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Apr
26

Gospel of John 18, Jesus Arrested

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Day 92, John 18

Good Day Everyone!

We see here today that the prayer from Chapter 17 was the last time Jesus spoke in their presence!  We read…

“when He had said this, Jesus went out with His disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden”

Across the Kidron Valley… this has great significance — this is the area between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane –

It is an important valley — it is where Kind David crossed over to escape his wicked son Absalom (2 Samuel 15:23-30) and where King Asa burned the pagan idols and asherah poles (1Kings 15:13) and where the evil Athaliah was executed… It became a major cemetery as far back as King Josiah. (2Kings 23:6)

Jesus also crossed over this valley to get to Bethany to visit Lazarus and raise Him from the dead — Jesus also passes through this valley to make His entry to Jerusalem on a donkey ==

I walked this path through the valley when I was in Jerusalem — it has become a huge cemetery all around –

- also because there is prophecy that makes this valley a major location in “end times” so people wanted to be buried there for when He returns!

I view it as the valley of darkness — and here Jesus walks through the valley of darkness to get to the garden where he is right away sought after by Judas His betrayer and the band of soldiers and guards that he got from the chief priests and the Pharisees who went after him there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

Jesus knew everything was going to happen — so that answers that for people who still wonder if Jesus knew???

I see three arresting points in this chapter:

  1. I AM
  2. Denial by Fire
  3. What is Truth?

1- I AM

What is amazing about John’s Gospel account of the arrest is a different scene when it comes to the soldiers and the capture of Jesus –

We see Judas as more in charge — that he gets the band of soldiers and goes to where he knows Jesus will be because Jesus had been there before!

We don’t see Judas betray our Lord with a kiss — we don’t see anyone wondering which one is Jesus and requiring a sign –

And we see Jesus asking them… “Whom are you looking for?” they answer Him “Jesus the Nazorean”

When Jesus says “I AM”

we see them all turn away and fall to the ground… OH MY GOODNESS!

There was power in those words… I AM

This was God’s name for Himself in Moses’ day and they all knew this…

it was at these words I AM that then all turned and fell because no one in those days could look on God and live!

No one would ever dare say those words!!!

Jesus wants them to let go of all the disciples and not to hold them hostage since they are looking for HIM!

This, John writes was to fulfill the words of Jesus “I have not lost any of those you gave me”

We see Jesus respond to Peter with the sword with these words…

“Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

And so here we see again Peter trying to get in the way of the Father’s will for the Son which including this injustice, this humiliation, this suffering… the cup of suffering –

Jesus had prayed — he knew — he was ready — what an example for us –

I wonder if we prayed enough could we go through sufferings and injustice thinking of all those souls that Jesus doesn’t want to lose — we heard this in the Gospel from Sunday…

the Good shepherd not wanting to lose any of the sheep — this was so important to Jesus –

and He says over and over — “the Father and I are ONE”  therefore Jesus responds to the question of who He is… Jesus the Nazorean?

I AM 

2- Denial by Fire

And so we also see here Peter go from defending the Lord with a sword — to denial by the fire???

OK so we see Him with Jesus strong and valiant — yet totally off from Jesus’ approach — Peter using the worldly approach –

fighting the world with wordly tactics — hmmmm — don’t we do that too?  We get into arguments and give back to world what it hands us at times –

Our approach must be just like Jesus’ — prayer and speaking truth at the appointed times –

I am learning alot from Jesus — He uses little words — He prays a lot — He asks a lot of questions and He takes suffering as part of God’s will — yet He is strong and a warrior — engaged in spiritual warfare!  He is focused in!

When I was studying “network marketing” we learned from one of the most successful men…

Have a Dream, Form a Team, Focus IN!

This is what Jesus did — His dream… to do the will of the Father — not really a dream but a reality and a Mission – the mission of redemption!

Team — apostles — and He focused IN on going for the CUP!!! 

Right after Peter is rebuked by Jesus and is taken away — we see what I had never noticed before that there was a disciple who knew Caiaphas the High priest and who followed Jesus with PETER –

So Peter did start by Following JESUS — He could not get into the courtyard until this other disciple  when out to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in…

So Peter  had to stand outside the gate!

And so I read into this truth and see the image or analogy of all believers and or non believers — who follow Jesus and then find themselves outside of the gate —

when the gatekeeper lets them in… now it is time to be tested — isn’t it?

Who is the gatekeeper?  JESUS

OK so Peter gets his chance to be close to the suffering Jesus — as we all get this chance at different times…

and it is very cold there… they are all warming themselves by a FIRE — THE FIRE —

Peter is warming himself too — and when asked the three times if he was the man with Jesus — he says, 

 ”I am not”

Peter rather warm himself with the fire than risk losing it’s warmth and suffering with Jesus –

very human — the human condition of comfort vs suffering — remember Marion’s note on Satan’s commandment “THOU shall not suffer”

 What is amazing in John’s account is that after this denial — Jesus gets physically struck in the face!!!

I see here the correlation between our denying Jesus — or our sin — and Jesus suffering — this is the first place we see the physical pain of Jesus –

Then Peter denies Jesus two more times…  AND LOOK –

Peter answers with the total opposite of JESUS — I AM

and Peter says… I AM NOT!!!

Amazing isn’t it!!!

So what is the truth?  Is he or isn’t he… the one?

3- What is Truth?

 What is truth is such a good question!  Pilate would really be confused today — our children are confused today — so are our adults –

WE know truth is a person — JESUS –

We see here this discussion is all over the kingship of the JEWS — they want to kill Jesus over this and Pilate does not find Him guilty!

So Pilate calls Jesus back to ask Him some questions..

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

Even at this time — Jesus is all about saving souls — getting to the truth in the heart –

Jesus wants to know… does Pilate say this on his own or because the crowd is telling him that He is –

Then Jesus talks about His kingdom — YES He is a king!!!  This is why He came into the world -

to testify to the truth!!!

This is so key here — to testify — Jesus was always testifying to the truth— revealing the Father to those the Father called!!!

There is power in this — and we are called to testify also to the TRUTH!

Don’t you read this and or watch the movies ie Passion of the Christ and want to just smack the truth into PILATE!!!

How do you think Claudia his wife felt?

Don’t you have people you know and love who don’t know TRUTH?

And then you try to explain it and you sound and feel like a huge IDIOTA! 

Well God blesses that effort — that testimony that you give — and there will be fruit for all those who are a fool for Christ!

One of my professors once said to me that when we feel like are words didn’t sound good that is a blessing because then it is not for our convincing words but the power of God that the person came into the light — but we must speak up!

So let it sound like a bad explanation — let it not make sense!!!  Praise the Lord!

AT my own dinner table last night — I had my kids and their friend — all teenagers — all raised in truth but know seeking it out themselves –

We were talking about how the Word of God is living and Active — and somehow we got to IT’S TRUTH — ie is Adam and Eve story true?  Is the story of JONAH in the WHALE TRUE –

And I realized that between their religion classes and Science classes there are some seeds of doubt and question — what is TRUTH in the word of God!

The answer … the whole BIBLE is called DIVINE REVELATION — revealing the Father –

it is also called JESUS — because DIVINE REVELATION is a person –

Even if a story in Scripture is not historically true — it is still TRUTH!

I know people teaching Catechism classes that teach that none of those stories are true!

That is not true!

Then we get to — well humans wrote it down — HOW is that JESUS?  So we must know that all Scripture is inspired by God by the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT!

A great document to read that came out of Vatican II is called DEI VERBUM!  The WORD OF GOD!

And you can find it on line by searching or go to Vatican website www.vatican.va

and please read it — it tells us that Catholics are most definitely encouraged to read the bible and that it is soooooo very important –

TRUTH comes to us by reading the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition which assists in interpretation…

all under the guidance of the Magisterium of the Church —

OK I think we gleaned some good nuggets here — please share!

If anyone knows for sure who that disciple was who new Caiaphas the High Priest please share with us — I am guessing Nicodemus or John???

God bless you all!

 

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  • Anonymous

    The notes in my Bible (Bible of Jerusalem, say the disciple who knew Caifás was John.

    Peter reminds me so much of myself at times. Many times I take over things because “Ireally know better” and then I get stuck in situations like Peter, denying Him. Jesus asked that the disciples are not taken and to let them go. Peter drew the spade and injured the soldier. Then he insists on following Jesus and puts himself in the situationof denying Him. Because he did what he thought was better and was not ready (remember how they had fallen asleep at Getsemaní instead of praying with Jesus? If he had done as Jesus asked, he wouldnot have been in the position to deny Him. I know that was to happen, as Jesus himself had prophesied (spelling?), but if he had stayed awake praying, he would have been ready to cope with the accusation. And if he had gone when Jesus tried to save them, he wouldn’t have been there.

    I know I sometimes take over small things (or I think are small things), evading suffering, and I end up worse than if I had followed Jesus’ way, which is THE WAY. But the good thing is that He is always there, a hand away. I just reach out and His hand is right there. Just as He protected His chosen, He protects us and brings us back into His way. PTL!!!

  • cuquilavergne

    The notes in my Bible (Bible of Jerusalem, say the disciple who knew Caifás was John.

    Peter reminds me so much of myself at times. Many times I take over things because “Ireally know better” and then I get stuck in situations like Peter, denying Him. Jesus asked that the disciples are not taken and to let them go. Peter drew the spade and injured the soldier. Then he insists on following Jesus and puts himself in the situationof denying Him. Because he did what he thought was better and was not ready (remember how they had fallen asleep at Getsemaní instead of praying with Jesus? If he had done as Jesus asked, he wouldnot have been in the position to deny Him. I know that was to happen, as Jesus himself had prophesied (spelling?), but if he had stayed awake praying, he would have been ready to cope with the accusation. And if he had gone when Jesus tried to save them, he wouldn't have been there.

    I know I sometimes take over small things (or I think are small things), evading suffering, and I end up worse than if I had followed Jesus' way, which is THE WAY. But the good thing is that He is always there, a hand away. I just reach out and His hand is right there. Just as He protected His chosen, He protects us and brings us back into His way. PTL!!!

  • http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

    WOW I LOVE THIS — because it makes it so clear that if we don’t follow His commands we put ourselves in a position to deny him — even if it is not the big ones like DON”T MURDER — if he says go here and don’t go there and then we do — we are in the near occasion of sin — which is more deceptive— and yes He protects and brings us back to His Way when we surrender — when we let Him! Awesome!

  • Anonymous

    wow awesome information about the Kidron Valley – makes what happened all the more meaningful and sorrowful.

    That powerful “I AM” – did they not now something was wrong here when they fell down at HIS words? didn’t they get some message that HE was not like other men? I get the message oh so clearly and loudly – and oh I feel so so sad for those who do not get that message. That just stops me in my tracks, that sentence. And so beautiful was HIS statement “I have not lost any of those YOU gave ME”
    This chapter is just so powerful for me and I am in the beginning still. I haven’t even read down to the end of your comments yet.
    I think I will just read it privately and let myself feel Jesus. I did just get back from St Catherine Drexel Shrine chapel and am feeling very blessed.

  • http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

    WOW I LOVE THIS — because it makes it so clear that if we don't follow His commands we put ourselves in a position to deny him — even if it is not the big ones like DON”T MURDER — if he says go here and don't go there and then we do — we are in the near occasion of sin — which is more deceptive— and yes He protects and brings us back to His Way when we surrender — when we let Him! Awesome!

  • judystefencavage

    wow awesome information about the Kidron Valley – makes what happened all the more meaningful and sorrowful.

    That powerful “I AM” – did they not now something was wrong here when they fell down at HIS words? didn't they get some message that HE was not like other men? I get the message oh so clearly and loudly – and oh I feel so so sad for those who do not get that message. That just stops me in my tracks, that sentence. And so beautiful was HIS statement “I have not lost any of those YOU gave ME”
    This chapter is just so powerful for me and I am in the beginning still. I haven't even read down to the end of your comments yet.
    I think I will just read it privately and let myself feel Jesus. I did just get back from St Catherine Drexel Shrine chapel and am feeling very blessed.

  • http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

    OH SO GLAD you got to be with JESUS at St. Katherine Drexel Shrine chapel — what a huge blessing! That is a slice of heaven for sure — I think we should read this every Friday — it is awesome — great insights!

  • http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

    OH SO GLAD you got to be with JESUS at St. Katherine Drexel Shrine chapel — what a huge blessing! That is a slice of heaven for sure — I think we should read this every Friday — it is awesome — great insights!