John 18:1 Betrayed - For The Glory of Jesus

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Betrayed

Jesus was betrayed by Judas with a kiss. His disciples were with Him and saw what was happening but didn’t realize it.

This is a Bible Study. Have your own Bible handy to look up the references mentioned.

If you do not have a Bible, I invite you to go to BibleGateway.com or another online Bible.

1. “The Kidron Valley is located east of Jerusalem, between the city wall and the Mount of Olives, and the garden of Gethsemane is on the western slope of Olivet.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 372)

“On the slopes of the Mt. of Olives, named for ever-present olive groves, were many gardens. Matthew 26:36 and Mark 14:32 call this particular garden ‘Gethsemane,’ which means ‘oil press.’” (MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, [Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005], 1414)

“The olives would be picked and put into the press for their oil. What a picture of suffering! So our Lord would go through the ‘oil press’ and the ‘winepress’ (Isaiah 63:3) and taste our judgement for us.” (Wiersbe, 373)

“The brook Kidron is also significant. The name means ‘dusky, gloomy,’ referring to the dark waters that were often stained by the blood from the temple sacrifices. Our Lord and His disciples were about to go through ‘dark waters,’ and Jesus would experience the ‘waves and billows’ of God’s wrath (Psalm 42:7; also note Jonah 2:3).” (Wiersbe, 373)

Kidron (or Cedron)

2. “Our Lord crossed over the brook Cedron after Judas had made his agreement to betray Him. Perhaps you remember another crossing of this same brook by one who was betrayed—King David, when his son Absalom led in a rebellion and Ahithophel, his friend and counsellor, betrayed him.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 483)

“Notice that John does not include the agony in the garden. John does not record His praying and His extreme suffering. Rather he speaks of the glory.” (McGee, 483)

“You will notice that Jesus will not resist arrest. He is the Lamb of God who offers no resistance. (Isaiah 53:7).” (McGee, 483)

There were other times that His enemies tried to arrest Him but He evaded them.

“Now he lays Himself wide open to be taken. This is very important for us to note.” (McGee, 483)

3. “The word band in John 18:3 could be translated ‘cohort.’ A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, and this would be six hundred men!” (Wiersbe, 373)

Whom seek ye?

4. “John, in a matter-of-fact way, states that Jesus was omniscient, thus, God.” (MacArthur, 1415)

Jesus asked them Whom seek ye?

5. Their answer: Jesus of Nazareth.

“They do not accord Him the dignity that belongs to Him. They refuse to call Him the Christ.” (McGee, 484)

6. When Jesus showed them He was in control of the situation, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

“Why did the arresting soldiers draw back and fall to the ground when Jesus told them, ‘I am he’? The Jews present would be struck by His ‘I am’ statement, and affirmation of deity. The Romans, who were in the majority, would be struck by His bearing, for it was obvious that He was in command.” (Wiersbe, 373)

7. “By asking that question twice, (vv. 4, 7), to which they replied, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ (vv. 5, 7), Jesus was forcing them to acknowledge that they had no authority to take His disciples.” (MacArthur, 1415)

8. Jesus “demanded that they let the disciples go.” (MacArthur, 1415)

9. “Jesus was saying that He protected the disciples from being arrested, so He would not lose any of them, thus fulfilling the promises He made earlier (6:39,40, 44; 10:28; 17:12)…All believers are weak and vulnerable if not protected by the Lord.” (MacArthur, 1415)

10. Simon Peter “surely aimed for Malchus’ head, ready to start the battle in defense of His Lord, but his was a misplaced love and courage. Christ healed his ear (Luke 22:51).” (MacArthur, 1415)

11. “The cup represented the suffering He would endure and the separation from the Father that He would experience on the cross…The drinking of a cup is often used in Scripture to illustrate experienced suffering and sorrow.” (Wiersbe, 375)

References

In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.

Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25B, John 12-21. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004

Believers High Priest

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