March 21
Lesson 3 (KJV)
PROPHET OF WISDOM
DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 25: 1–10
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 22
2 KINGS 22: 14–20
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.
15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:
17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;
19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.
KEY VERSE
Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.—2 Kings 22: 19
PROPHETS FAITHFUL TO GOD’S COVENANT
Unit 1: Faithful Prophets
LESSONS 1–4
LESSON AIMS
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Identify the two major parts of Huldah’s prophetic message.
2. Explain the key verse (2 Kings 22: 19) in light of the text’s spiritual principles.
3. Pray for seven national leaders by name in the week ahead, one each day.
HOW TO SAY IT
Achbor Ak-bor.
Ahikam Uh-high-kum.
Asahiah As-uh-hye-uh.
Elnathan El-nay-thun.
Harhas Har-haz.
Hezekiah Hez-ih-kye-uh.
Hilkiah Hill-kye-uh.
Huldah Hul-duh.
Jehoiada Jee-hoy-uh-duh.
Jehoiakim Jeh-hoy-uh-kim.
Jeroboam Jair-uh-boe-um.
Josiah Jo-sigh-uh.
Shallum Shall-um.
Shaphan Shay-fan.
Tikvah Tick-vuh.
Introduction A.
The Source Matters
The Information Age in which we live is a double-edge sword: the massive amount of useful information is accompanied by massive amounts of factual errors and bias. Which customer review is the reliable guide to booking a hotel room or trying a new restaurant? Which news network should you count on as being the most trustworthy? To what commentators and analysts do you turn to make unbiased sense of current events? What source of information can be trusted above all others?
In the lesson text for this week, we encounter a young king who was faced with similar questions. His decision is still instructive after many centuries.
B. Lesson Context
The events recorded in this week’s text took place in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (reigned 640–609 BC). He was a godly king known for his tireless attempts to purify Judah’s worship and the temple (2 Kings 22: 1–23: 25; 2 Chronicles 34: 1–35: 19).
In the years preceding Josiah’s rise to the throne, the kings of Judah had vacillated between devotion to the Lord and to idols. Josiah’s great-grandfather Hezekiah (reigned 724–695 BC) had instituted a set of religious reforms in Judah that were intended to restore proper worship of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29–31). But gross unfaithfulness to the God of Israel characterized the reign of Hezekiah’s son Manasseh (694–642 BC). He rebuilt pagan worship shrines his father had destroyed. Manasseh encouraged worship of the Baals as well as that of the sun, moon, and stars (example: 2 Kings 23: 11). Manasseh went so far as to offer his son in child sacrifice and built pagan altars within the Lord’s temple itself (2 Kings 21: 1–18). Late in his reign, Manasseh repented of his sin (2 Chronicles 33: 10–17). But his former evil contributed directly in Judah’s ultimate destruction and exile (2 Kings 21: 10–16; 23: 26; 24: 3–4).
Josiah’s father, Amon (reigned 642–640 BC), returned to the idolatry that characterized the earlier years of Manasseh. King Amon was assassinated in a palace coup after a two-year reign, and the “people of the land” made his 8-year-old son Josiah king in his place (2 Kings 21: 19–26; 2 Chronicles 33: 20–25).
Godly advisers among Judah’s aristocracy apparently influenced Josiah. Some are named in today’s text. Other godly contemporaries included well-known prophets. Zephaniah, a descendant of King Hezekiah, prophesied during the reign of Josiah (Zephaniah 1: 1). Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry began in the thirteenth year of Josiah (Jeremiah 1: 1–2), five years before this event. No doubt their ministries were an impetus in Josiah’s reforms leading up to these events. The result was that when Josiah was 16 years old, “he began to seek after the God of David his father” (2 Chronicles 34: 3). In the twelfth year of Josiah’s reign, he began to purge the land of pagan idols and shrines (34: 3–7).
About six years later, King Josiah ordered a renovation of the temple (2 Kings 22: 3). The Book of the Law was found within the temple in the process (22: 8). Scholars disagree regarding the exact identity of the book that was found. Some believe it was a copy of the entire Law of Moses (the first five books of the Old Testament, otherwise known as the Pentateuch). Others believe it was only the book of Deuteronomy or some portion of it. Sometime in the previous decades during the reigns of wicked Manasseh and Amon, the Book of the Law had been lost and forgotten. Or perhaps idolatrous priests intentionally “misplaced” it in order to hide the guilt of their own apostasy.
When Shaphan reported to Josiah on the process of the repair project, Shaphan also alerted the king to the discovery of the book. Given Josiah’s reaction of distress to what he heard read from that book (see 2 Kings 22: 11), Deuteronomy may well have been the book’s identity; it detailed the punishments Israel would suffer if the people failed to keep the covenant.
These curses would culminate in exile from the land (Deuteronomy 29: 25–28). Realizing the guilt of Judah, Josiah commissioned a delegation to inquire of the Lord concerning the wrath that the king feared would soon be visited on him and his kingdom (2 Kings 22: 12–13). A description of the nature of that delegation is how today’s lesson text opens.
I. A Word Sought
(2 KINGS 22: 14)
A. The Delegation (v. 14a)
14a. So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah.
The word so introduces the first action taken as a result of King Josiah’s order in 2 Kings 22: 12–13. That first action is the forming of the delegation. Seven men bear the name Hilkiah in the Old Testament. The one here was not only a priest, but was “the high priest” (22: 4, 8).
Ahikam was a son of the scribe Shaphan (2 Kings 22: 12). Members of this family seem to have been devout followers of the Lord, as borne out later (see Jeremiah 26: 24; 29: 1–3; 36: 10–12; 39: 14). Achbor, another official in Josiah’s court, was the father of Elnathan, who became an official in the court of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son (Jeremiah 26: 22; 36: 11–12, 24–25). Asahiah was earlier designated as a “servant of the king’s” (2 Kings 22: 12).
What Do You Think?
Under what circumstances in the church should you act as a messenger between two parties? When should you not?
Digging Deeper
What circumstances call for face to face conversation rather than text messages?
B. The Prophetess (v. 14b)
14b. Went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.
Huldah the prophetess appears elsewhere only in the parallel account to this event in 2 Chronicles 34: 22–28 (although name spellings differ there). Nothing more is known about her except what is given in these two accounts. Jewish tradition holds that she and Jehoiada the priest were both buried in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 24: 15–16), an honor reserved for those of King David’s family. This bolsters the impression that the delegation felt no hesitation in consulting Huldah. Communed with refers simply to a conversation, not to a meal or to a religious ceremony.
Although female prophets in Israel were rarer than male ones, Huldah’s role is not without precedent in the Old Testament. Miriam (Exodus 15: 20), Deborah (Judges 4: 4), and the unnamed wife of Isaiah (Isaiah 8: 3) precede her in being designated prophetess (contrast Nehemiah 6: 14).
Huldah’s husband, Shallum, may have been Jeremiah’s uncle (Jeremiah 32: 7). The dwelling of this husband and wife in the college is uncertain in location, but it likely indicates a particular quarter of Jerusalem. Elsewhere in this book, the underlying Hebrew word for “college” is translated “second” (2 Kings 23: 4; 25: 18). WHERE DO
YOU GO FOR WISDOM?
In my early 20s, I enjoyed going to my small town’s only grocery store and listening to the older men’s conversation. I expected wisdom, but often I heard only complaints about the changing world. I would laugh to myself about this ongoing theme. Now I’m the age that some of those fellows were, and I sometimes find myself thinking as they did. As we age, we are tempted to idealize “the good old days” and become negative about the present.
The delegation in today’s text could have gone to the ancient equivalent of the small-town grocery store to bemoan their times. Instead, they sought counsel with Huldah, who could give them a word from the Lord. When you face change, do you reinforce your negative thinking by consulting with cynics of like mind, or do you find wisdom by seeking guidance from the Lord?—C. R. B.
II. A Word for Jerusalem
(2 KINGS 22: 15–17)
A. Judgment Is Coming (vv. 15–16)
15. And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me.
Huldah begins her response with the prophetic formula thus saith the Lord. Her use of this phrase, which occurs more than 400 times in the Old Testament, marks her as a true prophet (see 2 Kings 22: 16, 18–19, below). Adding God of Israel emphasized the Lord’s sovereignty over the nation and His relationship to it. God chose to associate himself with Israel specifically. Though this fact should have had implications for how the people behaved, this did not often play out in reality.
Huldah’s referring to King Josiah as the man that sent you to me created space between the king and herself. Though he was powerful, she was the one who had heard a true word from God to share. Her words reminded the delegation that Josiah was merely a man who, like all people, was subject to God’s reign.
16. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read.
By using the prophetic formula thus saith the Lord a second time, Huldah emphasized that her words came from the Lord, not from her own convictions. The word behold marks the beginning of the words God spoke through Huldah. Its use in Old Testament prophecy typically introduces God’s dramatic intervention in threat or promise (example: 1 Kings 11: 31).
The first part of Huldah’s oracle (continued in 2 Kings 22: 17, next) concerned Judah in general plus Jerusalem and/ or its temple (this place) in particular (compare 1 Kings 8: 29–30, 35; 2 Kings 22: 17–20; Jeremiah 7: 20). In the context at hand, it most likely indicates Jerusalem in general since the destruction of the temple without concurrent destruction of the city wouldn’t make sense.
As great as King Josiah’s desire was to spare his nation, he could not save Judah from coming judgment. Thus, Huldah indicated that Josiah’s worst fears were justified (see 2 Kings 22: 13). Moses had warned that destruction would come if the Israelites were disobedient to the Lord (example: Deuteronomy 28: 15–68). Later prophets based their judgment oracles on warnings found in the Law of Moses (examples: Jeremiah 6: 16–19; Amos 2: 4–5). Josiah may have heard these calamities read straight out of Deuteronomy 28: 15–68 (see 2 Kings 22: 10–11). Even if he heard some other text, the curses would be very similar to those of Deuteronomy 28.
The Hebrew word indicating that the Lord was about to bring evil does not refer to moral evil. Instead, it should be understood as physical harm or affliction (Genesis 31: 52; Psalm 34: 19) or similar. This announcement of coming judgment through calamity echoes earlier announcements against the dynasties of the wicked kings Jeroboam (1 Kings 14: 10–11) and Ahab (21: 20–22). It also parallels the indictment in 2 Kings 21: 10–15 that was delivered by prophets in the days of Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh.
What Do You Think?
How would you respond to someone who proposes that a certain modern disaster was due to the sin of those affected by it?
Digging Deeper
Under what circumstances should you work Luke 13: 1–5 into the discussion?
B. Judgment Is Deserved (v. 17)
17. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
Judah’s having forsaken God for idols would result in punishment. What Moses had warned about (Deuteronomy 28: 20; 29: 25; 31: 16–17), Huldah recognized as forthcoming reality in Judah. Jeremiah also cited Judah’s having burned incense unto other gods as evidence of their idolatry; that was the means by which the nation provoked the Lord’s anger (Jeremiah 1: 16; 19: 4; 44: 3, 8). Both the idols and the sacrifices offered to the idols were works of their hands. Tragically humorous is Isaiah 44: 19:
None considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
God’s anger was abundantly justified since it had been provoked by intentional human rebellion; this had happened so often that the limits of the Lord’s patience were exceeded. Zephaniah indicated that Judah was rotten to the core (Zephaniah 3: 6–8). The fire of God’s judgment was kindled, and it would not be quenched.
What Do You Think?
What can you do to ensure that a hobby or favorite activity doesn’t become an idol?
Digging Deeper
What Scripture texts help you most in doing so? Why?
III. A Word for the King
(2 KINGS 22: 18–20)
A. God Heard (vv. 18–19)
18a. But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him,
Huldah’s message of judgment against Judah was not the final word. Whereas she had previously identified Josiah simply as “the man that sent you to me” (2 Kings 22: 15, above), she here identified him specifically as the king of Judah. This description highlighted Josiah’s leadership role. The Hebrew behind the phrase enquire of the Lord occurs only six times in the Old Testament, always in context of great seriousness (here and Genesis 25: 22; 1 Kings 22: 8; Ezekiel 20: 1; 2 Chronicles 16: 12; 22: 9).
18b. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard.
The prophetess once again used the prophetic formula thus saith the Lord God (see 2 Kings 22: 16, above) to reinforce that her words came from God. This repetition emphasized the Lord’s special relationship with all of Israel.
19. Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
When Shaphan read the law to Josiah, the king was shaken to his core. He had torn his clothes to signify his grief (2 Kings 22: 11). That was an appropriate response to the words of the scroll that announced that Jerusalem would become a desolation and a curse. God had heard Josiah and had seen his weeping and the state of his heart. So God had decided to honor the king’s humble and contrite response (compare Zephaniah 2: 3; 3: 12).
Moses had described such repentance as a prerequisite for the Lord’s restoring Israel after it fell under His judgment (Leviticus 26: 40–42). Such humble repentance had led God to delay the demise of Ahab’s dynasty (1 Kings 21: 29), to postpone judgment in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32: 26), and to restore Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33: 10–13). The New Testament highlights the centrality of humility and repentance before God (examples: Matthew 18: 4; James 4: 6, 10; 1 Peter 5: 5).
What Do You Think?
What characteristics of humility should be most evident in your daily walk with Christ?
Digging Deeper
Is humility best understood in light of opposites such as pride or arrogance as described in Romans 1: 28–32; James 4: 16; 2 Peter 2: 10, 18? Why, or why not?
The prophetic formula saith the Lord underscores that God has honored the king’s contrition. Its repetition throughout Huldah’s prophecy does more than just legitimize her as a spokesperson for God. It also gave the king’s delegation confidence to repeat to the king what they had learned, knowing that the prophecy was reliable.
A HUMBLE LEADER
A colleague and I once moderated a church’s congregational meeting concerning whether the minister should resign or be fired. We arrived to see a congregation self-destructing. Tempers were flaring; voices were raised in anger. In the heat of the meeting, the minister declared that if he received 50.1 percent of the vote, he would stay.
My colleague and I concluded that the minister’s pride had become a key factor in the church’s troubles. We asked for a recess and talked privately with him. He acknowledged that his staying would split the church and mar its witness in the community. Reluctantly, he decided to resign.
Many kings of Israel and Judah paid little heed to God’s Word because they were so impressed with themselves. By contrast, Josiah was a model of humble leadership. He placed God and the welfare of his nation before himself, and God blessed him as a result. What steps can you take to humble yourself for the good of God’s people?—C. R. B. B.
God Will Act (v. 20)
20a. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.
The final use of behold emphasized Huldah’s climactic statement to the king and invited contrast with its previous use in 2 Kings 22: 16, above. The Lord would honor the king by protecting him from the punishment coming against Judah. The phrase I will gather thee unto thy fathers is a variation on the formula “[ name] slept with his fathers” as used throughout 1 and 2 Kings (examples: 1 Kings 2: 10; 11: 43; 15: 24; 2 Kings 16: 20; 20: 21). The king would not experience the evil (see on 2 Kings 22: 16, above) that God would bring on the temple, Jerusalem, and Judah.
The phrase thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace may seem to contradict what we know about Josiah’s death in battle (2 Kings 23: 29–30). But the idea is that Josiah would die at peace with God. He would not personally witness what the words of the book anticipated and what Huldah confirmed: the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple at the hands of the Babylonians in 586 BC (2 Kings 25).
The message of God through Huldah confirmed anew His righteousness, faithfulness, and mercy. God would be faithful to the word He had uttered centuries before when He warned Israel of the penalties that would result from unfaithfulness to the covenant.
What Do You Think?
What would you say to a fellow Christian who fully expects to escape all consequences God may visit on the idolatrous culture around us?
Digging Deeper
Which biblical precedents back you up?
20b. And they brought the king word again.
The message of the prophetess and the words of the book resulted in Josiah’s convening the nation for a covenant renewal ceremony. He also enacted further measures to cleanse the temple and the land from elements of idolatry (2 Kings 23: 1–25; 2 Chronicles 34: 29–33).
Judah was spared while Josiah was alive. But after his death, Judah returned to evil ways and experienced the promised curses: the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar as well as the exile in Babylon (2 Kings 23: 31–25: 21).
Conclusion
A. Responding in Faith
The events recorded in 2 Kings 22 highlight both the importance of engaging with God’s words and responding to them. It seems absurd that the Book of the Law was neglected and lost to the people of Judah! Yet is that any more ridiculous than the Bible’s loss to myriads of Christians who rarely read it? We must guard against losing Scripture in our churches, our homes, and our lives.
We honor God when we do His will as recorded in Scripture (John 14: 15; etc.). Josiah sought to do just that through his reforms after the Book of the Law was found. He acted on the words he had heard from that book. He showed remorse over the sin of his people, and he sought godly insight into what he had heard read to him.
Scripture study must always lead us to repentance and action based on what we encounter in its pages. This is the faithful response to learning God’s will. That process involves consulting competent interpreters of Scripture (Romans 12: 4–8; 2 Timothy 2: 2) and studying it alongside other believers who are willing to hold us accountable to its words (Acts 2: 42; Hebrews 10: 24–25). May we, like Josiah, surround ourselves with faithful companions as we seek God’s guidance.
B. Prayer
Father, we praise You as the God of mercy and grace whose love for us has been demonstrated in mercy to Josiah and ultimately through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We ask that You forgive us when we fail to heed Your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
God hears those who humbly seek Him.
KID’S CORNER
The Night They Arrested God
Sunday, March 21, 2021
John 18:1-11
John 18:1-11
(John 18:1) When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.
After Jesus prayed His “High Priestly Prayer,” He led His disciples to a garden in the Mount of Olives, separated from the temple by the Kidron valley. God planted the first important garden for Adam and Eve, where they betrayed God by eating of the forbidden fruit (see Genesis 3). In 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, Paul explained, “For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” In 1 Corinthians 15:45, we learn that Jesus is the last Adam: “The first man, Adam, became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” From a garden, Jesus began His walk to Calvary, where He would die on a cross and begin reversing the consequences of the sin of Adam and Adam’s offspring (the whole human race). After three days, from a garden tomb, Jesus would rise from the dead. In John 19:41, we learn, “Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid.”
(John 18:2) Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
Jesus often took His disciples to this garden on the Mount of Olives to pray and relax away from the crowds; therefore, Judas knew where to find Him. Just as Adam and Eve betrayed their Creator and suffered the consequences of sin and death, so Judas betrayed the One who came to save the world and suffered the consequences of sin and death. In the form of a serpent, the devil tempted and tricked Eve, who then tempted Adam to sin. In Revelation 12:9, John wrote, “The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” The devil was also involved in Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, for Satan put it into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. In John 13:2, John explained, “The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.” And in John 13:27, John wrote, “After Judas received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.”
(John 18:3) Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Judas led Roman soldiers (political authorities) and temple police (religious authorities) to arrest Jesus. Previously, when the chief priests and Pharisees had sent their police to arrest Jesus, they had failed to do so. The police explained their failure in John 7:46, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” By sending the Roman soldiers, the chief priests and Pharisees were taking no chances that their temple police would fail them again. As an eyewitness, John explained they brought lanterns and torches, presumably to easily find Jesus (and perhaps His disciples) should they try to run away and escape. They also came with weapons. Most probably, in and around Jerusalem, they had seen Jesus’ disciples armed with swords, and Judas had most likely warned them that the disciples had swords. The soldiers and police wanted to be armed and ready in case the disciples decided to fight. In Luke 22:35-38, Jesus had told His disciples, “‘When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘No, not a thing.’ He said to them, ‘But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, “And he was counted among the lawless”; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.’ They said, ‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ He replied, ‘It is enough.’” To fulfill Scripture and be counted among the lawless, Jesus’ disciples had to be armed. The soldiers and police arrested Jesus at night to make His arrest as easy as possible and away from the crowds. They arrested Jesus as one who was lawless. Jesus had not obeyed all the laws and traditions of the priests and Pharisees. However, Jesus did not break the laws of God or the laws of the Romans. Jesus even paid His taxes to the Roman Emperor. When asked about paying taxes, in Luke 20:25, Jesus said, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Then later before Pilate, the priests and Pharisees lied about Jesus; Luke wrote in Luke 23:2, “They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’”
(John 18:4) So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
As we learned previously, Jesus knew and told His disciples what was going to happen to Him. In John 14:29, Jesus explained why He explained in advance what would happen, “And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.” When the soldiers and police first appeared, Jesus stepped forward, knowing who they were seeking. He wanted them to tell Him what and who they wanted without threatening them in any way, provoking a fight, or endangering His disciples. Jesus had no intention of resisting arrest because He knew what He had to do to fulfill the will of God and become the Savior of the world.
(John 18:5) They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
They asked specifically for “Jesus of Nazareth,” not Jesus the Teacher or Jesus the Healer. They identified Jesus only by His hometown, but remember what Nathanael first said of Jesus in John 1:46, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Judas could easily identify Jesus for them.
(John 18:6) So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
The religious authorities tried to arrest Jesus at various times during His ministry. In John 5:18, we learn the priests and Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus because “he was calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.” Using the divine name “I Am” to refer to himself, in John 8:58, Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” When they asked for Jesus of Nazareth Jesus told them that He was Jesus of Nazareth, but He again referred to himself using the divine name “I Am.” Then, they experienced so much of His glory they stepped back and fell to the ground. Some translations of John 18:6, add “he” in italics or in a footnote indicating “he” was added to the verse as “I am he.” But the addition of “he” distorts what Jesus said and takes away the power of what He said that partially led to their stepping back and falling to the ground. Perhaps to begin the eventual salvation of some in the crowd Jesus gave them a partial glimpse of His divine power and glory when He declared, “I am.”.
(John 18:7) Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
After they fell to the ground, Jesus did not do what He could have done. With a word He could have called down an angel army upon them. In Matthew 26:53, Jesus told His disciples, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Instead of sending His disciples to attack the armed soldiers and police or calling upon twelve legions of angels to overwhelm them, Jesus calmly asked them again, “Whom are you looking for?”
(John 18:8) Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,”
When they told Jesus that they wanted Him, He declared that they had found “I am.” They would be arresting “I am.” Then He commanded them to let His disciples go free. He did not ask them to let them go. Jesus demanded they let them go. Jesus remained fully in control of His future.
(John 18:9) to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”
Jesus fulfilled His words to His disciples in John 16:30-33, “[His disciples confessed, ‘Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?’ The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’” After Jesus’ rose from the dead and appeared to them, they did remember these prophecies that He had made about His coming death. Furthermore, they knew that Jesus had prayed to the Father for them in John 17:11-12, “And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.”
(John 18:10) Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
We know the disciples were armed for Peter had a sword and used it. But in John 18:36, Jesus would later tell Pilate when on trial before him, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Jesus restrained His disciples from fighting. From Luke the physician, we learn what impressed Luke about this incident in Luke 22:51, “But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him.” As we will learn in John 18:15-16, John knew the high priest, so he also knew the high priest’s slave, Malchus, and John is the only gospel writer who identified the slave by name.
(John 18:11) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Jesus commanded Peter to put his sword back into its sheath. Notice, Jesus did not tell Peter to throw it away and never use a sword again [this omission might be worthy of discussion]. The Roman soldiers could report to Pilate that Jesus prevented His disciples from fighting them and Jesus allowed them to arrest Him peacefully. For these reasons, and perhaps others, after Jesus’ trial, Pilate could declare to the chief priests, Pharisees, and the crowd in John 19:4, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” Jesus referred to His suffering and death as the “cup” that His Father had given Him. All that Jesus would experience would be according to His Father’s and His will. In the Gospel of John, this is the only use of the word “cup,” We are reminded of the Lord’s Supper, for in Luke 22:20, Jesus said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Jesus shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins. Paul explained in Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”
The Night They Arrested God
Sunday, March 21, 2021
John 18:1-11
As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground (John 18:6—KJV).
So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:6—NASB).
When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground (John 18:6—NRSV).
The religious authorities tried to arrest Jesus at various times during His ministry. In John 5:18, we learn they wanted to kill Jesus because “he was calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.” Using the divine name “I Am” to refer to himself, in John 8:58, Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” In John 7:30, we learn they failed to arrest Jesus because His hour (or time) had not yet come. In John 7:45-46, when the chief priests and Pharisees asked the temple police why they had not arrested Jesus, they replied, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” In John 10:38-39, after Jesus said, “the Father is in me and I am in the Father,” they tried to arrest Him again, but they failed. In John 11:27, the religious authorities ordered that anyone knowing where Jesus was should tell them so they could arrest Jesus. Because His time had finally come, Judas betrayed Jesus and led Roman soldiers and temple police to the garden where Jesus could be found. On the one hand it was easy to arrest Jesus, for Jesus stepped forward to tell them who He was. On the other hand it was difficult, for when they asked for Jesus of Nazareth Jesus told them that He was Jesus of Nazareth, but He again referred to himself using the divine name “I Am.” Then, they experienced so much of His glory they stepped back and fell to the ground. [Note: some translations of John 18:6, add “he” in italics or in a footnote indicating “he” was added to the verse.
Thinking Further
The Night They Arrested God
Sunday, March 21, 2021
John 18:1-11
Name ___________________________
1. Who came to arrest Jesus? Why do you think so many came?
2. Why do you think they asked to see “Jesus of Nazareth”?
3. In John 17, what prayer or words of Jesus did the Father and He fulfill when He was arrested?
4. What are some character traits that we learn from Simon Peter’s actions?
5. What did Jesus say to Simon Peter about His actions? What do Jesus’ statements mean to you?
Discussion and Thinking Further
1. Who came to arrest Jesus? Why do you think so many came? Judas, soldiers, and police from the High Priests and Pharisees. They knew Jesus had eleven disciples who might fight. They knew Jesus might try to run away and they might need to find Him in a dark garden or wherever else He might flee. They knew Jesus had power, but they did not know that He had the ability to call down an angel army if He wanted to do so. They did not anticipate that He might peacefully go with them when arrested.
2. Why do you think they asked to see “Jesus of Nazareth”? The name Jesus was common. Jesus was from Nazareth and this helped identify Him. However, they might have used it in a derogatory way, since Nathanael had asked “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Notice they did not ask for the Rabbi Jesus or the Prophet named Jesus, and they all knew something of Jesus’ ministry. The temple police had gone to arrest Jesus before, and they had failed. They told the chief priests and Pharisees, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” (John 7:45-46).
3. In John 17, what prayer or words of Jesus did the Father and He fulfill when He was arrested? Jesus prayed that His Holy Father would protect them, and He said that He had protected them, and none were lost but Judas that the Scripture might be fulfilled (see John 17:11-12).
4. What are some character traits that we learn from Simon Peter’s actions? Simon was courageous up to a point. He used what he had at hand to try to help Jesus. He was quick to take action that he thought was appropriate to help someone or keep them from being hurt.
5. What did Jesus say to Simon Peter about His actions? What do Jesus’ statements mean to you? Jesus told him to put his sword back into its sheath (Jesus did not say put it down or throw it away or we must not use swords). Jesus said that He must drink the cup that the Father had given Him. This cup is sometimes referred to as the cup of suffering. It was the Father’s will that Jesus suffer, die, and rise again for the just and merciful forgiveness of sins.
Word Search
The Night They Arrested God
Sunday, March 21, 2021
John 18:1-11
Name ________________________________
N R X B L A N T E R N S D O K
P O L I C E B U M K Z I X S U
M C T M V Q R F E R S J U S T
N E D R A G N M B C K S W K L
W L T G W L T A I W E O E M P
N C K V C O C P B J R P N W S
R D I X S N L H Q D W T C R C
Q E J Z O E T A U J H J E U Q
V S T R S E H Y O S O I X S Y
M Q D E R X A C B P D T K F T
T I H A P Z Y P R L Y S N V I
K F Z O T O V T O O M O I O R
R A W C F E X S Q S T K R A Y
N A J O G Z V A L L E Y D K X
S U E U W E A P O N S T B F M
Kidron
Valley
Garden
Disciples
Soldiers
Police
Lanterns
Torches
Weapons
Nazareth
Peter
Sword
Malchus
Ear
Drink
True and False Test
The Night They Arrested God
Sunday, March 21, 2021
John 18:1-11
Name ______________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
1. Jesus took His disciples to a garden on the Kidron mountain not too far from Bethany. True or False
2. Jesus often met with His disciples in the garden, so Judas knew how to find Jesus. True or False
3. Judas brought soldiers, probably Roman soldiers, and police from the high priests to the garden to arrest Jesus. True or False
4. In the crowd of disciples and other followers of Jesus, those who came to arrest Jesus had a hard time finding Him. True or False
5. Because they had lanterns and torches and weapons, those who came to arrest Jesus showed no fear of Him when they found Him. True or False
6. Jesus did not know what to expect when He took His disciples to pray in the garden. True or False
7. When Jesus answered that He was Jesus of Nazareth, Judas, who betrayed him, was with those who came to arrest Him. True or False
8. Jesus told the soldiers and the police to let His disciples go so they would not be arrested. True or False
9. Jesus fulfilled what He spoke, and God answered all His prayers. True or False
10. Simon John cut off the right ear of the high priest’s slave, whose name was Malchus. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- True
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
Prayer
Father, we praise You as the God of mercy and grace whose love for us has been demonstrated in mercy to Josiah and ultimately through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We ask that You forgive us when we fail to heed Your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
