The first half of John’s Gospel, the Book of Signs (chapters 1-12) is the account of Jesus’ public ministry with special emphasis on his miraculous signs. The second half of John’s Gospel, the Book of Glory (chapters 13-21) begins with Jesus’ words to his disciples in the Upper Room. Jesus teaches at length and then prays in a way that emphasizes his office as our Great High Priest (chapter 17). Having prepared them to the degree that they were able, Jesus leads the eleven across the brook Kidron into the Garden of Gethsemane where he will once again meet his betrayer.

The Farewell Discourse (chapters 13-17) was a time of preparation for the coming darkness. Chapters 18-19 represent the hour of great darkness. The tragedy of Jesus’ betrayal at the hands of Judas is only heightened by the three-fold denial of Peter following his arrest. The religious authorities, led by Annas and Caiaphas, the High Priest, seem to have finally won. Theirs is a story of wicked collusion. It is also the story of leadership betrayed as the shepherds of Israel stubbornly fail to recognize the Messiah.

But John reminds us that these events were the fulfillment of prophesy. At no point was Jesus the victim of random circumstance. Even the deliberate plotting of the religious leaders will be found to serve God’s purpose that one man should die for the people (vs. 14). “Succeeding where Adam failed, Jesus Christ entered into the garden and surrendered himself to the betrayal of the world, not by force but by his self-surrendered will, in order to drink the cup of suffering from the Father for the salvation of the world” (Klink, 729).