Have you ever misplaced the TV remote because you laid it down somewhere without thinking, stored something away for safekeeping and later forgot where you put it, or inadvertently left your credit card at a restaurant? Sure, you have. We all know what it feels like to lose something. But there are some of us who also know the other side of that emotion. They know what it’s like to feel lost. And that’s what John 18:7-9 speaks to.
The troops dispatched by the religious leaders to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane were picking themselves up off the ground. They’d stumbled backward in an involuntary response to the majesty on display in the Lord’s fearless acknowledgment that HE was the one they were looking for. And as they were getting back to their feet, verses 7-8 quote him giving them a second chance to identify the subject of their arrest warrant before once again confirming that HE was their target.
After that, referring to his disciples, he said, “If you seek me, let these go their way.” That selfless sentence reveals the depth of his concern for his followers, but it also reveals something else. The Greek word translated as let is a forceful verb and makes clear Jesus wasn’t PLEADING for their safety. He was DEMANDING it. And the power behind his directive was so great the soldiers complied even after Peter drew a sword and attacked a representative of the high priest.
Then, verse 9 describes why Jesus was so emphatic with that mandate by reminding us of something he’d just prayed on the way to the Garden. He’d told his Father, “Of those whom you gave me I have lost none” (see John 17:12). That night in Gethsemane, the Lord wasn’t negotiating the terms of his surrender. He was keeping a promise.
And although that promise directly applied to his first disciples, he’s also quoted in the prayer that contains it as saying, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:20). So, he clearly included all of us following in the footsteps of their faith under the canopy of its provisions.
It’s also evident he meant it to encompass more than just physical safety. The word translated as lost is a word expansive enough to accommodate every form of loss including emotional, relational, vocational, financial, and spiritual. Regardless of the conditions or circumstances that may cause any of us to feel otherwise, in Jesus, we are always found. He has promised to keep us in the firm but tender grip of his steadfast love.
This passage reveals the intensity of our Lord’s commitment to keep those the Father has given him. And a reflection of that intensity is familiar to every parent who’s ever experienced losing their child in a crowd. It’s as though everything else in the universe fades to black, and there’s one – and only one – thing that remains: the desire to find your baby. And Christ’s parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son in Luke 15 make clear he pursues and preserves those he loves with the same type of consuming focus.
So, if you’re feeling lost – misplaced, forgotten, left behind, adrift, or hidden – in any area of our life, Jesus had you mind when he spoke these words. Make the choice to reject the false narrative of your lostness and trust instead in the power of his promise.