ZA MAGAZINE // seek truth.

This article is going to kick off a new category for ZA articles, called ‘commentary’. I’ve flirted with this as a category before, but a lot of times the commentaries I did exemplified a theme that became a ‘topic’ sort of message, and I didn’t want the theme to get lost in the commentary genre; that is, I didn’t want people to just stumble across a message as they were reading commentary. If that happens, that’s great! That’s what commentary is for. But sometimes people can view these as tedious, and I didn’t want people to miss out because of that preconceived notion.

However, this post marks the first time that I did commentary on a verse that doesn’t really make the cut for a full article. Not only that, but I have two verses that are in succession and have different main points - just like Biblical commentary.

So welcome to commentary. May you be enriched as you study the Word. Don’t rely on my thoughts solely as you read, but remember that I am seeking God just like you are when I do these.

John 18:2
Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.

In verse one, I had highlighted the fact that the garden of Gethsemane was a quiet place away from the city, a place of solitude where Jesus could be uninhibited. Here, we learn something else: it was a place that Jesus frequented, enough that Judas knew exactly where to find Him on this night.

This is something that I can definitely relate with. In my spiritual walk, there have been times when I have had a quiet spot to retreat to, and there have been times where I never sought out that spot. When I had the spot, there were times when I would use it frequently, and there were times when I’d pass it right by. And let me tell you, the times where I not only found my garden of Gethsemane but also used it have been the best times of my spiritual life. I almost feel unqualified to say so at certain times because my prayer life isn’t always consistent, but I know for a fact that my life is better when I’m in prayer in a quiet place. Because it’s so easy to say “I’ll pray before I go to bed” or “I’ll pray in the car” or “I’ll pray while I’m walking,” but none of those ever really worked for me all that well. The most powerful moments have happened when I can be uninhibited in my secret place, and I think the fact that Jesus Himself needed and wanted such a place should mean that we definitely need and should want a spot like that for ourselves.

The other point worth noting is that this is the reason why the Pharisees needed Judas to betray Jesus. I guess I never fully appreciated the fact that this was ancient times, and people were tougher to find. If someone wanted to arrest me, finding an address would be pretty simple. But they probably didn’t know where Jesus’ quiet retreat was, so it was good to have insider information. Plus, the Bible seems to tell us in Isaiah 53:3 that Jesus wasn’t very distinctive-looking. To be a Middle-Eastern Jewish man in a largely homogeneous culture would have certainly required a kiss on the cheek from Judas, just to be sure.

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.

When I read this verse, I realized that Judas was a little more active in the betrayal of Jesus than I had originally thought. We always hear about the thirty pieces of silver, but I pretty much never hear about the part where Judas himself puts together a small army to arrest his Teacher.

There’s a verse outside of John that says that Satan entered into Judas before he did what he did. I don’t know if it was a literal and complete possession, or if it was a more figurative way of saying that his heart had been given to sin, but we can see here that this wasn’t just one bad decision that got him the money and another bad decision that pointed out the location. Judas has gone cold, and he’s putting together a mob to go after Jesus.

This verse makes me wonder a lot. Did Judas really think that Jesus was going to put up a fight? Did he really think that his angry mob would have stopped Jesus had He chosen to fight back? He was probably with Jesus when He managed to get away from a crowd that was solely fixated on Him and wanted to stone him (John 8:59), not to mention just about every other miracle that would make me say “I’m not messing with the guy.” But when we sin, we tend to lose our ability to rationalize. In 2 Samuel 11, King David thought that he had gotten off scot-free by covering up his adultery with murder. Even Adam and Eve thought they could hide from God once they had sinned.

So Judas is a train wreck at the moment, as he leads his torch-wielding mob to the peaceful garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus.

John 18:4
Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”

This verse blew my mind. If you’ve read ahead, you know what happens to Jesus. He’s whipped. He’s scourged. He’s mocked. He’s humiliated. He’s crucified. He had to suffer more pain than any man will ever have to suffer, and, do you get this? He knew it was coming.

John didn’t have to add the phrase ‘knowing all that would happen to him’. In merely following the chain of events, it has nothing to do with Judas showing up. But, John wants us to realize that Jesus knew what was about to happen - and he came forward. He came forward! If you knew you had the power to leave and you knew what pain you were going to go through, would you leave? I’d consider it, and I’m sure the thought passed through His mind. But Jesus had such a sense of purpose that He was willing to step out instead of running away. He knew that this was the only way to save humanity. He knew that He was the Man of Sorrows, the Man who would be despised and rejected by men. And coupled with the knowledge that life, even a painful life, is temporary and short, Jesus did what He was destined to do: Come forward.

Grace and peace,
Brendan