SERMON: “Willingly Betrayed” (John 18:1–11)
“Willingly
Betrayed” (John 18:1–11)
Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name” #96 Text: John 18:1–11
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: March
23, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
We’re finally getting back into the Book of John after
taking a few months away in other studies.
It was a good point to take a break, because with our Lord’s priestly
prayer in chapter 17, we came to the end of the Upper Room Discourse. With this chapter, we get into that pivotal
moment of our Lord’s arrest, leading to His trials, His crucifixion, and His
burial and resurrection.
John, knowing that
the church has Matthew, Mark, and Luke, does not repeat all the details of
those Gospels. For instance, in
discussing Gethsemane here, John doesn’t cover the three prayers of our Lord,
His beseeching of the disciples to keep watch with Him, or the great drops of
blood our Lord sweated. Nor does John
spend as much time discussing Judas’s betrayal.
Rather, he gives additional information which is important for
understanding that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
Jesus wasn’t a
hapless victim. Our Lord was
betrayed, but He allowed it to happen.
Through His betrayal, we see four aspects of our Lord’s character
emerge. First, we’ll see our Lord’s
bravery (vv. 1–4). Second, we’ll see our
Lord’s divinity (vv. 5–6). Third, we’ll
see our Lord’s protection (vv. 7–9).
Fourth, we’ll see our Lord’s salvation (vv. 10–11).
II.
First, Consider Our Lord’s Bravery (vv. 1–4)
When Jesus had
spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the
Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew
the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. Judas then, having received the Roman cohort
and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns
and torches and weapons. So Jesus,
knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom
do you seek?”
There is a bit of a question concerning how much of the
Upper Room Discourse took place in that upper room. In John 14:31, Jesus said, “Get up, let us go
from here.” Did they get up at that
point, with Jesus talking about being the true vine (15:1) as they passed vineyards? The text here says He went forth over the
ravine, meaning that they might have already been outside. It may also mean that they went forth from
the house until they got to the Kidron valley, so we can’t say for certain.
What’s clear is Jesus’s resolve. In Luke 9:51, we read, “When the days were
approaching for His ascension, He was determined [He set His face] to go to
Jerusalem.” He knows what’s about to happen,
and He calls this the “hour and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). This resolve continues as He now approaches
the garden for the last time.
So, He leads His disciples out of Jerusalem, over the Kidron. Running between the temple mount and the
Mount of Olives to the east, this is a seasonal ravine or brook, dry most of
the year, though it “became a torrent during seasonal rains.”[1] It is significant in Scripture. For instance, David crossed it fleeing Absalom
(2 Sam. 15:23), betrayed by Ahithophel, foreshadowing of Jesus’s own betrayal.[2]
It’s there that they enter a garden — Gethsemane, as Matthew
26:36 and Mark 14:32 name it. This was a
familiar spot, a place of prayer and retreat. As one commentary notes, the other Gospels “indicate
that this was the place where Jesus was troubled and prayed his agonizing
prayer (Matt 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–43; Luke 22:39–46)…. John does not here include this prayer
experience. Instead, he has noted
earlier a similar agony of Jesus in facing death after his dramatic entrance
into Jerusalem (John 12:27), and instead of a final prayer here he included his
great summarizing prayer in the previous chapter, prior to crossing the
Kidron.”[3] John moves us along to the great drama of the
moment.
Now that we have the stage set, in v. 2, Judas comes. Because this is a spot Jesus and His
disciples frequented, Judas would have known about it (cf. Luke 21:37; 22:39). Judas shared in those sacred moments, making
his betrayal sting even more (meaning that Jesus is “wounded in the house of my friends, Zechariah 13:6).
So, Jesus isn’t hiding from Judas here. Instead, He’s stepping into the path of
suffering with courage. This is bravery —
not reckless bravado, but resolute obedience to the Father’s will.
In v. 3, we see that Judas arrives with a formidable force. This is a “Roman cohort” (a spira) which
could technically be up to 1,000 soldiers, though it’s possible that there was
a usual broken into a battalion of 600[4] or even 200 (a “maniple”)[5]. Whether it was the cohort in its fullest
force, the chiliarch or the commander of the thousand troops led them according
to v. 12. There were so many available
because of concerns of uprisings during feast days.
So, it appears the Jewish leadership roused Pilate to ask
for this cohort, which is why Pilate will be ready for them in the early
morning after this. Perhaps there were
so many soldiers included because Jesus had so easily eluded their grasp
before, and maybe Roman soldiers were used because Jesus had swayed Jewish
hearts in the past. Either way, Judas
probably isn’t in charge of these men, but is instead guiding them.[6]
In addition to the Roman troops were temple guards sent by
the chief priests and Pharisees. It may
seem strange that we have the term “chief priests,” plural, but we will discuss
in detail when we get down to v. 13. The
temple guards were not allowed to be armed, but the Roman soldiers were. They all carried lanterns and torches even
Passover had a full moon, perhaps fearing that Jesus would slip away in the
shadows, as He had before (John 8:59; 10:39).
Consider Judas coming with all these people and
defenses. He knew Jesus wasn’t
violent. As one commentary notes, this “is
a sign of a bad conscience, which always trembles without any cause.”[7] He comes with the forces of man because his
mind is locked onto the things of this world.
Of course, John doesn’t need to repeat Judas’s betrayal with
a kiss, which probably came before v. 4.[8] Instead, in v. 4, he showcases Jesus’s bravery. Jesus knew His time had come (John 13:1) and
who was going to betray Him (John 6:64; 13:11).
Jesus knows what’s coming — His arrest, mockery, crucifixion. Yet He steps forward.
He confronts the mob with a question: “Whom do you seek?” Why did He do this? A couple of commentaries suggest Jesus did
this for the protection of His disciples.[9] He knew that, by surrendering Himself, they
would be safe.
I agree with that, but there’s more to it. As one commentary notes, this question
highlights “ ‘the voluntariness’ of
Jesus in accepting his arrest.”[10] In John 10:17–18, Jesus said, “For this
reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it
again. No one has taken it away from Me,
but I lay it down on My own initiative. I
have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” We see that authority as Jesus steps forward
to ask this question.
This is what we see next.
As we consider that, consider also that we can trust our fears to
Him. He is sovereign, as our next point
notes:
III.
Second, Consider Our Lord’s Divinity (vv. 5–6)
They answered Him,
“Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them,
“I am He.” And Judas also, who was
betraying Him, was standing with them. So
when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Here, we see a manifestation of our Lord’s power. Of course, the mob identifies their target:
“Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus responds, “I
am He.” We’ve seen this before (John
8:58; 13:19); in Greek, this is egō eimi, “I am.” This isn’t just a casual “That’s me;” it’s an
emphatic declaration echoing God’s name in Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM.” In other words, this is a claim of divinity.
To back that up, in v. 6, the moment Jesus speaks, a
supernatural power ripples through the crowd. They take a step backward and then collapse. Why? Some
suggest embarrassment or confusion, but that doesn’t explain how a crowd of
hundreds would respond that way. The
text instead points to divine authority.
Judas stands with the enemy, no longer the focus. Jesus takes center stage, revealing His
identity. As one commentary notes, “John
wants to make it clear that Judas was merely one of those who experienced what
was about to happen. Judas had
absolutely no power over Jesus (cf. 19:11); he was jolted to the ground with
the rest of those present.”[11] Jesus was in control, and Judas suffered the
same push that Christ’s enemies did.
When He speaks, creation trembles; do we revere His word
with the same awe? I remember talking to
someone once who thought this was too much.
He said the other Gospels don’t record this, so why does John have to
record it? I said that John recorded it because
it happened, and that if you shouldn’t have a problem with it if you don’t have
a problem with Jesus calming the storm, walking on water, healing the blind,
and raising the dead.
There was a reason for this demonstration, however, bringing
us to our next point:
IV.
Third, Consider Our Lord’s Protection (vv. 7–9)
Therefore He again
asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so
if you seek Me, let these go their way,” to fulfill the word which He spoke,
“Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”
We’ve already begun to consider that He cared for the
well-being of His disciples in v. 4. His
stepping out and addressing the soldiers focused their attention on Him. His knocking them backward further ensured
that their attention was completely upon Him.
This wasn’t a purposeless display of His power — He was making them far
more interested in Him than His disciples.
In v. 7, Jesus repeats His question, continuing to control their
focus. They’re likely dazed, but they
answer again: “Jesus the Nazarene.” This
isn’t redundancy; it’s intentional protection. He’s shielding His disciples from harm.
We see that clearly in the next verse. Jesus again repeats egō eimi — “I am”
— perhaps especially for the Jews in the mob.
Yet, this time, He withholds any
miraculous manifestation.
Instead, He says that, if they are seeking Him, they must
permit the disciples to depart. This is
a command, not a plea. Everything He’s
done has ensured that His disciples will have safe passage.
So, even in His arrest, He’s the Shepherd guarding His flock
(John 10:11). In v. 9, then, John ties
this to Jesus’ earlier words. Back in John
6:39, Jesus said, “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has
given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” In His high priestly prayer of the previous
chapter, He also said, “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name
which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but
the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled” (John 17:12). Someone might argue that He lost Judas, but
the “son of perdition” was never truly His.
Jesus protects those the Father gave Him, ensuring their
safety. Of course, this doesn’t just
refer to physical deliverance, but also spiritual deliverance. He will not lose any who belong to Him, as He
says in John 10:28, “and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” As John MacArthur writes, “Believers are
eternally secure, not by their own strength, but by the Savior’s gracious
protection” (cf. Rom. 8:35–39).[12] Christ’s commitment to His people is
steadfast.
Church, rest in this: Christ loses none of His own. Are you trusting His grip on your soul? You may be going through a trial right now,
but you can rest assured that He will carry you through it, just as He will
lift up your soul on the last day. That
brings us to the final point:
V.
Fourth, Consider Our Lord’s Salvation (vv.
10–11)
Simon Peter then,
having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his
right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into
the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Someone said that these verses disturb the natural flow of
the story; that’s not the case, but “there is a sense in which Peter’s action
is almost ridiculous, if it were not so tragic.”[13] Besides, this event is recorded in in Matt
26:51 and Mark 14:47 (though Peter’s name isn’t there). In contrast to Jesus protecting His
disciples; Peter here takes matters into his own hands.
Impulsive as ever, Peter draws a sword — likely one of the
two from Luke 22:38. He swings at
Malchus, a servant of the high priest. He
aims for the head but gets the right ear, perhaps because Malchus tried to
dodge to the left. John alone names
Peter and Malchus, showing his insider knowledge (cf. vv. 15–16), and he fears
no danger to Peter, who would have been martyred by this point.
John doesn’t record that Jesus healed the ear (Luke 22:51) —
an act of mercy amid chaos. Instead, in
v. 11, he records Jesus’s rebuke for Peter: “Put the sword into the
sheath.” It’s interesting that He
doesn’t say to cast it away from him; Jesus isn’t against self-defense (cf.
Luke 22:36), but this is the time for the Messiah to sacrifice himself. Besides, in Matthew 26:53–54, He says He
could call legions of angels.
He won’t, though, because Scripture must be fulfilled. The “cup” is God’s wrath against sin (Psa.
75:8; Isa. 51:17), which Jesus must drink.
In fact, He willingly receives the Father’s wrath on behalf of our sin.
Peter’s zeal is touching but misguided. Just like he missed Malchus’s head, he also misses
God’s plan. He had done so after his
great confession in Matthew 16:22–23, which reads, “Peter took Him aside and
began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it,
Lord! This shall never happen to You.’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind
Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to
Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.’ ” He didn’t understand that this must happen.
Do you understand that this must happen? Or, are you like Peter, foolishly rushing in
to add your own efforts to Christ’s work?
Jesus drinks the cup we deserved, securing our redemption. Will we trust His finished work?
VI.
Conclusion
Jesus was willingly betrayed, but understand that He was
never a victim. He faced His betrayer
with bravery, declared His divinity with power, protected His disciples with
care, and secured our salvation with sacrifice. Church, this is our Savior — fully God, fully
man, and fully in control.
As we leave today, let’s marvel at His character and trust
His plan. If He drank the cup for us,
what can’t we face with Him?
[1] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1620.
[2] Edwin A. Blum, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 334.
[3] Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 2002), 25B:216–217.
[4] New American
Standard Bible: 1995 Update, (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
[5] MacArthur, 1620.
[6] Borchert, 25B:217.
[7] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, (Bellingham, WA: Logos
Bible Software, 2010), 2:191.
[8] A. T. Robertson, Word
Pictures in the New Testament, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Jn
18:5.
[9] Ronald L. Trail, An
Exegetical Summary of John 10–21, Exegetical Summaries, (Dallas, TX: SIL
International, 2018), 345.
[10] Borchert, 25B:219.
[11] John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago, IL: Moody
Publishers, 2008), 308.
[12] MacArthur, The
MacArthur Study Bible, 1620.
[13] Borchert, 25B:221.
