JOHN 18 EXPOSITION

John 18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth

with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. The words that are being reffered to in this text is the high priestly prayer that Jesus made for his disciples the night before the crucifixion. He still lives to make intercession for us.

 Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make

intercession for them. He is best placed to make intercession for us is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. He understands how the journey can get difficult sometimes.

 I am reminded of the French revolution, when the masses complained that they did not have bread to eat and the queen

told them they cold eat cake instead. He could not come to terms with the fact that people could lack bread.

 Kedron was (as the name signifies) a dark

shady valley, on the east side of Jerusalem, between the city and the mount of Olives, through which a little brook ran, which took its name from it. It was this brook, which David, a type of Christ, went over with the people, weeping in his flight from Absalom. The reason it was called dark or murky was because when they sacrificed during the Passover, they would let the excess blood drain into the this brook.

 Historians tell us in the times of Jesus, they would slaughter 256,000 goats during the Passover. But we have been saved from all this trouble by the sacrifice that Jesus made once and for all. We dont have to incur any cost now to access God, Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite

heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

 The garden being reffered to was the garden of Gethsemane; Oil-press, the name of an olive-yard at the foot of the

Mount of Olives. Jesus would be pressed in that garden to an extent that he would experience hematrodosis, a rare physiological condition where the blood capillaries of the blood burst and one sweats blood.

 He endured all that because he was focused to the end. Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the

joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
In life most good things dont come easy, they come with a price tag. Eternal life, comfort in old age, disciplined children, good investment.

If you want more output, you cannot keep the input constant.

 Every advancement in life requires an adjustment, insanity is doing the same things in the same way and expecting

different results. and his disciples, among the disciples that he started with only one fell along the way. Why was he able to get along with them, he could bear with their weaknesses.

 Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another,

if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. We can only accomplish this when we understand that we are different. Ezr 9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of

the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

Ezr 9:2

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the

hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
Ezr 9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and

my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

 Neh 13:25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them

swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give

your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
Rom

12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy

according to the proportion of faith;

 If a kid carrying a glass fell on the stairs, an individual with a gift of mercy would be empathetic, the one with the gift of

kindness would seek to replace the broken glass, the one with a gift of teaching would offer a lesson to the child. All of them would respond according to their gifting.

 John 18:2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
Judas already had left the apostolic

company during the left supper to go and betray Jesus. He was not with them as they left the city of Jerusalem and headed to the garden.

 Judas was the only disciple who did not come from Galilee, was from Kerioth, a southern city.
The city was an intellectual and wealth

centre in those times. The Galileans were looked down at, but those from around Jerusalem(which Kerioth was) were believed to be sophisticated and intellectuals. he was made the treasurer because of his education.

 Judas was disappointed because he was looking forward to Jesus seizing political power. Now he seems to be moving in a different direction.
he thought that he would become the

secretary to the treasury. It is a tragedy when we get disappointed with God when he follows the path we were not expecting.

 Luk 7:17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all

Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. Luk 7:18 And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. Luk 7:19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent

them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

Luk 7:20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John

Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? Luk 7:21 And in that same hour he cured many of their
Luk 7:22

infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

 But he knew where to find Jesus, where he would resort to in time of stress and difficulty. Where do you resort to in such times, where would people find you?
At such times, people are very vulnerable.

 For 16 months David had been living among the Philistines in a village called Ziklag.
How do you manage your dark days?-

When the Philistines went to war against Israel, David and his men tagged along in the rear of the army.
They were saved from having to fight against their own people because the Philistine generals didnt trust them. After being dismissed from the army, David and his men made their way back to Ziklag.

 1Sa 30:3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire;

and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
Gen 12:10 And there was a famine in the

land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was

grievous in the land.

 Abraham also left bethel because of famine and went down to Egypt. Down there he lied and as he left he carried with

him Hagar. Hagar later caused a lot of grief to that family. And the geopolitical tensions in the middle East can be attributed to that goof.

 Rth 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of

Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. Rth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

 Joh 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was

Malchus. Luk 22:40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. Prayer is not only about getting what we want, but also not getting what we dont want. Often times we complain about having prayed and nothing happening.

 But if it would be revealed to you the things that did not

happen to you that would happened to you had you not been in prayer, you would be shocked. But Peter and company failed, the consequences are there for all and sundry to see. The sword; Luk 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Luk 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath

no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

Luk 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet

be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. Luk 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords.

And he said unto them, It is enough.

 Jesus was communicating to his disciples, that times were changing, in the past, wherever they went they were

welcomed, but now the climate had changed. They were being advised to get ready for the changing times. Jesus did not mean that they should arm themselves. But they completely missed the point, they went out and bought swords.

 Luk 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here

are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

They came back and displayed to jesus

and he responded that it is enough He could be was expressing frustration because of how they had missed the point. But they thought that he meant that two swords were enough.

 They missed the point twice; they missed the point that they missed the point.
The

consequences; they carried the swords with them to the garden of Gethsemane. Peter cut the ear of Malchus, he was sincere in his intentions but he was sincerely wrong because of the following;

1. He was fighting the wrong enemy.

There was 600 soldiers (a cohort), but

Peter picked on a young defenceless servant of the high priest, Malchus. For you and me, often times we fight the wrong enemy, Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 Any time I am fighting a person, I am wrestling with

the wrong enemy. I am to wage war against the entities that have victimised that person. The person is not the problem but the spirit that has been dominating that individual. The problem is not the husband, workmate, your boss or the brethren. If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we would find suffering enough to disarm all hostility. Love is not blind, it sees more, and because it sees more it is willing to see less. Love understands that ones enemies are not vicious but victims, and because it can see more, I choose to accept them and wage war against the devil.

2.Using the wrong weapon

He was using a physical sword; 2Co 10:4

(For the weapons of our warfare are

not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
our

weapons are not carnal but, spiritual to the pulling down of high towers through which the enemy controls people. Our weapons are outlined in Ephsians 6; among them is the sword of the spirit.

 Heb 4:12

For the word of God is quick,

and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Sometimes, christians misuse the word of God and hurt other christians.
By taking a scripture or a principle out of

context.

3.He harbored the wrong attitude.

Jesus was in the garden surrendering

to the will of the father but Peter was fighting. Peter was completely out of harmony with the mind of Christ. Many a times when we are fighting back, God would will that we surrender.

 Sa 16:5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a

man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son

of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. his left.

2Sa 16:6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David:

and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on

2Sa 16:7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou

bloody man, and thou man of Belial: 2Sa 16:8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in

thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.

2Sa 16:9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should

this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 2Sa 16:10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 2Sa 16:11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now

may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

 In other words David realised that it was all a part of

the process, that the father was working in David a great level of humility. He understood that the father had a purpose in whatever was happening. Jesus would tell Peter to put back his sword away; not to interfere with the process.
Pearl - a small hard shiny white ball that forms inside

the shell of an oyster and is of great value as a jewel Pearl a garment of patience around an irritation. When a sand particle gets into an oyster, it irritates the oyster, the oyster does not spit it out. It covers it with a substance that hardens it. Is there somebody who is irritating you, embrace him.

4. For the wrong reason

He unsheathed the sword to protect the

Lord against 600 soldiers. God does not need protection, he does not need us to straighten up issues in our energy. The lord is capable of protecting himself, some people claim to stand up for the Lord.

5. For the wrong motive

Peter was trying to show off his

spirituality, all the other guys would back off but I will stand by you. You said that I would deny you but watch this Often times people fail others as they display their spirituality. The bible says vengeance is Gods.

 Ours is to love and God will judge.

The story of world war II. A couple of

soldiers that looked confused- from Tibet, narrated their story. They were finally asked if they had any questions; they said they had just one what is everybody fighting about The Lord sometimes wonders the same, what is everybody fighting about, I dont need to be defended

 Our Lord is gracious, Jesus picked up the ear of the servant and healed him. Otherwise there would have been four crosses on

Calvary later that day. Finally, Jesus cleansed Peters sin. Jesus did not mistake the moment for the man. Jesus saw Peter not for what he was at the moment but what he would be for the future. On the day of Pentecost Peter took another sword and killed 3000 that day. Only struck them alive, not dead. Jesus reacted in love to the wrongs of a friend.