The kind of death Jesus embraced

This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die (John 18:32)

The Scenario

1. A band of soldiers and some officers from chief priests and the Pharisees were led by Judas to Gethsemane Garden (John 18:1-3)
2. They arrested Jesus in the Garden and brought him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas (John 18:12-14)
3. Annas, having had an informal examination of Jesus as to his disciples and his teaching, sent him (Jesus) to Caiaphas the current high priest (John 18:24,13)
4. Then there came a session, before the Sanhedrin, which decided to send Jesus to Pilate (Matt 26:57-68, Cf. John 18:28)
5. Basically, Jesus was handed over from Jewish authority to Roman authority for judgment
   1. Jesus would not be judged by the Jewish law
   2. Jesus would now be judged by the Roman law

This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken

1. Jesus sought to fulfill what the Scriptures said of Him
2. Jesus sought to fulfill what He had spoken
3. Both the Scriptures and the words that Jesus had spoken carry the same weight
   1. Jesus treated both of them equally
   2. We too must learn to imitate Jesus in this regard

The word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death…

1. There are two incidents where ‘the word that Jesus had spoken’ was fulfilled
   1. Jesus protected His disciples from being arrested (John 18:9, Cf. John 6:39-44)
   2. Jesus now sought to fulfill the word that He had spoken (John 18:32)
      1. He would die by being lifted up (John 3:14)
      2. He would suffer the crucifixion (John 12:32ff)
   3. Jesus would suffer crucifixion at the hands of the Romans
      1. The Jews could only stone Jesus to death; their law does not permit them to crucify anyone, regardless of the kind of sin committed
      2. Only the Romans could crucify a criminal
      3. Thus the Romans would crucify Jesus on the Cross
      4. Jesus’ crucifixion therefore fulfilled the kind of death He had intimated in all His teaching

Jesus had spoken of the kind of death he would suffer in advance. That was precisely the path Jesus chose to follow through thoroughly.