Episode 117 - "Whom do you seek?" John 18:1–6

John 18:1   When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 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. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

In John 18, the events that Jesus has foretold concerning him going away begin to happen quickly. Judas is following through on his betrayal of Jesus by leading his antagonists and the arresting party straight to Jesus.  John does not include Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. It is almost sure that the garden referred to here is Gethsemane, but John does not record its name for us. It is very clear from Matthew’s account in Matthew 26:36-46 that Jesus knows exactly what is going to happen and when because in verse 46 he says, “Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” At that point, Matthew records that Judas approached him and kissed him as a means to signify who they were to arrest. (Matthew 26:47-56) John simply indicates that Judas knew where he would likely go and led the arresting party to Jesus. 

The group came prepared for resistance. There were enough people to arrest Jesus and his followers, and they were well-armed. But, as we will see, it was utterly inadequate and completely unnecessary. Let us first look at how it was inadequate.

First, notice that John says in verse 4 that Jesus knew all that would happen to him. The point is that Jesus is in control here and not Judas, the High Priests, or the Roman soldiers. There were multiple instances in Jesus’ ministry when people wanted to arrest or kill him, and they could not because it was not his hour. But, now his hour has come, and Jesus approached them when they appeared. He accepts what is about to happen to him because he knows it is the Father’s will.

Another indication revealing the authority and control Jesus has in this situation is what happened when he approached this group and asked them directly, “Whom do you seek?” (v. 4). He already knows they are seeking him. So, why does he bother to ask this question? It seems to me that he asks it for the benefit of his disciples and particularly John because John makes a connection with what transpires and Jesus’ identity.

When Jesus asks them who they are seeking, they reply, “Jesus of Nazareth.” The ESV records Jesus’ response to them as “I am he.” (v. 5) But, his response isn’t simply explaining to them that they have found their man. His answer is better translated as “I am.” Does that sound familiar? It is Jesus identifying with the divine name that God gave to Moses in Exodus 3:14, and which John recorded multiple occasions that Jesus invoked the divine for himself. (“I am the Good Shepherd, I am the way, the truth, and the life, . . .)

This account reveals John’s thoughts as he points out that when he said “I am” they “drew back and fell to the ground.” (v. 6). I don’t think these people had any great comprehension regarding Jesus’ reply. But, I believe John understood this to be the will of God, causing the appropriate response to Jesus’ claiming to be “I am.” Therefore, no significant number of soldiers or weaponry could have taken Jesus if it were not the Father’s will. The inadequacy of mens’ efforts to stop him is evident through their repeated failures of stopping him up to the point where the Father determines it is time for His Son to go to the cross.  It is also unnecessary in that at the divine time, Jesus gave himself over to this crowd.

Jesus is the “I AM.”  He is our Creator, Redeemer, and Judge, among other things. Jesus is God. Let this truth confront our pride and inform our worship of Him.

Episode 112 - "The hour has come" - John 17:1-5

John 17:1   When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

One of the running themes throughout this book is the imminent “hour” for Jesus’ to be glorified.  We first encountered this at his first miracle where he turned the water into wine. When his mother informed him the wedding hosts had run out of wine halfway through the wedding, his response was, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) Later in chapter seven, his antagonists could not arrest him “because his hour had not yet come.” (John 7:30) In John 12:23 Jesus says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” whenever he is informed there were Greeks seeking him. He understood that “the world” seeking him was an indication his “hour” had come. He begins this prayer by acknowledging this truth to his Father. 

It might be easy for someone to think that Jesus was being self-centered by his first request to be glorified. But while leaders and kings are glorified by being lifted in fame, prestige, and power, Jesus’ glorification is being lifted up on a cross to suffer and die. The context further reveals that Jesus knows the Father will be glorified through Him being glorified. This has been Jesus’ attitude and dominant thought throughout his earthly ministry; to glorify the Father. He has glorified the Father by perfect obedience and that obedience will be completed by his sacrificial death on the cross.

He recognized the Father has given him the authority “over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (John 17:2) This expression by Jesus is consistent with Jesus’ claim to be the Son of Man. In Daniel 7:13-14, “one like a son of man” was given an “everlasting kingdom” and the authority of all people. Jesus has already demonstrated that power by raising Lazarus from the dead and performing miracles never heard of before.

Jesus then explains that eternal life is accessible by knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom God sent. (v. 3) This is perhaps the most important thing we need to understand. Jesus is making it clear that knowing “the only true God” not a god is the way to eternal life. Again, we have a consistent message and repeated message in this book. Jesus had previously said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus then says that he has glorified the Father by doing everything the Father has given him to do on earth. (v. 4) So, he is requesting to return to the position of glory that he had in the presence of the Father “before the world existed.” Sound familiar? Do you remember how the author began this book? “In the beginning, was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) John continues in his prologue by telling his audience more about the Word until it becomes evident that the Word is Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) Before John gets into his narrative about the ministry of Jesus, he prepares us by saying that Jesus was eternally pre-existing with the Father and was involved in the Creation. Now, Jesus himself is supporting that with his own words. 

There will be other wonderful things we will learn in this intercessory prayer of Jesus. But, the priority here is that the Father and Son are glorified. Do we have that as a priority in our life? Do we begin our prayers asking for what we want or asking that God is glorified through whatever He does?

Episode 97 - "I am in the Father and the Father is in me." John 14:8-11

John 14:8   Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

If I were to give this section a title, I might be tempted to call it “Weird stuff Jesus said.” What is this “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” stuff? Even for us seminarians, processing statements like this can be frustrating. We ask, “How can this be?” We want to be able to compartmentalize the details as if it were a mathematical formula. My suspicion why we can’t is that it’s not supposed to be completely understood in the limited capacities of us humans. We are speaking about God. God is the Creator and we are the creature and we’re broken through our sin. So, what do we do with this?

Let us focus first on the request by Philip which appears to be on behalf of the others with him. He said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (v. 8) This is simple enough to understand I think. Philip is saying, “Lord, show us God and then we’ll trust you.” I think a lot of people say this exact thing today. “If I could have just seen Jesus work some miracles, I would believe.” 

The first problem with this line of thinking is it is not true. People will not necessarily believe if they could see Jesus work miracles. Why? Because John has already demonstrated this truth in this very book hasn’t he. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, many believed in him. That’s great! BUT . . .John also records that instead of believing in Jesus, some returned to the Pharisees (the religious leaders who consistently rejected Jesus). (John 11:45-46) The man born blind reminded the Pharisees that never before had anyone born blind received their sight and that Jesus must be from God in order to make that happen. The religious leaders cast him out in rejection. (John 9:32-34) 

The second problem with this line of thinking is it is not true. Are you smiling? Wasn’t that the first problem? Yes. But, I want to emphasize the point by leading us to Jesus’ response to Philip’s request. Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”(v.9)  Ouch! Jesus is saying, I have shown you the Father. All the miracles I’ve done and everything I have taught you is from the Father and it reveals that I’m not just another prophet bringing a message. I am the unique Son who has the same essence or nature of God and I have come to be present with you so that you can see God. (My paraphrase) This is why Jesus repeats and emphasizes, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” (vv. 10,11) This is foundational for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Some people think that this doctrine teaches there are three gods. That is not accurate. Christianity strongly holds to a belief in one God. However, it also believes that this God is “three in person; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” The three persons of the trinity are said to be in one essence. They have different roles. But, there is no difference in their nature. 

Notice that Jesus does NOT say, “I am the Father and the Father is me.” God does NOT change from one person to the next. There are three distinct persons within the Godhead but remain one God. 

Bringing this back to Jesus’ response to the Philip and the disciples and what we can learn from this is that when we listen to Jesus’ teaching and consider the things he did, we should ask ourselves, “What does this reveal about Jesus?” The answer we should arrive at is, “It reveals that Jesus truly is God and we can trust him.” 

A few other Scripture verses that may help us better, if not fully, understand Jesus divinity are:

John 12:45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

Colossians 1:15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  (Note: “The firstborn of all creation” means that he has the authority from the Father God over all creation.)

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Episode 73 - "I am the Son of God" John 10:31-37

John 10:31   The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

Why are the Jews wanting to stone Jesus? Because he had just said, “I and the Father are one.”(John 10:30) As had occurred when Jesus had said earlier, “Before Abraham was, I am,” (John 8:58-59) the Jews understand Jesus to be claiming equality with God. That is blasphemous if not true and would deserve the death penalty by stoning according to the Law. 

In immediate response to their picking up stones, Jesus calls to their attention the “many good works from the Father” and asks them for which of them are they stoning him. They make it clear that it’s not for a good work they are going to stone him, but for blasphemy. In an indirect way, it appears that Jesus has elicited an acknowledgment that he has done good works from the Father but they are ignoring that fact and accuse him of blasphemy. 

Before returning to the evidence of the works he has done, Jesus quotes part of Psalm 82:6, “I said, you are gods.” What is this all about? Why is Jesus using this verse and what is the point? Here is the immediate context:

“Psa. 82:5   They have neither knowledge nor understanding,

they walk about in darkness;

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Psa. 82:6   I said, “You are gods,

sons of the Most High, all of you;

7 nevertheless, like men you shall die,

and fall like any prince.” (ESV)

Essentially, the writer of this psalm is speaking for God and indicting leaders of Israel for their injustice to the people under them. He says they “walk about in darkness.” (82:5) That is followed by a reminder of who God intended them to be. They were to be leaders with the authority to judge and guide the people. Therefore, they are acting as “gods” so to speak. But, their end is certain and they would die like men. 

What Jesus is doing is arguing that if the psalmist, who under the leading of the Holy Spirit, can write this about human leaders, how do Jesus’ accusers defend their decision to stone him “who the Father consecrated and sent into the world . . . because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?”(v. 36)

Remember the setting for this event is the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah. This was when the temple was rededicated or consecrated after the Maccabean Revolt. It’s interesting and not coincidental that Jesus states the Father consecrated him and sent him into the world. Jesus had already said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) He was speaking of the temple of his body. Jesus is affirming that he is God’s true dwelling place among people. This fact is reinforced by Jesus explaining, “the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (v. 38b)

This section concludes with this mob seeking to arrest Jesus but once again, he escapes. It is not his hour.

I hope the obvious “take away” from this section is yet another reminder that Jesus clearly asserts his divine identity. If we struggle with that claim, we should take the challenge offered to his accusers. We should consider the works he did. What would we say about a person who could give sight to a person who has never had sight in their life? What would we say about someone who foretold that he would lay down his own life, then take it back up again and then prove it?

Episode 62 - "Before Abraham was, I am" - John 8:48-59

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Have you noticed the change in the tone of the reaction from these people? It has moved from questioning to vicious attack against Jesus leading to them trying to kill him (just as Jesus had said). 

We have already learned about the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were descendants of people whom the Assyrians had brought into the northern kingdom of Israel with the expectation there would be intermarrying and breaking down of the Jewish identity. This led to a view by some purely Jewish people to look down upon the Samaritans as “polluted” or “mixed-breed.” In these people calling Jesus a Samaritan who is demon-possessed, they are accusing him of not being a true Jew and of not being a true worshipper of God. 

The central issue here and the climax to which this conversation has been leading and is found in their question in verse 53, “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” They are incredulous that this man Jesus standing in their midst is professing to be greater than Abraham and the Prophets. So, they ask, “Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Jesus answers their questions in no uncertain terms. In verse 58 he replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” A young 30-year-old man standing among them is claiming to have existed prior to a man who lived 2000 years earlier and claims the divine name “I am” for himself. 

If you’ve ever heard someone say, “Jesus never claimed to be God,” you need to show them this verse and explain it’s meaning. Jesus is making a clear claim to the divine name that God had revealed to Moses. If you think that interpretation of Jesus’ words is just my interpretation, you only need to look at their response. They picked up rocks to stone him to death. They believed he was blaspheming the divine name. There are only two possible reactions to his claim. Either he was blaspheming and, according to the Law, deserved the death penalty or he was telling the truth. 

The question then is which one do you believe it is? There are people today who want to think of Jesus as somewhere in between these two extremes. They are like the people among this crowd. They like some of the things Jesus taught and did. But, they refuse to believe he is God. Jesus’ claim here should force us to either reject him as a crazy liar or to accept his claim as truth and to recognize like Peter, that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life and we need to trust in him.