He appoints a signal to distinguish Jesus. Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns, and torches, and weapons. 353 clxxxiii. the chief priests and Jewish officers, sent for that purpose from the SECT. chief priests and other Pharisees belonging to the sanhedrim, who were chiefly concerned in John this affair, comes thither with torches and lamps, XVIII.3 and hostile weapons; which they brought with them, though it was now full moon, to use their arms, if they should meet with any opposition, or to discover him by their lights, if he should go about to hide himself, as they foolishly imagined he might, among the private walks or other recesses of the garden. MARK XIV. 43. And immediately while he yet spake, [lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came,] and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, XIV. 43 And immediately, while he was yet speaking to Mark his disciples, and giving them the alarm mentioned in the close of the last section, behold, this very Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came into the garden, and with him a great multitude of from the chief priests, persons of very different stations and offices in and the scribes, and life, who were sent with authority from the chief the elders [of the peo- priests, and scribes, and elders of the people; and, ple.] [MAT. XXVI. 47. LUKE XXII.47.-- more effectually to execute their orders, they were armed with swords and staves, to seize him by violence, if any resistance should be made to the attempt; and there were also with them some persons of superior rank and quality, who, full of impatient and malicious zeal, could not forbear mingling themselves with the dregs of the people upon this infamous occasion. (See Luke 44 And he that be- xxii. 52, p. 358.) Now he that betrayed 44 trayed him [LUKE, him went a little before the rest of them; [and] and] had given them a that they might not be mistaken in the person, token saying, Whom- he had given them a signal, by which they might soever I shall kiss, that distinguish Jesus from any others who might [hold him fast,] and chance to be with him, saying, He whom I lead him away safely. shall kiss at my first entering into the garden is [MAT. XXVI. LUKE XXII.—47.—] sure therefore to lay hold of him immediately, and 48; the person you are commissioned to take; be lead him away safely; for he has sometimes made strange escapes from those that have attempted to take him, and if he get away from you after this signal it will be your fault, and not mine. And went before them, same is he; take him, b Had given them a signal.] As those that came to apprehend him were strangers to Jesus, and it was now night, and there were twelve persons together, probably dressed much alike, such a signal might be thought more necessary. He whom I shall kiss is the person.] It is indeed probable, as Dr. Guyse and others observe, that our Lord, in great condescension, had used (according to the Jewish custom) to permit his disciples d Lead him away safely; for he has some- $54 45 And as soon as he was come, he [LUKE, drew near un Judas betrays the Son of man with a kiss. SECT. And accordingly, being come into the garden, he clxxxiii. drew near to Jesus to kiss him, as a signal to the Mark Company to seize him; [and] going directly to to Jesus to kiss him; XIV. 45 him, with an air of the greatest respect, as if he and] goeth straighthad been impatient of his absence during those way to him, and saith, few hours which had passed since he saw him ter; and kissed him. [Hail] Master, Maslast, and was quite transported with joy to meet [MAT. XXVI. 49. him again, he said, with the fairest appearances LUKE XXII.—47.] of duty and friendship, Hail to thee, Rabbi, Rabbi! May the greatest pleasure and happiness continually attend thee! And upon this he Mat. kissed him. But Jesus, well understanding the MAT. XXVI. 50.— 50 prefidious purposes concealed under this fond [But] Jesus said unto address, answered with great mildness, yet with art thou come? [Jubecoming spirit, and said to him, Friend, where- das, betrayest thou the fore art thou come? and whence is all this cere- kiss?] [LUKE XXII. mony and transport? Think of it, Judas! Is 48.1 this the friendship thou hast so often boasted? Alas, dost thou betray him whom thou canst not but know to be the Son of man with such a treacherous kiss? And dost thou think that he can be imposed upon by this poor artifice? or that God, who has promised him so glorious and triumphant a kingdom, will not punish such baseness and cruelty to him? XXVI John XVIII.4 him, Friend, wherefore Son of man with a JOHN XVIII. 4. Jesus therefore knowing all things that should forth Then Jesus, though he fully understood what was to follow this perfidious salutation, as knowing all the dreadful things that were coming up- come upon him, went on him, yet did not attempt to escape, or to withdraw himself out of the power of his enemies; nevertheless, he determined to shew them that he could easily have done it ; and therefore, as they now, upon the signal that was given liverance; though he had so expressly de- e Dost thou betray the Son of man with a f Knowing all things that were coming upon him.] Our Lord not only knew in general that he should suffer some great evil, and even death itself, but was acquainted them also with all the particular circumstances of ignominy and horror that should attend his sufferings which accordingly he largely foretold (see Mat. xx. 18, 19, and the parallel places, p. 132), though many of these circumstances were as contingent as can well be imagined.-It is impossible to enter aright into the heroic behaviour of our Lord Jesus Christ, without carrying this circumstance along with us. The critics are in raptures at the gallantry of Achilles in going to the Trojan war, when he knew (according to Homer) that he should fall there: but he must have a very low way of thinking who does not see infinitely more fortitude in our Lord's conduct on this great eccasion, when this circumstance, so judiciously though so modestly suggested by St. John, is duly attended to. & They Jesus comes forward, and his enemies fall to the ground. 355 forth, and said unto them, were drawing near to seize him, he went SECT. them, Whom seek ye? forth towards his enemies, and said to them, with clxxxiii. the greatest composure of mind, Whom do you John 5 They answered, come to seek here? And they were so con- XVIII.5 him, Jesus of Naza- founded at the air of majesty and intrepidity reth, Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And with which he appeared, that without saying Judas also which be- they were come for him, they only answered trayed him, stood with him, We are come to seek Jesus the Nazarene. them. Jesus says to them, You have the person then before you; I am [he.] And Judas also who betrayed him, then stood with them; and he who formerly had followed Christ as one of his disciples, now sorted with his open and avowed 6 As soon then as enemies: Then as soon as he said to them, 6 he had said unto them I am [he,] there went forth such a secret enerI am he, they went backward and fell to gy of Divine power with those words, that all the ground. their united force was utterly unable to resist it; so that they presently drew back, as afraid to approach him, though unarmed and unguarded; and fell at once to the ground, as if they had 7 Then asked he been struck with lightning. Yet a few mo them again, Whom ments after, recovering from this consternation, seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Naza- they arose and rallied again; and then as they came up the second time, he asked them again, Whom do you seek? And they said to him as before, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus answered them, I have already told you that I am [he] If therefore you seek me alone, vou may let these my companions and friends go their way in safety h; and indeed I shall insist upon that as a condition of surrendering myself to you, which you may easily perceive I could refuse, if I thought reth. 8 Jesus answered, I have told you that ye seek me, let these go their way: I am he. If therefore g They drew back, and fell to the ground.] As there were scribes and priests among them, they must have read of the destruction of those companies which came to seize the prophet Elijah, (2 Kings i. 10, 12.) a fact which bore so great a resemblance to this, that it is an amazing instance of the most obdurate wickedness, that they should venture to renew the assault on Christ, after so sensible an experience both of his power and mercy. Nothing seems more probable, than that these wretches might endeavour to persuade themselves, and their attendants, that this strange repulse was effected by some demon in confederacy with Jesus, who opposed the execution of justice upon him; and they might, perhaps, ascribe it to the special providence of God, rather than to the indulgence of Jesus, that they had received no far VOL. VII. fit. ther damage. The most corrupt heart h Let these go their way] What tender- Y y 356 They seize upon Jesus, and Peter cuts off Malchus's ear. clxxxiii. 66 SECT. fit. And this he said, that the saying he uttered 9 That the saying before might farther be illustrated and accom- might be fulfilled, John plished, Of those whom thou, my heavenly them which thou gavwhich he spake, Of XVIII.9 Father, hast given me, I have lost, and will lose, est me, have I lost none i (See John xvii. 12. p. 335.) Mat. XXVI. XXII.49 51 none. Then came they, and Jesus, and took him. laid [their] hands on Now [MARK XIV. 46.] LUKE XXII. 49. When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? MAT. XXVI. 51. them which were with And then, as he was speaking this, they that MAT. XXVI. 50. 50 were sent to apprehend him came, and laid their hands upon Jesus, and took him prisoner without his making any manner of resistance. Luke upon this, when his disciples saw that they had seized him, and began to apprehend what would be the consequence of these things, they said to him, Lord, shall we smite these impious wretches with the sword? for we doubt not, but as few as we are, thou canst render us Mat. victorious over this armed multitude. And, XXVI. without staying for his answer, behold, one of And behold one of them that were with Jesus, [even] Simon Peter, Jesus, [JOHN, even Sihaving a sword, stretched out his hand, and drew mon Peter, having a it with a rash inconsiderate zeal, and smote a sword,] stretched out servant of the high-priest, whose name was Mal- drew it, and] struck a his hand, and [JOHN, chus, who was one of the forwardest, and seem- servant of the highed peculiarly officious in seizing Christ': and priest's, [JOHN, and he struck full at his head, intending to cleave cut off his right ear. him down, but the stroke glanced a little on one side, so that he only cut off his right ear. Then Jesus, being determined to surrender himself into the hands of his enemies, and still to shew that such a surrender was the effect, not of compulsion, but of choice, said unto Peter, [the sheath]; for all Return thy sword into the sheath again: for 1 sword, they that take the will not have recourse to this, or any other me- with the sword. [JOHN shall perish thod of defence and indeed, all that take the XVIII. 11.-] sword shall perish by the sword, and they that are most ready to take up arms are commonly 52 : i. I have lost none.] Jansenius justly observes, that it was a remarkable instance of the power of Christ over the spirits of men, that they so far obeyed his word as not to seize Peter when he had cut off the ear of Malchus; or John, while he stood by the cross, though they must know them to have been of the number of his most intimate associates. Even Simon Peter.] None of the evangelists but John mentions the name of Peter on this occasion; which, perhaps, the others omitted, lest it should expose him to any prosecution; but John, writing long after his death, necded no such precaution. 1 Smote a servant of the high-priest, &c.] One would have thought, as Bishop Hall the Malchus.] [MARK The servant's name was XIV. 47. LUKE XXII. 50. JOHN XVIII. 10.] unto [Peter,] Put up 52 Then said Jesus again thy sword into observes, he should rather have struck Judas; but the traitor, perhaps, on giving the signal had mingled himself with the crowd; or Peter might not understand the treacherous design of his kiss; or seeing Malchus more eager than the rest in all other resentments to indulge the prehis attack on Christ, he might postpone might seem a courageous action, it was sent sally of his indignation.-Though this really very imprudent; and had not Christ by some secret influence overawed their spirits, it is very probable (as the pious Sir Matthew Hale observes) that only Peter, but the rest of the apostles, Contemplations, p. 254. would have been cut to pieces. (Hale's not to my Father, and he Peter is rebuked for using his sword. 357 clxxxiii. Mat. the first that will fall by them; which might SECT. be intended as an intimation that the Jews, who were now drawing the sword against him, should ere long perish by it in a very miserable man- XXVI. ner, as they quickly after did in the Roman war; 52 and that the sword of Divine vengeance, in one form or another, would quickly find out all his 53 Thinkest thou implacable enemies. And besides, Peter, dost 53 that I cannot now pray thou think that I want the aid of thy feeble shall presently give me arm, and that I cannot now entreat my Father, more than twelve le- and have such interest with him, that he would gions of angels? presently furnish me with a celestial army for my guard, marshalled in dreadful array, and consisting of more than twelve legions of angels? But how then, if I should thus stand on 54 my defence, shall the scriptures be fulfilled, even the very prophecies which I came to accomplish, which have so expressly foretold, that thus it must be? Or how should I approve my JOHN XVIII.-11. submission to him that sent me? You only look John The cup which my at second causes, and have but an imperfect XVIII. view of things; but I consider all the sufferings I am now to meet as under a Divine direction and appointment, and regard them as the cup which my Father has given me; and, when considered in that view, shall I not willingly submit to drink it? Shall I not acquiesce in what I know to be his will? or would it be the part of a dutiful and affectionate Son to dispute the determinations of his paternal wisdom and love? 54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 12 Then the band, and the captain, and officers of the Jews, took Jesus, and bound him. 11 Then without any opposition he surrendered 12 himself into the hands of those that came to apprehend him and all uniting in their enmity against him, the band of Roman soldiers, with the captain at their head, and the Jewish officers that came with them, seized Jesus as a malefactor, and presently bound him to prevent his LUKE XXII. 51. escape. But as they were binding him, Jesus Luke And Jesus answered answered and said, Suffer ye at least that I thus far. And he have my hands at liberty thus far, and stay but touched for a moment, while I add one act of power and compassion to those I have already done and and said, Suffer ye m More than twelve legions of angels.] The Roman armies were composed of legions, which did not always consist of the same number of men, but are computed at this time to have contained above six thousand; and twelve legions were more than were commonly intrusted with their may calling greatest generals. (See note e on Luke He XXII.51 |