John 18:4-5
“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)”
Personally, it wouldn’t matter what I told my mom if I got arrested I would be in some big-time trouble. Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus Christ was arrested for us?
Tomorrow is Good Friday, where we remember how Christ suffered and died on our behalf. But what sometimes doesn’t get talked is everything leading up to Jesus’ death. See, what we have to remember is that Jesus actually CHOSE to die on Good Friday. He wasn’t forced into it.
These couple of verses here show how Jesus continued to choose to be arrested and later killed for us:
“Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they said” (John 18:2-7).
Judas, who Jesus recently dismissed from the Last Supper, knows the spot where Jesus is going to be so he leads a group of soldiers to it. If Jesus didn’t want to be arrested, do you think he would go to the place that they had often gone and probably talked about going to again when Judas was still there listening? No, if Jesus didn’t want to be arrested he would have dismissed Judas from the Last Supper, turned to his remaining homies and said, “Got rid of the traitor, let’s get out of here!” But Jesus didn’t do that. He went to the garden Judas knew he’d be at.
The soldiers ask for Jesus. They’re looking at a bunch of men in a dark garden wondering which one’s Jesus. Jesus could have said, “Jesus? Nope, he’s not here.” But that goes completely against the character of Jesus. He says, “I am he.” The Guards literally were blown back and fell to ground. WHAT IN THE WORLD? Like that is crazy. Jesus at the snap of his fingers could have had an army of Angels come and save him or literally wiped those guys out himself. But he didn’t, why? Because Jesus chose to be arrested, to be taken captive, to be mocked, put on illegal trial, and ultimately die a sinners death on a cross because he knew what was to come and what he had to do.
Jesus chose to be arrested for you. Spend a minute today, reflecting on the fact that Jesus was willing to do whatever it took to save us from our sin. Thank him and truly sit and think of the sacrifice he gave so that we might have life.