John 18:1-11 Jesus' arrest

John 18:1-11 The arrest of Jesus is also recorded in Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-51, Luke 22:47-53. In the dark, Judas' assistance was essential to the soldiers arresting the correct person. Why did he receive Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus? Evidently the chief priests and Pharisees didn't trust the temple guard.

          Here we have another of the great "I am"s recorded in John. In this instance, there must have been a small revelation of the power of God when Jesus, God incarnate in the flesh, said His own name, the Roman soldiers drew back and fell to the ground. Why? Perhaps this was a foretaste of the phenomenon known as being slain in the Spirit. Perhaps it was that human flesh cannot bear the revealed presence of God. It only happened once.  When the conversation was repeated, Jesus once again veiled His deity in flesh and confirmed His identity as 'the Nazarene', not as 'the Christ'.

          The always impetuous Peter drew the sword to defend Jesus (mentioned also in Luke 22:38) and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. John records the slave's name, while Luke 22:51 records that Jesus healed the slave's ear. But Matthew 26:52-56 records Jesus' perspective on the use of force. God has more than ample military power available in the legions of angels, but that is not going to accomplish the Father's plan.  The way of the world is to use swords and clubs.  The way of Jesus is to fulfill the Father's plan, according to the Scriptures (which is repeated for emphasis in Matthew 26:54 & 56). And so Jesus gives us the final example before His arrest of how God's kingdom is built: not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit, by doing the Father's will according to the Scriptures.

          The cup mentioned in John 18:11 may serve as a double metaphor, both for the specific things that the Father had given Jesus to accomplish, and for the blood that He was about to shed, which is symbolized in the communion cup (Luke 22:20). Just as the entire Passover Seder ceremony dripped with symbolism of the plan of salvation in the preceding hours, so it was now to come to pass so that we slow learners could understand it.

          It is a shame that when Jesus asked them who did they seek and they said 'Jesus the Nazarene', they did not seek Him as the Greeks earlier had (John 12:20) in order to meet the Messiah. In that instance, Jesus had immediately connected their desire to see Him to His coming death and the release of resurrection power. And so in this instance also, but in this case, those seeking Him were not looking for the Messiah.