Written by: Simon Steer - Principal, Redcliffe College
John 18 v 1-6
When Jesus finished praying, he went with his followers across the Kidron
Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and Jesus and his followers went
into it.
Judas knew where this place was, because Jesus often met his followers there.
Judas was the one who turned against Jesus. So Judas came there with a group
of soldiers and some guards from the leading priests and the Pharisees. They
were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
Knowing everything that would happen to him, Jesus went out and asked, “Who
is it you are looking for?”
They answered, “Jesus from Nazareth.”
“ I am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, the one who turned against Jesus,
was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they moved
back and fell to the ground.
Notes
At one level this is a story of betrayal, of political skulduggery and of religiously-motivated
violence. At another level, the narrative focuses on a single character,
the extraordinary man Jesus, simultaneously deeply vulnerable and yet fully
aware of his destiny. This dual perspective is one we find often in John’s
gospel and it expresses one of the central convictions of the Christian faith
- that in Jesus we’re dealing with incarnation, God in the flesh, a
unique union of human and divine.
The practical value of this bit of theology is that present day followers of Jesus recognise someone who identifies with the struggles and challenges that life throws up. Whether it’s being let down by a friend, experiencing opposition because of our faith, or even the prospect of death, we are strengthened by the knowledge that Jesus knows these experiences from the inside - he feels for us in an intimate way.
This wonderful empathy is combined with the companionship of one whose sense of identity was such that it literally knocked people off their feet. The powerful presence of Jesus is still sending people to their knees.
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the vulnerability of Jesus. Thank you that Jesus
was willing to experience the worst that life could throw at him for my sake.
Help me respond to challenges and difficulties with Jesus’ courage
and clarity of purpose. Amen
John 18 v 7-14
Jesus asked them again, “Who is it you are looking for?”
They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
“I told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “So if you are looking
for me, let the others go.” This happened so that the words Jesus said
before would come true: “I have not lost any of the ones you gave me.”
Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the servant of the high
priest, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back. Shouldn’t I drink the
cup the Father gave me?”
Then the soldiers with their commander and the Jewish guards arrested Jesus.
They tied him and led him first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the
high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who told the Jews that it would
be better if one man died for all the people.
Notes
I don’t know about you but when I’m under pressure I tend to become
even more self-centred than normal. The questions that seem automatically to
come to mind are: “How am I going to cope here?” and “How
can I get out of this one?” In contrast to this probably normal human
reaction, Jesus demonstrated a quite extraordinary degree of selflessness.
Faced with imminent arrest and the prospect of torture and death, Jesus’ focus
was on the well-being of others. He wanted his followers to be spared the suffering
that he willingly took on himself, providing a compelling example for anyone
involved in leadership or the oversight of others. Humility is not so much “thinking
less of ourselves” as “thinking of ourselves less”.
This rejection of the way of self-centredness, however, is combined with an almost fierce focus on the calling that Jesus believed he had been given. He rejected Peter’s response of violence in favour of a willing embrace of the path that Jesus passionately believed had been laid before him by God his Father.
The cup of which Jesus spoke is most often used in the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s judgment against sin, so the words of Jesus carry great significance. Jesus committed himself to bearing God’s judgment in death, in order that we might be free of that judgment and receive forgiveness.
As Caiaphas, the high priest, had unwittingly indicated, Jesus’ death was to be “for all the people”, an act of sacrifice and substitution. When, by faith, we commit ourselves to this extraordinary truth, we are never quite the same again.
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the selfless sacrifice of Jesus. Help me to embrace
the liberating truth of your forgiveness and friendship. May the humility
and heroism of Jesus inspire me to give of myself for the well-being of others.
Amen
John 18 v 15-18
Simon Peter and another one of Jesus’ followers went along after Jesus.
This follower knew the high priest, so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s
courtyard. But Peter waited outside near the door. The follower who knew the
high priest came back outside, spoke to the girl at the door, and brought Peter
inside. The girl at the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one
of that man’s followers?”
Peter answered, “No, I am not!”
It was cold, so the servants and guards had built a fire and were standing
around it, warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
Notes
This vividly depicted scene helps us to experience for ourselves something
of the discomfort and eventual denial of Peter for ourselves. We can picture
him nervously assessing the situation at the door of the courtyard. He’d
like to know what’s going on, what’s happening to Jesus and whether,
even now, he can provide support to the extraordinary man who has so influenced
his life these past three years. But what about the risk? Peter might be
recognised; he might be caught up in the dangerous religious and political
power struggles that have entrapped Jesus.
His concerns are understandable and we should resist the temptation to judge him for his cowardice. It should remind us rather of God’s remarkable willingness to work through human beings with all our flaws and weaknesses. Those of us who strive to be 21st century followers of Jesus can relate to the struggles of his first disciples, even as we learn from their mistakes.
The narrative also contains a hint of the wonderful restoration that Peter would experience despite his denial of Jesus. In the original Greek text, the word for the charcoal fire (“anthrakia”) by which Peter warmed himself is only used on one other occasion in the gospel. Significantly, the other mention of fire is in John 21 v 9 where the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples on the beach and made breakfast for them. It is a wonderful scene that speaks of new beginnings, new hope and the welcoming hospitality of Jesus. For any of us who are conscious of the frailty of our loyalty to Jesus, it is a reminder of the restorative grace of God that can warm us deep inside.
Prayer
Loving God, thank you that you are willing to use all sorts of people despite
my weaknesses and failings. Lord Jesus, may Peter’s journey from denial
to restoration encourage me to be renewed by your grace day by day. Amen
John 18 v 19-24
The high priest asked Jesus questions about his followers and his teaching.
Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to everyone. I have always taught
in synagogues and in the Temple, where all the Jews come together. I never
said anything in secret. So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard
my teaching. They know what I said.”
When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing there hit him. The guard
said, “Is
that the way you answer the high priest?”
Jesus answered him, “If I said something wrong, then say what it was.
But if what I said is true, why do you hit me?”
Then Annas sent Jesus, who was still tied, to Caiaphas the high priest.
Notes
There is a popular image of “Jesus meek and mild”, a rather wishy-washy
character who accepts the suffering given out to him a little too easily. This
brief episode gives the lie to that caricature. What strikes us here is the
robustness of Jesus’ response to his inquisitors. He refused to be intimidated
by the power and prestige of the religious authorities and challenged them
to defend their procedures. His boldness prompted a violent response, but still
Jesus refused to be cowed and implicitly challenged the use of force against
him.
It is true that the gospels contain accounts of other occasions in which Jesus remained silent in response to questioning, indicating his willingness to accept the working out of God’s will. But Jesus was never merely passive in the face of injustice and never indifferent to the abuse of power and the exploitation that it brings.
The protesting Jesus needs to be a model for us, just as the peaceable Jesus should be. When encountering injustice, against ourselves or others, it is part of our responsibility as followers of Jesus to protest, to challenge, to expose. Of course, we will need to guard against the temptation to act defensively in the face of legitimate criticism, but a discerning critique of the abuse of power is a vital aspect of Christian discipleship.
Perhaps there will be occasions in our workplaces when we need to take a stand, graciously, constructively, but firmly against discrimination or the poor treatment of a colleague. Similarly, our voice of protest needs to be heard on such issues as the persecution of Christians, the persistence of global poverty, the environmental degradation of the planet and a host of other contemporary challenges.
May the protesting Jesus inspire and guide us.
Prayer
Lord of life, help me to demonstrate in my daily life something of the courage
and strength of the character of Jesus. I want to be someone who takes a
stand against injustice and the abuse of power. Help me to do this, I pray,
with wisdom, discernment and boldness. Amen
John 18 v 25-27
As Simon Peter was standing and warming himself, they said to him, “Aren’t
you one of that man’s followers?”
Peter said it was not true; he said, “No, I am not.”
One of the servants of the high priest was there. This servant was a relative
of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. The servant said, “Didn’t
I see you with him in the garden?”
Again Peter said it wasn’t true. At once a cockerel crowed.
Notes
John, the skilful storyteller, sandwiched the description of the resolve and
robustness of Jesus under pressure between two scenes which portray in painful
detail the threefold denial of Peter. The effect is to heighten the shame
of Peter’s behaviour. It is a mark of the integrity of the gospels
that such a stain upon the reputation of one of the Christian community’s
most prominent leaders has not been deleted from the records. There is a
brutal honesty about the depiction of the frailty of these first followers
of Jesus.
Is there a lesson for us here about the importance of facing up to our own flaws? I can recall several times in my life when I have echoed the denial of Peter: “No, I am not.” Not in so many words perhaps, but I have found other ways of escaping the embarrassment or even mockery of being known as a follower of Jesus. Of course, Peter faced much greater danger from this association than I ever have. But in our places of work or study, it is not always easy to be open about our Christian faith. Our equivalent of the accusatory question that Peter faced by the fire in the courtyard might be a fairly innocent enquiry at the photocopier about our plans for the weekend.
Our society may pride itself on its tolerance, but it often seems that the Christian faith remains fair game for attack and scorn. Contemporary Christians need to develop fairly thick skin without giving the impression that we’re an embattled minority. After all, it is possible that among those who questioned Peter, there was one who was genuinely interested in this man Jesus and his followers. I wonder what would have happened if Peter had found the courage to say, “Yes, that was me.”
Prayer
Gracious God, I sometimes find it hard to be loyal to you. I am sorry for those
times when I have let you down and I ask for your forgiveness. Help me to
delight in being your follower even when that may be costly. May my witness
for you be natural and unforced so that others will be attracted to you.
Amen
John 18 v 28-32
Early in the morning they led Jesus from Caiaphas’ house to the Roman
governor’s palace. They would not go inside the palace, because they
did not want to make themselves unclean; they wanted to eat the Passover meal.
So Pilate went outside to them and asked, “What charges do you bring
against this man?”
They answered, “If he were not a criminal, we wouldn’t have brought
him to you.”
Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“ But we are not allowed to put anyone to death,” the Jews answered.
(This happened so that what Jesus said about how he would die would come true.)
Notes
John’s narrative of the final days of Jesus’ life is rich in ironic
detail. These few verses are a good example of John’s skill as storyteller
and theologian. First, there is the paradox of the one whom John has earlier
described as God in the flesh becoming a seemingly impotent pawn in the power
game of religious and political leaders. Then there is the irony of the captors
of Jesus being deeply concerned about their own religious purity even as they
facilitate the death of the one who offers genuine moral and spiritual cleansing.
They’re so concerned about religion that they miss the truth. They want
to eat the Passover meal (which reminds them of God’s saving protection),
but fail to realise that the true Passover lamb is the man in chains before
them. His death would demonstrate the love and mercy of God in a radically
new way but only to those with eyes to see it.
These ironies within the story can prompt us to be aware of potential blind spots in our own convictions. Are there elements of our faith (or unfaith) that are causing us to miss some dimension of God’s loving purpose for us? There is much in our world today that reminds us that religion can be toxic; conviction can destroy as well as save. We need to ensure that our convictions and the way we live them out in our lives produce life and hope, for ourselves and for others.
Prayer
Loving God, show me where I have blind spots in my outlook on the world and
in my relationship with you. Help me to see you at work even in surprising
ways, people and places. Thank you for Jesus, the true Passover lamb who
reveals your love and mercy to me. Amen
John 18 v 33-40
Then Pilate went back inside the palace and called Jesus to him and asked, “Are
you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus said, “Is that your own question, or did others tell you about
me?”
Pilate answered, “I am not Jewish. It was your own people and their leading
priests who handed you over to me. What have you done wrong?”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belonged
to this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be given over to
the Jews. But my kingdom is from another place.”
Pilate said, “So you are a king!”
Jesus answered, “You are the one saying I am a king. This is why I was
born and came into the world: to tell people the truth. And everyone who belongs
to the truth listens to me.”
Pilate said, “What is truth?” After he said this, he went out to
the Jews again and said to them, “I find nothing against this man. But
it is your custom that I free one prisoner to you at Passover time. Do you
want me to free the ‘king of the Jews’?”
They shouted back, “No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!” (Barabbas
was a robber.)
Notes
This is one of the most famous dialogues of all time and it has prompted all
kinds of reflection and response over the centuries. The character of Pilate
has provoked much debate regarding his motivation and morality. As a provincial
Roman governor his task was to ensure political stability in what was a turbulent
part of the world. The economy of Rome depended upon a regular supply of
goods from the Middle East and Pilate was responsible for ensuring that inconvenient
matters, such as religion and ethnicity, didn’t threaten economic growth.
There is something very up-to-date about this incident; ours, too, is a world in which western economic interests sometimes clash with cultural and religious sensibilities of those in other parts of the world. Pilate was also surprisingly up-to-date in his pragmatic use of power. He was not concerned about principle; he simply wanted to get the job done while preserving and, preferably, enhancing his power. Pilate prompts us to consider our own use of any influence that we may have. Are we merely concerned about our own position or genuinely motivated by the well-being of others?
What did Jesus mean when he said: “My kingdom does not belong to this world”? He did not mean that his ministry was about “spiritual” rather than earthly or material things. On the contrary, the truth revealed by and embodied in Jesus impacts every aspect of life. What Jesus was emphasising was that in people and places where the lordship of Jesus is acknowledged, power is not about control and violence but about service and sacrifice. This is the truth that would be nailed to the cross on Good Friday.
Even as Barabbas was set free all those years ago, the truth that is Jesus can set us free today.
Prayer
Loving God, free me from any destructive use of power. Help me to listen to
the truth of Jesus so that he will truly be the king of my life. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes