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Jesus’ Confident Arrest

Dan — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:45:26 +0000

[4] Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” [5] They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. [6] When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. [7] So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” [8] Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”

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4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” (ESV)

', 'John 18:4-8', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18%3A4-8');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18%3A4-8" >John 18:4-8 ESV)

Jesus is ready to go. He didn’t send Peter, James, and John to stall or slow down the army. He didn’t ask these questions to buy more time. He was ready to separate Himself from the 11 so that they could go free.

When Jesus says “I am He.” and all of the guys fall backward, I do too. That just blows me away. Some people use that verse to explain/justify being ‘slain in the Spirit’ I don’t even want to go there. It wasn’t the disciples, it was the army coming to kill Jesus. I don’t want to be grouped with them. This army wasn’t bowing down and worshiping, they were getting punked by the Lord of the Burning Bush and the power plant behind their heartbeat.

I was talking to Eric Youngblood last night and he said he thinks that Jesus just said “I Am” right there.

Think on that:

“Who are you seeking?” Jesus asked them over the sizzle of torches and the clanging of swords, shields and armor.

“Jesus of Nazareth” The commander of the legion shouted.

Jesus stepped forward, “The name [pause] is I Am.”

Nobody was sure if it was a strong wind, an earthquake, or a thunderclap that knocked the army backwards and onto their backs, but it was a full minute of confused, fowl-mouthed, scrambling before they had all gotten back up and approached Jesus again.

I wonder if any of the priest’s men thought about

10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. (ESV)

', '2 Kings 1:10', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Kings+1%3A10');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Kings+1%3A10" >2 Kings 1:10, when Elijah said, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down…” as they were getting knocked backward.

Jesus WANTS to reveal the fullness of the Father in ALL of His glory to all men. He gives these guys a chance to recognize who they are messing with.

Who do you want?

Jesus of Nazareth (just a man)

“I Am?” Jesus pronounces His title with the power veil up just a little bit, like pulling the curtain back just a tad to wake someone up that has slept in on a Saturday morning. In

1:1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.

5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order, ‘Come down quickly!’” 12 But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king 16 and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”

17 So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? (ESV)

', '2 Kings 1', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Kings+1');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Kings+1" >2 Kings 1 the power veil was pulled up a little too far and the 50 soldiers were cooked.

Here is their chance to reconcile who this guy is. Who exactly are they messing with?

Whom do you want? What did you call me?

Jesus of Nazareth (still considering Him just a man)

“I am he.” Jesus fully veils the power of God and goes with them. They didn’t want to see it and so He didn’t force it on them. He could call down legions of angels for their destruction, or walk right through the crowd without getting touched, but that was not the Father’s plan that night, and Jesus knew it.

One Perspective on a Few Minutes in the Garden

Dan — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:13:35 +0000

My little take on Jesus getting arrested in the garden. Thanks to Eric Youngblood for planting the idea that Jesus said “I am” rather than “I am He.”

“Who are you seeking?” Jesus asked them over the sizzle of torches and the clanging of swords, shields and armor.

“Jesus of Nazareth” The commander of the legion shouted.

Jesus stepped forward, “The name [pause] is I Am.”

Nobody was sure if it was a strong wind, an earthquake, or a thunderclap that knocked the army backwards and onto their backs, but it was a full minute of confused, fowl-mouthed, scrambling before they had all gotten back up and approached Jesus again.

You can read the Apostle John’s take (he was there) in

18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 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. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 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 its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. (ESV)

', 'John 18', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18" >John 18.

I wonder if the chief priest’s men thought about

1:1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

', '2 Kings 1', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Kings+1');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Kings+1" >2 Kings 1 as they were falling backward. It wasn’t the first time an army was sent after a man of God, but it was the first time an army was sent after God Himself.

Matthew Henry on John 18:1-12

Dan — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:35:08 +0000

This is just about the best section and most poetic piece of Matthew Henry’s Commentary I’ve ever read. Appropriately, it’s on

12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. (ESV)

', 'John 18:1-12', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18%3A1-12');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18%3A1-12" >John 18:1-12

Our Lord Jesus, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and asked, Whom seek ye?
When the people would have forced him to a crown, he withdrew, ch. 6:15, but when they came to force him to a cross, he offered himself; for he came into this world to suffer, and went to the other world to reign.
He showed plainly what he could have done; when he struck them down he could have struck them dead, but he would not do so.
It must have been the effect of Divine power, that the officers and soldiers let the disciples go away quietly, after the resistance which had been offered.
Christ set us an example of meekness in sufferings, and a pattern of submission to God’s will in every thing that concerns us.
It is but a cup, a small matter.
It is a cup that is given us; sufferings are gifts.
It is given us by a Father, who has a father’s authority, and does us no wrong; a father’s affection, and means us no hurt.
From the example of our Saviour we should learn how to receive our lighter afflictions, and to ask ourselves whether we ought to oppose our Father’s will, or to distrust his love. We were bound with the cords of our iniquities, with the yoke of our transgressions.
Christ, being made a sin-offering for us, to free us from those bonds, himself submitted to be bound for us. To his bonds we owe our liberty; thus the Son makes us free.

Lanterns, Torches, Swords

Dan — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:28:57 +0000

3 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. (ESV)
', 'John 18:3', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18%3A3');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18%3A3" >John 18:3
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.

They took lanterns because they walked in darkness and refused to walk by the Light.
They took torches because they did not know the fiery Glory of God.
They took weapons because they refused to read the scriptures that are the double-edged sword of God.

When we depart from God, we still need and want all of His benefits, so we manufacture them on our own. An army, authority structure, priesthood, leaders, light, protection, weapons…all turn bad when they are made by Men rejecting what was given them from God.

Unlimited Resources

Dan — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:11:29 +0000

', 'John 18', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18" >John 18: 3-6

3 Judas then, having received the band of soldiers, and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went forth, and saith unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
6 When therefore he said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

Sometimes it seems like the enemy has unlimited resources-an unlimited supply of junk to throw at us. I was reading this today and saw that Jesus doesn’t express any kind of surprise or alarm that Judas has shown up with an army.

How did you get an army!?
Where did all of these soldiers come from?!!

Nope, He just gives them the unwelcome greeting: Who did you come for? (I say unwelcome, because when I’m out visiting houses for my job, testing for internet service, we have noticed the people that recognize our car and want our service greet us with something like “I’m so glad you’re here!” or “Can I get it?!” without any greeting. People that don’t recognize us ask us: “Can I help you?”)

Jesus is not afraid of Judas’ ability to procure and army at Midnight. He is not sighing with a statement like, “What next? An Army? Seriously!” The Merciful and Patient One is not exasperated by His enemy’s schemes.

The Father doesn’t want us to be exasperated. He wants us to know that whatever gets slung our way, He’s got a big enough shield to block it, or a big enough paper towel to clean it off!

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (ESV)

', '1 John 4:4', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+John+4%3A4');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+John+4%3A4" >1 John 4:4 is no lie – Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

If I could write apps, or write stuff for youversion.com

Dan — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:56:25 +0000

I thought I’d post a short bit here about some thoughts I had that are really more of a meta-post about Bible study in general.

Some of you may be familiar with www.youversion.com
If you have the Bible on an iPod touch or an iPhone, you probably have the Bible app from YouVersion.com. It is pretty cool because you can read a bazillion different translations (44 I think, but that’s including non-english translations too) and do the parallel thing and send out tweets or facebook links from verses, etc. It also has a cool audio bible section (I’m listening to

17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (ESV)

', 'John 17', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+17');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+17" >John 17 in Dari as I write this. Dari, people! as in the language of King Darius, now spoken all over Persia.)

But if I were a developer…I would come up with the Bible race.

Think of it as a Bible reading plan meets Foursquare. I pick a few people, maybe my 7 or so buddies in the Bible Attack League, and we lay down a challenge. We pick the length (marathon through 66 books or sprint through a Gospel) and then go for it. Each person logs their progress at YouVersion.com and a little graphic symbol shows each of us running the race and the position we’re in.

I know what you’re thinking. “The Bible could be read in 40 hours.” but who in the world ever sits down and reads the Bible non-stop for 40 hours! You might read Facebook profiles for 40 hours or I might play Angry Birds for 40 hours, but sometimes it’s hard to keep the Bible at top-of-mind. So: the Bible race.

Tie the thing into Facebook so whenever I complete a lap (or a book) it tells all of my friends, “Dan just finished the book of James in the Donut Bank Bible Marathon and is in second place behind Josh S.”

It would be like all of those crazy Farmville status messages, in that it would be graphically pleasing, but not as annoying, because it’s about the Bible!

So there you go, developers. Make it a YouVersion widget. Make it a Facebook app. Make it it’s own website, I’m not sure. But the next time I plop on the couch to rest and I get a tweet that Andy G. just finished the book of 3 John and is now in the lead, I’m gonna skip those Angry Birds and get racing through God’s Word to take my bro down and at the same time get built up!

The Father’s Will vs. Our Safety and Comfort

Dan — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:50:14 +0000

18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. (ESV)

', 'John 18.1', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18.1');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18.1" >John 18.1 – When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.

Here is Jesus, knowing now is His time to be taken and killed, going back to the same places He always went to. He didn’t change His prayer habits because things were dangerous or even ‘really bad.’ Jesus had prayed in this garden before, and he was going to go and pray there tonight.

16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (ESV)

', 'John 11.16', 'http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+11.16');" onmouseout="domTip_clearTip('false')" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+11.16" >John 11.16 Thomas had said “Let’s go too, so we can die with Him.” He said that because the Jews had tried to stone Jesus the last time they were in Jerusalem. Jesus went back there anyway and here He is, 7 chapters later, still alive!

Jesus lived according to the Father’s wishes, not according to the need to preserve His own safety.

//talked some more out with my wife and came to this verse:

If our own safety or comfort is even 1 click above His will, we are not a disciple http://esv.to/Luke14.27