Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of John’s Gospel – Part 11 Once the meal scene has ended John tells his readers that Jesus and his followers go to a garden to the east of Jerusalem. Although John does not mention the Mount of Olives or Gethsemane it is clear that he is talking about the same events that Mark and the others were talking about. Once in the garden, John does not mention Jesus going off to pray and struggling with his decision to follow God’s will. There is no Garden of Gethsemane scene in John’s gospel, but we have already noted that at the end of the public ministry of Jesus, John tells his readers that Jesus was deeply sorrowful and in agony asks whether he should ask God to take this cup from him and decides there that he will not avoid what is coming for that is the very purpose for which God had sent him. And even here in John’s story, following the arrest of Jesus, Jesus says to his followers, “Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” Instead of telling the story of Jesus in agonizing prayer John moves on to tell of his arrest at the instigation of Judas. The scene John portrays is filled with drama. Jesus asks who they are looking for and went they tell him they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus responds with the divine “I am!” The God-man is who they unknowingly seek. At the words of Jesus all fall to the ground in worship. That’s how you respond in the presence of God. So Jesus must ask a second time who it is they seek. And this time Jesus is arrested. Rather than depicting the disciples as all fleeing, John tells his readers that Jesus asks that they be allowed to go and they are. Jesus is now brought to the home of the high priest; but, in contrast with the other gospels, no trial occurs. In John’s gospel Jesus has already been tried in absentia and found guilty. It is only a matter of bringing Jesus before Pilate for the Roman trial. In the midst of detention of Jesus at the home of the high priest, John tells the same story of the denial of Jesus by Peter and the crowing of the cock to signal Peter’s failure. John does add one interesting note to the story. Not only Peter follows to the home of the high priest but one the other disciples, the “beloved disciple” follows too and he is the one who enables Peter to enter the courtyard since he is known to the high priest. The role of the beloved disciple is emerging more and more in John’s gospel.