John 18
COMMENTARY:
: 2 And Judas also, which betrayed HIM, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted there with HIS disciples. (4178 “ofttimes” [pollakis] means often, frequently, many times, repeatedly, or again and again.)
DEVOTION: Betrayal of a friend is sometimes a part of life. Here we have someone who has been with the disciples for three years. He was the son of perdition that Jesus spoke about in HIS prayer to the Father.
Judas knew the habits of Jesus. He knew that HE would take them on different occasions to a particular garden for a time alone without a crowd. He knew that Jesus was going to go there after the meal.
One of things we learn from this betrayal is that other places in the Word of God we never knew about this special place for Jesus and HIS disciples. HE knew where to take them to have some private time with them.
We need a private place to get alone with God. There might have to be a private place to take family to be alone with the LORD. Too often we are too busy to get away and it shows. God wants to have time alone with us. Jesus talked about getting into a prayer closet to pray. God reveals things to us when we are alone with HIM.
CHALLENGE: Take time to be alone with the LORD regularly. Some habits are good to keep. We need to be in a place where we can meet the LORD!
: 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up your sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it? (4221 “cup” [poterion] means drinking vessel, one’s lot or experience, divine appointments, suffer severely, or lot in life.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was in the garden praying about the cup of suffering HE was going to experience. HE asked the Father if there was any way this suffering could be averted and HE knew the answer. HE wanted to do the will of the Father. HE knew the will of the Father. There was only one way for the sins of the world to be forgiven and that was through HIS sacrifice on the cross. That was HIS cup of suffering.
Peter tried to stop the soldiers from taking Jesus away. He drew HIS sword and cut off the ear of one of the High Priest’s servants. Jesus healed the ear and informed him that HE could have called twelve legions of angels to come rescue HIM if that was what HE wanted. It wasn’t. HE wanted to fulfill HIS purpose for coming.
Each of us has a lot in life. Each of us makes a choice as to whether we are going to follow the LORD. We have to remember that because God is omniscient HE knows before the foundation of the world what choice we are going to make. Once that issue is settled we have to move to the next step in our life.
We also have a cup of suffering that we are going to face throughout our life. The disciples were warned that they were going to suffer for their service to the LORD. We have the same promise if we are going to serve the LORD.
Our personal cup of suffering or divine appointment is known to the LORD. We are going to face them whether we want to or not. That is a part of our life of service to the LORD. Each cup is used to cause us to mature in our relationship to the LORD.
Whatever the LORD sends our way should be accepted as the will of God for our life. Jesus accepted HIS cup of suffering for us. We need to do the same for HIM.
Too often we find ourselves wanting something else to happen in our life. Our thinking needs to change and allow each divine appointment to cause us to thank the LORD.
CHALLENGE: When our life is over we can say with Christ “It is finished.” We will be spending eternity with our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus went back to heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father to be our intercessor.
: 17 Then said the damsel that kept the door to Peter, Are not you also one of this man’s disciples? He said, I am not. (2377 “kept the door” [thuroros] means porter, doorkeeper, a male or female janitor, a person who guards or allows entry through an entrance, or gatekeeper.)
DEVOTION: Confrontation is never easy. When people confront one another it is usually done in anger. One of the ones who confronted Peter was a relative of the man he cut the ear off of that Jesus healed. So it would seem they would know what had happened and who had done it.
Peter lied three times to three different individuals. Jesus had predicted that he would do it. Each of the gospels records this as happening with each one adding more details than the other.
One of the details only this gospel will give us is the fact that Jesus confronted HIM after HIS resurrection regarding who he loved. Peter was confronted by Jesus three times. Peter answered that he loved the LORD three times. The issue was settled that day.
When we deny the LORD HE loves us enough to confront us with a confession of love for HIM. HE didn’t give up on Peter. HE doesn’t give up on us.
We need to understand this truth when we fail to live the way we should as a believer. We want to give up on ourselves but HE will not allow that either. Peter could have gone back to his occupation of fishing which he did for a while but Jesus didn’t leave him there. HE had other plans for him.
Never give up. Keep pressing toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. HE is there to help you each day.
CHALLENGE: Remember that failure is the back door to success. Learn from your failures. Help others that you meet go through restoration with the LORD.
: 30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to you. (2555 “malefactor” [kakopoios] means an evil doer, wrong doer, bad person, criminal or one who customarily engages in doing what is bad.)
DEVOTION: Jesus had many names when HE lived on this earth. HE was called the Son of God. HE was called the son of man. HE was called Lord. However, the Jewish leader had different names that they called Jesus. They called HIM a liar. They called HIM a wine bidder. They called HIM a glutton. Here we find them calling HIM another name. This name means evil doer. This name means criminal. They brought HIM to Pilate to have HIM killed by the Romans because they didn’t have authority enough to kill someone that they judged wrong under their law.
The High Priest didn’t want to lose power with the Romans. He was afraid that if Jesus lived they would lose their power and HE would gain power. Jesus however told Pilate that HIS kingdom was not of this world. HE was going to establish another kingdom when HE returned. HIS kingdom would be on the New Heaven and New Earth. HE would reign with us in HIS Kingdom. It was still future.
HE came this time to teach the TRUTH. HE wanted the people who would listen to know the TRUTH.
There is a big difference between the lies that the Jewish religious leaders were teaching and what the Word of God taught. Jesus made this plain. HE had Biblical Doctrine or teaching. Not traditions of man like the Pharisees had.
The Jewish leaders thought of Jesus as someone who was doing evil to their nation. He was someone who was teaching wrong doctrine to the nation. He was questioning their authority. He was presenting another way to God. They didn’t like him.
We are presenting the only way to God today and the world does not like us saying that there is only ONE WAY to God. They want many ways. They want many religions. They want to have their own personal way to God. They want to make an agreement with God. The Bible says that there is only ONE WAY and that is through Jesus Christ.
All those who reject him will spend eternity in the lake of fire. We are considered evil doers and our LAWMAKERS want to pass laws that we are causing “hate crimes” to be committed against those who are disobedient to the Word of God. We don’t hate them. We want them to realize that God loved them so much that HE sent his Son to die on the cross for their sins. We have to spread the WORD. We might be arrested someday soon for spreading the truth of the Word of God.
Realize that if we teach the TRUTH of the Word of God our world will hate us. Should we stop? NO!! The time is short – what did you do for Christ today?
CHALLENGE: WE have to manifest the courage that Christ manifested when HE was taken to court.
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