Series Beholding the Lamb #30- “THE DAY GOD WAS ARRESTED” John 18:1-11
Intro- ILL- OnSep 17, 2007, Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers sued God. He stated "… anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody -- even God," Chambers lawsuit, seeks a permanent injunction ordering God to cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats.
In the lawsuit, Chambers said he's tried to contact God numerous times. Chambers was quoted as saying “Come out! Come out God wherever you are!” The lawsuit accuses God "of making and continuing to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons, including constituents of Plaintiff who Plaintiff has the duty to represent." It says God has caused "fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects and the like."
The suit also says God has caused "calamitous catastrophes resulting in the wide-spread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants including innocent babes, infants, children, the aged and infirm without mercy or distinction." And that God “has manifested neither compassion or remorse…”(As ridiculous as this sounds, this man will have his day in court. And on that day, his prideful arrogance will not be tolerated. To sue GOD seems absurd, yet it happened. To arrest GOD seems even more absurd, yet it indeed happened.
Chapter 18 begins the final section of John’s Gospel. Chapter one recordsthe Presentation of Jesus to the world. Chapters 2-12 record Jesus Public Ministry. Chapters 13-17 record Jesus Private Ministry. Chapters 18-21 record the Purpose of Jesus Ministry, to die on the cross.
The Final week of our Lord’s Life was extremely busy. It was filled to the brim with activity. During His final week, Jesus cleansed the temple. Jesus taught His disciples. He was confronted by His enemies and the week ending with our Savior hanging from a cross.
The Final night of our Lord’s life was also filled with much activity. He spent that evening with His disciples in the upper room observing Passover. After the meal and after Judas left to betray him, he and the disciples departed from the upper room headed for the Garden of Gethsemane. It was here the Lord prayed that great high priestly prayer. And it was here that God was arrested.
I. THE SITE WHERE THEY ARRESTED GOD (vs.1)
John 18:11When 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 Bible says that Jesus went forth over the brook Cedron. The name Cedron means “dark waters”.It was located in the valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. It was a dirty stream from which the waters of temple sacrifice were dumped.
The very fact that Jesus crossed over the brook implies to us 3 things:(sub-points taken from David Owen) A. JESUS CROSSED OVER INTO OUR HUMANITY- the dark waters that Jesus crossed over were emblematic of the black stream through which he was about to pass. Hebrews 13:1212Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Our Lord’s Suffering began here in the garden! John leaves out the record of Christ prayer where as he prayed his sweat became as were great drops of blood.)
B. JESUS CROSSED OVER INTO OUR HELL- Calvary is a picture of the Sinners Hell.Everything that Christ went through on the way to Calvary we should have gone through. Every accusation laid against Christ- we should have gone through.Every stripe of pain he felt from the Roman Centurion’s whip should have been ours. But Jesus did not RUN the other direction. He crossed over the brook into Our Hell.
C. JESUS CROSSED OVER INTO OUR HOPE- When our Lord stepped across those dark waters, HOPE began to shine!The kind of HOPE only a Savior could bring! The kind of HOPEa prisoner has for freedom. The kind of HOPEa drowning soul has for rescue. Because Jesus crossed over the waters of death for you and I, we have hope. When Jesus crossed over the brook, Heaven sounded the bell at ringside! No river of darkness was going to stop King Jesus from going to Bloody Calvary! No regiment of soldiers was going to stop King Jesus from Calvary. Because Jesus, as the Bible says, “he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemptionfor us.(Hebrews 9:12)Because Jesus went down into the Jaws of death, TOOK the keys of hell & death, BROKE FREE from the hold of death, you & I have a hope today. 19Whichhope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;20Whither the forerunner is for us entered,even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 6:19-20Aren’t you glad Jesus passed over the BROOK? The Bible says, “Jesus went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden” Can I remind you, it was in a garden where all this trouble with SIN began in a garden? And Jesus has returned to that same garden to deal with sin!
Notice the contrast: In the Garden of Eden all was delightful. In the Garden of Gethsemane all was terrible. In the Garden of Eden Adam sinned. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus suffered. In the Garden of Eden Adam took the fruit from Eve’s hand. In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ took the cup from God’s hand.In the Garden of Eden Adam fled. In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ was led. (THANK GOD JESUS Crossed Over…) #1…
II. THE SOLDIERS WHO ARRESTED GOD (vs. 2-3)(Can you scarcely imagine what kind of men these were coming to arrest the Son of God?) A. THE LEADER OF THE SOLDIERS- vs.2Judas was the leader of this group. Can you see the pride swelling in him as he is the one all these soldiers are following? Can you see the peril here that one of the twelve was the one leading the assault against Christ? But how true it is in Baptist Churches; often times it’s one of the high ranking officials leading the charge against some preacher. Often times, it’s some mossy back deacon that’s not getting his way! God help that godless crowd that has interrupted the plan of God for their own selfish plan!
B. THE LEGION OF THE SOLDIERS- vs.3a“Judas having received a band of men and officers…” The word “band” comes from the Greek word that means “tenth part of a Legion” A Roman Legion consisted of about 5000 men. So a Band of men would be some 500 men! 500 men coming to arrest 1 Jesus. Judas could have come with 5 million men and still that would not be enough to take the Son of God had it not been Gods Will!
C. THE LETALNESS OF THE SOLDIERS-vs. 3b“…cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.”
I can understand the lanterns and the torches considering it was night time. But the weapons were an insult to Christ. The weapons portrayed Christ as a criminal. The weapons also showed the soldiers ignorance! Coming to arrest the God of the Universe caring puny man made weapons.There’s no Chemical or Biological Weapon on the face of the earth that can stop almighty God! God is so Big- you can’t Blow Him up! Is this not un-thinkable? Did you know that one day (during the millennium) all the world is going to join forces together and come against Christ with all the artillery known to man, hoping to blast and do away with God forever? But Jesus is going to use the weapon of his mouth and speak the word and all God’s Enemies will be destroyed in an instant!Whose side are you on? …
III. THE SURRENDER OF GOD (vs. 4-11) Notice How He Surrendered:
A. HE SURRENDERED WILLINGLY
John 18:44Jesus therefore, knowing all things(Jesus knew the person coming to betray him! Jesus knew the soldiers were coming for him) that should come upon him, went forth, (notice Jesus did not RUN or try to escape like everyone else would. But He “went forth”. Those soldiers that came armed with weapons had no idea that this was all part of God’s plan! Those soldiers had no idea that Jesus was willing to come with the peaceably) and said unto them,Whom seek ye? John 18:55They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them,I amhe. Exodus 3:13-14 13And Moses said unto God, Behold,when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, Whatis his name?what shall I say unto them?14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.…
When Jesus said I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground.Why? Because “I AM” spoke of the POWER of His Deity! “I AM” gave PROOF of His identity. B. HE SURRENDERED OBEDIENTLY- (vs.10-11)…”the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”What was in this cup Jesus spoke of? What was He implying He was about to drink? 1- He would Taste Our SIN-(2 Corinthians 5:21) "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2- He would Taste Our SHAME- 3- He would Taste Our SENTENCE-What was in this cup that Christ drank of? It was the burdensome taste of defilement, it was the blazing taste of damnation, it was the bitter taste of death.
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(Hebrews 2:9) "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
Conclusion: The Day GOD Was Arrested; He was arrested for crimes you & I committed. The Day GOD was arrested; He Willingly & Obediently Surrendered so that you and I could go free. (Jn. 18:8)