My Walk Through the Book of Mark by Annette Godtland

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane (Mark 14:43-50)

43And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."

45As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.

46Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. 47And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

48Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? 49I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."

50Then they all forsook Him and fled.

I had always thought of the multitude that Judas brought with him as soldiers. But here it sounds like simply a crowd that the chief priests, scribes, and elders roused up from their homes. I am now imagining a group of farmers, most who do not own weapons, following the bidding of their religious leaders, roused to bring whatever they had, clubs, pitch forks, etc.

It says the multitude came from the chief priests, scribes, and elders. So this is the group they got to do their dirty work for them. They were not present here. Apparently they gathered a group who didn't know of Jesus. Even though Jesus had been teaching in their temple daily, this crowd needed Judas to identify who Jesus was. None here knew who Jesus was nor heard any of His teachings.

Still, I get the feeling that Judas doesn't even know what he is aiding in. I wonder if he thinks he is really doing a good deed, based on whatever trickery that the chief priests told him. Note, he says Jesus should be lead away safely. Would he be ordering that precaution if He felt Jesus was someone that needed to be destroyed? There are many ways Judas could have signaled who Jesus was. I wonder if the reason he chose a kiss as the signal was so he could give the man he loved and respected a good by kiss.

The scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus is not criticizing them for how they chose to take him: with swords and clubs in the middle of the night rather than simply taking him at the temple which they could have easily done any day. He is letting them know and everyone around him know that, though not intentional by his captors, they are doing what they are doing in order to fulfill the scriptures.

The scriptures must be fulfilled. In Mark 14:27 Jesus quoted scripture when He said "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered." As it happened, they all forsook Him and fled. Though it is interesting that there was one who didn't flee immediately. He drew his sword and struck one of the captors. Why didn't a battle ensue? If I had been there, loving Jesus like I do now, I would have been tempted to put up a fight for Jesus too. But some things happen because they must happen, even without our conscious effort. God was in control of how things would go that night, not the followers. Scripture said they would scatter, and thus they did.

The scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus had been praying for this cup to pass over. But He knew scripture said He would go through with it. He wanted to do God's will. The hour has come. He is ready for what lies ahead. His betrayer is at hand. He wants the least trouble for His friends as possible. There will be no fight. He has been abandoned by everyone who loves Him.

The scriptures would be fulfilled. Many people made their own decisions that led up to this night. The chief priests, scribes, and elders decided Jesus was a threat to be done away with. Judas decided to aid the chief priests. The multitude decided to do the bidding of the chief priests. Jesus friends decided not to fight for Him. Jesus decided to give His life. Anyone along the way had the freedom of choice and could have decided differently. Jesus' choice weighed more heavily than any of the others' as his decision would affect everyone's eternal salvation. At any time any of these participants in this story could have chosen to do differently. However, if they hadn't done what they did, someone else would have by some other means. For the scriptures would be fulfilled.