Thoughts on the readings for April 22nd (Deuteronomy 5, Ecclesiastes 1, John 17, 18)

John 17 outlines Jesus’ wonderful prayer for unity with himself and his Father. Having struggled to subject his will to the Father in Gethsemane and being strengthened by an angel to do that, the victory had been won, and all that remained were the trials, scourging and crucifixion which our Master would endure. So the prayer began with an acknowledgment of the coming glory – verse 4 the glory that the Father had planned for the Son before creation. Then followed a plea for men to know the Father and the servant Son sent into the world to reveal the Father’s character; and in that “knowing” would come life eternal. The prayer was to preserve the believers in that truth and so save them. None would be lost save Judas, the ‘son of destruction’. Eventually everyone sanctified by the truth would be united with the Father in the same way His Son was. John chapter 18 records the betrayal and arrest of the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. Judas arrived with a heavily armed contingent of temple thugs; who when they asked the Lord, who they sought, they fell to the ground illustrating that where he was they could not come (John 7:36). He gave himself voluntarily into their hands after miraculously restoring the severed ear of Malchus- the high priest’s servant and rebuking Peter who had mistakenly tried to protect his Lord. Jesus faced Annas and Caiaphas in trial. Peter’s first denial followed. Then Jesus is placed under oath by the high priest, who contrary to the law commanded our Master to be struck and was rightly rebuked by Jesus. Peter’s second denial followed. The rulers attempted to force from Pilate, the Roman Governor, during the night, the death sentence – another illegality – on the unproven charge of treason. Pilate questioned Jesus and it was clear that our Lord had total mastery of the situation and it was Pontius Pilate who quailed in the presence of the Son of God. Jesus bore witness to the Truth that he came into the world to be “King of the Jews” (see 1 Timothy 6:12-16). Pilate declared him to be innocent of the charge; but the rulers clamoured for his death and the acquittal of Barabbas.