Whom do you seek?

John 18

JOHN 18:01-40

1When 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. 2Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 3Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He. ” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” 10Simon 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. 11So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

12So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, 13and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

15Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. 17Then the slave-girl who kept the door *said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?” He *said, “I am not.” 18Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

19The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. 20Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. 21“Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.” 22When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?” 23Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” 24So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

25Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” 26One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, *said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

28Then they *led Jesus from Caiaphas into the *Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29Therefore Pilate went out to them and *said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” 30They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.” 31So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,” 32to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

33Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” 35Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not *of this realm.” 37Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”

And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no guilt in Him. 39“But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?” 40So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.

JOHN 17:01-12

The Olivet Discourse

This reading is commonly referred to by theologians as “The Olivet Discourse.” I find it some of the hardest reading in the world. In the discourse we see the betrayal, denial, torture and trial of Jesus Christ. Yet, it is a critical reading to push through.

The interplay of Jesus, the religious leaders (Caiaphas & Annas) and political leaders, Pontius, is relevant and applicable at any time in history.

We learn what Jesus recognizes as power as compared to the world’s interpretation of power.

He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden

We know that Jesus frequently took time alone for prayer. This garden was just outside the gates of Jerusalem and very close to the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The reading tells us it was a place Jesus often visited with his disciples. Perhaps the location would provide him some comfort as he prayed for his followers and the strength to endure the hours/days ahead.

From this viewpoint, he would be able to look across the Kidron Valley at the major gates of Jerusalem and literally watch the Roman cohort and the officers of the religious leaders with their torches coming to arrest him. Would I have the strength to do that? Watch my arresters come for me and “stand my ground on my knees?”

Jesus could have blended into the trees and absconded north. It is unlikely that Jesus would have been tried if he had just fled. The charges of sedition against Jesus (which would have forced Pontius’ hand) did not occur until after Jesus’ arrest. Fleeing would have bought him time and safety; it would have saved his life. Certainly, he knew this, why didn’t he flee?

The disciples had already pressed Jesus about why he came to Jerusalem on a Feast Day when the situation was ready to explode.

We have to remember that Jesus did not have a TEMPORAL perspective, he had an ETERNAL perspective.

During our most stressful times, it is important to remember our eternal perspective. It is helpful to have a regular place we can go to gain this perspective. For Jesus, it was this Olive Garden. What is it for you? What and Who helps you with your eternal perspective?

“Whom do you seek?”

This question could well represent the bookends of Jesus’ life, it is the first question he asks his apostles.

JOHN 01:38

38And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”

It is also among the last questions he will ask in his life.

There is no difference between “What do you seek?” and “Whom do you seek?” the Greek word used is the same. “Tis zētēo?”

Will our legacies identify us as “askers” or “tellers”? Are we asking people who/what they seek or telling them what we have found? Christ-centered leadership always begins with a question, not an answer.

· Whom, tis, [5101], which person, what person, what

· Do you seek, zētēo, [2202], what do you seek, what is your way?

“I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

This is John’s way of letting us know that Jesus forced the hand of those who came to take him. This was Jesus’ timing and choice all the way until the end. Why is this important?

· It reminds us that Jesus (therefore God) was in charge, not Judas, not the Romans, not the Religious Right, this was a choice Jesus made.

· It reminds us to similarly take charge of the circumstances in our lives that may look like failures or catastrophes and claim them as victories.

What, in your life right now, looks like an overwhelming failure or loss, but can be turned into an opportunity with a change in attitude and approach? In our lives, many things will happen that seem beyond our control and truly, we have little control over the many external variables in our lives, but we always have control over our inner attitudes and how we choose to respond to difficulty.

The greatest witnesses to faith in my life have been people who have taken illnesses or incarceration and used them to grow themselves while shining to others. It is important for me to remember that lesson when I feel like a mild inconvenience is life-rendering. We always have a choice over what we “attend” to. Making choices to show strength through little things helps build the habit of being strong through the really tough incidences.

“Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

All four gospels mention the use of the sword on Caiaphas’ guard’s ear. Only Luke tells us that Jesus heals it and only John tells us that it was Peter who used his sword.

It does remind us that Peter and John seemed to have a running competition for the affection of Jesus, much like two siblings wanting to be the favorite child. Later, John will tell us that both Peter and he ran to greet Jesus after his resurrection, but John arrived first. It is good to know that even the closest followers of Jesus could have these childish rivalries and even better to know that they are recorded.

Unlike other biographies of insecure leaders, these biographies give us the “warts and all” version.

Matthew tells us that Jesus admonishes Peter that if you “Live by the sword, you die by the sword.” Combined we have a fuller perspective of why Jesus rejects the use of violence.

· Violence unleashed cannot be regulated

As the English proverb goes, “Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.” I used to work on this a lot with the educators I trained, trying to get them to lower the use of coercion, intimidation or shouting in their classroom. If you start the year with shouting, then—as the school year progresses—kids won’t even begin to start quieting down until the teacher starts shouting. They will know he or she is not serious until the shouting starts. Better to become quieter as kids get louder and to focus on the ones that are attuned. Give them your attention—because, in truth—that’s what all humans seek the most.

What is your “go-to” mode for disagreements? Do you start with listening and questions like Jesus did in this discourse? Do you seek the issue behind the obvious? “What/Whom do you seek?”

If you start with arguments and drawing a line in the sand (positioning) you have nowhere left to go except to dig in deeper.

· God’s “cup” must be fulfilled

The Roman cohort and the guards of Caiaphas were acting out God’s plan. This plan had to be fulfilled and would be fulfilled whether by these men or some other means. God’s plans are not dependent upon human participation; they are going to happen. Jesus knew this and he wanted his disciples to know this as well. This was not Rome’s plan nor the Jewish religious leaders plan, they were necessary hurdles to fulfilling God’s design. But God’s plan for human redemption was going to occur and the timing was both immediate and imminent.

It is a complicated concept that we each have a purpose to serve in the fulfillment of God’s plan—and while we are unique—the plan is not dependent upon us. Peter’s act of defiance might have delayed Jesus’ arrest, but it wouldn’t stop it. Despite Peter’s action, Jesus gave himself over to the worldly authorities.

Perhaps Peter was trying to force Jesus’s hand, just as Judas did. Judas saw himself as the treasurer of God’s upcoming kingdom. Peter might have seen himself as Jesus’ defense minister and protector. Both men tried to force Jesus’ hand, both men failed, one recovered.

What’s important to note is that Jesus’ last moments were dining with people who denied and betrayed him. We might also find ourselves in such unfortunate circumstances with people who don’t understand what we are trying to do on this earth—especially if we choose a path of peace when others are calling for violence.

We take hope in that God’s cup will not be deterred, perhaps delayed, but never deterred.

JOHN 18:12-14

it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people

Expedience is a fundamental tool of illicit power. “The ends justify the means” has been used by leaders throughout centuries to justify immoral, unethical, and even illegal acts. What many of these leaders (and their followers) don’t understand is if you don’t control the means, you can’t control the ends.

This passage also serves as a warning about dark leadership, the true power behind political appointees. Annas was just the face of leadership, control was held by Caiaphas who manipulated him. This reminds us of the modern mystic, Thomas Merton. Merton tells us that our greatest sin in a capitalistic society is what is done in our name, with our money and our votes.

· Expedient, sumpherō, [4851a], profitable, to the advantage, from sun, [4862], accompanied, associates, and pherō, [5342], to bear, carry forth, driven, endure

JOHN 18:15-18

15Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. 17Then the slave-girl who kept the doors said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

He said, “I am not.”

Peter has taken a lot of flak, historically, for denying Jesus at the time of the Lord’s greatest needs. But, before we get too sanctimonious, let’s remember where he was. When Peter’s confidence fails, he in within the inner chambers of power. He is surrounded by Roman cohorts and the high priest’s guards.

Similarly, we need to offer the same empathy to others when their confidence fails. Like Peter, we don’t know where they “are”, we don’t know what they’ve gone through to reach this place of breakdown in their lives.

In little things and large, begin with compassion and empathy, never with judgment. We all wish to be treated that way and so, we must treat others in the same fashion.

JOHN 18:19-24

I spoke nothing in secret

I truly wish that all religious and political leaders would read this trial from the perspective of being an oppressor. Annas, appointed by Caiaphas as the high priest, and he cannot imagine a person living without guile. His trial was no more than a projection of his own faults on the innocent.

Every time we judge we are an Annas. We rarely do more than project our own deficits on those we are judging. Judgment is based in fear, Annas as well as the religious and political leaders, feared losing their illicit power in their small corner of the world.

Fearful people communicate secretively.

As I write this, Republican Governor Youngkin, of Virginia, has stripped school curricula in his state of any references to Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama. He is no different that the high priest in this reading. Projecting his own fears of another race on a generation of children. It will stunt their growth, but it will not change the truth. It will only serve to raise a generation as shallow and narrow-minded as he is. A generation that will be behind the rest of the world in compassion and understanding of history—especially the history of black people in the United States.

· Secret, Kruptos, [2927], hidden, things hidden, from kruptō, [2928], concealed

JOHN 18:25-32

…they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover

What hypocrisy! We don’t defile ourselves by breaking bureaucracy and ennui, we defile ourselves by judging others.

The religion of the high priests was all about appearances. We must be vigilant that our beliefs are not about appearances, but about compassion and justice.

· Defile, miainō, [3392] to stain

“We are not permitted to put anyone to death”

These religious leaders hated the Romans and their occupation of Israel. We’ve heard the ancient Sanskrit proverb, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

What becomes apparent in their behavior is that they considered Jesus more of a threat to their status quo than the Romans. The Romans occupied their country and ruled it with an autocratic fist. They punished the people constantly with torture and death. Yet, they became friends of the Jewish elite when a peaceful Jesus took a stand and refused to capitulate.

This reminds me of the GOP inviting the son of Jair Bolsonaro and, Viktor Orbán, the dictator of Hungary, to their CPAC convention in 2022. I won’t even make references to the heretical golden images of Donald Trump worshipped at a previous CPAC event.

On June 12, 1987, Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin and said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” I can’t imagine how he would feel about today’s GOP actually inviting autocratic leaders to come serve as lecturing groundbreakers at a party leadership event.

It does serve to remind all of us to be aware of who we’re willing to support to achieve our own agendas and how slippery the slope can become when we lose sight of the values of compassion and justice.

JOHN 18:33-40

“What is truth?”

Pontius Pilate’s statement, “What is truth,” could come straight from the 1949 novel, 1984, by George Orwell and the introduction of the phrase, “Doublespeak.”

Alternatively, Jesus states that he has come to testify to the truth.

For Pontius, there were many truths because truth came from supremacy and all temporal authority is transitory. During that moment in history, the Jewish Religious Leaders and Romans were in command. Pontius (considered by history to be a pitiable governor who was about to be replaced) knew the handwriting was on the wall for his power and therefore his truth was soon to be replaced by another as well.

To Jesus, power was from one, eternal source and therefore truth was as unshakeable as that power. It was a “meta-power” greater than the present forces at play, greater than temporal politics, lasting longer than a viewpoint and non-manipulable.

Where is the source of our power (and thus, our truth), does it waver with the winds? Can it be manipulated by money or military/police state might?

If our truth—like Pontius’—lies in a human construct, then it will be temporal and fragile.

If you were to write a three-part list of the truths you would witness to (the word witness, in Greek, comes from martus, meaning martyr, which is to say, “I’d be willing to die for these truths…”) what would be on that list? Mine would include:

1. Life is sacred

2. Justice is essential

3. Compassion is what must guide us

Micah said it best in this statement from Micah 6:8

8He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Take some time to create your own list—of truths you would die for.

· Truth, alēthia, [225], certainty, rightly, from alēthēs, [225], true, truly

· Testify, Matureō, [3144], to bear witness, from Martus, [3144], to witness

“I find no guilt in Him. But…”

But…

According to Matthew, Pontius’ wife had a terrible dream about the outcome of the trial of Jesus.

MATTHEW 27:19

“While Pilate was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him.’”

Pontius’ response to the situation shows why he was such a poor leader, not even functional in Rome’s political malaise. Rome was filled with self-serving politicians who climbed their way up the ladder through heredity, wealth and manipulation. No doubt, Pilate’s position was either based in WHO he knew or WHAT he had. His governorship was merely a steppingstone and few political luminaries wanted to go to that area. It was thought of as a backwater region full of trouble and instability and had undermined more careers than it had made.

Yet, he was willing to throw away his leadership on this critical issue.

Among Pontius’ greatest weaknesses was the order of his decision tree. His decision tree began with, “What’s best for me?”

A true leader begins their decision tree with

1. “What’s best for my community?”

2. “What’s best for those around me?”

3. “What’s best for my family?”

4. And yes, “What’s best for me?”

“What’s best for me?” is the last question on the list. It is on the list because we need to sustain our decisions with committed action and if they are of no interest to us, we will have a harder time sustaining them.

Perhaps Rome accepted Pilate because they could count on him acting in his own self-interest. However, Pontius’ self-interest was undermining his ability to govern and Rome was already tiring of his incompetence.

Sadly, too many governments are run in this fashion, people climb to power through connections or money and then operate out of self-interest. They are tolerated as long as their self-interest matches the interests of the ruling party. Once divergent, the ruling party replaces the errant leader, but rarely is the damage to the people compensated.

A PRIMER FOR SATYAGRAHA (HOLDING FIRMLY TO TRUTH) AND AUTOCRACY

This chapter—as difficult as it is to study—could serve as a primer for authoritarian regimes. How to get rid of untimely advocates for the marginalized and vulnerable. The techniques used by these religious and political leaders are ageless and identifiable. It is truly a chapter on manipulation of power and time-tested techniques viewed with the insights of those closest to Jesus and told from the viewpoint of the persecuted.

Many advocates for the poor have studied the techniques used by Jesus in these chapters and his responses to power in forming their own response to poverty and powerlessness. The names are too many to mention, but just in the recent century: Gandhi, Mother Therese, Martin Luther King, Jr., Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Greta Thunberg.

Alternatively, the techniques used in this chapter are evident in the playbook of many of this century’s autocrats; The Trumps, the recent leadership of many conservative religious groups (Catholic and Evangelical), Conservative Religious Leaders in Iran, Putin and so many others.

The use of violence, the use of expedience, the use of dark power, misinformation and wealth, the manipulation of truth to be whatever the group-in-power discerns it to be. The words of Caiaphas, Annas and Pontius.