Well, if you're visiting today, we've been working for some time through the Gospel of John. We concluded last week the High Priestly Prayer, and today we move into now Jesus' arrest and betrayal in John chapter 18. So I invite you, if you have your Bibles this morning, to turn to John chapter 18. And we'll be reading the first 11 verses, actually the first 12 of John chapter 18. Let's give our attention this morning to God's wonderful word. Beginning at verse 1, When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, Whom do you seek? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he. Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken of those whom you gave me. I have lost not one. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servants and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into its sheath. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me? So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. And there we'll end the reading of God's Word. There's something beautiful that was said there in verse, did you notice there in verse 9? This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken. Of those whom you gave me, I have lost not one. That was something, of course, that Jesus had just prayed in the high priestly prayer that we had spent our time reflecting on the last weeks. We have just heard in the high priestly prayer things that are just wonderful, difficult to fully comprehend. They're so beautiful. I was encouraged to talk to so many of you after that and to hear you say that. That was absolutely glorious to study because it's the kind of prayer that every time you read it, you learn something new. The things that Jesus prays and the things that are said there. And to say specifically, I will not lose one. And already in this particular passage, Jesus is showing, as he now begins to step down off the prayer moment into the valley of now suffering and death, he's not losing one. This is a big theme that is in front of us here. He had said to his father, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son that your son may also glorify you as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. Those specifically given to Jesus by the Father, he's come to save. He's not losing one. Well, now it's time to go do this. Now it's time to see the full application of the high priestly prayer. The remarkable truth that John is working with here is to show us that Jesus is stepping into this. None of this is catching him off guard. Just like we saw with the prayer. He didn't pray in some sort of way as, oh, Father, I hope this turns out well. He's stepping into this. He's stepping into this with confidence. He knows exactly what's coming on him and none of it's a surprise. John wants us taken by that. John wants us to, he was moved by it, that when he watched Jesus, when he studied the actions of Jesus, there was nothing passive. There was nothing fearful in the sense of, I'm scared to death to go do this. Jesus is a warrior. Jesus is stepping into your place in strength as your king and your God. It's really beautiful when you see it this way, that everything that happens here should have happened to you. Now, I think if you can keep that in front of you as we're now going through the passion narratives and beginning to study and look at what timing. We're coming up on Good Friday, and then we're going to have resurrection. Maybe it'll work out just perfectly. I don't know. But this is really a great moment to not just have one sermon on the passion, but to see the whole picture. It's beautiful. It's beautiful. He steps into today your betrayal. In other words, where you should have been, a betrayal, of course, where he is betrayed, but where you should have been handcuffed, your arrest, I mean, where you should have been arrested and taken away and hauled off to judgment. He is stepping into that place for you, and as that's happening, he is saying, release them. Well, that's the whole gospel. Right here is the whole gospel of our salvation captured in this little section here of his own betrayal and arrest. And that's what we want to spend some time with today, just looking briefly at Jesus fulfilling and taking on what should have been yours. I don't think we think enough about that. I don't think we give deep thought to what would have happened to us. what would have happened to us after Adam fell had God entered into judgment right then and brought an end to it all? Well, this is the application now to the high priestly prayer. John desires that we understand this. He didn't just come to make salvation possible. He didn't just come to make salvation even possible based upon your acceptance. Your acceptance does not activate the blood of Jesus. Your acceptance does not give credibility to the cross. It is the power of God. It is what he came to do to save you. And here we have this great truth shown to us that he has come to give full and complete forgiveness to his people. And they will embrace it by faith. They will believe this, even when they fight against it. So here we are today. The hour has come that Jesus has spoken about from the beginning. Remember, Jesus would constantly say all the way back at the wedding feast when he was asked to showcase who he is as the bridegroom, my hour's not yet come. My hour's not come to celebrate with my bride and pour out the wine, the new wine. Well, that's coming. This is what begins to inaugurate that hour of the great reception that's coming of the marriage supper of the Lamb and his bride. Here's this hour and Jesus now finishes his prayer. John 17, they've stood there, they've listened to this prayer. And Jesus has just ended the prayer. Hands were up, eyes were open. He's been praying to his Lord, pouring out his heart. And now he sets his face toward the cross. When Jesus had spoken these words, You'll notice in verse 1, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. And now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. The whole scene is showing us Jesus walking right to this. Of all the scenes in Scripture, we've had the scenes of great David and Goliath, and we've misread those in some ways. Us taking on all the Goliaths in our life. Here was David marching out onto the battlefield with a few stones in front of Goliath. This is the greater David and Goliath moment. This is everything the Scriptures had been talking about. The connection here that John is playing off here is really important that the other Gospels will say at this point that he steps and he goes into the Gethsemane. It's a specific place. We know this from the other Gospels. But this Gospel reads differently. John is silent about the name. He doesn't even want us to really think about the name. And you have to stop and you say, why does John not mention the name? all john says is is he steps into a garden and that's really significant the answer is because john has a big theological purpose for this john has a purpose to put together the whole story of the bible for you which he's done from the beginning of the gospel when in chapter one he picked up on creation themes and then we got to exodus themes remember that But he emphasizes here in verse 1 that he went over the brook Kidron where there was a garden. This was a garden in the midst of the valley that lay between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. What do you think when you hear, boys and girls, the word garden? Well, we all want one, don't we? I've tried to make one and it's been a disaster my whole life. bugs and everything have eaten it. It just never has gone well. We all want a garden. We all love a garden. It's a place of beauty. It's a place of green grass. It's a place of flowers and running water. I'm getting sentimental. It's a garden. Brooke Kidron has a long history in the Bible. If you were to go through the Old Testament, you would find this place, Kidron. It was never mentioned as something good. Over time, all the righteous used to spread the idols of when they finally burned down their idols and burned them, they would scatter all the ashes of the idols in the brook Kidron. The whole valley, Jeremiah calls it, was a place, a valley of dead bones and ashes. Listen to this. the whole valley of dead bones and ashes and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron to the corner of the horse gate toward the east shall be sacred to the Lord. That was Jeremiah 31. What? A place of bones and ashes shall be sacred. Now you know why. Somebody stepped in there. Christ has entered a garden. Christ has entered a place of dead bones and ashes. And the scriptures foretold that it would be a sacred place. John has on his mind creation. John has on his mind the fall. John is thinking about these themes and he's been helping us put together the whole story. That's why John is such an exciting gospel to study. It's what we call biblical theology at its best. It should be no surprise to us that scripture calls Jesus the last Adam. Remember Romans 5, where two atoms are contrasted. You have one atom, the first atom, who represents the human race. And what he did, the whole human race fell. And then you have the last atom, and whom he represents, he saves. Two atoms in the Bible. Two heads in the Bible. And here we are in the first garden. We remember that there was a lush and beautiful garden that God had made. It was beautiful. It had four river heads. It was full of all kinds of beauty. And the first Adam gave in to temptation there. Remember what happened as soon as he sinned. I mean, this is the most important truth for us to grasp in life. As soon as he sinned, everything fell. That's why we're in this mess, beloved. That's why the world, everyone's wandering. That's why people are without hope and without God in the world. That's why this thing is such a disaster right now. Remember what happened? Adam went and hid. He went and bolted the other way as fast as he could when he heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden. The spirit. A day of judgment had come. See, we've never looked at the garden scene that way, but when the Lord, the Ruach, and the spirit of the day, when he came down that day, This was not just a cool stroll in the garden. This was a day of judgment. And Adam hid from the presence of the Lord. Well, here we are. God had said that in the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. And all of us are dying. It's all proven true. No one could come near God. The scripture characterized these valleys as a place of dry bones. That's life. Now, imagine being able to fast forward. I remember when I was a kid, we had tapes. Remember, and you'd hit fast forward and you'd have to wait. Nobody remembers that. But I'd have to wait a long time hitting fast forward. This is what we're doing right here. Two scenes put together. Immediate fast forward. Here's the last Adam. He's stepped into the garden. He's crossed over the valley of the shadow of death. There are dry bones. It's the valley of bones, a place of ashes. And he's standing in our place to pick up where the first Adam lost everything. It's really remarkable. The whole thing is meant to take us back to the beginning. And the whole thing is to make us think about what would have happened had God that, can you imagine it, if God had said, this is it. Adam, all you represent, all the human race, now faces the ultimate judgment of God. Books would be opened. And there would be a terrible moment of God unleashing his righteous judgment on us. But he planned a covenant of grace, remember? He planned a covenant of grace. And he said, I'm going to make a covenant and I'm going to announce this good news to the ends of the earth. I'm not going to give people as their sins deserve and I'm going to send all the way from Genesis 3.15, the first announcement of the gospel, I'm going to send somebody. And he's going to crush the head of the serpent. And he's going to save a people. Well, what we have is in the gospels, As soon as that happened, as he entered the garden, Jesus has told us that as soon as he enters the garden, something begins to happen to him. Remember? My soul, say the other gospels, is exceedingly sorrowful. Oh, Father, it's your will, let this cup pass. This is being prayed, and we know that his sweat became like giant drops of blood. The execution of the judgment is beginning to fall on him that should have fallen on you. It's a big moment in the Gospels. It's a big moment. Here he is alone, really. His disciples, this Gospel doesn't give us a lot of this detail like the others do. They couldn't even pray with him. He's facing death impending. The judgment is falling on him. You know what he's facing? I mean, this is where Christianity, we have to be really clear about our message and what we're talking about here. Do we know what's happening? And do we know what we tell people when we just loosely say Jesus died? What do we mean? What was he doing? What was this all about? When God came down in the original garden and Adam hid himself, God showed mercy. And God shed blood and he covered Adam. Think of here. Verse 2. Then Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. He is stepping into it, Jesus. Judas leads a whole host, a betrayer, an antichrist, a little devil himself, has led a whole host of army to arrest Jesus, which is, it really should be a remarkable moment because you see here that Judas received a detachment of troops. The Greek word here is spiron, which tells us that this was part of the Roman legion. The other gospels leave out this important point, but I don't think we can miss the importance of it. It was a 10th part of the Roman legion, which could be up to 600 men. And he stops and says, no, come on, that seems a little dramatic. 600 men? Was it 600 armed military men? Remember, Rome was nervous about insurrections. Could it be? They hated mobs and uprisings. And so here we are, and Judas has gathered this group, and they've come. On top of this, you'll notice here, this cohort of soldiers, John says, were the temple police, primary arresting officers who were charged with watching the temple at night. All the temple police have come now, now read it carefully, with torches, with lanterns, and with weapons on top of everything that the Romans had. What a moment. They were tools used for battle. here they have come to take the Prince of Peace who never did one thing wrong. Who only helped, forgave sins, loved people, cared for the downtrodden and the hurting and the abused. What did he ever do to deserve this? Well, there's a lot of people that deserve the police to come to their house. this for the Lord of glory? If God hadn't planned to bring his son and to save and do this, what we celebrate today to this day, you ever thought about what would have happened? God came searching for Adam. Adam went to flee and God would have sent out his angels with weapons of war and rounded up all of us. And there's no word on Judgment Day. Do you know that the Bible portrays the last judgment as nobody's going to be able to give a word and argue with God about their life? The books will be opened. Everything that's ever been done, everything that anyone's ever done is recorded in the book of deeds, says Revelation. And God's going to pull out that book on that day and any infraction, any little lustful thought, any desire contrary to his law, any word, any action is written in the book because he's holy. And that's going to be a bad day. If this had happened at the beginning, it would have been over. Connect the scene. In verse 4, this gets really overwhelming. In verse 4, then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, Whom do you seek? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. He looks up, and here comes a military to arrest him, and knowing all of this, don't miss this, he steps forward to them. How do you capture that? He steps forward. He doesn't retreat. he has willingly stepped into our place and and and now he's doing something overwhelming and the love with which you just heard in that prayer for you should be all overwhelming us he's not going to lose one his father gave him john doesn't want us to miss what he did at this moment when adam heard the sound of the lord god coming in the garden he and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord in the trees of the garden. What a mind-blowing reveal. Now it's God standing in the place, and sinners are coming for him. You see it? This is the contrast. God is the one now standing there, and here come sinners with lanterns and torches for him. And he steps forward. Adam ran. He steps forward. It's a big moment in the Gospels. This is what makes the Christian Gospel so overwhelming, unfathomable. It's who did this for us. In front of Judas and an army, what does he say? Whom are you seeking? Now, one could stop and say, well, Jesus really didn't know what was going on here and he wondered if they were seeking somebody different. And that would be the wrong way to read the text. Jesus asks it in a certain sort of way, a really overwhelming kind of way. He asks it by saying, who do you think you've come to take with torches and lanterns? Who do you think you've come to get? This is what John and future generations were meant to read. It's a chilling moment in the Gospels. It's meant to be a chilling moment. It's a scary question. They're totally blinded. They're hardened of hearts, and you know what everyone said. This was a derogatory term to say, Jesus of Nazareth. We've just come to get this lowly man from Nazareth. They had no idea who they were rejecting. They had no idea, and this just shows the blindness of the human heart. Who do people think they're turning away from when Jesus gives all these calls to come to me for rest and peace and forgiveness and love? Who do people think they're turning away from? Who do people think they're sinning against? Is this just somebody who we can play fast and loose with and turn away from and do whatever we want and reject him at will. Is that what people think? This is kind of that moment where everyone is meant to stop and say, wait a minute, who are we dealing with? That's the moment in the Gospels. Who do people think they're playing fast and loose with? And John wanted us to study and understand that. Because what Jesus now does is something that John records, that nobody else records in the Gospels that's meant to make every mouth drop. What does he say? Your Bible says, when he answered, Whom are you seeking? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. It nicely says, I am he. But you should just cross off the he. Jesus said, I am. And notice that. When he said, I am, they drew back and fell to the ground. I don't know if you can imagine that scene for a minute, but imagine 600 officers all flying backward with just the word of his mouth and declaration of who he is. The name, of course, was the name revealed in the burning bush that John has been working with the whole time. When, remember, boys and girls, the burning bush, and the bush never really burned because God was in the bush, and Moses comes up on holy ground, his feet are removed, and what is your name? What shall I say? And what did the Lord say? I am who I am. And Jesus has been, the whole time, telling who the I am is. I am the light. I am the bread. I am, I am. and now he says it to them. And if you can imagine this with all the temple priests, the Pharisees and the chief priests and Judas, with just his name, we read that they fell backwards and fell to the ground. The word means much more than just a little stumble here. It means that they were thrown down in devotion. In other words, they were thrown down on their knees. They did what Ephesians says everyone's going to do. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that you are Lord, you are I am. You see what should have happened. Let God arise and put his enemies to flight. But now in the greatest reversal of scripture, God's in our place. God's in our place. Luther said, had Christ not addressed them again, they would still be lying there to this day in the Valley of Bones. Wow. Have we bowed the knee to Jesus? It's a good day to do it, isn't it? It's a good day to do it now. believe the gospel, don't put him off. Because this is a day of mercy. This is a day of grace. This is a day where he's being long-suffering, but it doesn't go on forever. They should have said that day, my Lord and my God, like Thomas. But Christ was taking the place to fulfill the scriptures. And Christ was taking the place to fulfill the law. And Christ was taking your place so you see why there had to be a Judas. He's doing this for you. And I love how this section concludes today. As they reply, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus is determined to finish this way for his sheep, for you. In verse 8, he says, I have told you that I am. Therefore, if you seek me, let these go. now i think that may be the most beautiful little statement in the text today you see not only does jesus have the power to lay down his life not only is all authority given to him but the great i am has the power to release you you know what is your greatest burden what are the sins that are troubling you what about the guilt of your sins and the things that you do that bring great shame? What about all the offenses in your life that you've done against the Lord of glory? In one scene where they should have been arrested and hauled off to judgment, Isaiah 53, he was taken away to judgment. He just put his hand up and said, In authority, you let them go. They don't face this. I face this. Pardon them. It means forgive. The word means forgive them. A great exchange has just happened. This is what the reformers talked about when they talked about the great exchange. Jesus stood in your place. This is what we celebrate as Christians. This is the greatest news ever that could be given. If the only religion in this world has ever made such a message like this known, God in human flesh come to be the substitute in our place to pay for the whole debt. All the curses of the law, all your personal sins, the sin of Adam, everything you've ever done against the Lord of glory, he is taking on his back right now and he's hauling it right to the cross. Imagine, picture that. To release you so that you'd be forgiven and live in joy and peace. That's how good this is. That's how good the gospel is. What does Peter do? Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, wait a minute. This ain't, this is not going down like this. I'll stop it. And he chops off an ear of one of the guards. I could have a lot of things to say right now that just, you know. The only action in this text of us is trying to stop this. And Jesus says, put it back. And we know from the other gospels, he gets down and he grabs the ear and he puts it right back on. You think they would all bow then, right? I got to go do this. Complete control. I've got to go drink this cup. Nothing's stopping it. Cup is the wrath of God. I've got to go drink that wrath for you, Peter. And this beautiful truth today of what we celebrate, here is the propitiation we call him. Here is the Lamb of God. Here is the one who's come to take away all of our sins so that we would receive from him today believing, believing and trusting forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and eternal life. And that's what the Lord calls us to to hear today and to believe, to receive. Simply be receivers of this work. It's overwhelming that the kind of love that God has for us is this deep. It is this marvelous. He just prayed it and now you're beginning to see how deep that love is. You're beginning to comprehend the depth of the love of God just in his arrest and betrayal and your release. But it leads to the great question of the text. Who do we seek? Who do you seek? I hope you'll say today, this is my Lord and my God, and I believe him. What Jesus wants and desires from us is to be recipients and simply to say, and it feels so cheap, thank you. Thank you. You purchased me. You bought me. I belong to you. You saved me. Thank you. And now go out and be the kind of thankful follower that he desires you to be. May we all seek Jesus, our Lord and our God, who has come to step in our place, and today to say to you, you're forgiven. You're forgiven. You don't have to step into this place. You're not going to step into this place. That's why I came. Judgment's over, and now watch me go do it. What a message we have as Christians. What a message the world needs at this day. Let's praise the Lord. Heavenly Father, it's the best news you've ever announced and could ever give. What a gift. Thank you. And where do we even begin to rightly praise you for so great a salvation? But as we study this, may it affect us deeply, the love that you have for us to give such a sacrifice. The world calls you cruel. The world attacks you as abusive. And yet the greatest act of love, for you loved your son, was demonstrated in your love for us and not one was lost. What confidence that gives us, what joy we have. Let us be a people who praise the name of the Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.