Free Will Offering

John 18:1-5

Jesus finished His prayer for the disciples and His church and then crossed the brook Cedron, which was also called Kidron. The brook was only three to seven feet wide, and its waters were black with filth. All of the filth and trash of Jerusalem were dumped into it. There was a canal running from the temple down to the brook Kidron and all of the entrails, blood and other wastes from the animal sacrifices were thrown into it. Although it was the Passover and there was a full moon shining, this would be a night of darkness. Crossing over the stench of the brook Kidron seems to be symbolically appropriate to the situation.

On the other side of Kidron was the Mount of Olives. It was customary for the wealthier people to have gardens outside the city, and apparently Jesus knew someone who owned a garden called Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, because he went there frequently. On this night, because of the late hour, He chose to go there instead of to the home of His friends in Bethany.

John has omitted Jesus' agonizing prayer in the garden and seems to want us to focus on the fact that Jesus offered Himself to His enemies willingly. So we see that Judas knew exactly where Jesus would be. He was not trying to hide, although He knew that Judas would betray Him.

Now, Judas had acquired a band of soldiers with which to take Jesus prisoner. Some estimates say that a band was as many as 500 men. These were probably the guards that the Romans had assigned to the temple, because the officers, chief priests and Pharisees came with them. Matthew 26:47 tells us that there was a great multitude of people as though they were coming to capture a small army. In addition, they carried weapons, swords and staves, and they must have felt quite foolish when Jesus stepped forward by Himself and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Jesus, of course, knew the answer to that question. "Jesus of Nazareth," they said. They did not say, "We are looking for you," because they wanted to be sure that they had the right person; and they did not ask for the "Christ," because they denied that He was their Christ, or Messiah. "Jesus of Nazareth" was almost derogatory ("Could any good thing come out of Nazareth?").

Jesus calmly answered, "I am." Notice that the King James Version has the word "he" in Italics to indicate that it was added by the translators. "I am." This is how they knew their God Jehovah, the great I AM, and may have been spoken by Jesus to confirm their accusations that He made Himself equal with God.

When He spoke those words, the men stepped backward and fell to the ground. Many commentators think that this was a natural reaction to Jesus' frank and open statement, but let me tell you that an entire crowd of people does not trip and fall at the exact same moment and in response to the same emotion by accident. This was a supernatural demonstration of the power in the name of the I AM, wielded by the one to whom the name applied. It was proof to those people that they were arresting the Son of the living God. It said, "I could destroy you without lifting a finger, but instead I willingly offer myself up into your wicked hands."

The details of that evening and morning are so important to us. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) He was not captured by a force that outsmarted Him or overpowered Him. No, He gave Himself willingly for our sakes. While we were yet sinners, enemies of God, unrighteous haters of every good thing, Jesus freely offered Himself out of love for us. He could have destroyed His enemies and saved Himself the torture that ensued, but then He would have had to destroy you and me too.

How will you respond to so great a love as that?

Before The Throne:

Thank Him for loving you in spite of your sins. Thank Him for willingly going to the cross, while you were still in rebellion against Him. Ask Him to fill you with the joy of His love. Respond to His love in whatever way your heart is leading you at this moment. Tell Him how you feel, what you want to do for Him, and how sorry you are for your sins. Love Him. That's all He wants.

For Further Study:

(v.1) * spoken. Joh 13:31-35; 14:1-17:26; * he. Joh 14:31; Mt 26:36; Mr 14:32; Lu 22:39,40; * the brook. 2Sa 15:23; 1Ki 15:13; 2Ki 23:6,12; 2Ch 15:16; 30:14; Jer 31:40; * Kidron. a garden. Ge 2:15; 3:23;

(v.2) * for. Mr 11:11,12; Lu 21:37; 22:39;

(v.3) * Judas. # 13:2,27-30; Mt 26:47,55; Mr 14:43,44,48; Lu 22:47-53; Ac 1:16; Ps 3:1,2; 22:12;

(v.4) * knowing. Joh 10:17,18; 13:1; 19:28; Mt 16:21; 17:22,23; 20:18,19; 26:2,21,31; Mr 10:33,34; Lu 18:31-33; 24:6,7,44; Ac 2:28; 4:24-28; 20:22-23; * Whom. 1Ki 18:10,14-18; Ne 6:11; Ps 3:6; 27:3; Pr 28:1; 1Pe 4:1;

(v.5) * Jesus. Joh 1:46; 19:19; Mt 2:23; 21:11; * stood. Isa 3:9; Jer 8:12;

(v.6) 2Ki 1:9-15; Ps 27:2; 40:14; 70:2,3; 129:5; Lu 9:54-56; Ac 4:29,30;

For Further Study is an edited excerpt from The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.