Last time, we looked at our Lord’s struggle in Gethsemane. We said it was in Gethsemane that Jesus overcame the reluctance of His flesh to submit to the trial and task of the cross. Having spent time in prayer with the Father about what He was being asked to face, Jesus was prepared. After this time invested in prayerful preparation, Jesus was ready, as indicated by what He said to His disciples:
“The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” - Mark 14:41b-42 (NIV)
Jesus was ready for the cross, which means He was ready to face His betrayer, Judas. Judas had agreed to betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15). Matthew tells us that Judas sought out the religious leaders and asked what they would pay him to betray Jesus; and now the time had come for Judas to make good on his promise.
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This would have occurred sometime early on Friday morning, after midnight. There were sets groups of people at the scene.
1. There were those who fought God - vs. 47-48
This who crowd that came to arrest Jesus was a crowd who were fighting against God. And they were led by Judas.
A. What Judas did.
The night Jesus was arrested was in the middle of spring. The Passover moon would have been full; and John tells us it was a cold night (John 18:18). The old olive trees would’ve cast eerie shadows. So Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss—a fail safe method of identifying Jesus to the soldiers who were with him in the shadowy darkness of the garden.
When a disciple would greet his rabbi, he would customarily greet him with a kiss on the cheek. So it was, that with a gesture that was designed to show respect, Judas betrayed the Lord.
It is interesting to note that the word in Greek that is translated “kiss” here is not the usual word (phileo), but an intensive form of the word (kataphileo), which refers to a fervent, affectionate kiss. This fact shows us how low the human heart can go, and how well we can play the hypocrite. How could Judas betray Jesus like this?
Well, it is interesting that those who were the most opposed to Jesus were well versed in practicing hypocrisy. Our Lord’s most fierce opponents were the religious leaders, of whom Jesus warned:
“Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” - Matthew 23:3b (NIV)
It’s ironic that those farthest from God are often those who pretend they’re the closest to Him. That was true of the religious leaders and of Judas. Judas aligned himself with the religious leaders rather than with his rabbi. He chose religion over relationship. Sadly, one of the worst enemies of being truly aligned with God is the practice of religion. A relationship with God through Christ leads to life; while an attempted relationship with God through religion leads to death. Judas was lost. Judas fought against God and rejected Jesus.
“And you [My disciples] are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who was going to betray Him; for that reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.” - John 13:10b-11 (Amplified)
B. Why Judas did it. Two thoughts:
1) He rejected Jesus as the kind of Savior He came to be.
Some theorize that Judas was trying to manipulate Jesus into being the earthly Messiah that Judas wanted Him to be. That this was all designed by Judas to manipulate Jesus into claiming Himself to be an earthly king and lead a Jewish revolt against their Roman oppressors.
If this is correct, then it means that Judas was fighting against the expressed plan of God, for Jesus had clearly taught that His kingdom was not of this world. Judas refused to accept Jesus as the kind of Savior He came to be - the kind of Savior Judas needed.
2) He rejected Jesus simply because of His love of money.
The Scripture clearly presents Judas as being a greedy man. John says that he regularly stole money from the money bag of Jesus and the disciples (John 12:5-6). So when his profit-motivated heart saw that Jesus’ kingdom plans would not result in his personal gain, he arranged to sell the Savior to the authorities for what money he could get.
Whether Judas rejected Christ because he wanted Jesus to be an earthly king for him or a cash cow for him, the bottom line is that Judas refused to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Consequently, he found himself fighting against God.
Many today are doing the same. They reject Jesus as their Savior because they refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord; and consequently find themselves fighting against God.
“The question in salvation is not whether Jesus is Lord, but whether we are submissive to His lordship.” - John MacArthur
2. There were those who forgot God - vs. 49-51
The disciples who remained loyal to Jesus were thrown into a panic. Immediately some sprang into action, trying to keep Jesus from being arrested and taken away. However, they had forgotten that this was God’s plan all along. On more than one occasion, Jesus had explained God’s plan to them. What did He tell them?
Then taking the twelve [disciples] aside, He said to them, “Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled and completed. He will be betrayed and handed over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities), and will be mocked and ridiculed and insulted and abused and spit on, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise [from the dead].” - Luke 18:31-33 (Amplified)
Jesus repeatedly told the disciples how the power of God would go to work to bring about our Lord’s resurrection and mankind’s redemption through His betrayal and suffering. Yet when the time came for all He had told them to be fulfilled, they completely panicked and forgot that God was in control of the situation from beginning to end.
A. Initially, the disciples’ panic made them fight.
Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (John 18:10).
B. Eventually, the disciples’ panic made them flee. Mark says:
“Then everyone deserted him and fled. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.” - Mark 14:50-52 (NIV)
Most scholars believe the young man mentioned here was none other Mark, the author of the Gospel that bears his name.
C. But Christ called them to faith. Jesus said, “No more of this!” and healed the man’s ear. Matthew adds that Jesus told them He could call on the Father, who could send twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. But instead, His being arrested and going to the cross was all part of the Father’s plan (Matthew 26:53-54).
“Even the people who betray you are part of God’s plan. Jesus couldn’t get to the cross without Judas.” - Steven Furtick
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. - John 18:4-6 (NIV)
What’s interesting is that the word “he” is provided by the translators. The original Greek text simply says, “I am.” In other words, Jesus answered affirming His deity and the corresponding response of the crowd was a demonstration of His deity. Jesus was letting everyone know that He was in charge. And He’s still in charge today.
So when you or I find ourselves tempted to panic in response to circumstances we don’t understand, let’s not give into the fight or flight response, but instead, let’s place our faith in the One who is I Am - the one who is all we need regardless of the situation.
“With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack?” - A.W. Tozer
3. There was One who followed God - vs. 52-53
As He was arrested and taken away, we notice that Jesus was all alone. Everyone had fled and He was left alone with the angry mob. Jesus was absolutely alone as He submitted to the Father’s will and went to the cross.
They bound the hands of Jesus,
In the garden where He prayed;
They led Him thro’ the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior,
So pure and free from sin;
They said crucify Him He’s to blame.
Upon His precious head,
They placed a crown of thorns;
They laughed and said behold the King.
They struck Him and they cursed Him,
And mocked His holy name;
All alone He suffered ev’rything.
To the howling mob He yielded,
He did not for mercy cry;
The cross of shame He took alone.
And when He cried it's finished,
He gave Himself to die;
Salvation’s wondrous plan was done.
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free
He could have called ten thousand angels
But He died alone for you and me
Conclusion: Which of these three groups best describes you today?
Are you among those who are fighting with God, resisting His call to trust Him alone as the Savior your need? Fight Him no longer, but surrender to Him today.
Are you among those who are forgetting to trust God with their circumstances? Don’t depend on yourself, but trust in Him completely today. He is your “I Am”. He is all you need and you can trust Him.
Are you among those who are seeking to be like Jesus? Following God? Jesus followed the will of God for our sakes; now, let us commit ourselves to following the will of God for His sake.
