In our last lesson about Jesus we discussed Jesus’s last meal with his friends. It was a Passover meal, celebrated in the upper room, with Jesus and his disciples. Jesus knows his betrayal and arrest is coming, he knows Judas is going to be the one to do it, but he’s going to have this one last time with his disciples before it happens.
Last lesson we talked about how Communion also known as the Lord’s Supper comes from this. The act of taking the wine and bread in remembrance of Jesus. It was an act Jesus asked us to do, so Christians across the ages have done it.
But that’s not all Jesus did or said at his last meal with his disciples. He spent the time talking with them, trying to prepare them for what was coming, trying to tell them what it all meant. But we’re going to see that they did not get it.
Someone read John 14:1-6.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus tells them to not let their hearts be troubled—a tall task when Jesus knows what is coming. He is trying to give them strength, make them brave, because the road ahead is not going to be easy. He tells them to believe in God—but also to believe in him, Jesus. Believing in Jesus is going to be a hard thing to do when they see him get arrested and beaten and tortured and killed. Jesus is asking them to do the impossible, to believe even in the face of what is going to seem like a defeat.
Of course the disciples don’t know that, so I’m sure they’re all nodding, like “of course Jesus we believe in you!”
Jesus continues on and tells them that in his Father’s house there are many dwelling places—in God’s house, there is room for everyone. And he says he is going to go ahead to prepare it for them, and that while he is going ahead he will come back for them, and they will join him there.
They don’t get it. They don’t understand that he’s talking about his own death—going to heaven to prepare a place for the Christians to come—and that Jesus will be resurrected and return so all can return with them. And you can tell they don’t get it, because one of the disciples—Thomas—asks how can they follow Jesus when they don’t know where he is going?
And Jesus tells them “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is one of Jesus’s big I AM statements that we’ve talked about before, where he is basically claiming to be God. Jesus is saying he is the only gate, the only path to God. And he will get them there.
But they still don’t get it.
Someone read John 14:7-14.
7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? 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; 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; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
Jesus continues and says that if they know Jesus then they know God—that since they know Jesus they have seen God. But once again, the disciples don’t get it. Philip says, “Jesus, just show us God, and we’ll be satisfied.”
And Jesus is like, “How do you not get it? I have been with you this whole time. You have seen me. If you’ve seen me, how can you ask to see the father? I am the Father. The Father is me.” Jesus is saying he is God. That by seeing Jesus they are seeing God. Jesus is not just their friend and their teacher, he is there God.
But once again, they still don’t get it.
These are the people who know Jesus the best, the people who are around him all the time, the people who have seen everything he’s done, and they still don’t get it.
Someone read John 14:15-21.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
Jesus tells them that even though he is going away he is not going to leave them alone. He is sending someone to them, another Advocate who unlike Jesus will be with them forever. He calls it the Spirit of Truth, we know it as the Holy Spirit. Jesus isn’t going to leave them alone—orphaned he says—he says “I am coming to you.” He says he is coming right after he says he was going to send someone else? That’s a little confusing. But this is more pointing the Trinity.
God. Jesus. The Holy Spirit. They are all different but the same. Jesus is God. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God. But they are also separate. Jesus will not leave them alone, God will come back to them in a different form, in the form of the Holy Spirit.
This hard for us to understand today. The disciples were basically clueless, and weren’t sure what Jesus was saying. All they understood was that Jesus was saying he was going away. And they did not want him to.
Let’s flip back to Matthew. Someone read Matthew 26:31-35.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter said to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples.
Jesus is talking about what is to come and he tells them they will all become deserters because of this night. That because he—the shepherd—is going to be struck that the flock will disappear. And Peter—good old loyal brash and bold Peter is aghast. He’s like, “What? Jesus, I tell you, everyone else may fall away, every single other person may leave you, but not me. Never me. I will never leave you!”
And Jesus is like, “Peter, before morning breaks tomorrow you will deny knowing me three times.”
To which Peter responds, “I would rather die than deny you.”
All the disciples say this. Every single one is like, “Jesus, I will stand by you through anything, I would die rather than fall away from you. I will never leave you.”
They thought they were loyal friends to the end, loyal followers. They thought they were brave and true. But when faced with reality, we will see they are not.
Do you guys know, when Jesus is hanging on the cross, are any of the twelve disciples present? Are any of these men there at his feet standing by him to the end? Do you know how many stood with him?
[Let them answer]
One. Just one. Based on the bold words of this passage you would think that one is Peter, that brash and bold Peter would be loyal to the end, following Jesus to his death. But it’s not Peter. The one who stays is John.
Jesus had twelve close male friends, twelve disciples. One betrayed him. And we’re going to see by the end of this lesson the rest are going to flee. Out of Jesus’s male followers, only John stays with him. Only the one.
For all their words, when it came time to stand with Jesus, they fell away.
Someone read Matthew 26:36-41.
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 39 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” 40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
After dinner, Jesus decides to go on a little walk to the garden of Gethsamane. He wants to go there and pray, because he knows what is coming. Judas has already left for the night. He takes the rest of the disciples with him. When they get to the garden, he tells the rest of them to stay and only takes three disciples with him deeper into the garden, his three closest friends: Peter, James, and John.
He tells them he is very upset, deeply grieved, to the point of death, and Jesus—who has done so much for these men, Jesus who is looking at his three closest friends asks them one thing. To be with him and stay awake.
Then Jesus goes a little farther and starts praying. Jesus knows what is coming. He knows he is going to be tortured and killed. And he asks God, if it’s possible that this cup pass from him. He is asking for the burden of the torture and death to not be on him. Jesus is God and he knows this is God’s plan, which is why he says “It’s not about what I want, but about what you want, God.” He knows this is God’s plan and he has to do it, but he is not looking forward to being tortured and killed. He knows its going to be awful. And he is wishing there is any other way. And he is sharing that anxiety and pain with God. And in the end, Jesus is going to go willingly into this, he will follow God’s plan, but it’s okay to tell God you’re anxious about his plan, or that if you had your way, maybe you wouldn’t have to go through this. And that’s exactly what Jesus is saying here. He wishes there was another way.
He finishes this prayer, and gets up. He goes back to Peter, James and John and see them sleeping. His three closest friends—two of which are going to abandon him in the near future. His three closest friends who he has done so much for and so far have been with him through everything, and they could not even do this one little thing he asked of them. They could not even stay awake for him.
Jesus is frustrated with them. He is about to pay the ultimate sacrifice for them, beaten, tortured, and die a horrifically painful death, and they couldn’t even stay awake one hour.
He wakes them up, and is like, “Wake back up and pray. Pray that you too don’t have to go to the trial I’m going into.” And then Jesus goes back to praying. Someone read Matthew 26:42-46.
42 Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
Jesus goes back and prays. He says, “If this burden can’t be passed, then I will do it. Your will be done.” Jesus—who was just disappointed by his friends who couldn’t even stay awake for him—tells God he is willing to go into this to save them, to save them all, even though the people don’t get it and don’t even seem to want it. Jesus is willing to die for us because he loves us, even though we don’t love him back the same way he loves us. Even though we can’t even stay awake for him.
He goes back again and again the disciples are sleeping. He then goes back and prays again. Then he goes and wakes the disciples and says, “Time to rest is over. The hour is at hand. I’m about to be betrayed. So get up, and be ready.”
Someone read Matthew 26:47-49.
47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
While Jesus is telling the disciples the betrayer is at hand, Judas shows up with a large and hostile crowd. Judas had told them that he would greet one of the men, and that would be Jesus and the one he should arrest.
Its sometimes weird to us that Judas greeted him with a kiss, but this isn’t like a romantic kiss. It’s more like how the French kiss each other whenever they see each other. In French culture, in scenarios where we might give someone a handshake, the French kiss each other on the cheeks. This is just a form of greeting. If we were translating this to modern America, it might say it would be the one he would great with a handshake or a high five.
It’s still a personal greeting between friends though. Judas greets Jesus like a follower and friend, calling him Rabbi.
And with a friendly greeting, he betrays him.
Judas’s betrayal didn’t have to be this personal. Surely the high priests and elders knew what Jesus looked like. Surely he could have just pointed them in that direction. And it’s not like the high priests couldn’t have just arrested them all and sorted out which disciple was Jesus later.
But that’s not what Judas does. He is there and betrays Jesus by acting as his friend.
Someone read Matthew 26:50-56.
50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. 51 Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus calls Judas his friend and tells him to do what he is there to do. Judas is still Jesus’s friend, still someone Jesus loves, even at the end.
The high priests and elders move to arrest Jesus and one of the disciples jumps forward with a sword and cuts of the ear of a dude. Other books of the Bible identify this disciple as Peter, and it does seem like a stereotypical Peter action. He’s going to leap into action and protect Jesus! He’s not going to let them take Jesus without a fight!
Peter is prepared to go to battle for Jesus, but he’s not prepared for Jesus to surrender, which it was Jesus does. He tells him to put his sword away.
After all, Jesus says, if he was meant to survive this, doesn’t Peter think God would send legions of angels to protect and defend Jesus? But that’s not what’s meant to happen. This is God’s plan, this is how it must go. Jesus must be arrested.
Jesus then turns to the crowd of people and is like, “Why do you come with all these weapons like I’m some dangerous criminal? All I’ve done is teach. I taught in public places like the Temple and you don’t arrest me there. No it happens like this so that scriptures can be fulfilled.” And then Jesus lets them arrest him.
And then all the disciples desert him and flee.
Why? Why did they flee when five minutes ago they were ready to fight?
This goes back to the fact they didn’t understand Jesus, they didn’t understand who he was or what he had come to do. They wanted Jesus to fight. They wanted Jesus to rise up and overthrow the authorities. They were ready to help him fight and do that.
And then, he didn’t.
Jesus told them to put down their weapons and he just let himself be arrested. Their leader, the guy they followed everywhere, the one they thought would start the revolution, just surrendered and let himself be arrested.
And they thought they would be next. And since Jesus told them not to fight, what choice did they have but to either let themselves be arrested or flee?
So they ran. They scattered into the night. And they left Jesus alone to face the most horrific thing he would ever have to face.
Earlier that night Jesus was having a relaxing dinner with friends. Earlier that very night they swore they would follow wherever he went, face anything he had to face, be with him by his side forever. And here only a few short hours later, they betrayed and abandoned him.
Jesus was left alone to face the coming trial. Both a metaphorical and actual trial, but that is the topic for next week.