And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
In the garden of Gethsemane on Passover night Judas leads an armed band to Jesus, and after greeting Him as a familiar friend with repeated kisses they lay violent hands on Him and take Him into custody toward trial and crucifixion. As Judas comes close Jesus answers him with gentle words calling him friend and asking why he has come, joining it with rebuke for betraying Him with a kiss. The question is a sorrowful, trembling final appeal meant to awaken his conscience, touch his stubborn heart and break it over the wrong he is doing. Judas stands bold and defiant with no remorse or tenderness, having given himself to Satan's control, yet even then Jesus meets him without anger or retaliation and remains willing to forgive and save him if he would yield. Jesus allows the seizure as fulfilling Scripture and drinking the cup given by the Father, restraining Peter, healing the wounded servant and bearing insult with dignity, thereby giving His followers an example to treat their enemies with the same forbearance.
Gethsemane Arrest Setting
The arrest happens in the garden of Gethsemane on Passover night, under a broad full Passover moon shining from a cloudless sky while the city of pilgrims' tents is hushed into silence. He approaches the garden utterly sad and silent, with a strange deepening sadness His companions mark but dare not question. His form sways as if about to fall, every step is taken with labored effort, and He groans aloud as if suffering under the pressure of a terrible burden, so that twice His companions support Him lest He fall to the earth.
After a life walked in the light of God's presence, He nears the garden strangely silent and exceeding sorrowful, seeming shut out from God's sustaining presence. He bears the guilt of fallen humanity, numbered with transgressors with the iniquity of all laid upon Him who knew no sin. In the garden He is in conflict with satanic agencies striving to divorce Him from God, a conflict He will not yield in. He has gone without food or drink since the Passover supper with His disciples, and His conflict after long agony is so terrible that great drops of blood come from the pores of His skin onto the ground.
Judas leads a band of men and soldiers carrying staves and spears into the garden at midnight. After the kiss they lay hands on Jesus and take Him into custody. That seizure begins His movement through the tribunals to Annas, then to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, then to Herod and back to Pilate, toward condemnation and crucifixion.
Even as the soldiers take Him He remains in control, for He could release His hands from their hold but allows the arrest as fulfilling Scripture and drinking the cup given Him by the Father. He stops Peter's attempt to defend Him and heals the wounded servant's ear. Even in this hour of trial He thinks of His beloved disciples and does not want them to suffer prison and death with Him. Through the night He bears insult upon insult and mockery upon mockery and is twice tortured by the scourge, bearing Himself with dignity and speaking no word but what tends to glorify God.
When Judas boldly touches the form so recently glorified, the murderous throng regains assurance and grows bold. They then lay violent hands on Jesus and bind those precious hands that had ever been employed in doing good. The sight of Judas touching Him restores the crowd's courage to seize Him.
That taking into custody begins the abuse of His person, the pressing of the crown of thorns into His temples and the driving of nails through His hands and feet on the cross. It belongs to His humiliation in which He, though Creator and Sustainer of the world, submitted to insult, accusation, shame and abuse. In betrayal and seizure He suffered for humanity.
Christ's Appeal to Judas
Judas comes close as a familiar friend, takes Jesus by the hand, greets Him with Hail, Master, and kisses Him repeatedly, pretending to weep in sympathy while carrying out the signal of betrayal. To that kiss Jesus answers, Friend, wherefore art thou come, joining the question with the rebuke over betraying the Son of man with a kiss. His voice trembles with sorrow as He speaks gently to the deluded betrayer. His gentle, sorrowful words are a touching final appeal meant to rouse the betrayer's conscience, touch his stubborn heart, break his heart, and call him to recognize the wrong he is doing.
Judas stands bold and defiant with no disposition to relent, showing no remorse, tenderness, honor, fidelity, or shame. Honor and human tenderness have utterly forsaken him, for he has given himself up to Satan's control and has no power to resist. Jesus does not refuse or reject the traitor's kiss and does not resist the mob's seizure, but meets the betrayal without anger or retaliation. In this He shows gentleness and longsuffering, and forbearance, love, and pity without parallel and exceptional beyond measure.
Even while being betrayed He is willing to save Judas and makes a final appeal to save him from ruin. Judas still had hope of forgiveness and salvation if he had confessed his betrayal and yielded to Christ, for Jesus was ready to forgive him as He later saved the thief on the cross. In not rejecting the kiss He gives an example that His disciples must treat their enemies in the same way He treated His, with forbearance, love, and pity.
Betrayer's Path and Warning
Judas had been received among Jesus and the disciples and given the full benefit of His teaching and example so that he could recognize and correct his faults, with the same opportunities to learn as the other disciples. He remained only a hearer and not a doer, failing to live out the lessons he heard and to let Christ shape his character. By cherishing sin and resisting reproof he refused correction and yielded to evil until he betrayed his Master when the opportunity came.
His religion was superficial and divided, for he sacrificed Christ for selfish gain rather than committing his life to Him. He was convinced Jesus would not allow Himself to be taken, and eagerly watched for Him to surprise His enemies by appearing before them as the Son of God and setting at naught all their plots and power. Instead Jesus meekly submitted to abuse and suffered Himself to be tried and condemned to death. When Judas saw this his heart smote him as he realized he had sold his divine Master to shame and death for a few pieces of silver, remembering how kind and considerate Jesus had ever been to him with remorse and anguish, and despising the covetousness that had tempted him.
Jesus knew the betrayal, the agony in Gethsemane, and the crucifixion awaited Him, and He opened these future scenes beforehand to prepare and strengthen His true followers. That condemnation, humiliation, and rejection formed a great trial of faith, and He made it known in advance so they would not be overwhelmed when it came. The betrayal shows how those who profess godliness while clinging to evil may betray those who reprove them for their good, and it stands as an example of serving Satan, as do professed believers who act as accusers of their fellow believers. Its setting warns against acting as a betrayer; instead Christ's followers are to follow His example and continue the work He came to do. His seizure and handing over to the authorities is a picture of evangelical Christians being attacked, described as Christ having again fallen into the hands of Caiaphas and Pilate.
In the garden of Gethsemane on Passover night Judas leads an armed band to Jesus, and after greeting Him as a familiar friend with repeated kisses they lay violent hands on Him and take Him into custody toward trial and crucifixion. As Judas comes close Jesus answers him with gentle words calling him friend and asking why he has come, joining it with rebuke for betraying Him with a kiss. The question is a sorrowful, trembling final appeal meant to awaken his conscience, touch his stubborn heart and break it over the wrong he is doing. Judas stands bold and defiant with no remorse or tenderness, having given himself to Satan's control, yet even then Jesus meets him without anger or retaliation and remains willing to forgive and save him if he would yield. Jesus allows the seizure as fulfilling Scripture and drinking the cup given by the Father, restraining Peter, healing the wounded servant and bearing insult with dignity, thereby giving His followers an example to treat their enemies with the same forbearance.
Gethsemane Arrest Setting
The arrest happens in the garden of Gethsemane on Passover night, under a broad full Passover moon shining from a cloudless sky while the city of pilgrims' tents is hushed into silence. He approaches the garden utterly sad and silent, with a strange deepening sadness His companions mark but dare not question. His form sways as if about to fall, every step is taken with labored effort, and He groans aloud as if suffering under the pressure of a terrible burden, so that twice His companions support Him lest He fall to the earth.
After a life walked in the light of God's presence, He nears the garden strangely silent and exceeding sorrowful, seeming shut out from God's sustaining presence. He bears the guilt of fallen humanity, numbered with transgressors with the iniquity of all laid upon Him who knew no sin. In the garden He is in conflict with satanic agencies striving to divorce Him from God, a conflict He will not yield in. He has gone without food or drink since the Passover supper with His disciples, and His conflict after long agony is so terrible that great drops of blood come from the pores of His skin onto the ground.
Judas leads a band of men and soldiers carrying staves and spears into the garden at midnight. After the kiss they lay hands on Jesus and take Him into custody. That seizure begins His movement through the tribunals to Annas, then to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, then to Herod and back to Pilate, toward condemnation and crucifixion.
Even as the soldiers take Him He remains in control, for He could release His hands from their hold but allows the arrest as fulfilling Scripture and drinking the cup given Him by the Father. He stops Peter's attempt to defend Him and heals the wounded servant's ear. Even in this hour of trial He thinks of His beloved disciples and does not want them to suffer prison and death with Him. Through the night He bears insult upon insult and mockery upon mockery and is twice tortured by the scourge, bearing Himself with dignity and speaking no word but what tends to glorify God.
When Judas boldly touches the form so recently glorified, the murderous throng regains assurance and grows bold. They then lay violent hands on Jesus and bind those precious hands that had ever been employed in doing good. The sight of Judas touching Him restores the crowd's courage to seize Him.
That taking into custody begins the abuse of His person, the pressing of the crown of thorns into His temples and the driving of nails through His hands and feet on the cross. It belongs to His humiliation in which He, though Creator and Sustainer of the world, submitted to insult, accusation, shame and abuse. In betrayal and seizure He suffered for humanity.
Christ's Appeal to Judas
Judas comes close as a familiar friend, takes Jesus by the hand, greets Him with Hail, Master, and kisses Him repeatedly, pretending to weep in sympathy while carrying out the signal of betrayal. To that kiss Jesus answers, Friend, wherefore art thou come, joining the question with the rebuke over betraying the Son of man with a kiss. His voice trembles with sorrow as He speaks gently to the deluded betrayer. His gentle, sorrowful words are a touching final appeal meant to rouse the betrayer's conscience, touch his stubborn heart, break his heart, and call him to recognize the wrong he is doing.
Judas stands bold and defiant with no disposition to relent, showing no remorse, tenderness, honor, fidelity, or shame. Honor and human tenderness have utterly forsaken him, for he has given himself up to Satan's control and has no power to resist. Jesus does not refuse or reject the traitor's kiss and does not resist the mob's seizure, but meets the betrayal without anger or retaliation. In this He shows gentleness and longsuffering, and forbearance, love, and pity without parallel and exceptional beyond measure.
Even while being betrayed He is willing to save Judas and makes a final appeal to save him from ruin. Judas still had hope of forgiveness and salvation if he had confessed his betrayal and yielded to Christ, for Jesus was ready to forgive him as He later saved the thief on the cross. In not rejecting the kiss He gives an example that His disciples must treat their enemies in the same way He treated His, with forbearance, love, and pity.
Betrayer's Path and Warning
Judas had been received among Jesus and the disciples and given the full benefit of His teaching and example so that he could recognize and correct his faults, with the same opportunities to learn as the other disciples. He remained only a hearer and not a doer, failing to live out the lessons he heard and to let Christ shape his character. By cherishing sin and resisting reproof he refused correction and yielded to evil until he betrayed his Master when the opportunity came.
His religion was superficial and divided, for he sacrificed Christ for selfish gain rather than committing his life to Him. He was convinced Jesus would not allow Himself to be taken, and eagerly watched for Him to surprise His enemies by appearing before them as the Son of God and setting at naught all their plots and power. Instead Jesus meekly submitted to abuse and suffered Himself to be tried and condemned to death. When Judas saw this his heart smote him as he realized he had sold his divine Master to shame and death for a few pieces of silver, remembering how kind and considerate Jesus had ever been to him with remorse and anguish, and despising the covetousness that had tempted him.
Jesus knew the betrayal, the agony in Gethsemane, and the crucifixion awaited Him, and He opened these future scenes beforehand to prepare and strengthen His true followers. That condemnation, humiliation, and rejection formed a great trial of faith, and He made it known in advance so they would not be overwhelmed when it came. The betrayal shows how those who profess godliness while clinging to evil may betray those who reprove them for their good, and it stands as an example of serving Satan, as do professed believers who act as accusers of their fellow believers. Its setting warns against acting as a betrayer; instead Christ's followers are to follow His example and continue the work He came to do. His seizure and handing over to the authorities is a picture of evangelical Christians being attacked, described as Christ having again fallen into the hands of Caiaphas and Pilate.