John 18, I hope you prepared
to receive the word tonight. I really believe you're in for
a blessing if you have come hungry. You're going to marvel with me
at how every single word, every
line, every word has meaning, and if we had the insight, the
understanding, we could trace every word, every line back to
some Old Testament passage as it prophesies and tells of every
move, every step that our Lord took. Every word he uttered is
that the scriptures might be fulfilled. I hope you're with
me. You're going to be amazed. As
we look at this, the Lord Jesus Christ was a man of prayer. He prayed without ceasing. And we need to mark that well,
because he didn't have to pray, did he? need to pray. He's one with the Father. He
didn't have to pray, but he did so constantly. And what should that tell us?
What should that say to us who need to ask for everything? And he had a favorite place to
resort to in prayer. He had a favorite place, and
that should tell us something. But his favorite place, it seems,
to go in prayer, and that's not the only place, but it was a
favorite of his, is the Garden of Gethsemane. And that is where
our story takes place tonight. Look at verse 1. When Jesus had
spoken these words, those Precious words there in John seventeen,
the high priestly prayer says he spoke these words. Doesn't
say he prayed this prayer. Although he did. But he spoke
these words and we saw look at verse thirteen of chapter seventeen. We saw that he said these things
for our sake. Now come I to thee and these
things I speak In the world out loud. That they might have my
joy fulfilled in themselves. How we rejoiced in studying that
prayer. What he said about who he is
and what he's done for sinners. That's why he said these things.
He didn't need to pray out loud. He could just think. and be in
communion with his father, right? But he prayed out loud, and John
recorded it. John was there for our sake. And now, though, he's going to
pray for himself. This prayer in John 17 was for
us. It was a high priesthood prayer.
He prayed on our behalf. He prayed for us. He asked for
some things for us. In this prayer, actually it's
not recorded here, it is in the other three Gospels, but he prayed
here in the Garden of Gethsemane and he prayed for himself. The
only time that he prayed for himself, his own needs, was here
in this story. But as I said, it's not recorded
here in John. But look at verse 1 again, and
when Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples. He went forth with his disciples. He's always found in the companionship
of his disciples. He was always with them. They
were his brethren. He liked being with them. That's
what we saw Sunday night, wasn't it? He greatly desires that we
be with him in the end. Well, while he was on this earth,
his delights were with the sons of men, the scripture said. He
delighted to be with them, and wherever he was, you'd find them.
Wherever they were, you'd find him. Even if you didn't see him
bodily, he said, I'm with you always. He was with them in his
spirit, wasn't he? They were his friends. In one
place, his mother and his brethren came seeking him, and he said,
Who is my mother? Who are my brethren? He said,
Behold, my mother and my brethren are they which do the will of
God. Believers were his brethren, those who were his disciples. It reminded me of Psalm 119,
verse 63. He says, I am a companion of
them that fear thee. He went forth with his disciples. He was always with them. And
he said, I'll be with you even to the end of the earth. Every
word is significant. And read on. And it says he went
forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron. The word in
the Hebrew and the Old Testament is Kidron. I want you to turn
to 2 Samuel 15 with me. It says he crossed over the brook
Cedron or Kidron, which is spoken of many times. Many, many times
this brook is spoken of in the Old Testament. And as I said,
every word is significant. Every step our Lord took was
foreordained, fore- and foretold by Holy Scripture. Every step
he took, every word he uttered, every step he took was foreordained
and foretold, prophesied of the Old Testament that we might know
beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we might say with Peter, now
we're sure, now we know thou art the Christ. because thus
it is written of thee." Look at 2 Samuel 15, verse 23. All the country wept with a loud
voice, and all the people passed over. The king also himself passed
over the brook, Kidron, and all the people passed over toward
the way of the wilderness. So the king and his people passed
over the brook. He said that a long time ago. Here he comes. Which way is he
going to take? He's got to cross the brook.
or kid group. And I bet you, I just happen
to believe that he stooped down and took a drink of it on his
way. You reckon? Psalm 110.7 says, he shall drink
of the brook in the way, and therefore shall he lift up the
head. I believe he stooped down to fulfill that scripture too,
and took a drink, a passing thing to the average person, prophesied
of old. in the Old Testament. Read on. So he went over to the brook
Cedron, where there was a garden into which he entered, and his
disciples. Verse 2, And Judas also, which
betrayed him, knew the place. He knew this garden. For Jesus
oft times resorted thither with his disciples. He often resorted to this garden.
Now isn't that typical? Isn't that typical that our Lord
liked to walk in a garden? That the word which was made
flesh, John, went walking in a garden. He liked to do so. The Savior, with his disciples,
with sinners, the Savior and sinners walking in a garden.
That's fitting because the very first garden that was created,
he walked in that too. Scripture says the voice of God
came walking in the garden in the cool of the day and spoke
to that very first man and woman, the first sinners. Now, this
garden has special meaning. The first garden was named Eden. Do you know what the name Eden
means? It means pleasure. It means delight. It means a
garden of pleasure. The first garden was a garden
of Eden, or a garden of pleasure and delight, because there was
no sin. No sin. A garden of pleasure. This garden
is one of pain. He is going to walk this garden
in pain. There is no sin in the first, but he is going to be
made sin in the second. The first Adam, the second Adam. And it's interesting to note,
too, there was a tree of life in that first garden, wasn't
there? There's one here, too. The word Gethsemane, what's it
named? The Garden of Gethsemane. The word means oil press. Oil press. Now, they'd just been up on the
Mount of Olives. That's where he made that high priestly prayer.
and that discourse to his disciples. They were just up on the Mount
of Olives, and as you walk down the hill from the Mount of Olives
and cross this brook, there in that garden was where they used
to bring the fruit of the tree and press it down and make it
into oil. He just offered up that high
priestly prayer. It was near to God. And now he descends into this
valley of pain and suffering. He's brought low where he will
be pressed down. He's going to be pressed down
by the weight of our sin. This is where he's beginning
to be made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. He's being pressed down. Listen
to this oil press. Listen to the word in Amos chapter
2. I am pressed down under you as a cart is pressed that is
full of sheaves. Like I said, it was at this point
that God began to lay on him the iniquity of the soul. And
he was pressed down under the weight, so much so that he sweat
blood. As I said, this is not recorded
here. It is in all of the three Gospels. It is said that he prayed,
and you remember that prayer that he prayed? Do you remember
what he said? He prayed, Father, if it be possible, if it can
be according to thy will, let this cup pass from me. Remember,
he took his disciples, he took James and Peter and John. alone
in there, and then he set them to the side, and then he went
off, it says, a stone's throw in that garden, and he prayed
this prayer. Father, if it be possible, this
is when he asked for his own leave, let this cup pass from
me. What cup? The dregs of iniquity
that he must drink. The cup. the iniquity of us all that he's
taken in himself. He's going to be made sin for
us. And that's when it said he sweat,
as it were, great drops of blood at the very thought of being
made sin, which was his very nature recoiled at the thought
of it. And he said what was happening
is he could have died right there. And he said, if it be possible,
let this cut pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thy will be done. And it says an angel came and
ministered unto him and gave him strength. But he sweat blood. What's that blood that he sweat
there? That's this olive oil. Look at Exodus 27 with me. It
speaks of olive oil. If you want a good study sometime,
go through Exodus and Leviticus and study oil. Do a word study. You want a good
study? Looking for something to do? Study the word oil and
go through God's instructions to Moses and Aaron concerning
worship of God and all the types and how oil was woven in all of that. It's everything. It's in everything. Oil is everywhere
in the Scripture. And this sweat of our Savior
is this beaten oil, pressed oil needed for the sanctuary. Look
at verse 20, Exodus 27, verse 20. Thou shalt command the children
of Israel that they bring thee pure oil." That's Christ's sinlessness. Olive oil, beaten for the light. Beaten for the light. Olives. Anyone like olives? I love them. What is it particular about olives
that makes them, that sets them apart? as a bitterness about
them. Yet it's good food and it's good
to the taste, yet bitter. Bittersweet. That's the cross of our Lord.
That's the suffering of our Lord. Bittersweet. Sweet for us, bitter
for him, though. And look at it. Pure olive oil beaten. What for? For the light. to cause
the lamp to burn, always, to ascend up, always. And on and on through the scriptures,
there were many that I could have written down for us to look
at together, but there was the oil that was used for the anointing
of Aaron and his son, and it was a special oil, and it had
many things, many tinctures in it, many ingredients, multiple
ingredients that made up this precious anointing oil, and all
of those speak of Christ's character. The old writers used to say the
perfections of our Lord, the beauties of Christ, which made
up the anointing oil, which the high priest alone was anointed
with, and the other priest also, but that oil that the psalm says
that the brethren dwelling together in unity is like. The oil where
Christ comes and it pours down upon the head of Aaron and down
upon his beard and his garments and so forth. And the orders
concerning that oil are so significant. Do a study. I urge you to do
so. But it was necessary. This oil
was necessary for light. The lamp had to contain it. like
food, the bread was prepared with this oil, the unleavened
bread was prepared with this oil, anointing and many things,
many things. So it was beaten, pressed down.
Now back to John. And when he prayed that prayer,
like I said, when he prayed that prayer in this garden, Father,
if it be possible, he was alone. He was alone when
he prayed that. He put his disciples, James and
John and Peter, by themselves. And remember, they fell asleep. They fell asleep. And he came
back and admonished them for it. But he went alone in there. They couldn't follow him, just
like they couldn't go to the cross with him either. He had
to bear our sin alone, didn't he? The high priest went in alone,
not without blood. to the Father, and even so, to
offer up prayers for us. He went in alone, and the Scripture
says he walked the wine press of God alone. So here he is,
the garden of Gethsemane, the oil press. How marvelous and
perfect, every line of God's Word. Verse 3, Judas then, having
received a band of whatever you call and officers. Men's in italics, isn't it? These
weren't men. Real men are disciples of Jesus
Christ. It doesn't matter how tough they
are, how big and bad. If they're not disciples of Christ,
they're not worthy to be noted as men. Every word is significant
in this thing. Isn't it amazing? didn't even
recognize them as men. Judas then having received a
band, a little band, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns
and torches and weapons. Now had this been here today,
had this happened today, this group would have been comprised
of your local Sunday school class. Sunday school teacher and the
deacons and elders would have been leading this band. That's
right. That's who this was. This was
a religious crowd. Sunday go to meet and lynch mob is what
this was, who hated God and did it in the name of God. It says
they came to him with lanterns. Turn to John chapter 3 with me. John chapter 3. They came to
him with lanterns and torches. You know, they brought their
little lights with them. But they were coming to the light. Think about it. Lanterns and
torches. But they weren't coming to the
light. Because he that cometh to the light, look at verse 19,
John 3, 19. This is condemnation. Light is
coming to the world. Men love darkness rather than
light. Well, they love their own little light, and they like
to let them shine, don't they? Let your little light shine.
Lanterns and torches. Is it any wonder, Rick, that
religion likes a lot of candles burning around? No light in them. They've got
to burn their own little candles. Verse 19, they loved darkness
rather than light because their deeds were evil. Verse 20, everyone
that doeth evil hated the light. They came in darkness, didn't
And neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved. He that doeth truth cometh to
the light, that his deeds might be made
manifest." We don't need candles and lanterns and torches. We
have no need. We walk by the light of the sun.
Do you need a candle when you've got the sun? Look at verse 4, back in the
text. John 18, verse 4. So they came with their little
lanterns and torches and weapons, came to take on the sword of
the Lord with their little weapons. Verse 4, Jesus, therefore, knowing
all things that should come upon him. How does he know all things? Because he's God. That's why. One of my favorite, my favorite
passages. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning, and here is God manifest in the flesh,
knowing all things that should come upon him." And every word
is significant. Went forth. Now, he went forth to lead this
band. whole vast mob with their lanterns
and torches, this lynch mob, you know, weapons and sticks
and stones and swords and whatever they have, spears. And he had just been praying
in the garden as disciples were asleep. And it says, knowing all things,
before they got there, he saw them coming. He sent them. And before they got there, He
left that garden and went out to meet them. He went forth to
meet them. That's what captains do, you
see. Captains lead the charge. The captain of our salvation,
the captain watches over the troops while they get a little
shut-eye. They rest. He said, Sleep on now. I'll not
sleep, because he never slumbers no sleep. But the captain watching
over his troops as they slept, and he's the one who goes out
to meet the enemy. He goes out. In Mark 11, there's a passage
that says, Jesus went before them. I remember preaching on
this one time. Jesus went before his disciples,
went before them. He went before his own to face
the enemy. He went before God, men, and
devils, stood before them in our stead. He went before the
law and faced it on our behalf. He went before us under the grave,
and he came out and said, It's okay now. He went into heaven itself and
sat down and said, Come on. There's a man coming in. The
scripture says, Open up the gates. The King of Glory is coming in,
so everybody else can follow. He went before us. He who is
before all things went before us. Standing in the gap, a daisman betwixt us. Is there
an umpire? Yes. He's got his hand on God
and his hand on our Prince, our Captain. And he demands of the
enemy. Look at verse 4. It says, He
went forth and said unto them, Who are you looking for? He went out first and met the
enemy face the face, head on, and said, Whom seek ye? He spoke first. God asked all
the questions. The word must speak first. God
speaks first, besides the answer of the tongues of the Lord anyway.
Whom seek ye? He knew that they were looking
for him, didn't he? But he demanded of them. He demanded
of them, whom seek ye? Well, they said, look at verse 4, or
verse 5, they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Why didn't they
know him? Not enough light? Exactly. Exactly. They don't know him,
because there's no light in But they say, we're looking for Jesus.
And Christ asked them this to prove that though men seek Jesus,
though men say they're looking for Jesus and love Jesus, he's
much more than that. And I've used this in reference
to Hebrews, where it says, we see Jesus who was made a little
lower than the angel. Remember that passage? Remember
that? Let me find it for you real fast
so you can mark it well. Hebrews 2, verse 9. Turn there
with me. You need to mark this. I make
much of the fact that men use this name as they do today. Why? It's significant. It's proof. It tells me what men think of
who he is. He demanded of them, didn't he?
He asked the question, who are you seeking? Jesus. Wasn't that a truth? Look at verse 9. We see Jesus. Hebrews 2, verse 9. We see Jesus. That's his name of, the old writers
called it the name of humiliation, didn't they? The name of humiliation,
meaning his earthly name, the name that God ordained, which
is a wonderful and glorious name, isn't it? It means something.
And as we said, when we say the name, we mean it. But men use that word, that name,
carelessly, flippantly, familiarly, not knowing, not believing what
it means. But we see in verse 9, who was
made a little lower than the angels, we see why he was given
that name. The name of his manhood. Why? For the suffering of death.
He had to be made a man to suffer death. He was given that name
to suffer death. We see him now, crowned with
glory and honor. We see him as Jesus, but now
we see him much higher than that. Salvation is to see him much
higher than just Jesus. Ed pointed this out to me the
other day. He said the name, which Philippians
2 says that every knee is going to confess. is not Jesus. You know that passage in Philippians
2? That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every
tongue shall confess what? His title, Lord. That's the name. That's the name. Lord. He's much more than Jesus.
And look what he said. Look how they answered him. They
answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am. And
Judas also stood with them, and as soon as he said unto them,
I am, they went backward and fell to the ground. Why? Because
scripture says every knee will bow, sooner or later, willingly or
unwillingly. Every son of Adam is going to
hit the dust before the Son of God. And then verse 7, he asked them
again. Now they all went backward and fell to the ground at the
power of that one. Who is this? It's the same one
on the mountain that caused the whole mountain to shake and quake
and burn with fire. And the people said, don't let
God speak to us. If he had, he'd have consumed
them with the voice of his mouth, the breath of his mouth, wouldn't
he? Well, here he is speaking now, at least a little glimpse
of who he is. Now he shows them, didn't he,
his power, his Godhead. But they still didn't know him. And he asked them again, John,
Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. I bet they said it a little more
shakily this time, though, Jesus of Nazareth. Answer. Why? He's proving to us that though
he shows men plainly who he is, and even tells them in the plainest
of language, I am Yah, men still don't know who he is. Why? No man knoweth the Father save
the Son. And no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father, and he to whom the Father will reveal him." Isn't
that right? These weren't his own. These
weren't his own. These weren't his elect. These
weren't the ones he came to seek and to save. His elect, the ones
to whom he would reveal himself. A little while later, they ask
him here in the same chapter, Who are you? He said, Ask them
that hear me. Pilate said, Who are you? What
is truth? He didn't answer him. But his people who seek the truth,
he'll tell them. Those who he reveals himself
to. Verse 8, he said, I've told you
that I am. I love this. It gets better with
every line. I've told you that I am. I have
manifested my name unto the men that thou gavest me. Now, Father,
keep them through thine own name. He has and he will. I have told
you that I am. Therefore, if you seek me, let these go."
He is still confronting the enemy, the mob. And you know good and
well, they wanted to take this band of professional soldiers
or priests, and they wanted to wipe out the whole motley crew
of believers. The king and his motley crew.
My pastor preached a message entitled that one time, The King
and His Motley Crew. Wonderful message. Get the tape.
They wanted to wipe out the whole mess of them, but the king, our
captain, went forth to meet them and said, You want me? That's what they said in derision
of him hanging on the cross, wasn't it, John? He saved others,
but himself he cannot save. Truer words not spoken. The wrath
of man will praise him. If you seek me, therefore, if
you seek me, let these go. Our captain says to Satan, if
you seek me, let them go. You deal with me. Stronger than
he. Our captain says to the law,
if you seek me, let these go. You have no claim over them.
No claim. The law. We're not under the
law. Do you hear that, believer? Jump
up and click your heels one time. If you know the law and hear
the law, what it says, there is no claim, none whatsoever. Verse 9, that this saying, he
said, let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled. You see how everything is that
the scripture might be fulfilled. You remember it was quoted over
there in John 17. He quoted it himself. that the
same might be fulfilled," the scriptures might be fulfilled,
"...of them which thou gavest me." I've lost nothing. None of them is lost. I've lost
none. Our captain went before us, our
sin was laid on him, and I had none. Justice took him in my
stead. And he was bound, so did I go
for him. He was bound. I close with this
word. It says, if you notice, it says,
Let these go their way. Their way. OK, disciple. Where do you want to go? Look
at verse 15. Simon Peter followed Jesus. Oh, boy. That's what it said
about that blind man one time that he healed. He said, go your
way. And he followed Christ from then
on. He was captain. He enlisted in
the army. He was drafted, but he enlisted.
Jesus went before them. Whom seek ye? If you seek me,
let these go their way. Stand with me. John Davis, would
you give thanks for the word, please? that you knock down on the door.
That's the power of the mind. Reveals the true self. Reveals the true self
to you. You don't need to be worried. You can relax. Just relax. And God will be done. And everything is done for the good of the good
Lord God, the Son of Man. So we thank you for the bread
that you've given us tonight, that you've taken upon us, that
you've taken upon us, that you've borne and spread our blood. We have to disdain the devil. To live with him is
evil. The evil world, our evil heart.
There are effects of all kinds of suffering. While being with us, if we made
it twice, it is a pain, and it's not worth it. Then it's worth it. Prabhup�da, here it is now.