Garden of the Gods: Garden of Betrayal
Gethsemane was not only a garden of desperate prayer. It was also a garden of betrayal, and betrayal of two kinds.
18:1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. (John 18:1-3, NIV)
Arresting Jesus in the garden was much easier than trying to arrest him in the city, with many people around who might protest. Judas’ knowing Jesus would be in the garden of Gethsemane made that possible. Judas betrayed Jesus. His disloyalty treacherously abandoned Jesus to a nightmarish death. The one who had chosen him to be an apostle, who had faithfully trained him, given him responsibility and trusted him, turned on him for money. The darkness of the human heart was never more evident than here.
But there was another kind of betrayal that took place in the garden.
25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. (John 18:25-27, NIV)
Though initially in the garden Peter tried to resist those arresting Jesus, later, standing outside the place where Jesus was being tried and condemned, Peter denied knowing Jesus or being his disciple. Peter betrayed Jesus out of fear. He didn’t betray Jesus to danger, like Judas did, but he betrayed him personally.
Jesus would forgive either betrayal, if repented of, but only one repented. The garden could also be a place of forgiveness.
About the Author
Randall Johnson
A full-time pastor since 1979, Randall originally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) in 1979 and from Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin) in 1998. He is married with four grown children and a pile of epic grandchildren.
