Good morning. There's so much in these verses that we are considering that what I say this morning is only going to touch, is only going to scratch the surface.
These last few weeks have been sad for us as we have lost a friend to a battle with cancer.
We knew what was coming and it pained us to hear of the details of that fight.
The daily updates that we would get as the situation was worsening and as we prayed for a different outcome, it was hard to hear.
At the funeral, some of our children gave short accounts of the memories that they had with their mother growing up.
And more recently in the days as they watched life slip away, the peace that she had in her life and the challenge that that was to them.
They said that in that situation that it has drawn them closer to the Lord and it has made them stronger in their faith.
There's one or two friends here that were at that funeral today.
And they would have heard this, that our friend had a peace that passes normal human understanding.
She had a peace because it was given to her by God.
It was a direct consequence of her relationship with God.
That God is in complete control and that the hope that she had, that when she left this earth, she would go to be with him forever.
However, this is real life.
Where we have great sorrow and pain.
And yet as Christians, we often talk about peace and comfort and joy.
The joy that it is to know that the one that we love, who we have lost, has gone to be with Jesus forever.
You see, in our passage today, we're in the middle of a historical episode that sometimes we just gloss over without letting the reality of the situation hit us.
We say things like, Friday's here, but Sunday's coming.
And even though that is true, it somehow allows us just to skip over the part of suffering and horror of what happened to Jesus.
We've named it Good Friday.
And like Christmas, I think that we often see Easter through a rose-tinted view.
There's birds in the air.
There's lambs in the field.
There's fluffy yellow chicks.
Maybe you're thinking of Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs.
Or flowers growing in the garden.
And Rachel and I have been watching out the back window as the squirrels have been building a nest.
And the birds and the snowdrops and the crocus and the daffodils.
And all of these things have been coming to life.
We've been watching these birds making a nest, waiting to welcome new life into this world.
And Rachel and I, as others in this audience are, well, for us at Easter time, God willing, we will welcome new life into this world.
The nights are lighter.
And we've anchored Easter at a time where there is just a little bit of joy.
The Easter story is a story of joy for many of us.
Because it's a story that leads to life.
Our series is called Life in His Name.
Life in Jesus' Name.
Jesus said that I am come that you might have life and that you might have it abundantly.
But Easter is also a story of difficulty.
A lot of pain.
A lot of anguish.
A lot of things that we maybe don't fully understand.
The account of what happened to the Lord leading up to His death.
On one hand, brings us joy.
But on the other hand, it might make us just feel a little bit of sorrow.
The eternal Son of God was offered up for you and for I.
That eternal Son of God was mistreated by those whom He had created.
That eternal Son of God was rejected by the nation that He had chosen.
There's a verse in Psalm 30, verse 5.
It says this, that weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
And it's easy for us to say that after an event.
It's easy for us to say that after, you know, in hindsight, it's easy for us to say that when the raw pain has subdued after death.
Now for a few minutes this morning, I want us to dial in on these hours that we have read about in John chapter 18.
I have a simple ABCD this morning that I want to look at.
Hopefully it's a simple structure that will help you remember what we have thought about this morning.
Let's start with this A and B.
The arrest and betrayal.
I've deliberately missed out C there because I don't know whether to put in there capture or challenge that this is to us.
Or control or a list of other C's that came to mind as I put this up.
But then we have the denial at the end there.
So we'll fill in that blank as we get through our message.
This sequence is a dramatic story that we've read about in the progression of the Lord entering into Jerusalem.
And up until that point of dying on the cross.
Our scene here in chapter 18 is set during the night before that awful day.
And even though on that following day there will be a period of darkness, the scene that we have is a very dark scene.
This is the night of the Passover.
Earlier in the evening, Jesus and his disciples, like the thousands of Jews who were crammed into Jerusalem at that time,
were eating the Passover meal together.
They would have recited stories passed down from generation to generation.
They would have talked about the lamb, the Passover lamb, from the time of their forefathers escaping from Egypt.
They would have prepared the bitter herbs and the unleavened bread.
And as they ate that together, they would have talked about this lamb that was taken and sacrificed and eaten.
And they would have reminded themselves of the significance of the meal and how the blood of the lamb was preserved and delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And how the lamb would have been food for their journey.
And yet they were totally unaware that in 12 hours time, the man that they had been following for the last three hours would be slain like a lamb.
And be sacrificed for their deliverance and for to bring about peace with God.
In our chapter here in verse 1, we read that the Lord Jesus goes out with his disciples to a place that they often went to.
He crosses over the valley and up the side of the hill to the olive garden, a place that we know as Gethsemane.
It's a place that the Lord Jesus often went with his disciples.
We go there to spend time with them for rest.
They would pray there.
They would meditate.
They would commune together.
It's not the first time that God has communed with people in a garden.
It's very similar to a story that God communed with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
And in that garden, it's in similar fashion.
Adam and Eve betray God.
Just as Judas is about to betray God.
Unlike the scene in the Garden of Eden where Satan comes in subtly, in this scene that we have, a band of soldiers and the temple guards, they came in loudly.
As I've been looking through and studying for this passage, the scholars would say that there's maybe up to 600 people, 600 soldiers would have been involved there.
That's what a cohort of the soldiers would have looked like.
Plus the temple guards and the police and some of the Sanhedrin and the mob that would have come to collect him.
A big, angry band of soldiers came that night to take the Lord Jesus.
Not subtly, but by force and aggression.
You know, Jesus was in that familiar place with his disciples.
And if we had read in Matthew or Mark, we might have seen a little bit more details than what we see in John's Gospel.
But in that familiar place, Judas betrays the Lord Jesus.
And I wonder that if in our familiar places we betray the Lord Jesus.
Maybe not in the same way that Judas betrayed him.
But I wonder if we betray him in another way.
A man who had personally spent three years with the Lord Jesus, witnessing incredible miracles.
Often in that place in Gethsemane with the rest of the disciples, praying and spending time with the Lord Jesus.
And yet it just shows how very little he knows about the Lord Jesus as we see unfolding in John chapter 18.
I wonder if that's the same as us today.
I wonder if, even though we might have been on the Christian pathway for quite some time,
just how much do we know about the Lord Jesus?
I think as we read through John 18,
maybe it just shines, or it just puts a mirror in front of us,
just to look into there and ask ourselves the questions,
do we see ourselves in this passage?
You know, I suggest that Judas was worried that Jesus would somehow escape.
As he hatched that plan with the temple guard,
the temple priests and the guards,
that he would come and give that secret signal of a kiss
in order, I don't know what he thought,
not to give the game away.
They came in force.
And as I mentioned earlier,
the people that have researched this
would give the indication that it was a big band of soldiers
that came to take the Lord Jesus
with torches and lanterns
as they came to light up that hillside
as they hunted for him.
But he did not realise that Jesus
was the Lamb of God
who would meekly submit.
There was no need for battle.
Jesus shocked Judas and the arresting officers
by boldly presenting himself.
He had nothing,
the Lord Jesus had nothing to fear
and nothing to hide.
He would willingly lay down his life
for the sheep.
And furthermore,
by surrendering to the officers,
Jesus helped to protect his own disciples.
It's what we read here.
He kept them safe,
not only spiritually,
but physically,
that none of them would be hard,
that the scriptures would be fulfilled,
that none of them would be harmed,
none of them would be lost.
You might ask yourself the question,
why did the soldiers fall back
when they came to ask the Lord Jesus,
when the Lord Jesus asked them,
who have you come to seek?
And he answered,
I am he.
You might wonder why they fell back.
This is a title,
we've thought about different I am's
in Brunsfield before.
This is a title,
I am.
It's one that the Jews would recognise
as a statement
that would mean that he is the son of God,
that he is God.
But I think in the Lord Jesus
has been bold
in the way that he declared
that I am he.
It would strike them
that he was in total control.
You know,
this wasn't a physically
charred situation.
We don't really know
what Judas said
to the priests
and the Sanhedrin
as they hatched this plan
to come and to capture
the Lord Jesus.
What he said
that would prepare them
for this confrontation.
We remember that the Jewish leaders
before would have tried
to capture the Lord Jesus.
They tried to take hold of him.
They tried to arrest him.
And always without success.
And I wonder
as this band of people came,
whether they came for conflict.
And yet they were met
with surrender
and calm
and peace.
And I think they were confused.
Lord Jesus asked them again,
who is it that you want?
And that kiss that Judas gave,
which was repeatedly given to the Lord,
was one of these acts of,
was probably one of the worst acts
of betrayal
that we've ever seen
in history.
Now I'm going to move on
to denial
before we come back
to what our C is.
But Peter also
betrays the Lord Jesus
in John 18.
I think
if we betray the Lord Jesus,
it's probably more like
how Peter betrayed
the Lord Jesus.
I think if we betray
the Lord Jesus,
it's in our words
and in our actions.
The man who came to suffer
for his disciples
is the man who came to suffer
for you and for me.
To give up his life,
to be judged
for our wickedness,
and yet,
like Peter,
we can often
deny the Lord Jesus
when we're asked.
Graham has mentioned this
over the last few weeks.
On Monday morning,
when you get into the office
or the staff room
or university
and you're asked
what did you get up to
at the weekend,
what is your answer?
This servant girl,
she asked Peter,
are you not one of
this man's disciples?
And Peter denied it.
So tomorrow,
I wonder what my answer
will be.
Will my answer be
that I have spent time,
we have spent time
with each other,
that we've spent time
in Brunsfield,
that we've spent time
thinking about the Lord Jesus
and reminding ourselves
of the one who loved us
and gave himself for us.
Or I wonder if we'll be
quiet like Peter
and choose not to say anything
and deny that we have
anything to do
with the Lord Jesus.
If you're like me,
then that will be true
of many Monday mornings
when I've been asked
what did I get up to
at the weekend.
And many times,
I've failed
because I stayed silent
and I denied
taking a stand
with the Lord Jesus.
It was easier for me
to align myself
with what the world thinks
should happen
at the weekend
rather than what
I actually did.
Our series is this,
Life in His Name.
And Jesus came
that we might have life,
abundant life,
life in His name,
and yet somehow
we can be embarrassed
by that.
Peter gets a lot of stick
in our,
and sometimes the way
that we describe
this scene
as He's standing
by that fire.
We've got to remember
that this is in the middle
of the night.
It's in a cold part
of the day.
And, you know,
Peter is standing there
to get a heat
and he denies the fact
that he is one
of the Lord's disciples
or that he knows
the Lord Jesus.
Bear in mind
that the people
who lit the fire
are the soldiers.
The same soldiers
that came to Gethsemane
to capture the Lord Jesus
and witness Peter
cutting off the ear
of the high priest's,
the servant's ear.
Peter is standing
right beside them.
I think we give Peter
a lot of stick
because we think,
Peter, you should have
took a stand for the Lord
and you didn't.
And yet in that situation,
Peter is fearful
for his life
and he's fearful
what people think about him
or what people
will do to him.
You know,
Peter was embarrassed by it.
He understood
that his physical life
might be in danger
if he identifies himself
with the Lord Jesus.
If he said,
yes,
I'm one of his followers
and one of his disciples
and one of the people
who believe
that this man
is who he says he is,
the Son of God,
that he is God,
that he is the Lamb of God
who comes to take away
the sin of the world.
You know,
Peter feared
for his life
and he denied
the Lord Jesus.
And next week,
we'll come to see,
I don't see Archie here today,
but Archie is speaking
next week
and next week,
we'll come to see
that Peter not only
denies him once,
but he denies him again
and again.
And I'll leave
that cliffhanger there
because that is
where our passage stops,
right in the middle
of Peter's denial.
This brings me
to my last point.
And it is this,
control.
What was taking place
in this scene
that we've thought about,
even down to this
minor detail
of a cock
crowing
twice
in the middle
of the night,
significant enough
to be heard
and to be counted.
This is because
the Lord is in control
and Peter
knew that.
Not only was
the Lord in control,
but the Lord
knew all things.
He knew what was
going to befall him.
And that is something
that I think
we should cling to today.
Jesus' testimony
throughout his whole life
is that he is in control.
He was in control
then
and he's in control
now.
When we think
about the scene
that is chaotic,
that has drama,
as I've said,
you know,
think about this,
you know,
possibly hundreds
of soldiers
marching through
the streets
of Jerusalem.
Down over that river,
up the other side
of the hill,
into the Garden
of Gethsemane
with torches
and lanterns
and weapons
in the middle
of the night.
It's just such
a commotion.
Probably,
there's a lot of things
that are going on
in Jerusalem
at this time,
but probably
they've gathered people
as they've pushed
through the streets
of Jerusalem,
waking people up
and wondering
what it is.
You know,
if we see any kind
of activity
outside at two o'clock
in the morning,
then we are naturally
curious.
Maybe a mob
has gathered
behind this band
of soldiers
and it just seems
to be
that nobody knows
what's happening
and there's nobody
in control,
but God's in control
and Jesus knows
that this is the time,
this is his time
that has come.
Remember in John 17
he said this,
the hour has come.
You know,
many times in his ministry
people would come
to take the Lord Jesus
and yet he would slip away.
They would come
to kill him
or to seize him
and yet he would not
allow it,
he would pass through
because the appointed time
had not come.
But the time has come,
a time of his choosing,
a time that was chosen
before the creation
of the world.
You see,
the Lord Jesus
is in complete control.
arrest,
betrayal,
denial,
but right in the middle
of all of this chaos
we see that Jesus
is in control.
Now you might think
that A, B, C, D
is fairly elementary.
It's too simple
for you to remember
but we should remember this
if you remember nothing else,
that Jesus
is in control
and we know
and we experience this
in our lives
when we surrender to him.
I don't want to steal the message
for the next few weeks
but this might be
the last message
that you,
this might be the last
Christian message
that you hear.
It might be the last time
that you've got an invitation
to come
and meet this Jesus.
Jesus knew
and he foretold
what would come.
The Lord Jesus said to Peter,
you will deny me three times
before the cock rose twice.
He said that because he knew
that it would happen.
He knew that he would
go to the cross,
he knew that he would
give up his life
he knew that men
would rip the beard
from his face
or tear strips of flesh
out his back
with that scourge.
He knew all of these things
and yet he faces them
with peace.
He surrenders himself
to those that come
to take him captive.
In fact,
even though men
came to take him captive,
we remember these words
that he said,
no one takes my life,
I give it.
He willingly
becomes the Lamb of God
which takes away
the sin of the world.
I hope next week
that you do hear
what the message is
because you'll hear
that there is a time
in the scene
where Peter
has an opportunity
to repent.
Peter has the opportunity
to realise
who the Lord Jesus
really is.
That he has come,
that we might have life
and that we might have
abundant life,
we might have eternal life.
He's come
that our sins
can be forgiven.
He's come
that we can be restored,
that we can be reconciled.
You know,
Jesus goes to the cross
in order that we might be
forgiven
and that it might produce
righteousness
and repentance
in our lives.
And we have an opportunity
today
to repent.
Now,
there are many Christians
in the room
that have given their life
to the Lord Jesus.
those that know
their sins are forgiven.
And yet,
it may be that
in some way
we identify with Peter
this morning
and that we are living
akin to Peter's denial
by our words
and our actions,
by the way that we live.
We deny the Lord Jesus.
Well,
this is an opportunity
for us
to repent,
to come to God.
But it's also
an opportunity
if you've never
come to know
God's grace
in your life,
if you've never
come face to face
with the reality
that there is one
who gave up
his life for you,
who suffered
and died
and bore
the judgment
for your sin,
if there's never
been a time
in your life
where you've known
God's forgiveness
and the peace
that Jesus
offers us,
well,
there's an invitation
today for you
to come.
I want to take you
back to that funeral
on Friday.
The continuing theme
that came through
loud and clear
was that our friend
had peace with God.
A nurse came in
recently and asked her
if there's anything
that she could do
for her,
anything that she
was worried about
and she said this,
she said,
no,
I'm going to be
with my saviour.
She had a peace
in her soul
and there was no
enmity between
her and God.
that relationship
was restored.
It was reconciled.
I hope you have
that peace too.
Lastly,
Jesus has this peace.
This is what gives
me joy this morning.
Jesus has this peace
as he faces
what's to come.
His relationship
with the Father
was never broken.
Even though he must
go through this
devastating experience,
even though we see
the agony
in the garden,
praying to God,
if it be possible,
let this cup
pass from me.
Sweating as it were,
great drops of blood,
just showing us
his full humanity.
But in such turmoil
and agony,
we read these words
and we've read them
today in John 18.
Shall I not drink
the cup
the Father
has given to me?
This was his lot.
This was his portion.
This was his plan.
This is why he came.
So let us fully realize,
let us fully appreciate
the zoomed in details,
all that Jesus
has gone through,
knowing what was to come,
knowing that he is
in complete control.
I want to leave you
a verse
in John chapter 20.
It's a verse
that we often quote
when we preach
from John
and it says this,
these things are written
that you might believe
that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God,
and that believing
you might have life
in his name.
Thank you.