22:47,48
The betrayal is now set in motion. Judas was leading a crowd that was coming to arrest Jesus. Matthew, Mark and John give further details on the composition of the crowd, but Luke does not. The kiss was a normal means of greeting in the middle east, and signified honour and respect.
22:49-51
Earlier Jesus had instructed the disciples to make sure they had some swords with them, so it would seem natural to them that He wanted them to fight with them, and now was the time. They asked Jesus, but without waiting for an answer Peter (John 18:10) struck the ear off one of the servants. This could be said to illustrate that Peter wasn’t very skilled with a sword! Jesus told them to stop and healed the man.
22:52,53
Even the manner of their arresting Jesus betrayed the nature of the religious leaders. Jesus was not leading a rebellion. Day after day He was in the temple courts teaching openly. They could have arrested Him at any time. But the religious leaders were acting out of fear and darkness, so their deed was done at dead of night. It was an act of darkness. Yet Jesus was still in control.
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