Not One Is Lost (John 18:9-11)

Lesson #296

We finished the last lesson with Jesus saying to his captors: “If you seek me, let these men go.” “This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”” (John 18:9 ESV). With this statement, Jesus is reaching back to John 17:12, where we read: “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (ESV). In the sovereignty of God, Judas was not chosen for salvation, but was chosen to deliver Jesus over to be crucified as the sacrificial lamb for our sin. God did not show mercy to Judas, but allowed him to experience justice for his sin. The other disciples were chosen by the Father, shown mercy, and given as a gift to Jesus just as he chooses us and gives us as a gift to Jesus. “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37 ESV). For all of eternity I will never forget that out of the Father’s love for me, he chose me and extended mercy to me, removing me from under the hand of justice. He adopted me as his child, disciplined and trained me up and gave me to his Son, the Lord Jesus, as a gift who then gave me eternal life and promised to keep me secure for all eternity. I am so thankful that my salvation required absolutely no work on my part: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV).

Up to this point neither Jesus or his disciples showed any resistance and harmed no one, but “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)” (John 18:10 ESV). A situation that was under control and peaceful and now Peter takes out his sword (probably a Roman short sword) and probably trying to make his promise to Jesus good and maybe to force Jesus to use his power against the enemy, lashes out to the servant and manages to cut off his right ear. This outburst from Peter required another miracle to prevent his arrest and possible execution.

Jesus steps forward and takes control, but probably not in the way Peter was thinking. We will consider this in the next lesson. “So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”” (John 18:11 ESV). Luke adds more by saying, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him” (Luke 22:51 ESV). This restored peace to the situation and allowed God’s plan to continue on to the cross.

In the next lesson we will come back to verses 10 and 11 and add some detail which we do not have room for in this lesson. We need to consider the difference between Jesus and Peter in facing our enemy and we need to consider the cup that the Father gave Jesus to drink.

Prayer

Father, the more I study Scripture the more I am awed by your plan of salvation. To see how justice is satisfied for those chosen to receive mercy and given as a gift to Jesus to be given eternal life and security through grace without any work on my part, but to simply accept the gift of salvation simply overwhelms me and fills my heart with love and praise.