John 18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 Judas then, having taken a detachment of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were happening to him, went out, and said to them, “Who are you looking for?”
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am he.”
Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When therefore he said to them, “I am he,” they went backward, and fell to the ground.
7 Again therefore he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,” 9 that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.” John 6:39
A detachment of Roman soldiers, usually consisting of one thousand men, accompanied by perhaps the two or three hundred men of the temple guard, and Pharisees, all fully armed and carrying lanterns and torches, followed the betrayer, Judas, to the garden to arrest Jesus. When the commanding officer of the detachment asked for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus identified himself saying, “I Am He.”
The Roman detachment, foreign occupying forces, battle-hardened troops, in the presence of Jesus, the I Am, along with the temple guards and Pharisees, went backward and fell to the ground when they heard Jesus speak! They had come to arrest the one whom they mocked as the “King of the Jews” and they found themselves standing in the presence of the “Great I Am”, “King of kings”, and “Lord of lords.” In their uncontrollably falling down before Christ, God the Father was demonstrating to the authorities who Jesus actually is. And, one day, like it or not, everyone would acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. .
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
John 18:10 Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?”
Peter, still not understanding that the culmination of Christ’s mission was to be the suffering servant, the Lamb of God, boldly tried to defend Jesus against what were, humanly speaking, insurmountable odds. Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus responded saying, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. Luke 22:51
Jesus could have called down a legion of angels to save himself, but the real battle was never physical with swords and spears; it was, from the beginning, a spiritual battle. Evil was to be defeated by the Suffering Servant. As the ancient prophets had foretold, death was to be defeated by death.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:7-9
Christ, in obedience to God the Father, went willingly to his death. “The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?”
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:8
After healing the high priest’s servant, Jesus was bound and taken before the high priest.
John 18:12 So the detachment, the commanding officer, and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him, 13 and led him to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should perish for the people. 15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered in with Jesus into the court of the high priest; 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought in Peter. 17 Then the maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are you also one of this man’s disciples?”
He said, “I am not.”
18 Now the servants and the officers were standing there, having made a fire of coals, for it was cold. They were warming themselves. Peter was with them, standing and warming himself. 19 The high priest therefore asked Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. Behold, they know the things which I said.”
22 When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?”
24 Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said therefore to him, “You aren’t also one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not.”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being a relative of him whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
27 Peter therefore denied it again, and immediately the rooster crowed.
After Jesus’ arrest, Peter, who had stood so bravely against the arresting officers in the garden, fearing arrest himself, three times denied knowing or being associated with Christ. It was one thing to resist arrest, standing firm, when the miracle working God/Man/Jesus was there with him, but it was another thing altogether to stand firm once his Lord had been placed in chains. With Jesus out of the picture who would defend Peter from arrest and the same treatment that Jesus was receiving?
One of the innumerably beautiful things about the Bible is that it does not try to hide or sugarcoat the truth about human nature. Peter had just devoted three years of his life to following and learning from Jesus. In an ideal world Peter would have stood firm and used this opportunity to tell everyone who confronted him about the mission and deity of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But we live in the real world where real men experience fear and doubt and where friends betray friends to save their own skin. We live in a world where the Lord has to frequently remind us to be strong and courageous. Joshua 1:9 And like Peter we have all succumbed to fears temptation.
While Peter was denying his Lord, Jesus was taken before the high priest for questioning. The high priest therefore asked Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. In all of the Gospels, as here in John, Christ said very little in way of his own self-defense. Jesus knew his mission. He knew why he was on earth and why he was about to be crucified. He was willing to go to his death, being sacrificed during the celebration of the Passover like a lamb that is led to the slaughter. Isaiah 53:7 Jesus, fulfilling the picture or type of the Old Covenant lamb, completed his mission, becoming the New Covenant Passover Lamb.