Are You Leading Jesus, or Following? John 18:12-28

We invested months watching the events of one evening, in the Upper Room with Jesus and His disciples. (John 13-17).

But then, we stepped out into the night, and ignited events that changed the course of HIStory for every person on the planet, from that day to this.

The question Jesus asked that night, He still asks today; Who Are You Seeking.  Which is what we looked at last week, in John 18:1-11.

Our answer, determines our eternal destiny.

Our answer is reflected in our behavior toward Him—which is what we look at today.

The arrest.

Imagine the scene.

It’s early.

 Early spring, (some say, April 3^rd, 33 A.D.).

Early morning; perhaps around 2 or 3 a.m.

It’s chilly.

It’s bloody.

Judas is leading a motley mob, of Roman soldiers and Jewish temple guards, perhaps about 700 or so; looking for blood.

They cross the same bloody brook Jesus and crew crossed hours earlier. The Brook Kidron flowed with the blood of thousands of lambs slain in preparation for the Passover. One historian records a year when 256,000 lambs were slain.

Jesus is praying with such fervency He’s actually sweating blood.

The disciples are sleeping, perhaps dreaming of Jesus saying, “This is My blood, of the New Covenant, shed for the remission of sin.” Matt. 26:28.

Jesus hears the marching mob and puts Himself between them, and His sleepy disciples. Protecting His own, to the bloody end.

“Who are you seeking?” He asks.

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they respond.

Jesus simply utters two powerful words: “I AM” (Greek: ego eimi).

With that, hundreds of fighting men, and one backstabbing betrayer, (Judas) fall to the ground.

In the chaos, sleepy eyed Peter swings, and takes off the ear of a servant. That’s a miss.  

Jesus heals the ear; and tells Pete to put that thing away before he hurts himself. He who draws the sword dies by the sword. Mt. 26:52.

The disciples scatter, (Matt. 26:56); leaving Jesus standing alone, with the murderous mob.

Yet, He’s not alone; the Father, and more than twelve legions of angels are at the ready, waiting His command. John 16:32; Mt. 26:53, Zechariah 13:7.

Judas scrambles to his feet, (the very feet Jesus washed just hours before) and walks up to Jesus, saying as smooth as a snake, “Greetings Rabbi” and kisses Him on the cheek; a customary greeting back then, but this night it was a prearranged sign to the mob. The One I kiss is the Man; arrest Him. Matthew 26:48.

Thus, is born the saying, “the kiss of death.”

Friends, look behind the scene and note that Spiritual warfare takes Spiritual Discernment. The devil is a liar and a master of deception, he specializes in disguising himself as an angel of light. Words and deeds are turned inside out.

The disciples who love Him, flee from Him.

The one who hates Him, comes near Him with kindness and a kiss.

Peter’s sword was a swing and a miss.

Judas’ sword was a sweet word and a kiss—a direct backstabbing hit.

Then, those who think they’re in charge, (troops, captains, officers), take control the situation.

John 18:12
Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. ¹³ And they led Him away…

They arrest Jesus. They bind Jesus. They lead Jesus.

The absurdity of what’s happening is astounding.

He just knocked hundreds of fighting men on their backsides, with just a whisper of His name. He just healed a man’s ear right before their very eyes. Time and time again in the past when they tried to take Him, He simply walked right through them.

It was no different now. They had no power whatsoever over Him.

Nevertheless, the creation thinks it can arrest, and bind, and lead, the Creator.  

Make no mistake, no matter what it looks like:

God is in control.

Now, we must qualify that statement by adding that even though He’s in control, He doesn’t make everything happen.

He is in control, but not the cause of everything that happens.

They arrested, and bound, and led, Him of their own free will and evil desire.

God knew what they would do, and He allowed them to do it; but He didn’t make them do it.

Like a good chess player will plan several moves ahead; God planned from before the world began.

A good chess player, at just the right time, may offer as a sacrifice one of his own.

In the fullness of time, God offered as a sacrifice, His own Son. Galatians 4:4.

He knew man would take Him.

He did not force man to take Him.

Checkmate.

 

God is in control—but not at all, controlling.

The devil is out of control—but all about controlling.

 

Now we need to take a moment to look in the mirror.

Reflect.

Are you in control? Or, are you controlling?

Big difference.

One is Godly—the other, devilish.

Are you trying to arrest, bind and lead God to fit your agenda, your life, your will, your plan, your religion?

Or, are you allowing Him to arrest, bind and lead you?

One is a loving relationship with our Savior—the other is rules, regulations, religion.

One is the Spirit, and Life. The other is the law, and death.

It happens to nations.

The further a government gets from God, the more controlling it becomes.

Every nation that treads this path of corruption, eventually collapses from within.

God said of those living in the Promise Land in days of old: The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Genesis 15:16).

For over 400 years He waited for them to turn from their wicked ways and live. They refused, and thus were removed.

What about US?

Has He said: The iniquity of the American-ites, is not yet full? If so, how full is our cup?

Oh, by the way, did you know, it’s been over 400 years since the Mayflower Compact; the birth of America’s covenant with God.

As we look in the mirror and reflect, are our leaders following God, or are they trying to arrest, bind and lead, Him to fit their own agenda?

Arrest: Prayer and Bibles, and God, outlawed in school.

Bind: Separation of Church and state. Chaplains banned from praying in Jesus’ name.

Lead: Promotion of anti-Christ, anti-Biblical, lifestyles and behaviors; abortion, marriage, gender.

 

Meekness: strength under control.

Consider the strength it took for Jesus to allow them to arrest, bind, and lead Him.

Like a mighty stallion allows a tiny child to put a bit in his mouth and lead him.

The origin of, meek, from the Greek is translated as, strength under control.  

In ancient Greece, war horses were trained to be meek — strong and powerful, yet under control.

Jesus is our example.

Do we show His strength, by yielding our will to His?

Are we willing to suffer wrong for His sake?

Are we willing to pay the price in prayer—in order to win the Victory on the field?

Consider what He knew He’d go through, and did it anyway, for me and you:

THE BIBLE PROPHECIED IT WOULD HAPPEN 700 YEARS IN ADVANCE:

Isaiah 50:6

I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.

Isaiah 53:3-7

3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

 

JESUS WARNED THEM SHORTLY BEFORE IT HAPPENED:

Mark 10:33-34

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; And they shall mock Him, and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him, and shall kill Him: and the third day He shall rise again.

 

IT HAPPENED JUST AS HE SAID:

Matthew 26:67

Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him

Matthew 27:30

Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly.

Mark 14:65

Then some of them began to spit on Him. They blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in His face.

Mark 15:19

They kept striking His head with a staff and spitting on Him. And they knelt down and bowed before Him.

Luke 22:63

The men who were holding Jesus began to mock Him and beat Him.

 

Peter saw it all and wrote:

1 Peter 2:23

He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLE.

Considering all of that, how are we looking in the mirror? Are we following Him?  

 

  to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of  Caiaphas who was high priest that year. ¹⁴ Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Jesus willingly let them arrest Him, bind Him, lead Him away…

Where did they lead Him?

To the power behind the puppet.

Annas was no longer high priest, but was the one with money behind the scenes, pushing the buttons pulling the strings, setting the agenda.

Politics were crooked back then, too.

Notice their covert operation. They went under cover of darkness. Not openly to an official of Rome. Not during daylight working hours of the Jewish Sanhedrin. No, they go to the home of an enemy of Jesus.

The arrest. The inquiry. The kangaroo trials… all rigged.

¹⁵ And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple…

Meanwhile back at the ranch.

Peter is following, albeit, hanging back in the shadows.

The other disciple is thought to be John.

 

Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.

That disciple (John) went in unashamed, unafraid, undisturbed, with Jesus into the high priest’s back yard.

Notice how he wasn’t afraid, or hanging back in the shadows like Peter; of course, John didn’t swing a sword at one of the high priest’s servants, like Pete did.

 ¹⁶ But Peter stood at the door outside.

Peter was acting a bit un-Peter like. Normally, he’d be hopping the fence or banging on the gate.

Perhaps he’s thinking about how he almost killed a man. Not a Roman soldier, but a servant—Malchus. A guy who probably didn’t even want to be there. Might’ve been the only guy in the crowd that was unarmed.

Peter might’ve been thinking about the words of Jesus. “He who draws the sword, dies by the sword.” Matthew 26:52.  

But, at least, Peter had the courage to follow, regardless of what fears and thoughts were running through his head.

 

Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.

John tells the girl at the gate to let Peter in.

¹⁷ Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”

Notice she said, also.

Sounds like they already knew John was one of Jesus’ disciples.

He said, “I am not.”

Our English translations use three words: I am not.

However, in the original text, Peter only used two words: eimi ou. Meaning: Am not.

Hey mister, aren’t you also one of His disciples?

AM NOT!

¹⁸ Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

Remember, we said it’s chilly.

Peter tries to blend in with the crowd… and get warm.

¹⁹ The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

The camera swings, the scene switches, to Jesus and Annas’ inquisition.

Make a note here, Jesus and Peter can probably see each other. We’ll clarify this in a moment.

²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.

The Truth has nothing to hide; it stands out in the open, in the Light of Day.

Evil slithers in the night, hides in the dark.

 ²¹ Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

Jesus will not entertain or participate in an illegal proceeding.

Criminal processes must begin and end during the course of the day, not at all at night.

No kind of judgment can be executed, on the eve of the Sabbath, or the eve of any festival.

It was the duty of the court to provide witnesses.

What was taking place was illegal and immoral, in multiple ways, and Jesus politely, but firmly, let Annas know, he was way out of line.

²² And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

Now the serpent’s fangs flare. The true colors of the rigged kangaroo court and mob justice system are revealed.

²³ Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”

Jesus, (having already fought the battle and won through prayer in the garden) maintains His composure and stays the course to the Truth and proper protocol.

Provide witnesses and evidence.

We may not have been so cool and kind. We may have said something like: Put up or shut up—moron.

²⁴ Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Annas and his minions had nothing to say.

Jesus wouldn’t take the bait.

So, He sent Him bound to his son in law, Caiaphas.

Sidenote: The high priests were installed by Rome. They were basically religious political puppets corrupted by power and greed.

²⁵ Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”

Meanwhile, back at Peter’s Ranch.

Peter’s not blending in so well around the courtyard campfire.

If only he’d have kept his mouth shut… but, this is Peter, so, that’s a big ask.

We’re told in Mark 14:70, they detected an accent and said, “Surely you’re one of them, for you’re a Galilean”

He denied it and said, “I am not!”

AM NOT!!!

²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

Busted... Hey, you're the guy who cut off my cousin's ear. 

Not exactly something you soon forget. 

At this point, Matthew 26:74 tells us Peter began to curse.

²⁷ Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

Luke 22:61-62, tells us that at this moment, the Lord turned and looked at Peter. (They could see each other from courtyard to porch).

Then, Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him:  "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me thrice.

Peter was remorseful and went out and wept bitterly.

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

Praetorium in our language is the Governor’s mansion; your translation may say: governor’s palace or Pilate’s headquarters.

Lest they should be defiled, is the epitome of hypocrisy. They soiled themselves in sin, and yet feared being dirty if they entered the home of a Roman.

There’s a parallel passage that adds to this moment.

Matthew 27:1-2
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. ² And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

When morning came, the Sanhedrin (the official judges, the supreme court), showed up for work.

The dirty deeds in the dark, were polished and rubber stamped to make it look official.

Then, they sent Jesus to Pontius Pilate, with their recommendation that Jesus be put Him to death.

Now, the camera swings and the scene changes. However, this time it doesn’t land on the denier, Peter; but the betrayer, Judas.

Judas Hangs Himself

Matthew 27:3-5; Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Now, all cameras fade to black, and then reappear, focused on…

you.

Are you weeping with Peter, or swinging with Judas?

The story, from cover to cover, is always about Jesus.

However, the purpose is you. Your response to Jesus

Some led Jesus, others followed.

We all are one or the other.

Peter wept; Judas swung. Matthew 26:75-27:5.

Which one are you?

Are You Leading or Following Jesus?

Let’s pray.

Lord, we don’t want to lead. We don’t even know where we’re going. But we know this, here and now, we decide, to follow You. Only You. Help us to do so, from here through eternity.

And as we do, we pray You’ll use us, to lead others to You.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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