We all need to take a stand on something from time to time. Sometimes it’s a bit of fun – like taking a stand on whether the jam or the cream goes first on a scone (or scone?). Often it’s more serious, like politics, or safety, or caring for someone.
And whether you like it or not, everyone takes a stand on what they think about God. We’re going to take a look at Judas, Peter, and Jesus in John 18.
Each man took a stand in some way. And it gets uncomfortable when you realise that you might well have more in common with Judas and Peter than with Christ.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church, Wirral in September 2026. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Don’t go with the flow (Judas)
John 13-17 are all about the Last Supper – Jesus’ final meal with his 12 disciples. Judas walked out to arrange his betrayal. Jesus spent time commissioning them for service and preparing them for his imminent departure. Peter said he’d follow Jesus anywhere (end of Ch 13), but Jesus said that Peter would deny him 3 times that night… It all ended with Jesus’ prayer in John 17, praying for those men and for us here today.
So they’ve left there and gone just east of Jerusalem. They’re in a private garden. Read John 18:1-3.
Don’t think Judas was someone important. When it says, “Judas took a company of soldiers” he was just the guide. And the Roman soldiers were there to make sure there was no dangerous rebellion or riot about to kick off. There was a strong Roman presence in Jerusalem at Passover because national passions were so high. So they were armed and dangerous; and others were with them with “lanterns, torches, and weapons.”
They were on a hunt in the dark. The full moon would have helped, but the scene is dark, menacing, tense.
Now in a hunt, you don’t expect the hunted to come to you. Read John 18:4-6.
That “I am he” is literally, “I am.” And in John’s gospel (borrowing from Isaiah 40-55) that’s a loaded phrase, something only God would say. “Before Abraham was, I am.” “I am the Resurrection and the Life” etc. There’s nothing to say that the men realised they were in the presence of God in human flesh, but as readers we’re certainly to see it.
In any case, they all “stepped back and fell to the ground.” Partly that would be simple surprise – here’s the man they’re hunting, stepping forward into the light! But we can’t ignore the supernatural moment as the one who is the Light of the World stepped forward.
And every man there stepped back! Get that: Each man individually reacted to what he was seeing.
Judas was among them. He was “standing with them.” And not one of them said, “Look, lads, we may have got this wrong!” No-one would break ranks and ask who this Jesus really was. They regrouped, and went again: Read John 18:7-8,12.
Today, the world will tell you that the Bible isn’t true, that Jesus didn’t exist. They’ll tell you that what the Bible calls sin isn’t sin at all. “You be you.”
Will you do what Judas did, and stand with the world? Will you go with the flow of society?
Or will you think for yourself?
If you think all this is untrue, will you dare to ask, “Why do I believe what I believe?” And remember, Judas was so close to Jesus! He’d seen and heard and experienced so much in 3 years! Don’t presume just being here and being associated with churchy things is enough. Dig into your own thoughts and be clear. Be ready to break away from the flow of the world’s influence and ideas.
But then, some Christians are tempted to go too far the other way and become completely separate from the world. But Jesus has left us here – in the world but not of it. You’re to be part of the world, engaging with it, becoming all things to all people so that you might have opportunity to witness to them about Jesus. But watch out! You’ve already absorbed more of the world’s values that you realise – not least materialism! Live in the world, but don’t go with the flow of it.
Certainly socialise with unbelieving people – but be clear about your boundaries for Christ, and be clear in your mind about gospel intent. Stand with Christ; don’t go with the world’s flow.
You need to work that through in your own life and us together as a church. The world would like us to “modernise” and be more “progressive” – that is, to compromise on sin. And if we’re to be effective witnesses we certainly must remain contemporary in our style. But there’s absolutely no possibility of movement on the unchanging truth of God’s word. The gospel doesn’t change.
So don’t stand with the crowd or go with the flow. Equally:
Don’t justify denial (Peter)
In John 13, Peter told Jesus that he’d follow him anywhere. Peter was hot-headed and impetuous, but he was sincere too.
We often think of Peter as cowardly in this episode – “he was afraid of a servant girl!” – but there’s more to it than that. We’ve thought about the armed men who came to the garden. Read John 18:10. Jesus and 11 disciples. Judas, a company of soldiers, and officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. There might be 20 or 30 men, some of them armed, in near darkness lit only by some lanterns and torches. Imagine the violence, the shouting, the punches, grabs, the blood! Peter was a brave man to swing his sword against that lot!
But read John 18:11. Peter’s actions were misguided. He didn’t understand what Jesus was doing or why.
Jesus was going to his brutal death on purpose. From John 1 onwards, we’ve been constantly reminded that he is God in human flesh. He came to live a perfect life, so that he could lay down that life for you. Your sin deserves death and separation from God. And God came to take the punishment your sins have earned: The cup of God’s wrath against your rebellion. And he wasn’t about to let Peter’s misguided passion derail the plan to save you. Judas didn’t get it. Peter didn’t either (at that point).
But you? There is a full cup of God’s wrath against you. Will you drink it yourself, in hell, for all eternity? Or will you turn to God today, and seek his forgiveness, trusting that Jesus has taken that cup for you?
Back to Peter. He said he’d follow Jesus. He was brave. So read John 18:15-18.
Now notice, the girl asks “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” She knew the other disciple (probably John), and he’d just walked in. Her question isn’t obviously threatening. So why did Peter deny being Jesus’ disciple?
Maybe Peter feared arrest because of Malchus, the High Priest’s servant whose ear Peter cut with his sword! Maybe he just wanted to keep a low profile, to fit in, not stand out. Perhaps he was biding his time to see what would happen to Jesus.
But here’s the absolutely fatal flaw: For whatever reason, he justified his denial of Jesus because it gave him safe entry.
Why is that fatal? Because sin is cumulative. You harden your heart every time you sin. I play guitar. The skin on my left hand fingertips is dead and hard, without feeling as they press down the strings. Those fingers used to be as tender as the other hand, but repeated exposure to pain hardened the skin. Repeated exposure to sin, to refusing to listen to conscience, hardens your heart and deafens you to sense. So read John 18:25-27.
The first sin makes the second easier. The third follows a bit faster and easier again. Each denial was a lie: It might seem to be “justifiable” to keep a low profile, but it was a gross sin. It was a denial of Jesus’ love.
Now you might not be as blunt as Peter. But you do sin. And you do harden your heart.
That might be obvious to the unbelieving people around you: They might not say it, but they think it: “They call themselves a Christian, but they speak like that / act like that?” You deny Christ’s salvation, his power, and even his worth when you sin.
And you will continue to add sin to sin until you repent, and go back to him. You can do that today; he will forgive and reset you.
There’s been a trend in recent years for Christian professional footballers to be more open about their faith. It’s gone down surprisingly well. So much better than Peter trying to keep a low profile!
Be clear and open about your faith – in work, in conversation. We watched one of the Passion for Life videos where someone advocating speaking about “church and…” Monday morning conversation: “Get up to anything nice at the weekend?” “Yes, I went to church and…” “It was lovely to see so many families,” “I heard a really interesting/challenging/encouraging sermon,” “I had a great chat with someone about…” The alternative – silence – can be a form of denial.
In work, or in your circle of friends, or neighbourhood, be known as someone who does good, puts right, is trustworthy, faithful, honest – and you’re all those things because you’re a Christian.
Maybe you feel a bit anxious about standing out? You’d perhaps rather take Peter’s route, and keep your head down. But remember that Peter was deeply ashamed of this. And also remember that that’s what Peter was like before he was filled with the Holy Spirit. You are filled with the Holy Spirit of power, and you have a better understanding of the gospel than Peter did at that point.
So now:
Keep eyes ahead on Christ (Jesus)
So let’s take a look at Jesus. Always a good thing to do!
He was taken to Annas. A High Priest was supposed to stay in office until he died, but the Romans appointed them as they saw fit. So Annas was replaced by his son-in-law Caiaphas, though the Jews still respected Annas as a High Priest, albeit unofficially.
So Jesus was taken to Annas’s garden: Read John 18:19.
Why ask Jesus about his disciples and his teaching? The Jewish authorities feared the loss of power and control, and they were worried about false teaching. Jesus replied: Read John 18:20-21.
Now Jesus had taught in houses, from boats, on mountainsides, and on roads, but what he taught there was the same as what he taught in synagogues and at the temple. He spoke in more detail in private, but anyone was welcome to hear that, and the teaching was essentially the same everywhere. He spoke only truth. And he spoke it everywhere. Jesus had nothing to hide. He had nothing he would want to hide – his mission was to lead you into eternal truth!
So why was he so intent on going to his crucifixion? Go back to John 18:11 (read).
What drove Jesus forward? Obedience to the Father. He kept his eyes fixed ahead – even beyond the cross. Jesus kept his eyes on saving you. He had an absolute cast-iron resolution of will to save you. He did that with a certainty of resurrection, and the prospect of returning to glory with the Father.
In the face of opposition, he looked to life. Faced with armed men, he stepped forward. Challenged by a kangaroo court, he spoke truth openly. This is the God who came to save you.
If you have never come to him, do so now. He will hear you. Meditate on Christ’s determination to save you, and praise him. Make life choices with eternity in mind. Your eternity and others’. That will affect what you do with your time and money. Your hopes for eternity for you and those around you should be evident in your diary for this week, or in your prayers at least.
Christ is the communication and representation of the Father to the church today, mediated to you by the Holy Spirit. We preach Christ in this church to help you keep your eyes ahead on him. Because it’s only when you are motivated by his love and strengthened by his union with you by the Spirit that you will have the strength and desire to live for him.
Don’t go with the flow; don’t justify denial. Keep your eyes ahead on Christ, now and forever.