Today's Devotion
Friday, June 19, 2026 - John 18:1-14
In the name of + Jesus. Amen.
God’s creative work of the first man began in a garden. And now, the re-creation, restoration, and redemption of mankind, by the man who is God, begins in a garden. Just as Adam encountered the devil in the garden in order to bring the man, and mankind, to death, we now see the New and Greater Adam encountering the devil as He, the man Jesus, goes to His death, and brings mankind to life.
In addition to being a place where life thrives, where Jesus goes to walk in the cool of the day with His beloved creatures (Gen 3:8), the garden was a place where men gathered for worship. But now, it will be a place leading to the death of Jesus, where He will once more be temporarily separated from mankind, where the men who worship God will scatter, and yet again, leave God.
But even though this story begins like the first, it will have a different outcome.
Our Lord, even in the custody of His enemies, will once more confess His divinity: “I am He.” The Greek of John’s Gospel lacks the “He.” Our Lord is literally saying “I am.” And when He divinely speaks the unspeakable divine name, that name that is above every name, before which “every knee should bow” (Phil 2:9-11), the mob falls powerlessly to the ground. Our Lord does not use His divine power to escape custody, but submits to their authority, but only after demonstrating who it is that has the real authority.
We see Peter trying to assert his own authority to prevent Jesus’ arrest (“to fulfill the word” of prophecy as found in our Lord’s own High Priestly Prayer – John 17:12). Our Lord orders Peter to stand down, asking rhetorically, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?” And although John does not record it, Jesus performs yet another miraculous healing in the presence of His enemies, detractors, and captors (Luke 22:51), in healing the man whose ear Peter cut off with his sword.
And the remarkable narrative of our Lord’s trials, passion, crucifixion, death, and resurrection will bring us once more to a garden (John 19:41). And though this garden will feature a tomb, it will be, once more, a place of life – where the New and Greater Adam: Jesus (“God saves”) re-creates, restores, and redeems mankind.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.