M-G: 6.28.13 // Went Forward – the Way of Christlikeness, John 18:4

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Passage: Jn 18:1-6

When Jesus left the city of Jerusalem (Jn 18:1), He had to cross over the Kidron Valley, believed to be the Valley of Jehoshaphat, to get to a garden, within that valley runs the Kidron Brook. The Kidron Valley starts about 1.5 miles northwest of Jerusalem and runs in a southeast direction dividing the Temple Mount and the eastern wall of the old city from the western slope of the Mount of Olives and continues through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea, a distance of approximately 20 miles and a drop of 4,000 feet in elevation.

In the rainy season, Kidron Brook can be quite a torrent. After fording the Kidron Brook, John does not refer to this garden by name (Jn 18:1), perhaps due to its familiarity, but Matthew (Mt 26:36) and Mark 14:32) call it “Gethsemane” which means oil press. The precise location of this frequented garden (Jn 18:2) on the western slope of Olivet remains uncertain (cf. Lk 21:37; 22:39).

If you recall your biblical history King David had crossed over the Kidron Brook having been betrayed by his friend Ahithophel who had revealed his true allegiance to David’s rebellious son, Absalom (2 Sam 15:23, 30, 31). Jesus crossed over the same brook to pray (Jn 18:1), knowing full well that Judas, “being one of the twelve” (Jn 6:71), would and did betray him (Jn 18:3), but Jesus wasn’t running to save Himself to fight another day, like David, but was willing and waiting to drink of the cup willed by the Father and take the fight all the way to the cross (Mk 14:36; Jn 18:11; Mk 10:45; Php 2:8; Isa 53:10, 11, 12; 2 Cor 5:21).

Now with that last statement, it gives contour to John’s words, “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him,” The cup (figuratively referring to wrath in the OT) Jesus declared that He must drink (Jn 18:11). In graphic terms the cup was the cross. In spiritual terms, it was much worse than that. We know vividly what the physical aspects entail from the biblical record concerning crucifixion, and we are also given some insight into the spiritual dimension of His death on Calvary. Think of the acronym – cup, as Christ under pressure. We will never fully grasp the import of all that took place on this side of eternity, and it is doubtful we will fully know on the other side in glory. Indeed, we will have greater knowledge than we do now, but we will still fall vastly short of omniscience or all-knowing for only God Almighty is Infinite in knowledge.

Let me briefly include what was in that “knowing all things that would come upon Him” cup that only Jesus could and would drink: separation from the Father (Mt 27:46), experiencing sin for mankind (2 Cor 5:21), physical disfigurement (Isa 52:14), reproach (Psa 69:20), and death (Jn 19:30). Roman crucifixion was nothing short of traumatic and a horrible way to die; thousands had experienced this Roman intimacy but none like our Lord Jesus Christ. The magnitude of the cup Jesus drank from is, in my humble opinion, incomprehensible in its physical and spiritual dynamics. He was not there because of any personal involvement with sin; He was there because of our sin. The love of the Father and the love of the Son for depraved humanity salvaged the unsalvageable by the Father giving of His Son to be sin who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16)!

We must not get into too big a hurry here lest we miss something easily overlooked. Consider Jesus in the garden hearing the detachment from the chief priests and the Pharisees entering the garden and looking for Him led by the thirty pieces of silver man, Judas Iscariot. Jesus was unmoved by the abrupt interruption – “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward.” He didn’t run or hide.

Unhesitatingly, He took the initiative by meeting His captors head-on by asking the question, “Whom are you seeking?” When Jesus asked a question it wasn’t for information; it was for the self-realization, awareness, and acknowledgment of the person asked (cf. Gn 3:9). Before they had even dispatched, Jesus knew they would be on their way to the garden to “take” Him by force (cf. Jn 18:6; Mt 26:55), leading to a chain of events that would result in an agonizing and humiliating death. He “went forward” without reluctance.

Perhaps Jesus’ question was directed at keeping the enemy on track as to why they were there to prevent them from diverting their attention to His disciples and causing any unnecessary collateral damage (cf. Jn 18:8, 9). For His disciples, the situation would be nothing less than chaotic and unthinkable that Jesus would be taken away from them. Jesus knew precisely what awaited Him, and yet, He “went forward” without any reservation, deliberation, or hesitation. He did not shrink from His duty nor show any cowardice in carrying out the Father’s will in the gathering storm. Even in His apprehension, torture, and death, Jesus was never a victim of circumstances (Jn 18:6, 8; 10:18; 19:11). He volunteered for this (Jn 6:38)! Though all was within the Father’s will, there was no softening of the blows upon His Son; Jesus would suffer physically to the fullest extent of man’s cruelty and in addition, the wrath of the Father would be poured out upon Him as a sacrifice for the penalty of man’s sin against God.

Herein is an expression of Jesus, Who naturally is our standard of Christlike behavior, which cuts hard against the grain of our flesh or sin nature – moving forward in the will of God in spite of the circumstances of life. After all, if God is a Rom 8:28 God, and He is, then nothing enters our lives without His permission or orchestration. Now that sounds pretty good, doesn’t it, until it gets up front and personal. Often we do not have the “luxury” of knowing the end result as Jesus did in His mission to earth, but we don’t get any hints that it was any easier in knowing the future in what was confronting Him in order to redeem man from the penalty of sin (cf. Lk 22:42, 44; 2 Cor 5:21). If we knew in advance what God had waiting for us, it is very doubtful someone would record of us, “He went forward.” If we were forewarned we would all high-tail it out of Dodge. This “went forward” is a commitment to the will of God beyond comparison, and something we cannot emulate in our own strength (Jn 15:4, 5; Php 4:13).  

Briefly, let’s revisit that acronym – cup, in another way. View it as Christlikeness under pressure. This is the cup we are all called to drink. Let me offer a disturbing image here, “Then He [Jesus] said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me’” (Lk 9:23). The steps of Jesus were suffering steps, no doubt about it (1 Pet 2:21), and victorious as well! Is this what we bargained for when we became Christians – denying self and taking up a personal cross on a daily basis and following Christ? This doesn’t sound anything remotely like American Christianity does it – making a spiritual pit stop at church and then going on our worldly way?   

Oh, but Christlikeness will cause us difficulties in life (2 Tim 3:12). This is the cup we must all drink from, knowing full well that living godly will eventually cause us problems from unjust men. Hope springs eternal but the dark clouds seem to be moving in our direction. You have to wonder when it is going to rain upon us. May it be said of any of us when the time comes; he or she “went forward” just like our Savior did in the garden when He “went forward” committed to the will of the Father. God gave us the cup of salvation (Psa 116:13); we should give back to Him the cup of service, Christlikeness under pressure. Let me spiritualize a piece of Scripture which I rarely do, but you’ll readily get the point.

Then He [Jesus] took the cup [Christlikeness under pressure], and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you” (emphasis mine, Mt 26:27). Oh, beloved, if we would only do that in remembrance of Him, day in and day out. Such is the way of Christlikeness, “went forward” regardless of the situation. <><