8/21/09

John 18:1-24 (New International Version)

John 18
Jesus Arrested
1When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.
2Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"

5"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.

"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.

7Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?"
And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."

8"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."[a]

10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

11Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Jesus Taken to Annas
12Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.
Peter's First Denial
15Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, 16but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17"You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter.
He replied, "I am not."

18It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus
19Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20"I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."

22When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.

23"If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" 24Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

For the first time, Jesus' loyal disciples ran away from him. This group would undergo severe testing befor they were transformed from hesitant followers to dynamic leaders. The guards appeared to be overcome by Jesus' obvious power and authority. Just to be in his presence had to be overwhelming. At times it is tempting to take matters into our own hands as Peter did. Many times this leads to sin. It is better to trust God to work his own plan. If Peter had his way, Jesus would not have gone to the cross and God's plan for redemption would not have happened. When Jesus talks about the "cup" he is referring to his suffering, isolation, and death that he would have to endure in order to atone for the sins of the world.
Although our "cup" will not be as substantial, we must take the suffering that God places in our life because it is part of his grander plan. Peter refused to identify himself as Jesus' follower, as was predicted. Peter's experiences in the next few days would change his life forever. The religious leaders didn't even have any grounds for charging Jesus so they tried to build evidence against him by using false withness. We must remember that the disciples also contributed to Jesus' pain by deserting and disowning him. We are all like that, because we have all been guilty of denying that Christ is Lord in vital areas of our life or we keep our identities as Christians secret in times of pressure. Don't excuse yourself by pointing at others whose sins seem worse than yours. Instead come to Jesus for healing and forgiveness.

We should try to become best friends with God. We can approach God anytime. Friendship with God is possible only because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. God deeply desires that we know him intimately. Knowing and loving him is our greatest privelege and being known and loved is his greatest pleasure. We can become a best friend of God through constant conversation with him. This is done by sharing all your life experiences wth him. Everything you do can be spending time with him if he is invited to be a part of it and you stay aware of his presence. You must force yourself to think about God at different times of your day. You must train your mind to remember him. We don't praise God to feel good, but to do good.You should also constantly meditate about him. You can't love him unless you know him, and you can't know him without knowing his word. Meditation is simple, focused thinking- a skill anyone can learn and use anywhere.When you think about a problem over and over, it's called worry. When you think about God's word over and over, it's called meditation. The more you meditate on his word,the less you worry. Friends share secrets and God will share his secrets with you if you develop the habit of thinking about his word throughout the day. Start today by practicing constant conversation with God and continual meditation of his word. Prayer lets you speak to God and meditation lets you hear him. Both are essential in becoming a friend to God.

A couple of tidbits. My plan is to go back to work tommorow full time. I ask that you pray for me in this endeavor. I also wanted to mention that the Bible study program is starting to come together. When this happens, I want to invite all of you to join us each week. We will have a designated meeting place. More than likely, it will be at someones home. If anyone has any great ideas about a good place to meet, just email me at bcain2188@hotmail.com.

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for loving us enough to sacrifice your son so that we may have eternal life. I pray that you never let me deny you again. When times of pressure are abounding, be near me. I pray that as i go back to work tommorow that you give me the strength and wisdom that I need. I pray for this bible study, that it brings glory only to you and helps us to become better Christians. I ask that you meet all the needs of my friends and family as you are the only one that knows what they are. I would also like to once again pray for our nation that you will put the right person in the right place at the right time to lead us wherever it is that you would have us go. I pray for our churches that you would send a revival to the magnitude that it would become a necessity to create bigger buildings. I praise your name. I pray that you help me channel my feelings to positive things and that you remove my anger when I have weak moments. I ask you to show me your will for my life and continue to teach me your ways so that I may be drawn closer to you today. I ask for opportunities to minister today. Lord I pray a special prayer for my children and all of the children of this nation as Satan tries to win them before they realize that you are the one true God. I pray that "meet me at the flagpole" will be the largest that it has ever been as students from all over the nation gather in your name this week. Lord I also ask that you remind me to pray and meditate constantly and help me to make it a habit in my daily walk. Please forgive me where I fail you in your precious name I pray amen.