J. N. Darby.
<47018E> 346
(Notes and Comments Vol. 6.)
John 18
How beautiful is the evidence here of relinquished power! Hence John (the Spirit by him) presenting Jesus in His Person, and the scope of His work, passes by Gethsemane, where the veil is taken off (for a moment) the Lord's own suffering in it. He knew all. The name of Jesus of Nazareth, confessed by Him, had such power in it that they all went backward, and fell to the ground. Of course, He could have acted in power, or going away, as He pleased; but He saved only His disciples, not Himself, giving them the occasion of escape, putting Himself before them, rebuking only their resistance, explaining that the cup His Father had given Him to drink He should surely drink. It was a willing surrender, whatever His suffering. Going forth, He said to them, "Whom seek ye?" And how full of dignity!
Nothing can be more beautiful than the evidence of willing surrender, the acting of Christ in Person, or rather the (willing) passion; not the suffering in His soul. This was just in the order of John, who ever thus brings Him forth to view; didactic, not historical; that is, in character.
- 17. What a stout thing man is! It was a bad time to own it. He could confess it another time.
It is a remarkable thing that Jesus' Sonship having been fully proved, and His surrender of Himself in it being noted, no notice of this is taken at all in examination before the Jews, but of His royalty over them fully, as rejected by them and given up to Pilate; because this brought Him out into His resurrection position and state of Sonship, the reality and power of it (see vv. 35, 39, 40; chap. 19:6, etc.). And then afterwards His Sonship is brought in as asserted, and He gave no witness to this. It was not witness to Him, but He was to be rejected in His full character before the world (see further chap. 19:12-15), the full point brought out, and then verse 16.
- 24. Another reason for not owning Him. He was a condemned Person practically. He had just been beaten (woe worth the word!) by an attendant.
347 There is a difference between Paul and Jesus (the Lord) here. It was not all wrong in Paul; but it was not Jesus.
In the other gospels more of the circumstances of the denial are mentioned as regards others; here its connection with the Lord. The garden should have called him to remembrance; but to save by strength is another, a different, thing from confessing in word when suffering.