John skips over the fact that all the disciples fell asleep, He doesn’t mention how grief stricken Jesus was as He prayed through the night. He doesn’t talk about the several times that Jesus asked the disciples to wake up and pray. Why doesn’t he? Is he embarrassed, or does He feel these things weren’t important?
Not at all. John is the last to write, and he knows that the whole story has already been told. At least, many parts of it have. John didn’t want to write an account that simply mirrored what had already been said, he wanted his account to stand on its own. So, in chapter 20:31 we find the reason he wrote. “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John’s main purpose for writing seems to be to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the God-man who was prophesied would come. For instance, all the disciples mention that someone cut off Malchus’ ear. But only John calls attention to the fact that Jesus twice said “I am” when they came to arrest him. (verse 6 and 8).
John must have been pretty popular. He is the “other disciple” mentioned in verse 15. I wonder if John was the one carrying the other sword. There were two swords picked up at the last supper…Peter clearly has one, who has the other one? It would most likely be either James or John, because those three hung out together. I doubt they would let John enter Annas’ house carrying a sword.
It occurs to me as I read this passage that Christians should expect to be persecuted when they have done nothing wrong.
Peter was a devout disciple, and he still denies knowing Christ. The danger that Peter was in must have been fairly acute…I mean, it must have been life or death for a while. Peter was accustomed to facing down demons and sneaky Pharisee’s, but he must have been tempted to fear when facing death at the hands of the mob. Once the Holy Spirit comes on him (at Pentecost) he never has the problem again.
Pilate asks Jesus a question that still rings today: “what is truth?” This is the best and most important question that can be asked. There are at least a dozen major religions, and hundreds of different subsets of those across the globe. Which one is true? Are they all true? Are any of them true?
Jesus says “all who love the truth recognize that what I say is true”
How deeply do we believe that? I certainly believe in Christ for salvation, and I accept that the creation account is accurate. But am I willing to accept that what Jesus says is “sin” is really harmful for me?