The time has come
March 29, 2021
Read John 18:1-11
In all four gospels, the account of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is the climax to the whole book. John has been leading up to it throughout the first twelve chapters. The life in all its fulness which Jesus gives to those who believe in him is made possible because he laid down his life for us (10:10-11). Having laid it down, he took it up again (10:17-18) – he is “the resurrection and the life” (11:25). To believe in Jesus is to come to him and take hold of these two core truths personally (6:35,53-54).
So John might well have gone straight from chapter 12 to chapter 18. But it is important that those who receive new life in Jesus know how to live out his life fruitfully through the Holy Spirit in them, and that’s the theme of the teaching which Jesus gave to his disciples in the upper room on the eve of his death (chapters 13-16), which is then followed by his great prayer of dedication (chapter 17). “When he had finished praying”, he went to Gethsemane (1; Mark 14:32) – at last “the time had come” (12:23; 13:1).
It began with betrayal (2). Judas knew where Jesus would be, and this was the information which the priests needed so that they could arrest Jesus away from public view (3). Jesus offered no resistance (4). Instead, he identified himself to those who had come for him (5-8). “I am he” in Greek is ego eimi (literally “I am”; 6:20; 8:24,28,58; 13:19). His only concern was for the safety of his disciples (8-9; 6:39). Peter’s violent action (10) was both misguided and useless, for Jesus knew that he must “drink the cup” of God’s wrath against human sin in order to achieve forgiveness for us (11; Mark 10:38,45; 14:36; Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17).