When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.
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.
At this point in John’s gospel, we transition from the first-person account of Jesus’ words to John’s narrative of events. These events happen as Jesus’ time on earth draws to a close. It seems hard for me to believe, but we have spent nearly five months discussing the last night before Jesus’ crucifixion. It was clear back at the beginning of Chapter 13 with “Destinations” that the gospel text started describing Jesus’ last evening on earth. In today’s passage, John draws several threads together in just a few quick strokes of the pen.
Jesus leads his disciples out of Jerusalem into the night. They cross the Kidron Valley. This is interesting because throughout the history of Jerusalem the Kidron Valley was used as a dumping ground for foreign idols. Whenever the Jews repented and needed a place to dump the evidence of their shameful ways that is where they went.
On the other side of this valley was a hill called the Mt of Olives and on the hill was a garden. Not a garden in the sense of a vegetable garden or what the British might call a yard, but more of an orchard. An olive orchard to be precise. It is in this orchard that Jesus waits for Judas to betray him.
It was clear back in John 13: 30 (“Odd Night”) that Judas left Jesus and the disciples to set his betrayal in motion. During that time he finished whatever business he had with the chief priests. Then waited while those who would go with him were gathered together. When all was ready he led them over to the place he thought Jesus might be.
The Bible doesn’t tell us the details, but Judas may have searched several places to find Jesus. It was quite late when he found him. With him was a small army of soldiers and priestly bureaucrats. Why so many people? Who were they expecting to find? One might have thought that they expected trouble. Perhaps they imagined that Jesus would resist arrest, call his disciples to arms, and engage them in battle! If so their fears were unfounded.
Food for Thought: How have your fears about the future affected what you do?
I think that fear of almost anything other than the Lord is a distraction for us to live as God called us to live. It can keep us from engaging the enemy. It can keep us from accomplishing anything of great value. When I have caved to fear I have always regretted it.