Daily Devotions
John
John 18:1-11 "UNDERSTANDING THE MOVEMENTS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"
Day 271 – John 18
UNDERSTANDING THE MOVEMENTS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
As we read the Gospel of John, we cannot help but note that the author wrote his Gospel along certain definite lines. We may note three broad movements in the Gospel.
1. The Public Ministry of Jesus (John 1-12)
John devoted much time to describing the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem, whereas the Synoptic Gospels focused on the ministry of Jesus in Galilee (broadly speaking). His public ministry “ended” with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
2. The Private Ministry of Jesus to His Disciples (John 13-17)
John gave much time and attention to Jesus’ private ministry to His Disciples. He almost always spoke to the Multitudes in parables. In the Gospel of John, Jesus was portrayed as being involved in endless theological battles with the Jews. However, John noted that Jesus always took time to explain to His Disciples deep Biblical truths privately. This personal ministry to the Disciples ended on a note of prayer!
3. The Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus (John 18-21)
In the third movement of the Gospel of John, we see John focusing his attention on the suffering of Jesus. Carefully, he noted each detail of the great suffering of his beloved Teacher and Friend.
He could never forget the death of Jesus. Many details were included in this last portion of his Gospel. However, John did not conclude the writing of his Gospel on a note of death. He recorded the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, as He had said!
The resurrection of Jesus had obvious ramifications! John also devoted time to writing about Jesus and His ministry to the Disciples (note he did not mention the multitudes nor the Jews anymore) after His resurrection from the dead!
LOVING ATTENTION TO LITTLE DETAILS
John paid loving attention to little details, as he wrote about the suffering of Jesus. It is right that we should also pay close attention to these details that he noted. The suffering of Jesus meant much to John, and thus every little detail seemed significant to him. In like manner, we should make every attempt to follow the little details that John observed, especially with reference to the suffering of Jesus. This would be an appropriate way to read the Gospel of John!
Whereas the Synoptic Gospels noted that Jesus prayed with great intensity in the Garden of Gethsemane, John paid attention to the prayer that Jesus offered, probably in the presence of His Disciples (John 17). This conclusion may be drawn from this text that John wrote.
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went
out with His Disciples over the Brook Kidron,
where there was a garden, which He and His
disciples entered.”
John 18:1
When did Jesus pray for His Disciples? How could John remember in such detail what Jesus actually said in prayer? It was not unlikely that Jesus prayed for His Disciples in their presence.
Jesus first celebrated the Passover Feast with His Disciples. He went on to teach them how they were to celebrate the Lord’s Supper henceforth. The teachings that Jesus gave to His Disciples likely took place during this time of intimate fellowship with each other over their Passover/ Lord’s Supper events!
John noted that only after Jesus had spoken these words, (teaching and praying), did He seek His Father in deep, personal prayer. Jesus must have spent quite a few hours with His Disciples, seeking to prepare them for what lay ahead. Only after He had taught them, and prayed for them lovingly, did He set aside time to prepare Himself in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
‘OVER THE BROOK KIDRON, WHERE THERE WAS A GARDEN’
Matthew and Mark gave a name to the place where Jesus prayed. Both called it “Gethsemane” (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32). However, in the Synoptic Gospels, two rather general words were used to describe Gethsemane. The words employed by the Synoptic writers could be simply translated as “a place”. However, John noted that this trysting place of Jesus was in fact “a garden” (John 18:1). This garden was most likely a private one that Jesus was allowed to use with His Disciples. Luke tells us that Jesus frequented this place (Luke 22:39).
John noted that Jesus went over the Brook Kidron. This “brook” was actually a “wadi”. This word is used to describe a river or brook that would have water only during the rainy season. The wadi Kidron would otherwise be quite dry. We need to remember that Jesus and His Disciples were walking to the Garden of Gethsemane, long after their Passover Meal. They would need to be very familiar with the territory if they were to move around as they did on that fateful Passover night!
The Synoptic Gospels noted that the Garden of Gethsemane was located in the Mount of Olives. Given all the circumstances, we know just why Jesus chose to come to this place in the night to seek His Father in even deeper and more intense prayer!
The faithful Disciples followed Jesus and entered into the Garden of Gethsemane. Some scholars have suggested that this Garden might have been walled, because John used the word “entered”. If it were just an open field, there would not have been the need to use the word “entered”.
ABSENCE OF MENTION OF THE PRAYER IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46)
The Synoptic Gospel writers made mention of Jesus’ prayers in Gethsemane. However John did not mention this struggle at all. He might have felt that there was no need to repeat what the synoptic writers had already written. John covered the moving prayer that He had made in the presence of His Disciples (John 17). Thus he felt his purpose in the writing of his Gospel would be better served if he dwelt on other things. Let us pay special attention to John’s version of the sufferings of Jesus.