Whom are you Seeking?

John 18:1-24

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?"

5 They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth."

Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Then He asked them again, "Whom are you seeking?"
And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."

8 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none."

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?"

Before the High Priest

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 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.

Peter Denies Jesus

15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. 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. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?"

He said, "I 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.

Jesus was betrayed by the one who was destined to set his heel against Him (Psalm 41:9, John 13:18) and the soldiers did the bidding of the chief priests and Pharisees to have the Lord arrested.  Judas gave up the Lord for a pittance of silver coins because he could not get his hands on enough from the disciples’ money box which he held as they traveled while Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven where all true riches had been offered him and Judas rejected.  When they came for Him with torches and weapons drawn, Jesus knew exactly what was happening because God had planned each moment of this time that He might go to suffer for our sins and die a cruel death on a cursed tree (Galatians 3:13) to personally take the punishment of the curse of sin which we all owe Him.  Therefore, Jesus asked them, “Whom are you seeking?” as a way to once again testify of His identity of divinity as the Christ, the Son of God come for such a moment as this, His purpose for coming incarnate to accomplish (Luke 9:31) salvation for His people.  When the legal mob answered the question of Jesus as to who they were looking for, they still did not recognize who He is but just said they wanted Jesus of Nazareth to take into custody.  Jesus responded with, “I AM” as the identifying response of His equality with Yahweh God whose name is the same, the I AM from Exodus 3:14 (John 8:58) who is eternally existing.  Upon hearing the Lord God answer them, Judas and the mob fell backwards to the ground in His presence out of unconscious fear in the very presence of the Almighty who is and was and always will be.  They got up and Him the same question and received the same answer but this time remained standing.  Jesus told them to let the others go free and take only Him to fulfill the words He spoke before in John 6:39 as a promise to keep those given to Him until after He died and came back to give them unending life with Him as He had told them.  One disciple tried to stop the mob from taking his Lord by cutting off an ear of a servant there, but Jesus told him to stop trying to stop the work He was doing as He had to to save them all.  They took the Lord to the high priest for judgment of blasphemy by claiming He was the Christ and God’s Son.  The one priest had previously prophetically told the others that it was necessary for one man to die for the people (John 11:49-50, 51-52), not knowing the depth of truth coming out of his mouth which he had no idea of the eternal heavenly weight of those God-driven words.  Mean, Peter had followed them to the courtyard of the high priest to see what would happen to Jesus, yet denied he even knew the Lord when asked out of fear for his own life by that association.  He sat with the enemy instead and kept warm by the fire as he waited for the coming judgment and sentencing on Jesus.  May we not imitate the example of Peter but stand up for our Lord, not with violence and not in timidity (2 Timothy 1:7).  We know Him as the I AM, the God-Man who came to sacrifice Himself as His own High Priest for our deliverance from sin’s penalty.  Let us proclaim Him in this way as well to answer those who are seeking Him because He is drawing them to Himself to look for Him as they hear the word of God and our testimony giving them the answer to that critical question for eternity.