John 18:1–9

About 1000 years before was born, King David was ruling Israel. After some very unwise decisions, one of his sons, Absalom, organised a rebellion against David. Absalom raised an army and advanced on having incited many to support him. Having neither time nor desire to raise an army against his own son, David left the capital, Jerusalem, and went with his supporting soldiers who were faithful to him out into the countryside where they would be safe, and where they would not be placing all the ordinary citizens of the capital in danger.

Here is how part of his story was told: The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the , and all the people moved on toward the desert. Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. … Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city…” (2 Sam. 15:23–25 NIV).

Summary: David, the true King of Israel, facing a lethal challenge to his Kingship, left Jerusalem, crossed the Kidron Valley as forces were being mustered against him in the capital. The ark of God came too, but David sent it back to Jerusalem with Zadok.

In the Aramaic scripture that was being read to the people in the synagogues of Jesus’ day, it was specifically noted that the divine Word rested on the ark between the wings of the golden cherubim: When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with GOD, he would hear the of the Spirit coming down from heaven upon the Redemption Cover that was on top of the Ark of the Covenant between the two cherubim; from that place the Word spoke with him (Numbers 7:89 [Aramaic Targum]).

Remember: David paused in the Kidron Valley, and sent the ark, the resting-place of the Word of God back to Jerusalem in the care of Zadok the priest. The of Jesus’ day traced their ancestry back to this very Zadok. It is the root of the name Sadduc-ee.

Why do I tell you all this? Our reading commences today with this verse: After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley… As alert readers of scripture, we must hear this underlined phrase and note the connection between John’s deliberate phrasing in his introduction to this event and King David.

What we know, and Jesus knew, was that in Jerusalem events were moving rapidly. Judas was in the act of betraying his leader. The Sadducees were in the act of organising the temple police to arrange an arrest posse to take Jesus by force in the night and bring him back to Jerusalem. Passover feasts were being prepared, as the whole population of Jerusalem recalled their deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

John introduced Jesus to us as the Word in the very first chapter of his gospel. So when we read of the ark (remember, the Word spoke from its Redemption Cover) being taken back to Jerusalem by the Sadducees (the Zadok-ees) we see how the events of the time of David were an enacted prophecy of the betrayal of the true king of Israel.

In this chapter, we are taken back to the dark day of David’s betrayal by his own son, Absalom. No wonder the scripture (above) said: The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert. Every word and image in this sentence is redolent with meaning and layers of symbolism for what would happen 1000 years later to the one who would take up David's throne for ever and ever: I have sworn to my servant David: "I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.' " (Ps. 89:3–4).

Now Judas leads the arresting posse to where Jesus is, and Jesus confronts them – note that it is not that they confront him, as though they finally found him, cowering in the woods! He goes out and asks them who they want, and they reply: Jesus of Nazareth. The next words we hear after Jesus of Nazareth are: he! Ego eimi!

Do you remember this from earlier in our series? This is Jesus’ identification as the LORD GOD of Israel, the one, true God. At the sound of this name, you might think the police would shout the Jewish version of “You’re under arrest!” But instead, these armed police and temple officials draw back and are flung bodily to the ground as though they had suddenly encountered the sacred presence of Almighty God.

Again, we recall scripture: When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before you (Ps. 9:3). Psalm 9 tells of how God delivers David from death. But our King is not delivered. He faces death willingly – but he ensures the deliverance of his servants: "I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, "I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” (vv8–9). Check in your for another amazing little truth-gem: Under the title of Psalm 9 does your Bible tell you that this Psalm was composed by King David to be sung to the tune of “The Death of the Son”? Don’t you just love how scripture fits together?

There is yet another little gem nestled in the David story in 2 Samuel. Just before David sends back the ark to Jerusalem, he tells Ittai the Gittite, the leader of some of his troops to leave him, to save their own lives and leave David to his fate. Ittai replies to David with some of the most noble words in literature: … wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there will your servant be (2 Sam 15:21).

As we read this, we cannot help but remember that Jesus echoed these very words himself, some chapters back in John’s Gospel: Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also (12:25–6). The otherwise unremarkable story of the foreigner, Ittai the Gittite is set as a contrast to the story of Judas the traitor. Judas loved money more than his life or his Lord.

Three times in our reading, we hear those words I am he! Ego eimi! John is virtually shouting at us: This Jesus of Nazareth is the Lord God Almighty himself! As we read this short passage today, we must surely hear the continuous 1000 year-long record of the Holy Spirit telling his people that the true King is coming and that he will deliver his people from their sin. On this last night as Jesus is arrested, we are taken up into God’s glorious story of redemption that the whole of the Old Testament was prefiguring: the Word of God, giving himself for you and for me, so that we might have eternal life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for speaking to us through the ages, and for this marvellous story that John has crafted for us to read in wonder and amazement. Amen.