This is week 30 in our conversation through the Book of John. John is walking with us to his objective of belief:

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

There are lots of ways to get people to a destination, or to give directions. You might tell them where to go, or hope they find it with no direction; you could force them to go, or point, or pray that they get there. You could give them step-by-step directions, or point out landmarks, or tell them to ask someone else for directions, or tell them to look it up, or even go with them.

Today we start off with a dialogue question that may seem disconnected from what we are looking at today, but it is central to where we are going. It is a two-part question:

How do you tend to give directions?

(This could be driving directions, training instructions, leadership direction, or personal insight.)

How do you best receive directions?

John is giving direction. John is aiming us at a destination. Getting there is not that simple or easy or quick; it is a several step process.

John is building, walking, guiding, processing, moving with us towards his objective of belief.

John is not trying to trick us. He is not trying to just give us a shortcut. He is not trying to make it easy. He is opening the door to struggle, thought, questions, and conversation. He is building on old foundations and excavating out old foundations.

There are some commonalities in receiving direction. But they are far outnumbered by our uniqueness in where we are, where we have come from, and how we process direction on getting to the destination of belief.

A word that speaks to this is organic. Saying that “I want belief to just happen organically” is really a perspective that is misguided.

There is a reason why organic food is so expensive: it is more difficult to grow; it takes more intentionality and hands-on effort; and you can’t use chemicals to shortcut the process or boost the production.

It is harder. But what you get is pure.

Genetically modified food is much easier and faster to grow. And it looks good too! But compare it to organic food and there is often a huge difference in nutrition content between the two.

In faith/process, it can be tempting to find man-made shortcuts--things that make it easier, or ways to mass produce. 

What is the effect of trying to shortcut or modify the faith process?

This process that John is walking us through, towards an objective of belief, is very organic--which doesn’t mean that it will just happen, but that it happens with intentional, labor-intensive, focused, and repeated process.

Dive into it: It can’t be done to you. It can’t be done for you. Belief is our responsibility.

Today we are moving from Jesus’ final discourse into the next section that leads to the moment where Jesus is crucified. As we walk into this section, I think it is very easy to dismiss the emotion of this section.

There are a lot of people in history: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, John F Kennedy, George Washington, Mother Teresa…  I could go on and on and on. These people all have something in common--not that they did something notable (though they did).

But the thing that stands out to me as we walk into John 18 today is that all of these people have died. And come to think of it, every person who has ever lived has died or will die.

That’s heavy. And yet, as I say that, I am not overwhelmed with emotion. I don’t feel any loss, pain, or emotion…  But I (Scott) have felt emotion at a death / loss, such as when my grandparents died, or when my mom died.

And as we walk into this section, it is important to remember the emotion of the moment it is describing. Missing that is missing a big part of the picture.

So as we begin, I am going to share the story. We are going to process the emotion and then after that we will look at the hyperlinks and work on how it is walking us in the direction of John’s objective.

When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people. (John 18:1-14)

In this moment of strong emotion--wondering what happened, wondering if it could have been different, wondering what will happen next--there are many different emotions.

What do you think these different people were feeling at this moment? How did those feelings impact their actions? Jesus. Peter. The other disciples. The mob. Malchus.

There are two things to bring into the process today. The first is the difference between Jesus’ reaction and Peter’s reaction in this moment. The second is bringing the hyperlinks of the passage into our processing.

When we think of Peter, we have to think about some of the moments he had in his life. It’s fun to read through scripture and to find people who are similar to us. People we get, people we understand, people that we feel like we’d click with if they were around today. Peter is one of those people for me (Zach).

In John 1, we see Jesus change his name and in turn let him know that he is walking into a new life with new identity:

And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). (John 1:42)

We have to remember Peter’s faith as the disciples encountered Jesus walking on the water:

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:27-30)

We have to remember that the disciples got it (while not really getting it) when it came to seeing who Jesus really was. When Jesus and His disciples were talking about what others said about Him, Jesus asked Peter and the disciples, “Who do you say I am?”

Peter got it right and was warned to not make it too public yet:

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. (Mark 8:27-30)

We have to remember that just moments before this interaction that we are looking at today, there was a moment of what had to feel like intense conflict between Jesus and Peter:

Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:33-34)

And now here in this moment, Judas and the mob come with their weapons and plan to arrest Jesus. And Peter, with the weight of all of his experiences and of his temperament and of his feelings, responds and tries to kill one of the people that came to get Jesus.

Spoiler alert: Peter has a lot of ups and downs, a lot of reactive moments. This is one of many.

But Jesus responds so differently.

But we have to think about Jesus in the midst of moments that seem out of control.

There was the moment when the disciples thought they were going to die in a storm in the boat while Jesus was napping:

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:24-25)

There was the moment when they got to the shore after Jesus calmed the storm, and they interacted with the scary man who was possessed by demons. Jesus didn’t cower but helped:

Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. (Luke 8:30-33)

There was the moment when Lazarus was dying and Jesus tells the disciples that they are going to go back and wake him up (raise him from the dead). The last time they were in that area, the religious authorities had tried to kill Him. But Jesus seemed unconcerned:

“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:8,16)

There were so many moments like this.

• Why did Jesus and Peter engage in this moment so differently? 
• What perspective did Jesus have that Peter didn’t?

Jesus seemed to have a perspective that allowed him to jump right into chaos without letting it ruin his day. This leads to the second perspective in this text--the hyperlinks of the text.

Jesus mentions “the cup”:

Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11)

In the ancient Near East, the cup functions as a metaphor for an individual's fate. We see that metaphor used repeatedly in scripture, and the hearers of Jesus would have immediately thought of these:

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. (Psalm 16:5)

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23:5)

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. (Psalm 116:13-14)

Fate isn’t always so pretty:

Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger. (Isaiah 51:17)

And now we come to Jesus--Jesus’ cup, Jesus’ fate. John is loaded with the purpose--or fate--or calling of Jesus.

Jesus declared his obedience to the call of the Father in John 6:

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38) 

Jesus came that we may have eternal life:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

Jesus has declared that He has come to be the light of the world:

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 12:46)

Jesus came that we would have the Spirit of God in personal adoption in relationship with God:

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” (John 14:15-16)

Jesus came to do these things through death, sacrifice and new life through His resurrection:

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:23-26)

John himself saw Jesus’ fate:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

How did Jesus' understanding of His purpose/cup/fate affect His interactions in this moment?

Jesus had perspective. And that perspective impacted His actions. That perspective guided His every step.

My faith says that Jesus--knowing God, being God, being one with God, being distinct in God, being God with us--my faith says that Jesus was guided with full perspective. But along with perspective, there is also a need for commitment--commitment that leads to action.

It could have been: I know, I understand, I could--but I won’t.

Jesus was committed to his “cup” while having full perspective: I know, I understand, I can--and I will.

I quickly think of Jesus’ interactions with the enemy in His temptation in the wilderness:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Matthew 4:1-11)

Insight. Perspective. Understanding. They are important, but without commitment, they don’t do anything.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of commitment, how Jesus committed to do what He was going to do in light of pain/death/suffering He was going to face--choosing to commit in light of hard things.

Jesus committed all the way through. From the beginning to the end and then forward through resurrection and into now and forever. He has always been committed. 

We see this embodied as we now are walking towards His crucifixion, as He is arrested, and next week as we walk into His being questioned. Think about this. Think about what Jesus committed to. Think about how that impacted His life.

What are we committed to?

It can be easy to commit to the wrong things, and then realize at some point they’re the wrong things, and step back from them. I’m a master at this. “Oh that thing you’re asking me to do that will take way more time than I have right now? Absolutely I’ll do that!” 

What does Jesus call us to commit to?

Jesus’ words have to ring in our heads:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matthew 16:24-27)

As we walk towards John’s objective:

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

It is important to see that perspective and commitment are not just yes/no, not just pass/fail. Perspective and commitment are things that grow, move, and change. Perspectives lead to commitments lead to actions. So we end with a process question:

• How would you like your perspectives to shift in the next season?
• How would you like your commitments to grow in the next season?
• How will the shifting and growing impact you?

Take It Deeper Questions:

• Read John 18:1-11.
• What helps you prepare for a stressful moment in life?
• What does not help you prepare for stressful moments in life?
• When is zealousness in relationship with Jesus a beautiful thing?
• Have you ever tried to obey Jesus, only to be overzealous and ending up hurting someone or yourself? What happened?
• How are you focused and challenged by Peter’s response at this moment?
• How are you focused and  challenged by Jesus’ response at this moment?

Bible Reading Plan:

• Numbers 9
• Numbers 10
• Numbers 11
• John 1
• John 2
• John 3