John 18:1-11″Whom Do You Seek?”

1:04Today in John 18, after all of these chapters of teaching and prayer and everything else, we come back to the action of the narrative. And Jesus is going to lead his disciples to a garden where the final conflict with the religious leaders and the Roman government is going to begin. And what becomes apparent immediately is that both the world and the disciples were looking for each A revolutionary or a revolution. But Jesus is not a revolutionary looking to lead a revolution.

1:42And there's a lot of confusion about that both inside and outside of the church today and in this first century. We see the conflict here in John 18. Friends, Jesus did not come as either a revolutionary or one looking to lead a revolution. He came to be our Redeemer. And so the question that we all must answer today out of this text is: are you seeking a revolutionary or a redeemer? So let's look at the text now together. We see here in verses 1 and 2 of chapter 18 that Jesus leads the disciples into this garden. Now, what you have to understand about the lay of the land here is that the Kidron Valley was located east of Jerusalem, in between the wall of the city and the Mount of Olives.

2:29And during the rainy season, all the rain gathered down into this little area and formed a brook that was called the brook Kedron. And the Garden of Gethsemane was right there just west of that brook. And that seems to have been owned by one of Jesus' supporters, maybe one of his financial supporters, or maybe somebody that cultivated the garden, allowed them the use of this space. And we see that according to verse 2, this was a regular meeting place for Jesus and his disciples.

3:00And all of that information is very important. He's close to the city of Jerusalem, but outside of the walls. This was a regular meeting space for Jesus and his disciples. All of that is going to be very relevant. Because as we know, Jesus was a wanted man. The Pharisees had been looking for an opportunity to arrest him and put him to death for weeks or months at this point. And Judas, one of his very own disciples, had recently agreed to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Now, think about this. Most wanted men are going to be safest hiding in the middle of nowhere, far away from cities, far away from where there's lots of people. I just finished reading the biography of Frank Hamer, the Texas Ranger who killed Bonnie and Clyde. And Bonnie and Clyde, during their rampage in the early 1930s, after they committed all their atrocious crimes, they always took backcountry roads. They hid out in backwater towns because cities were crawling with people that were looking for them.

4:07Local officers, federal agents, the FBI, everybody was searching for them, and so they avoided big cities like the plague. But see, that wasn't the case with Jesus. He too was wanted by the authorities, but Jesus, unlike Bonnie and Clyde, was not safest on the outskirts of town. Jesus was safest in the middle of the city, in the middle of his throngs of adoring fans and supporters. If Jesus did not want to be captured by the religious leaders or the Roman government, that would be best.

4:46I want you to take a look at these texts that show the mindset of the religious leaders. Take a look at Matthew chapter 21. Although the Pharisees were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds because they held him to be a prophet. Look at John 12, which we read a few months ago. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel.

5:23Now look at the religious leaders' reaction later in John chapter 12. So the Pharisees said to one another, you see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. So unlike most wanted men, Jesus was safest in the city, where all of these multitudes of adoring people who stated that they believed that he was the promised Messiah, the Christ, were living and working and celebrating the Passover. If Jesus wanted to preserve his life, staying in the middle of the city was the play.

6:00But you see, Jesus is not trying to preserve his life. He's preparing to lay it down for his people. So he went away from the crowds at night while all of his adoring fans would be eating the Passover with their families. He went to the very same garden that he went to all of the time, the very same garden that he often taught and prayed with and sat with his disciple, Judas Iscariot. Look at verse 4.

6:33It begins this way: then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him. You see, Jesus knew that Judas would come for him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that. And he went there anyway. Because he wasn't trying to preserve his life. He was preparing to lay it down for his people. Now, I would encourage you, when you have a few minutes this week, to go and read the parallel accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, because taken all together, they give us a more complete picture of the events of this night.

7:09And Matthew and Mark note that once they enter the garden, Jesus left eight of the disciples behind, and then he took with him Peter, James, and John. Look on the screen at what happens in Matthew chapter 26. Then Jesus said to them, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch with me. And going a little farther, he fell. On his face and prayed, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

7:40He prayed this way three times. But every time he prayed, he came back and he found his best friends, the disciples that he was closest to, sound asleep. They could not remain awake and keep watch with him even for one hour. And then we find this detail in Luke 22:43. And there appeared to him an angel from heaven strengthening him. And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground.

8:16Now, John, of course, doesn't mention these details, but that is exactly what you'd expect in a true eyewitness account. When you have multiple eyewitnesses, the basic facts are all going to be the same. There aren't going to be any contradictions, but the account is going to differ based on each witness's perspective and memory of the events that happened. And that's what we find in the Gospels. Far from creating doubt about the Gospels' truthfulness or authenticity, the fact that there are different details in the Gospels assures us that they are true, that these men didn't collude together to make up a story, because then the story would be identical.

8:58Let's pick up in verse 3. So, Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. These officers that are mentioned by John are probably members of the Temple Guard who had authority from the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council, as well as the Roman military, to make arrests only insofar as things pertained to the Jewish law. So, that's probably who these officers are. And then we see that they're accompanied by a band of soldiers.

9:40Well, the Greek word here is speiron. That's a cohort. A Roman cohort is a unit of 600 soldiers. Now, for many reasons, I think it's unlikely that the entire unit of 600 soldiers marched out to support the Temple Guard, not least of which because the one thing they're trying not to do is draw the attention of all of the thousands of Jesus' adoring followers. So, you send out a unit of 600 men with the temple officers, that's going to arouse some suspicion. That's going to be very obvious. So, it's more likely that the commander sent a detachment of soldiers from the cohort. The Pharisees may have feared the crowds. The Romans certainly did not, but they did fear an uprising that would jeopardize the Roman peace.

10:31They did not want any trouble, and their presence would keep things from getting out of hand. But you notice that Jesus is surprised by this unnecessary show of force, and that comes out also in Luke 22. Take a look. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come out against him, Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour and the power of darkness.

11:05What this demonstrates is they completely misunderstood Jesus and his mission. When they went to find Jesus, they thought that they were seeking a revolutionary. They feared Jesus because of his enormous influence, and they figured wrongly that he would use that influence to spark a violent revolution against Rome, whether directly or indirectly. And we don't know for sure what the Roman government thought of Jesus at this point, but we certainly know what the religious leaders thought because their thoughts are recorded for us in Scripture. Look on the screen in John 11.

11:47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. And the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. When we preached this text a few months back, we noted that the sad reality is that the priests and the scribes and the Pharisees seemed to care very little about whether Jesus actually was the promised Messiah as he claimed to be.

12:23What they cared most about was preserving the status quo. They were worried that Jesus was drawing so much attention, it didn't matter who he was, even if he was the Messiah, he's drawing so much attention that the Romans are going to come and take away their place, that is the temple, and their nation, that is the land of Israel. And it was going to go back to just like it was before in the exile. That's what they cared most about, preserving the status quo. They wanted to keep that, even if it meant rejecting the one who claimed and proved to be the Messiah.

13:03You see, when you think that Jesus came to establish an earthly kingdom, it makes sense to fight against him with earthly weapons. Lanterns and torches and clubs and swords are what you use to put down a human insurrection. So if that's what they're facing, they've got the right stuff. But friends, Jesus was not coming to lead a revolution. Because he's not a revolutionary. He is the Redeemer. And we see that very clearly in the next section. Let's pick up in verse 4.

13:42Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, Whom do you seek? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he. Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. Those who came to arrest Jesus had everything wrong. He was not a revolutionary, but the Redeemer. And what we learn in these verses is that Jesus is a divine, compassionate Redeemer.

14:23In verse 4, John points out what could only be known through close association with Jesus and in hindsight, and that is that he is omniscient. He knows all things. He knows all that's going to happen to him. And more than that, he is in control of all that is happening to him. Later on, when he's standing before Pontius Pilate, he tells Pilate, You would have no authority over me unless it was given to you from above.

14:52Jesus was in control. Pilate was not in control. Neither was Judas or the temple guard or the Roman soldiers. God was in control of everything that happened to Jesus, and everything was going perfectly according to God's good plan. And so Jesus steps forward and he asks, whom do you seek? And they answer, Jesus of Nazareth. But what they mean is a dangerous revolutionary. And how does Jesus respond? Well, depending on the translation of the Bible that you're using, it probably says, I am he.

15:36That's what my Bible says, the ESV, I am he. But that's a little unfortunate. Because in the Greek, the word he does not appear. You just have the two words, ego, ami. I, I am. And if you're familiar with the book of Exodus, you know that I am is the very name for God himself. When the Lord appeared to Moses and he commanded him to go back to the people to lead them out of bondage in Egypt, Moses said, What am I supposed to tell these people? He said, You tell them, I am has sent me to you.

16:22That's the very name that God uses for himself in Isaiah, chapters 40 through 55. I am. Is the name of God. And that is the name that Jesus uses. About 20 years ago, I had the privilege of meeting the recently deceased college football coach, Mike Leach. I was skiing with some friends, and one of my buddies thought that they saw Coach Leach across the hill. So I skied over there and I said, Excuse me, sir. Are you Mike Leach?

16:54And he said, in typical Mike Leach fashion, Yeah, yep, that's me. Jesus could have done this. When the officers and the soldiers asked for him, he said, Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus could have said, Yeah, yep, that's me. But he didn't. He said, I am. And none of the original audience of this gospel would miss the reference that Jesus is taking the name of God for himself. And when he used that name, the name for God himself, John records that they drew back and fell to the ground. Now, that response seems totally involuntary. When Jesus identified himself, Himself using the name of God, they were knocked off their feet.

18:06And friends, I believe that John chose his words just as carefully as Jesus did. He says they fell to the ground. And if you look at the entire Bible, that phrase fell to the ground is used all over Scripture when people are confronted with the holiness of God. Ezekiel and Daniel fall on their faces when they see the glory of the Lord revealed. Saul of Tarsus, when Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus, he falls on his face.

18:42John, when he has his revelation of Jesus, falls before the Son of Man as though dead. Friends, this involuntary reaction of the arresting officers, this falling down before Jesus, is a foretaste of what is to come. Look at Philippians chapter 2 on the screen. Therefore, God has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

19:25You see, friends, one day every knee will bow. Voluntarily or involuntarily, every knee will bow before Jesus. The only choice that we get in the matter is whether we voluntarily bow the knee today or whether we involuntarily bow the knee in eternity. That is the only choice that we get. Between Jesus knowing all things and using the name for God and the involuntary reaction of the officers who came to arrest him, it is apparent that Jesus is no human revolutionary, he is the divine redeemer. And friends, that is very important because unless Jesus is fully divine, unless he is fully God, he would be unable to mediate between a holy God and an unholy people like us. We need him to be fully divine, and he is the fully divine redeemer.

20:26But he's also fully compassionate. Let's pick up in verse 7. So he asked them again, Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: Of those whom you gave me, I have lost not one. Jesus is fully divine. But he is also completely and perfectly compassionate. He takes pity on us, and he takes our place so that we can go free.

21:13Earlier, Jesus prayed this in John chapter 17. Look at the screen. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the Son of Destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And John says here in verse 9 of chapter 18 that the reason Jesus told the officers to let these men go was to fulfill these words. He would lose none of the disciples except Judas, and that was only to fulfill the scriptures.

21:49That is because Jesus is the good shepherd, and all good shepherds have compassion towards their sheep. They see their afflictions, often brought on by their own poor choices, and the shepherd has compassion on them. Look at Matthew 9. When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Look at John 10, where Jesus describes himself. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.

22:50All who believe are a part of Jesus' flock. He is our good shepherd, and no one is able to snatch us out of his hand. They can come with lanterns and torches, clubs and swords, and no one can snatch us out of his hand. They can come with criticisms and accusations. They can come with evidence of our latest failures. They can whisper our inadequacy as disciples, as parents, as spouses, as children, as neighbors and friends and co-workers and colleagues, and still no one can snatch us out of the hands of Christ.

23:37As Romans 8 says, if God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? We deserve to be taken. After all, we are the ones who have failed and fallen short in our requirements to both God and man. But Jesus. Jesus allows himself to be taken in our place. That is the good news of the gospel. It is a great exchange where Jesus takes our place so that we can go free. If you seek me, let these men and women and children go.

24:24Through faith, our sin is counted against him, and his perfect righteousness is credited to us. Through faith, we get mercy. We don't get what we deserve. And through faith, we get grace. We get what we do not deserve. All of that because of the work of Jesus, our good shepherd, our divine, compassionate Redeemer. But we noted earlier that Judas and the temple officers and the Roman soldiers, they were not seeking a Redeemer. They were seeking a revolutionary.

25:09And you would think that it would be different among Jesus' own disciples. But it wasn't. See, they weren't looking for a revolutionary anymore. They had him in Jesus. They were just looking for the revolution. Let's look at verse 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. Now, if you're reading that and you think to yourself, what is Peter doing?

25:48That is understandable. And so Luke provides the additional background information that we need. Take a look on the screen at Luke 22 again. And Jesus said to the disciples, When I sent you out with no money bag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything? They said, nothing. He said to them, But now let the one who has a money bag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, and he was numbered with the transgressors. For what has been written about me has its fulfillment. And they said, Look, Lord, here are two swords. And he said to them, it is enough.

26:38So to summarize, before Jesus had said to them, you didn't take anything with you, but now, among other things, you should sell your cloak and buy a sword. When they produced two swords, Jesus said very cryptically, it is enough. So now let's go forward in the Luke account to verse 47. Take a look. While Jesus was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?

27:15And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? So again, just putting ourselves into the disciples' sandals, Jesus had told them that it is now the time to sell your cloak and buy a sword. They had two swords between them, and Jesus said, It is enough. Peter understood this meant we're supposed to have swords, and if you have a sword, it's not for decoration, it is to use. Now, of course, they should have waited for Jesus to give any kind of command to strike, which he would not have done, but they were frightened, and their adrenaline was pumping. And I can just imagine, in this scenario, Peter drawing a sword and taking this mighty swing to take this guy's head off, and he cuts off his ear.

28:14The soldiers just have to be like, And Malchus, I mean, if you're that guy, he's like, ow! That was my ear! I think that the scene. Supposed to be ridiculous. You have a disciple of Jesus, the fisherman, not the terrorist, who is going to take on the world with his dagger. Good luck with that. But, friends, by allowing Peter to do this, Jesus is showing us the weapons of this world are useless to fight the spiritual war that we are in.

29:05Believers can agree or disagree on whether it is right to carry a weapon to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the everyday crime that occurs in this world. Some Christian consciences will allow for that, others will not. That's neither here nor there. What we must all believe as Christians is that it is impossible to advance the kingdom of God with the sword. We cannot use the weapons of this world to force people to believe the gospel or to live in light of it.

29:47We have an entirely different set of weapons at our disposal. Look at Ephesians 6. Paul commands us: put on the whole armor of God, that you May be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Now, listen to this. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand, therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the blessed breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace, in all circumstances, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

31:08You see, Peter was fighting the wrong enemy. The religious leaders, the soldiers, the Roman governments who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they were the wrong enemy. That's not who we're fighting against. It's the rulers, the cosmic powers, it's Satan himself. Peter is fighting. Against the wrong enemy. And Peter is fighting with the wrong weapons. Because we are fighting a spiritual battle, the only weapons that will work are spiritual weapons. Truth, righteousness, gospel readiness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Those are the only weapons that will work. So, church, we must ask ourselves this morning: are we fighting the wrong enemies with the wrong weapons?

32:09Social media and cable news networks are happy to identify the wrong enemies for you. The wrong enemies are your neighbor who does not share your political views. The wrong enemies are your coworker who does not share your views on gender and sexuality. The wrong enemies are your classmates who are pursuing a different path in life than you are. Those are the wrong enemies. The right enemies are the rulers, powers, and Satan himself. The right enemies are spiritual.

32:44The wrong weapons are 180 or how many more characters that Elon has now granted us. The wrong weapons are cable news networks railing against whatever the latest thing is that the other party has done. Done, whoever the other party is. The wrong weapons are sarcasm and hatred and words of enmity spoken against people created in God's image and likeness. The right weapons are all spiritual: readiness, faith, salvation, truth, the word of God. Are we fighting the wrong enemies with the wrong weapons?

33:32See, Peter's effort was sincere, but it was sincerely wrong. Luke tells us that after he cut off Malchus' ear, Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, No more of this, and then he touched Malchus' ear and healed him instantly. Jesus healed the ear of his enemy. The arresting officers were looking for a revolutionary. Peter was looking for a revolution, but Jesus came to be the Redeemer. Look at verse 11. So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?

34:19At the moment, Peter probably did not understand what he had done wrong, but there was no misunderstanding Jesus or his rebuke. Matthew recalls Jesus saying, Take a look at Matthew 26. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father and He will at once send me more than 12 legions of angels? Jesus says, Peter, I don't need you to fight for me. If I wanted that, your help wouldn't be any good anyway. Then here in John, Jesus asks Peter, Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me? And if you remember earlier, we saw how Jesus prayed, and he asked three times that the Father would take this cup away from him, yet not as I will, but as you will.

35:13Friends, the cup refers to the cup of God's judgment, his wrath against sin. Psalm 75 captures it well. Take a look there. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs, down to the very last stuff at the bottom of the cup. All the wicked will drain the cup of God's wrath down to the dregs?

35:56Well, who are the wicked? What's us? It is all who have sinned and rebelled against God, His holy character, and His holy commands, and thought, Word, and deed. We all have to drink that cup, the cup of God's wrath. But the good news of the gospel is that God, in His unbelievable mercy and grace, did not give the cup of wrath to His enemies, He gave the cup of wrath to His only begotten Son. Did you catch that in verse 11? Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?

36:41The Father gave the cup of His own wrath to His own Son to drink on our behalf so that we didn't have to drink it. Church, Jesus is the divine, compassionate Redeemer that we all need. He stepped up and took our place so that we can go free. He will never lose any that the Father has entrusted to His care because He is our good shepherd. So, Christian, when you are tempted to believe that you have failed too many times, that your sin is too great, that God is displeased with your poor performance, remember the words of Romans chapter 5, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Before we made any real attempt to love or obey God, Jesus stepped into our place and he said, Let these men go.

37:49Christian, he holds you in the palm of his hand. And there is nothing that anyone can do, nothing that you yourself can do, that can separate you from the love of the Father because of the work of our divine and compassionate Redeemer. Remember that. Hold on to that. If you're not yet a believer, it might be because you are looking for a revolution or a revolutionary that is going to come and make right what is wrong in this world, or perhaps what you think is wrong with you.

38:30But your biggest need is not a revolution or a revolutionary. Your biggest need is a Redeemer. And this passage teaches us that there is a cup of wrath to drink. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and God cannot overlook our sin. That is actually a very good thing. It would be an awful thing to live in a world ruled by a God who either overlooked sin. Or who only sometimes judged it and sometimes didn't. That would be awful. God is perfectly just, and He cannot let any sin to go unpunished. But, friends, He is also merciful. And in His mercy, Jesus took the cup of wrath from the Father and drank it down to the dregs so that we would not have to drink it ourselves. He did this on behalf of every person who trusts in His work as Redeemer. So, you have a choice to make.

39:36You can bow the knee voluntarily today, and you can allow Jesus to drink that cup on your behalf, or you can bow the knee involuntarily in eternity and drink the cup of wrath for yourself. We hope and pray that you will repent and turn to Christ and receive Him by faith, and allow Him to drink that cup for you this morning. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for sending a Redeemer for us because that is what we needed.

40:40We did not need a revolution or a revolutionary. The world has had plenty of those, and every revolution ultimately falls short. Every revolutionary is either exposed as a hypocrite or fails to achieve his or her perfect ambitions. We don't need a revolution or a revolutionary. We need a Redeemer. And we thank you for sending Jesus to be that Redeemer for us. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.