Sermon Nuggets Mon Nov 3
Theme- The Arrest
Verses-John 18:1-11 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
The Place
After Jesus high priestly prayer other accounts share that they sung a hymn and departed.
Jesus went to the cross out of design and His own will. He never was entrapped, never tricked, never surprised. He was not overcome by the power of the law, or Jews or Romans. As the prayer of Christ stated he knew full well he was about to die and in so doing he would be the savior of the world to all who will accept Him and follow him. This was the reason for his coming to earth. He never was the victim of circumstances.
John’s purpose is to present Jesus Christ as God, to reveal to the world his Deity. John majored on his divinity more than his humanity.
Jesus had finished being with his disciples in the upper room preparing them for this night and praying for them. He completed all the work that the Father had given to him except this final task of going to the cross. Jesus is the High priest and representing us before the Father. Jesus prays for the disciples and his church in the upper room. He prayed for His glory to be revealed and glory to the Father. Now was the hour to be turned over to his enemies.
There was a place that was also prepared for Jesus arrest. As all plans are in order by the sovereign God this too has some prophetic implications. By the Kidron valley, the brook was said to be tainted with blood shed from the many animals by the priests in the temple at the time of the Passover. Jesus would have passed over that brook, as a reminder that His blood was to be shed as the Passover lamb for the sins of the world.
The timing was perfect. Jesus finished His high priestly prayer to the Father. His “hour” truly had come. John very briefly refers to the Garden of Gethsemane and does not mention our Lord’s agonizing prayer in the garden as we read in some of the other Gospel accounts.
This garden was known to Judas since it was a place where they often went to pray and to rest, away form the crowds. It was a quiet resting-place, for retirement, prayer, perhaps sleep, and a trysting-place also where not only the Twelve, but others also, may have been wont to meet the Master. This was the safest place for an arrest, since many in Jerusalem were enamored with Jesus and the crowds made it impossible to safely arrest Jesus before when they wanted to. The officers of the temple were afraid of the people because of Jesus’ popularity. Do you think Jesus did not know that? Or do we come to a realization that it was in a Garden when sin won the victory from the first Adam, and it was in another garden when God was addressing this sin matter to overcome it. Jesus is the second Adam.
In the Greek, Gethsemane means an oil orchard. The Hebrew expression means olive press. It is still rich today in olive trees hundreds of years old and it is possible that these may be shoots of the same trees that witnessed Jesus' last night before his arrest.
Gethsemane is at the foot of Mount Of Olives where Jesus ascended into heaven. From the depths to the heights, one person did a study showing how the Mount of Olives is always associated with division. Jesus separated himself from the other people - going to the Mount of Olives.
Oil is a symbol both of the spirit and of understanding. In order to bring forth the liquid (oil) from the olive, an oil press causes great pressure on it. Jesus is the olive root according to Romans 11:16, supporting every olive branch and therefore every olive in the tree. We know in his prayer that great pressure was upon Him that night.
Judas was also hand picked by God to do the job of betrayal. It wasn’t his insight that brought the soldiers to Gethsemane, it was planned by God. The place, the time, and the people were all in God’s hands.
There are no surprises with Him.
We never know how the incidental events are really significant expressions of the glory and preparation of our Lord.
Pastor Dale.
