God the Son: Friend or Foe?

If you are a guest with us this morning, again, thank you for joining us.  On Sunday mornings for well over a year now, we have been studying the gospel of John verse by verse and chapter by chapter.  As a matter of fact, we started John in November 2021, and will finish in August 2023.  I think that is 22 months.

 

We study the Bible that way because here at Emory Baptist Church, we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, and we want to know every bit of it, and we recognize it as the authority in our life on all matters.  Today, you can turn to John 18:1.

 

In this account of Jesus’ life on earth, we have to the week of His life when He died on the cross.  In today’s text, it is very, very late on Thursday night or very, very early on Friday morning, and we have seen Jesus in the upper room with His disciples. 

 

I had told you previously that Jesus’ high-priestly prayer in John 17 probably took place as they were walking.  However, the beginning of chapter 18 could make the case for He and His disciples not leaving the upper room until now.  I’ll let you come to your own conclusions.

 

 

Exposition 18:1-3

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

 

John 18:1-11 has three primary characters: Jesus, Judas, and Peter.  In verse 1, Jesus and His disciples headed east outside of Jerusalem’s city walls.  They went through the Kidron valley up to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. 

 

In verse 2, we see Judas.  Judas was the one that betrayed Jesus.  Never is Judas mentioned in the Bible without connecting him with his betrayal.  Even at the beginning of the gospels, when the disciples are listed, Judas is listed last and as the betrayer.  Remember that Jesus predicted this, and Judas fulfilled it for thirty pieces of silver.

 

Verse 2 also tells us that Jesus often took His disciples to Gethsemane.  In verse 3, Judas was leading the way to Jesus along with a Roman cohort. 

 

We know this to be approximately 600 men, and they were carrying lanterns and torches because it was the middle of the night.  They were also carrying weapons because they heard that Jesus had disciples, and they were expecting a fight. 

 

Judas was clearly a foe of Jesus.  Foe means an opponent or an adversary. 

 

 

Exposition 18:4-9

4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”  5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.  7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”  And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.” 

 

In verse 4, we see the deity of Jesus and His omniscience as He was fully aware of all that was happening and about to happen.  In other words, Jesus was all-knowing. 

 

Jesus wasn’t just any man, but He was God the Son.  Notice that Jesus didn’t hide or try to run.  He boldly presented Himself and asked who they were looking for.  They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 

 

What was Jesus’ response? Jesus answered, “I AM.” The word He is not in the original language, and that is significant.  Jesus declared Himself to be God.  He called Himself the God of the OT as named in Exodus 3:14. 

 

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

 

At the end of verse 6, John noted their response.  Why did they fall back and gasp?  Again, because Jesus declared Himself not to be just any man, but the God Man. 

 

In verse 7, Jesus asked again who they were seeking.  Again, they answered Jesus. 

 

In verse 8, now for the second time, Jesus said, “I AM.”  Don’t let anyone ever lead you astray in thinking that Jesus never thought He was God.  He knew He was God, and He declared Himself to be God.

 

In verse 8, you see Jesus calling for the release of His disciples.  In verse 9, Jesus fulfilled a promise that He had made in the upper room by protecting all of His disciples and delivering them from death.  See John 17:12. 

 

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

 

Judas was the son of perdition, and he was lost because He was never saved.

 

Jesus knew and cleared declared with His actions and His words that He was God the Son.

 

Exposition 18:10-11

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.  11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

 

In verse 10, we see Peter doing what Peter did.  He acted abruptly, and in an attempt to defend Jesus, He drew a large knife and cut off the ear of Malchus.  He was certainly aiming for his head, but missed. 

 

To some degree, Peter still didn’t get it.  He would eventually as he would later receive the Holy Spirit permanently and preach and see thousands saved.

 

Regardless, Peter was a friend of Jesus.  He was ready to go to battle with Jesus. 

 

 

Conclusions

So what lessons can we take away from this narrative?  There are a few that are secondary and one that is primary. 

 

First, following God’s will is not always nice and neat and comfortable.  Jesus knew full well what God’s will was.  It was for Him to be betrayed, arrested, beaten, and murdered. 

 

Did He refuse?  Did He throw a pity party?  Did He complain?  No, He submitted. 

 

Second, Jesus died for you and me so that we wouldn’t have to die.  Look back at verse 8.  We see that truth foreshadowed here.  Every person in this room will die physically unless Jesus returns first, and every person in this room will die spiritually if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 

 

Third, for everyone that calls on the Lord to save them, you are secure for eternity.  Verse 9 says that Jesus will not lose you.  If you are saved or when you are saved, you saved for eternity and safe and secure from all alarm.

 

However, here is the main point of today’s text.  Jesus is the God the Son.  Will you treat Him as a foe like Judas or a friend like Peter?

 

A foe says I don’t like Jesus or believe in Jesus or want to have anything to do with Jesus. 

 

However, a friend says, I am sinner.  Therefore, I need Jesus as my only Savior.  I will call on Him to save me from my sins.

 

Foes of Jesus will spend an eternity in hell with Judas.  Friends of Jesus who have called on Him to save them will spend an eternity in heaven with Peter but more importantly with Jesus, God the Son.

 

How will you respond to Jesus this morning?