9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”
10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” John 18:7-11.
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Regarding the fulfillment of His word, it is likely that Jesus was referring to what he said in the prior chapter, John 17:12: “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”
Many, including myself, use John 17:12 to teach eternal salvation such as taught in the “P” of “TULIP” which is “Perseverance of the Saints a/k/a Preservation of the Saints”.
And yet here, in John 18:9, the fulfillment was not some eternal salvation such as taught in the “P” of “TULIP”. Here, in John 18:9, the fulfillment was an earthly deliverance from being arrested along with Jesus at this time.
There can be double fulfillment, and I do believe that is the case here. But, we should not ignore the earthly fulfillment. I think there is also an important lesson to be learned when we focus on the earthly fulfillment in today’s Scripture.
We want to do God’s Will while we are on earth in addition to be eternally saved. The disciples likewise intended to be able to be faithful and loyal to Jesus and to stick by His side. Jesus told them many times that He would be arrested, suffer, and die.
In Matthew 26:31-33, we read about Peter’s intent: “Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” But Peter exclaimed: “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.”
Likewise, “the sons of Zebedee” were confident that they also would be faithful and loyal to Jesus. In Matthew 20, 22-23, we read: “But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
And yet, here we also see the fulfillment of the Word quoted by Jesus: “‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED”.
However, rather than Jesus using this “scattered sheep” Word at this time in the face of His disciples to rebuke or shame them, Jesus turns the focus on Himself and fulfills another Word by staing: “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”
Likewise, when Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus did not condemn him by saying: “I told you so!”. Rather, Jesus let the rooster do the crowing.
But, much more important than Jesus’ gentleness with His disciples, there is hope in this passage that the disciples too could drink the Cup that their Father gave them.
There may be times in our earthly life, like this one in the disciples’ life, that we think is most important. We too may think we totally blew it. But, we must have faith that Jesus will not lose us too. We can remember verses such as this Scripture for today (John 18:9), other verses such as Ephesians 2:10, and Philippians 1:6.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.
And, we also know that in addition to our Sovereign LORD accomplishing His work through us; we have a Sweet Savior Who will not condemn us when we fall, but instead, Who will intercede for us and love us.
“34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:34-39.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 