“After Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to Him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am He.” Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am He,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7 Again He asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He. So if you are looking for Me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that He had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom You gave Me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given Me?” 12 So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him” John 18:1-12.
At the conclusion of the Last Supper (see John 14:31) Jesus heads for a garden in the Kidron Valley, which Matthew and Mark call the garden of Gethsemane. The Kidron Valley is the valley originating slightly northeast of the Old City of Jerusalem, which then separates the Temple from the Mount of Olives. Jesus’ agony in the garden is absent in John’s Gospel, but John is the only one who mentions the Roman troops, a “detachment” of soldiers led by a Roman officer, suggesting that Pilate knew of this. In their effort to have their darkness wipe out the Light of Christ, notice that they needed “lanterns and torches” — the soldiers of darkness needed lamps! With no mention of the kiss of Judas, John has Jesus taking charge of the arrest, and when He identifies Himself using the Divine Name — YHWH — I AM HE — the forces of darkness are rendered helpless and fall to the ground. In love with and careful to protect those whom the Father has given Him, Jesus takes care of His followers. And while John leaves out some of the details about the slave whose ear is cut off by Peter, only John gives us his name, Malchus. And only in John does Jesus refer to “the cup that the Father has given Me.”
Dear friends, take time and consider your own sinfulness and darkness and ask God for His mercy. Allow yourselves to be touched by the cruel irony of the “soldiers of darkness” who needed “lanterns and torches” of light to come to Jesus to betray Him and arrest Him for doing no wrong. Take to consider the great love God has for You and pray that you will love Him back and love others as He loves others.
Oh dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner. I have too often denied who You are and by my behavior and choices did not accept who You are. Forgive me and bring me back to You. I am sorry, and I pray in your holy name, amen.
From the Bible:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1: 9.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” Ephesians 1:7.
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” Matthew 16:14-15.
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven”
Matthew 18:21-22.
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