WWUTT 988 They Fell to the Ground?

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When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He could have struck down all of His opponents with a simple word from His mouth.

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But He went that He might fulfill the will of His Father when we understand the text.

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You're listening to When We Understand The Text, committed to sound teaching of the Word of God. For questions and comments, email

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WhenWeUnderstandTheText at gmail .com. And don't forget our website, www .tt

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.com. Here's our host, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. Well, we just finished the high priestly prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17.

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Today we're on to chapter 18, and I'll begin by reading the first 11 verses.

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When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which

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He and His disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples.

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So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the

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Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward and said to them,

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Whom do you seek? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them,

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I am He. Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them. When Jesus said,

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I am He, they drew back and fell to the ground. So He asked them again,

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Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered,

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I told you that I am He, so if you seek Me, let these men go.

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This was to fulfill the word that He had spoken, Of those whom you gave Me, I have lost not one.

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

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The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath.

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Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me? Shall I not drink the cup that the

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Father has given Me? We're right back into the narrative again. We have finished up the upper room discourse, which went from John chapters 13 to 17.

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It's the longest discourse. Do you realize how long we've been studying that particular section of scripture?

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We started back before Easter with Jesus washing His disciples feet and then the stuff they talked about in chapters 14, 15 and 16 and wrapping it up with the high priestly prayer in chapter 17 we've been looking at for the last few weeks.

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But this was a lot of stuff that Jesus shared with His disciples. This meal, this

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Passover meal that they had lasted several hours. It wasn't like a 45 minute meal where they were having some aimless chitchat over mouths full of food.

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This was a very deliberate get together. Jesus had things that He was going to share with His disciples before He was going to be arrested and crucified.

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And of course, the Lord's Supper, the institution of the Lord's Supper is in there, which we didn't get that in detail in John's gospel, but we get it in Matthew, Mark and Luke.

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Remember that those three gospels were written years before John wrote his gospel. So all those things that have been established in the synoptic gospels were well known in the church up to this point.

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John wanted to focus more on Jesus teaching than the events that happened.

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Now there are some skeptics out there that will try to say that over the course of the gospels, you see this growing mythology taking place like stuff is getting more and more incredible.

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They will generally start with Mark because most skeptics will say Mark was the first gospel that was written.

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I don't believe that. I believe that it was Matthew, but I'm not going to make that case now. I think I've said elsewhere why.

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I believe that to be the case. But anyway, they'll say Mark was written first and then Matthew came next and then

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Luke and then John. And if you lay the gospels out that way, then what you see is this growing progression of mythology.

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Stuff is getting more and more magical. If you'll pardon the word, Jesus claims are becoming more and more divine.

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That's what the skeptics will say. But I believe that John's gospel actually blows that theory up.

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Because think about it. What was it that the people wanted from Jesus the most? They wanted to see miracles.

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They didn't want his teaching. Even in the gospel of John, it says that the people would follow him by the hundreds.

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John chapter six, Jesus turns around to them and says something like, unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

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And they go, this, this teaching's impossible. Who can listen to this? Who can believe it?

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And they turn around and they walk away. The people did not want teaching. They wanted miracles. They wanted signs and wonders.

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And so if this really was a growing mythology, then John's gospel should have contained even more miracles listed than what were in Matthew, Mark and Luke.

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But as he says, when you get to the end of the gospel, if you were to write down all the stuff that Jesus said, there wouldn't

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Jesus said and did. There wouldn't even be enough parchment paper on earth to chronicle all of these events.

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He did an incredible amount of work in just those three years that he was on earth.

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John's gospel is not the apex of some kind of growing mythology. On the contrary, it blows that theory up by expounding more on Jesus teaching than the things that he did.

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And Jesus claims of divinity are not exclusive to John. It says in the gospel of Mark, which the skeptics say is the first gospel, that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

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Mark one, one, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God. And by the way, to call yourself the son of God, even as we have seen in the gospel of John, is to equate yourself with God.

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That's the way the people heard that claim. They didn't think of it as, oh, well, we're all children of God.

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I'm a son of God. You're a daughter of God. That's not the way that people interpreted that to say that you were the son of God was to say that you were equal with God.

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And Jesus could say that because he is God, God incarnate, God in human flesh.

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At the arrest of Jesus and then his appearance before the council in Mark, chapter 14, the high priest says to Jesus, are you the

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Christ, the son of the blessed? And in Mark 1462, Jesus said, I am.

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And you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.

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And the high priest tore his garments and said, what further witnesses do we need? You have heard this blasphemy.

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What is your decision? And they all condemned him as deserving death. That's in Mark, chapter 14.

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Now, even Bart Ehrman, who is one of the purveyors of this growing mythology theory that that Mark, then

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Matthew, then Luke, then John shows this progression in mythology. If you line the gospels up like that, he's one of the purveyors of this false theory.

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False narrative. But even Bart Ehrman has said that in Mark's gospel, in Mark, chapter 14, that was a divine claim.

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And Jesus did claim to be God. And that is the way that the high council perceived it, which was why he was put to death.

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Even he admits that. So it's kind of like you listen to him for long enough and he blows up his own theories with some of the stuff that he teaches.

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He contradicts himself. Of course, here we even have a divine claim in the section we've just read in John, chapter 18.

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Did you catch where it was? Well, let's come back through it together. We'll start in verse one. When Jesus had spoken these words and those words being the high priestly prayer, he just finished up in 17.

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And that was that was finishing up the upper room time that he had with his disciples.

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And of course, the the institution of the Lord's Supper took place there. And in Matthew, chapter 26, it says when they went out from that place, they went out singing a hymn and it would have been the

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Egyptian Hallel that they sang, which is Psalms 113 through 118.

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Those were the Psalms that accompanied the participation of the Passover meal. So think about this.

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Jesus is going to the garden. He knows there he is going to be arrested. All of these things that the father has set up by his will are about to come to fruition.

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And Jesus, knowing what is about to happen to him, he's going to pray in the garden and sweat drops of blood there as he prays with the the anxiety that comes upon him, realizing the wrath of God is going to be poured out upon him when he dies on the cross.

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And so just the just the anticipation of that caused him to sweat drops of blood.

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And Jesus, knowing all of this was about to happen, yet he sings a hymn of praise when he goes out with his disciples from the upper room to the garden.

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He went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden where he and his disciples entered.

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Verse two. Now, Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples.

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I remember when I was in college, there was a skeptic friend of mine in one of the clubs that I was in, but he was somebody who

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I mean, I guess he called himself an atheist. I don't remember if he called himself atheist or agnostic, but he was skeptical of scripture, certainly.

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And so there was one time we were having a conversation and he was pointing out all these different discrepancies. They really weren't major flaws like some atheists will say the

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Bible is full of, but we know what they're actually full of. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

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Anyway, as a as a skeptic, he's going through this list of stuff that he thought he thought were like these little discrepancies and how the

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Bible was unbelievable. And one of the things that he brought up, I don't know why this sticks out in my mind, but he brought up how

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Judas knew that Jesus and the disciples were in the garden of Gethsemane. He said, how would he know that?

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See, the authors of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they didn't even think that through that.

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How would Judas just know where Jesus and the disciples were? But that's where he took the

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Pharisees and the army that was with him and all this stuff. He went straight to the place where Jesus and his disciples were.

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He didn't go out with them. He didn't know that they were in the garden. Well, according to this and John 18, that question, that skepticism is answered.

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Of course, Judas knew where they were because Jesus took them to a place. He often took his disciples to go there to the garden of Gethsemane.

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And Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the

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Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons to go arrest one man.

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You know, there's a possibility here that Judas knew that Peter would react the way that he did.

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And Judas may have expected the rest of the disciples to respond the same way, which was why he went out with an army.

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Not that he was expecting some sort of major conflict, like there was going to be the Battle of Gethsemane.

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It wouldn't wouldn't be like that, but rather having the army with him is how he would ensure that the disciples would not rebel and try to protect their master.

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But clearly the disciples carried swords, as it says in verse 10. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.

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So so they did have weapons with them. Jesus and his disciples had talked about this before in Luke chapter 22.

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Jesus said, when I sent you out with no money back or knapsacks or sandals, did you lack anything?

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And they said nothing. And he said to them, but now let the one who has a money bag take it and likewise a knapsack and let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.

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For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me. And he was numbered with the transgressors for what is written about me has its fulfillment.

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And in verse 38, this is Luke 22, 38. They said, look, Lord, here are two swords. And he said to them, it is enough.

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It is just enough to show that they could defend themselves. If somebody sees that they're carrying a sword, it's less likely that bandits are going to come against them.

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But it wasn't like they were supposed to be starting an uprising or fighting some sort of battle, because, of course, when

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Peter draws his sword, Jesus discourages him, rebukes him for that. Nevertheless, Judas knows they're carrying swords.

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So in case they respond, as Peter did, he's got a small army with him to come out and arrest

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Jesus. So going on here, verse four, then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, whom do you seek?

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Now, remember, Judas had set up a signal with the priests that the one he kissed was the man.

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And we don't have the Judas kiss in John's account of these events.

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But I bring that up just to demonstrate that Jesus did not stand out in appearance from even his own disciples.

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There had to be some sort of signal from Judas indicating this is the guy again, lest any of the disciples step forward and say, well,

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I'm him, I'm Jesus, you know, and therefore go to death for Christ so that they don't put

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Jesus to death. Jesus wasn't the one who was the tallest, best looking guy with the white robe in the purple sash.

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He was as common as the rest of his disciples. Even Isaiah 53 says that he wasn't much to look at.

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He was one from whom men hide their faces, not somebody that people clamor after because he has the best looking eyes and immaculate hair and these sparkling white clothes.

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That wasn't why the people were drawn to Jesus. They wanted to see miracles. That was why they went after Jesus.

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So Judas had this signal. But here, according to John's gospel, Jesus just steps forward and identifies himself.

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Whom do you seek? So there wasn't even a need for all of that. He is there to fulfill the will of his father.

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He is laying down his own life and having the authority to take it back up again.

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So he is presenting himself because he is obedient, submissive to the will of his father.

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Verse five, they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus said to them, I am he.

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I said there was a divine claim in this particular section where Jesus claimed to be

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God. That was actually his claim of divinity. It wasn't just identifying himself as the carpenter from Nazareth.

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It was also identifying himself as the son of God. How do we know that? Because what was the reaction of the people when

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Jesus said it? Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them when Jesus said to them,

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I am he. They drew back and fell to the ground. There's power in the name of Jesus.

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Amen. Jesus spoke that name for God, Yahweh, I am he.

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And in saying I am identifying himself with that name, claiming to be

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God, even in this identification, the people fell to the ground. Were knocked off their feet by the announcement of the name of God from the mouth of God.

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And so, verse seven, so he asked them again, whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.

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You know, Jesus doing this, saying I am he and the people falling to the ground. It was just to demonstrate to them,

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I have power over all of you. The reason why you are arresting me and taking me to my death is because I am submitting to the father's will.

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Of course, he's not saying that outright, but we know that because we study the scriptures all this time later and we see the fulfillment of all these things, how all of this stuff has come together.

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So Jesus shows by speaking the name of God and knocking people off their feet, that these miracles that he performed, they weren't just tricks, right?

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They weren't just healing people. It was also power to destroy the people who were coming to arrest him if he so desired, but he wasn't going to do that.

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He was in submission, submission to the will of the father. So again, he asked them, whom do you seek?

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And they say, Jesus of Nazareth. And in verse eight, Jesus answered, I told you that I am he.

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He says it again. They don't fall off their feet, which just means that he didn't announce it with the kind of power that he did in the first place.

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I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. And if he's, and of course there he's referring to his disciples, no reason for the disciples to be arrested.

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And this was to fulfill the word that he had spoken of those whom you gave me.

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I have lost not one. No one is even going to die this night, except Jesus.

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He's the only one who's going to lay down his life so that it would be plain. It would be known that Christ laid his life down of his own authority.

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Judas is going to kill himself. So there is a contrast that happens there with Jesus willingly laying down his life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of his people.

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Judas taking his life into his own hands, destroys himself, not for any reason, but to try to absolve the guilt that he had for turning in an innocent man.

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And we know he wasn't able to do that. He could not even atone for his own sins.

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So he dies having killed himself and perishes in judgment in hell forever.

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As the Bible speaks of Judas and Jesus said of him, it would be better for him to have never been born than to face the kind of judgment he was going to face for betraying the son of God.

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As John Piper has said, there's a little booklet I remember reading from John Piper. Judas perpetrated the greatest evil that had ever been done by mankind.

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He betrayed the son of God himself into the hands of his enemies.

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Verse 10, then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.

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The servant's name was Malchus. Now, this event is recorded in the other gospels, but only here is

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Malchus's name mentioned in Matthew 26. Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

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Mark 1447. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

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Luke 2250. And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said no more of this.

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And he touched his ear and healed him. That's where we get Jesus healing the ear.

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It's in Luke's account of this particular event. John actually records his name.

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The servant's name was Malchus. And I think the reason for that is because remember, this gospel was written years after Matthew, Mark and Luke were written.

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And so Malchus at this point probably was somebody who testified to the things that happened there in the garden.

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He said, I was there. My ear got cut off and Jesus healed it. I love the way that Mel Gibson actually portrayed this in the passion of the

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Christ. When Jesus healed the high priest ear, Jesus is arrested and he's taken away.

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And later on, the camera comes back to the servant of the high priest in the garden, still on the ground with a look of shock on his face because Jesus had just healed his ear.

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The very guy that I was here to arrest just healed my ear.

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He was astonished by this. The love and compassion that Christ showed to him, even though he was there to arrest him, a servant of the high priest, probably likely.

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I know this is this is conjecture on my part, but nevertheless, I think it's a worthy theory.

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He probably became a Christian and was somebody who testified to Christ being the son of God after he saw these things with his own eyes and heard them with his own ears.

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So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into its sheath. Shall I not drink the cup that the father has given me the cup of God's wrath, which he would drink on the cross for our sins?

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It's in Psalm seventy five eight where it says in the hand of the Lord, there is a cup with foaming wine well mixed and he pours out from it and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

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And that's the cup that Christ drank for us with his death on the on the cross, the cup of God's wrath, so that all who believe in him will not perish, but have everlasting life with God.

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Amen. You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a

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New Testament study. Then on Thursday, we look at an Old Testament book. On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers.