John 18:1-27 - Arrest & Betrayal

Redemption Hill Church

The hour has finally come. Jesus and His disciples crossed the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. They settled into a familiar place, a garden called Gethsemane. Among the olive trees on the hillside, in the dark of night, a group of guards and soldiers arrived, led by the one Jesus had dismissed from dinner, Judas Iscariot. They came to arrest Jesus.
There are only a few details that all four Gospels contain. One of the most prominent is Peter’s actions that night. Peter first tried to defend Jesus, taking a swing at the High Priest’s servant, who John identified as Malchus. And what unfolded next as Jesus was put on trial in the dead of night, was exactly what Jesus told Peter would happen. A nearby rooster crowed in just as Peter denied Jesus for the third time in rapid succession. This is Peter! This is the rock on whom Jesus said He would build His Church. How could he possibly deny even knowing Jesus? This week is an important look at what gets us off track in our own lives as we follow Jesus and, ultimately, provides hope for the times we fail, too.