Sunday Recap (What should we learn from the betrayal of Jesus?)
This past Sunday, we looked at the sad, but challenging, passage where Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the garden. Following Jesus’ time with His disciples in the upper room, Jesus and the 11 retreat to a garden to pray. There Judas arrives with Roman guards, officers from the High Priests, and the Pharisees. We asked this Big Picture Question:
What should we learn from the betrayal of Jesus?
And we looked at this passage.
John 18: 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 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. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. 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.” 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 its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
And we attempted to answer the question this way.
Big Picture Question: What should we learn from the betrayal of Jesus?
- Jesus willingly gave Himself
- Jesus protected the disciples
- The disciples couldn’t stop Him.
Let’s spend some time in our first point.
Jesus willingly gave Himself.
John 17: 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 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. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”
Judas returns to a place of intimacy for Jesus and the disciples. Judas probably went there himself with Jesus. But this time, Judas returns to betray Jesus, and he brings Roman guards, officers of the high priests, and the Pharisees. These are all the people who hate Jesus.
The Roman guards hate Jesus because He claims to be a king.
The officers of the High Priests hate Jesus because He says that He is the only way to God.
The Pharisees hate Jesus because Jesus told them that they keep their own laws, much less the laws of God.
But yet, in the midst of such hatred, Jesus steps forward willingly to die. Nothing would stop Him from dying for our sin.
Jesus protected the disciples.
Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. 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.”
Amazing. In the midst of all this pain and betrayal, in the midst of all the pain to come, Jesus’ concern is protecting His disciples. But notice something. When Jesus declares who He is, Judas and his crowd all fall to the ground. In the midst of Jesus’ divine revelation of who He is, they fall to the ground. They don’t worship Him, but they recognize His deity.
Jesus steps forward to make sure they know who He is, and He does not want them to harm the disciples. Any rebellion could incite a fight, and there is no reason for anyone to spare the disciples life.
See your Savior. Even as He is betrayed, even as He is about to give Himself over to death, He protects His disciples. This is the heart of your Savior. He willingly gives Himself to die, and He protects those He loves.
The disciples couldn’t stop Him.
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 its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Peter may not fully understand that Jesus is Savior, but He does love Jesus. He knows that Jesus is on His way to die, and Peter can’t stand it. He pulls a sword out to defend Jesus, and He attacks one of the officers. But Jesus stops Him. Jesus must obey the Father and drink the cup of God’s wrath.
Henri Nouwen once said, “You must risk leaving if you are going to risk loving.” That means if you are going to truly love someone, then you put yourself in line for heartbreak if they because of death or any other reason. That is the love of Peter. He loves Jesus, and he cannot fathom losing Jesus.
Yet despite Peter’s passionate love, nothing was going to stop Jesus. He was driven to obey the Father. He was going to love. He was going to take all of God’s wrath.
As we closed up our sermon, we looked at these things.
Big Picture Question: What should we learn from the betrayal of Jesus?
- Truth: No one could stop Jesus from willingly giving Himself over to death to protect the ones He loved.
- Application: Live knowing that Jesus willingly and lovingly died so that you might be saved and protected from your sin.
- Action: Love and live sacrificially for others knowing that you are eternally protected.