John 18:3-5 - Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him

18:3

Judas had arranged for a band of soldiers and officers from the religious leaders. The Romans had more soldiers around at festival time in order to quash any riots or other rebellious activities at these times of heightened tensions. They had lanterns with them for the simple reason that it was dark, and they imagined that they might be hunting around for Jesus in the dark.

18:4,5

While the captors imagined that Jesus would be “on the run”, trying to elude them, nothing could be further from the truth. A point that comes over again and again, both in John’s gospel and the synoptics, is that while it should have been the Roman authorities and the Jewish leaders who were in charge, the only One who was truly in charge, who knew exactly what was going on, was Jesus Christ. So far from running away, Jesus approaches the soldiers asking who they are looking for. Jesus knew exactly what was happening. They tell Him “Jesus of Nazareth”, and Jesus tells them that He is the one they are after. Thus probably came as something of a shock to the soldiers! We don’t get told of the Judas kiss in John’s gospel, but are told that Judas was there.