together.
