The Arrest of Jesus - Matthew 26:47-56

©Copyright February 11, 2018 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

We have come to that point of our study of the book of Matthew where we are moving toward the crucifixion of Jesus. We will spend several weeks looking at what took place in only a few hours. The evening started with the Passover meal. Before 24 hours had passed, Jesus was dead and placed in a tomb.

During the Passover meal Jesus announced one of His disciples would betray Him. The time was short. Jesus could not be executed on the Sabbath (Saturday). If they left Him in jail, his followers would likely have created quite a scene. The Jewish leaders were facing a very small window of opportunity to pull off the execution. (Of course, this was all according to God’s plan.)

The only way they could do this was with a hurried trial, an early morning meeting with the Sanhedrin to confirm the verdict of death and then a Roman trial. The miscarriage of justice by their hurried proceedings is staggering.

We concluded last week with the prayer of Jesus in the Garden. He has just awakened the disciples when we pick up the account.

47And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.

50Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”

Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

52“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands* of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”

55Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Once again, there is a great deal going on. Let’s look at the principle figures one by one.

Judas

It seems clear that Judas was supposed to identify Jesus in the night. Even though it was a full moon (because it is Passover . . . which takes place at the first full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox (when the length of day and night are closest to being equal). The Jewish leaders were not going to take any chances. Judas would identify Jesus with a kiss. R.C. Sproul adds a very helpful perspective on what happened.

So much is wrong with this picture. First, Judas came up to Jesus, saying, “Greetings, Rabbi!” then kissed him. In the ancient Jewish world, there were certain protocols that were observed in the rabbi-student relationship, and these rules were never to be disobeyed. One of those rules was this: If ever a rabbi met one of his students on the street, the rabbi was to speak first, extending his greetings to his student, because the student was not above the master. It was considered exceedingly rude, presumptuous, and arrogant for a student to speak to his rabbi before the rabbi spoke to him. The rabbi was supposed to initiate the greeting. In the midst of his treachery, Judas violated this fundamental rule of courtesy. (Loc. 11847)

This act of presumption and disrespect shows no matter what reason Judas had for this act of betrayal, his heart was now calloused. This is the danger of sinful choices. Sin is like any other addiction. You tell yourself you can “quit at any time” but you just keep getting more and more calloused until you deaden your conscience beyond recognition. Before long, you can justify anything and you feel nothing.

Sometimes the cruelest wounds come from your closest friends. Perhaps this is because they have the most information to use against you. Beware of someone who comes to you and says, “I want to tell you something in love . . . “. Brace yourself, those words are often a warning they are about to blast away at you!

The Arrest Party

Matthew tells us there was a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. John gives us additional details.

The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. (John 18:2-12)

The word translated “contingent of Roman soldiers” (Speira) also was used to refer to a band of guards from the temple made up of some of the Levites. If this was a group of Roman foot soldiers it was likely part of a “cohort” (which numbered in the neighborhood of 400-600 men. It took 10 cohorts to make up a “legion”.) It is unlikely the Romans would have sent an entire cohort to arrest one man. Either way, the Jewish leaders did not skimp on the amount of men who came to arrest Jesus. Why?

It is possible they didn’t know how many people were going to be with Jesus and wanted to make sure there was no resistance. But it is also possible that they were intimidated by the power Jesus had evidenced in the past. There had been times when people tried to take Him before and He simply walked away through them. They were determined not to let Him get away this time.

The Disciples

The disciples were now wide awake. I suspect they were also terrified. When the arresting officers grabbed Jesus, Peter (John tells us the man who pulled his sword was Peter) was furious and pulled out his sword and took a swing at the head of the nearest man. It turns out that man was the servant of the High Priest. The servant must have tried to get his head out of the way of the sword and Peter got his ear. Peter was serious about defending Jesus to the death!

Before chaos and killing ensued Jesus put a stop to the violence and put the ear back on the man! Even this miracle did not deter the mob.

Jesus told Peter that drawing his sword was unwise because those live by the sword will die by the sword. Jesus was not making a statement about war. He was simply stating that violence provokes more violence. It is the same way arguing with someone just provokes further argument. You raise your voice and the other person will raise their voice, and now no one is listening, and everyone is yelling and angry. Nothing productive comes from this. Violence leads to more violence.

Second, Jesus told Peter the sword was unnecessary. Jesus didn’t need Peter’s sword. Jesus had the angels at His disposal! All He had to do was say the word and these soldiers would be toast! The Greek says Jesus could call 12 legions of angels (a legion (10 cohorts) is 4000-6000 soldiers . . . or in this case, angels). In other words, He could have called out 50,000-70,000 angels to come to His aid! Jesus was telling His disciples no amount of soldiers could take Him If He was not willing to be taken.

Third, Jesus said pulling out the sword was mistaken. Peter was trying to keep Jesus from what He came to do. This means he was fighting against the Father’s will. And that is never a good idea! The death of Jesus was necessary for Him to accomplish His purpose in coming: the redemption of all who would believe.

When Jesus was arrested, the disciples fled. It was probably what they needed to do for their own protection. Jesus did not train these men to die with Him . . . He trained them to carry the message of the gospel into the world. But it still had to be painful to have all your friends desert you. Max Lucado describes it as only he can,

All pledged loyalty, and yet all ran. From the outside looking in, all we see is betrayal. The disciples have left him. The people have rejected him. And God hasn’t heard him. Never has so much trash been dumped on one being. Stack all the disloyalties of deadbeat dads and cheating wives and prodigal kids and dishonest workers in one pile, and you begin to see what Jesus had to face that night. From a human point of view, Jesus’ world has collapsed. No answer from heaven, no help from the people, no loyalty from his friends.” (Just Like Jesus p.133)

This is a sad reminder of the human condition. We make great boasts of loyalty while things are going well. However, when things get difficult; when we meet opposition; when someone treats us unkind; when there is cost to our faith that is greater than we can easily pay; we turn away, we run, we abandon that which we said was most important in our lives. In the times of conflict, we find out what REALLY is most important in our lives.

Jesus

The one figure left in the story is the one in the spotlight: Jesus. The man who faced prayer with an anguished soul now is without fear.

First, He does not recoil from Judas. I suspect He looked him right in the eye. Can you imagine Jesus saying, “Really Judas, you are going to betray me with a kiss?” I suspect the look in the eyes of Jesus haunted Judas. Matthew said Jesus even called Judas, “friend”. I believe Jesus loved Judas right up until the end.

Second, Jesus stepped toward the soldiers. He did not cower; He did not look for a way of escape. He stepped forward because he was certain this was His Father’s will. John adds,

Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” (John 18:4-8)

The translation, “I am he” is deceptive. The “he” is not in the Greek. So, Jesus actually said, “I Am”. This is the name the Lord gave Moses when he asked God for His name. The soldiers drew back and fell to the ground. Even in these words the entourage sensed the power of God. Jesus had them on their heels.

Don’t miss what Jesus said next. He said, “Take me, and let these men go.” Jesus, was protecting His friends. He de-fused a potential bloody conflict by rebuking Peter and healing the ear of the servant of the High Priest. He acted quickly before tempers flared and people died.

Jesus even took some time to rebuke the Jewish leaders and their army. It is as if Jesus was saying, “Why all this cloak and dagger stuff? Why send the SWAT team? Have I ever acted in violence? Didn’t you have plenty of opportunity to arrest me in public Jesus let them know He knew they were engaged in a cowardly and illegal plot. Their motives were clear.

In all the chaos, betrayal, and disappointment, Jesus saw this moment as a necessary part of God’s eternal plan. Again, let me quote Max.

That is how Jesus chose to view the storm that came his way: necessary turbulence in the plan of God. Where others saw gray skies, Jesus saw a divine order. His suffering was necessary to fulfill prophecy, and his sacrifice was necessary to fulfill the law. (pg. 137)

How could Jesus have this perspective in the middle of the chaos and the disappointment? In His human nature, the Lord found His perspective in the Garden, on His knees. We can try to muster courage. We can try to develop a positive mental attitude. But these are all tricks of the mind. Jesus was calm, aware and confident because He had spent that time with God in prayer. He waited until His will and heart were in complete step with God’s will.

We are in such a hurry. We want simple solutions. We are used to turning to Google for answers and our friends and prevailing opinion for wisdom. Even as we grow in our faith we still tend to consult books rather than spend needed time in prayer waiting on the Lord. We labor to figure things out rather than simply listen to the whispers of God’s Spirit.

Jesus gives us the example of how to face the crisis times of life,

A frightening diagnosis

A financial reversal

A legal proceeding

An unjustified attack

A threat to your livelihood

A rupture in your marriage or family

A devastating loss

We find our greatest strength not in a formula or an alliance of friends. Our greatest strength comes from spending time alone with the Lord in prayer sharing our fears and seeking His will. Prayer is our greatest resource.

CONCLUSIONS

This is a powerful moment. In these heated moments Jesus showed His trust in God’s will and protection. He also showed His overwhelming love for us. Let’s try to draw some lessons from this sober moment.

First, we will never stand strong in the storms of life until we settle the matter of what is most important in our lives. As long as we continue to try to ride the waves of cultural co consensus we will be without a root system for the storms of life. When we are most concerned about preserving ourselves and defending our rights and reputation we will continue to find God’s supernatural strength elusive. Like Jesus, we should sincerely say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” This is not a prayer of resignation; it is a prayer of faith that acknowledges that God’s wisdom is greater than our own.

Second, people are going to disappoint you. Not only this, you are going to disappoint others. As long as you expect other people to always do what you want them to do, or expect them to do, or even to do what you are convinced is right, you will spend a great deal of time being disappointed. The sooner we accept this fact of the sinful bent of the human heart, the easier it will be to remain at peace in the tumultuous times in life. It will also make it easier to restore relationships after these disappointments.

It is wise to recognize that even after we come to faith in Christ we still possess stains and habits of the sinful life. Jesus knew his disciples would fail. He went to the disciples after His resurrection and made sure their relationship with Him was restored . . . even though they failed Him in the Garden.

Third, the greatest resources we have available to us are prayer and God’s Word.

Imagine being a fireman. You are called to a significant fire. You arrive at the fire and you run from the truck and start spitting on the flames while trying to put out the fire with your gloved hands. All the while, you have behind you a tanker truck filled with water, hoses to deliver that water, and power to spray that water deep into the fire.

If you are not carving out time every day to stop and meet with God, (I hope you are doing this several times a day) you are spitting on the fire of temptation! You are leaving your most powerful resources behind you! Our Lord has equipped us with the finest resources available: His Word, Prayer, and the Guidance and power of His Spirit. But, they are only great tools if we use them!

Hard times will come in life. We need to be preparing for these times now! I encourage you to block out some time every morning to meet with God. Read His Word. Reflect on it. Bring to the Lord the things that weigh most heavy on your heart. Instead of checking in on Facebook, spend some time with the One who loves you and wants to provide for and equip you for the day ahead. Instead of reading the paper, read His Word. Instead of hitting the snooze button, get up and invest those minutes in time with the great I AM. Choose to put Him FIRST in your day.

If you will commit to this for even two months, I believe you will find that it is the most significant and important time of your day. It may not make us strong enough to stand up to an entire legion of soldiers . . . but then again, it just might.