1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, 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.
John now enters into the closing scenes of our Lord’s ministry going from His intercession to His perfect sacrifice. In our verses for today, we see the beginnings of His betrayal by Judas, His trusted friend. Interestingly, King David was also betrayed by his friend and trusted advisor – Ahithophel - while crossing the Kidron Valley. It never ceases to amaze me the exceeding hardness of heart to which a backsliding professor can attain. It is a wonderful reminder to me to keep my accounts short with the Lord – running to Jesus for cleansing and forgiveness when the Spirit brings sin in my life to light rather than wallowing like a pig in the mud – getting me nowhere fast. We find recorded in 2 Samuel the following:
23 The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert. 2 Sam 15:23 (NIV)
30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31 Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "O LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness." 2 Sam 15:30-31 (NIV)
Friends may betray us – even those closest to us – yet Jesus never will. He tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us. Scripture also tells us:
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov 18:24 (NIV)
Judas was well aware of the place our Lord and His disciples were in the habit of frequently assembling to pray and refresh – ever content to find their shelter under trees, rocks and open air. Many a night our Lord spent with the sky as His ceiling and the stars as His light. Jesus’ practices and places of prayer were well known. Mark tells us more of Jesus’ prayer habits:
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 (NIV)
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Mark 6:45-46 (NIV)
“You know the value of prayer; it is precious beyond all price. Never, never neglect it.” Thomas Buxton
Our Lord’s actions of retreating to the same place for refreshment and prayer serves as an encouragement to those who habitually go to the same “prayer closet” to meet with the Lord. There is nothing wrong in loving one place over another for communion with Jesus. He sets forth that example for us Himself.
Judas “knew the place” because he had so often heard the Master teaching and praying there. How desperately hardened his heart must have become after being privy to observe and participate in so many seasons of spiritual refreshment yet evidently remaining unchanged. His history is meant to be a lesson for us all. We are not to be cavalier or carless in our walk of faith. Jeremiah tells us we must beware of our own hearts:
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jer 17:9-10 (NIV)
“This knowledge [of our own sinfulness], though it strikes man with terror and overwhelms him with despair, is nevertheless necessary for us in order that, stripped of our own righteousness, cast down from confidence in our own power, deprived of all expectation of life, we may learn through the knowledge of our own poverty, misery and disgrace to prostrate ourselves before the Lord, and by the awareness of our own wickedness, powerlessness, and ruin may give all credit for holiness, power and salvation to him.” John Calvin