Whom do you seek?

Judas Betrays Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. ² Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. ³ Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴ So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, “Whom do you seek?” ⁵ They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. ⁶ So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷ Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” ⁹ to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” ¹⁰ Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. ¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

Jesus before the Priests

¹² So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, ¹³ and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴ Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

¹⁵ Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, ¹⁶ but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ Then the slave-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 slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, “Whom do you seek?” ⁵ They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. ⁶ So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Jesus asks the question, "Whom do you seek?" not because He needed the question answered but rather beacause the question exposes their intentions. Early in John's gospel account Jesus had asked a similar question of two of John the Baptist's disciples who had come to Him. In John 1:38 Jesus asked, "What are you seeking?". Their response indicated their desire to be with Jesus. These were seeking Jesus for a different reason, they had their own agenda. Even today there are some who seek Jesus for wrong motives, motives that do not lead to life.

We see also in this portion of the text, that at Jesus response "I am He" they drew back and fell to the ground. It is not uncommon for us to see examples throughout scripture where people instantly fall to the ground in the revealed presence of I Am. For these though, it is not an indication of their heart condition, but rather it speaks of the time when:

at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(Philippians 2:10-11)

Jesus had complete authority in and over the situation there. He is the one who keeps things moving forward toward the eventual outcome, asking again, "Whom do you seek?" The text continues:     And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” ⁹ to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”     Jesus knows what is about to happen, what needs to happen. True to His nature as the good shepherd, He protects His followers by directing that the others be released.  Peter had said earlier that he would never forsake Jesus, even unto death. Here in the text we see Peter respond to the situation:

 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. ¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

While at first glance it seems that this is a commendable act of bravery on the part of Peter, it brings to mind though, the account from Matthew 16:21-23         From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. ²² Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” ²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” 

Again, Jesus is the one who has control and authority in this situation. He is the one who is moving things forward toward their neccessary outcome. Peter's response is more of an act of the flesh, man's interest, than it is of obediance to God and His purposes. We too, need to guard our hearts, to make sure that the things we do are to defend God's purposes and His will, not our own.    In this text it says:   Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”   In Matthew 26:53 it says:    "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?       Twelve legions of angels, a legion, was a military term referring to a group of at least 6000 Roman soldiers. The odds were surely stacked in Jesus favor if He wanted to resist His arrest He surely could have. Jesus hour had come though. He continued to move things forward toward His destiny and purpose.   We do see in this though that there is a right we have in Christ, to appeal to the Father to have Him dispatch angels to do their work of warfare, ministry, and protection. 

The text continues and show's again the human side of Peter, who had exhibited the bravado in the garden.     Then the slave-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.”     This was the first of the three times Peter would deny the Lord as Jesus had said. We too need to understand that even as these times continue to grow darker and we see more and more persecution of Christians all around the world, it is only by God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can rightly stand against the persecution that we may face. We can't plan how we will respond or what we should say.

In Matthew 10:16-20      Jesus says:     “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 

We cannot plan how to respond. We can only decide daily, moment by moment to yield to the Holy Spirit, that He will guide and direct us. Those words of Jesus in Matthew 10 continue:

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 

Whatever the end may be, if we endure in Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus promises that we will be saved. Jesus asks: Whom do you seek?

Thank You, Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. Your word says that if I seek You, I will find You.     Amen