Jesus Asks Many Questions at His Arrest in Gethsemane.
Jesus Asks Many Questions at His Arrest in Gethsemane.
The Grand Inquisitor. Messiah Jesus was a Master of asking questions: some were open-ended, others were very pointed; some were out of curiosity, others were challenging; some seemed rhetorical, others seemed painfully obvious; some were to reveal Himself, others were to guide the other into self-understanding; some were intentionally provocative, others were to kick-start a conversation; some questions were asked to explore a topic to deepen understanding and stretch toward the truth; some were leading questions that He designed to suggest a particular answer, and others were questions in response to questions asked of Him; some were hypotheticals to stimulate the imagination, other questions were used by Him as stepping stones to think logically from one point to the next. Jesus used questions to dignify the listener, letting that person know that He is taking that person seriously and listening carefully. Many of His questions were acts of friendship and used to pursue a more profound intimacy with someone. Jesus asked very few yes-no questions, and since time was usually irrelevant for Him when He was with people, He rarely asked a “when” question. Several biblical scholars have studied the gospels with Christ’s questions in mind, and they have literally counted a total of 307 questions in His various conversations and teachings. It seems that a worthy spiritual exercise when considering the many questions of Jesus is that we ask ourselves… should I take His questions personally, as if He was asking us that question right now?
Before the Arrest of Jesus. Thursday night was the beginning of the Passion of Christ. The following occurred, in order, before His arrest: The Passover meal with the disciples, what came to be known as the Last Supper; Judas departs the Supper to meet with religious authorities; Jesus predicts Peter’s denial; the prayer and agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane; an angel is sent to strengthen and encourage Jesus at His lowest in the Garden; while still at the foot of the Mount of Olives, a mob arrives, with Judas in the lead, to arrest Jesus. The disciples were falling asleep earlier in the Garden. They now seem fully awake.
“The Pharisees and the leading priests had given Judas a large detachment of Roman soldiers and Temple police to seize Jesus. Judas guided them to the Garden, all of them carrying torches and lanterns and armed with swords and spears. Jesus, knowing full well what was about to happen, went out to the Garden entrance to meet them.” (John 18:3-4).
The Mob. This was not your ordinary little group of enforcers. Various versions describe this group in different ways: a contingent; a detachment; a multitude; a cohort; a mob; a huge group. Scholars estimate that there was anywhere between 200-600 men in this mob. They were all carrying torches and weapons, with swords, clubs, spears, whatever they could get their hands on. Judas, the official accuser, was in the front, along with Temple priests, elders, Roman soldiers and Temple police. The religious authorities had issued a warrant for Jesus’ arrest. They were to seize Jesus, arrest Him, and bring Him to the religious court for trial. The Temple leaders didn’t want to arrest Jesus in the Temple, even though He taught there every day, for fear of inciting a riot. Jesus was quite popular in the general public.
First Question. “Stepping forward, Jesus asked them, ‘Who are you looking for?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. Jesus replied, ‘I AM He.’ And the moment Jesus spoke those words, the mob fell backward to the ground!” (John 18:5-6).
I AM, again. In the gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly appropriated the Name of Yahweh, I Am Who I Am. By declaring to be I AM, Jesus is claiming to be co-equal with the God of the Hebrew Bible (Exodus 3:14), the Blessed One of biblical history, the Name that is so holy it cannot be pronounced aloud. Jesus doesn’t shy away from scandal when it comes to claiming divinity. Listeners reacted in many different ways. They would walk away shaking their heads in disbelief; they would believe Him and take His word for it; they would ask for proof; they would exclaim that He was impudent, outrageous to the point of blasphemy. Nonetheless, Jesus boldly continued declaring that He was akin to the Great I AM. St. John once again quotes Jesus as He said I AM, this time in the Garden, prior to His arrest. His I AM blares out as He faces off with a mob that was ready to apply force if necessary.
Second Question. “To those who had come out against Him, Jesus said, ‘Am I a criminal that you come out after me armed with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the Temple you never raised a hand against me. But this is your hour – the triumph of darkness!’” (Luke 22:52-53).
Divine Energy. A dramatic scene is developing. Jesus is surprised at the numbers of people involved and their weaponry. “What am I, some dangerous revolutionary?” He asked them. Jesus asked the mob who they were looking for, knowing that He was the target. They said they were looking for Jesus the Nazarene. Without hesitation, Jesus confidently blurted out, “I AM He!” There was so much spiritual power and authority that accompanied those words that the whole multitude fell backwards, flat on the ground. His claim to be deity, the Great I AM, was scandalous, but also filled with overwhelming divine energy. Jesus simply overpowered the mob with His spiritual presence. They literally couldn’t seize Him. Instead, He allowed Himself to be taken. He submitted. He gave them permission to take Him to His death. As Jesus told them to their face, “This is your moment, when the power of darkness reigns.”
Third Question. “While He was still speaking a huge crowd came, led by the man named Judas, one of the Twelve. He approached Jesus to embrace Him. Jesus said to him, ‘Is this why you have come to me? My friend (‘hetairos’), are you really going to betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Go ahead and do what you have come for.’ Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested Him. ” (Matthew 26:49-50; Luke 22:47-48).
Judas. The official accuser paid by the Temple authorities, Judas had a pre-arranged signal with the soldiers… He would give a kiss of greeting to the guilty party, to this man who was to be arrested. So that’s what he did. Judas greeted Jesus warmly with “Rabbi, Rabbi!” before he embraced and kissed Him. Jesus, gracious to the end, responded with, “My friend.” Jesus followed that up with a question that has never been forgotten… “Would you betray me with a kiss?’ With His poignant response, Jesus brings us back to the prophecy of Psalm 41:9, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.‘” And Psalm 55:12-13 as well, “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me, who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng.” Jesus can personally identify with us when we are betrayed… He knows first-hand what betrayal feels like.
Philos-Friend. There are two Greek words for friend: Phileos and Hetairos. In his gospel, St. John, “the one who Jesus loved,” consistently used the Greek term “phileo” as the base word for ‘friend.’ A philos love is the warm affection reserved for a family member or close friend, and is an experiential word. Brotherly/sisterly love for a friend needs to be demonstrated in action that proves the truth of the love. The love of an intimate friendship is authentic when lived out in personal action. A philos friendship is a deep companionship that can never be taken for granted in a relationship. It is more like a covenant, a shared and mutual commitment to each other.
Hetairos-Friend, which means false friend, someone who is a companion posing as a friend but has his own interests in mind. An hetairos-friend is a supposed friend and an imposter acting for self-gain. Since an hetairos-friend is in reality an anti-friend, the opposite of a true friend, and someone who attaches himself to a one-sided friendship for selfish reasons, it is always prone to betrayal. Aware of all the dynamics in this complex situation, Jesus rightly called Judas hetairos. Jesus acknowledged that in Judas He indeed had a one-sided friendship with an imposter.
The Gracious Response of Jesus. How did Jesus respond to someone who could literally be called the chief of sinners? What was Jesus’ reaction as early on He saw Judas start spinning a small web of dishonesty until it became a giant web of betrayal? Through the whole process of his relationship with Judas, Jesus displayed forbearance, friendship, and forgiveness:
Forbearance. Jesus knew at the start that Judas was stealing from the common purse. And He knew Judas wasn’t about to change. There are no secrets from Jesus, because no one can look into the human heart quite like Him. (John 2:25). “Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and He knew who would betray Him.” (John 6:64). Jesus knew of Judas’ early thievery, but He didn’t do anything about it. As Jesus said in Luke 4:19, quoting Isaiah 61, this is still the time of God’s grace and favor, “the acceptable year of the Lord.” Jesus’ kindness here towards Judas was intended to give Judas a chance at turning his life around. “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). Alas, Judas continued hardening his heart, and repentance was not forthcoming.
Friendship. Jesus knew what was going on in Judas’ heart, and yet He continued to offer Judas acceptance and friendship. Jesus never wavered in His commitment to Judas. On the one hand, early in His ministry He called Judas “the devil.” (John 6:70). But on the other hand, Jesus remained faithful to Judas throughout their years together in ministry. Just before His betrayal, Jesus actually washed the feet of Judas! (John 13). What were Jesus’ emotions and thoughts as He calmly washed the feet of His betrayer? How could Judas have allowed that to happen in good conscience? By that time, Judas had no conscience. Shortly later at the Last Supper, Jesus dipped a piece of bread into a bowl and offered it to Judas. This was an extraordinary gesture in this situation, because in their culture to perform that simple act in particular was a display of intimate friendship. It was at this point that Satan entered Judas’ heart for good. (John 13:26).
Forgiveness. As Jesus gasped for breath on the cross, He uttered this famous intercessory prayer, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Jesus could very well have been fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:12, which declared that the Suffering Servant was “interceding for the rebellious.” Jesus seems to be asking the Father not to charge certain people with the depravity involved in killing the very Son of God in all His innocence and purity. Overlook the wrongs of these perpetrators, Jesus is pleading, since they do not understand the profound role they play in this cosmic drama. They can’t grasp how they are part of God’s grand scheme of prophecy fulfillment and eternal salvation. Some biblical scholars claim that the Greek text implies a repetitive action, that His prayer on the Cross was not a one-time prayer. Evidently, Jesus kept asking the Father to forgive all those who had done Him wrong during His Passion. Can we even begin to imagine the amazing love displayed by the Lord as He in His depleted and tortured state, hanging on the Cross, mentally goes through an inventory of who needs to be forgiven? Certainly, at the top of the list, was none other than Judas, His betrayer… “Father forgive Judas, for he didn’t know what he was doing.” There is a deep mystery here… Did the Father comply with Jesus’ request to forgive Judas? Or was Jesus accurate when He earlier said that “none of my disciples are lost except the son of perdition, the one headed for destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12).
The tragic life of Judas Iscariot is well documented in the Gospels. After praying all night to the Father, Judas was hand-picked by Jesus to be in the original group of twelve disciples. He was soon the treasurer of that group’s common purse as they traveled from place to place. Judas was greedy and dishonest, though, and he occasionally stole from the purse when he wanted money. Judas followed Jesus for three years, listening to all His parables, witnessing the countless miracles, observing Jesus in his interactions with everyone from the Pharisees to the lepers. Judas was with Jesus around the campfires at night, at meals, in synagogues, on the road. But Judas never really believed in Jesus. He was going through the motions of following Him without actually taking Him into his life.
Why did Judas betray Jesus? Judas had some type of agenda for Jesus, and the Lord never followed it. Judas finally gave up on Him. Judas’ betrayal could have been for any number of reasons: maybe he wanted a political savior instead of a spiritual one; maybe he wanted a new government instead of the Kingdom; maybe he was disappointed that he wouldn’t be offered a plum position in Jesus’ new order; maybe he wanted status and favor from the religious establishment instead of being rejected around every corner with Jesus; maybe he simply rejected Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah; maybe it was just a matter of simple greed, a desire for money, 30 pieces of silver at that. We don’t know the initial motivation exactly, or the convoluted way he arrived at his treachery. But Judas committed the gravest sin in human history. He betrayed someone who loved him, he betrayed his friend and his Lord.
Demonic. With all these spiritual complications in Judas’ psyche, he became ripe for manipulation in the hands of Satan. The enemy used Judas, plain and simple. Satan gleefully moved Judas from one square to another on his checkerboard. But while the evil one was playing checkers, God was playing chess. And Judas chose to become a pawn. Judas used his free will to become a fulfillment of God’s sovereign plan.
Guilt, Remorse and Shame. In the end, Judas was filled with remorse. He finally realized that he had betrayed an innocent and good man. Instead of seeking forgiveness, though, he sought self-destruction. He committed suicide and left no room for redemption in his guilt. The tale of Judas and his treachery is completely tragic. As Jesus said on that fateful night, “Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.” (Mark 14:21). Judas had treachery in his heart from the start, and he seemed to tolerate blood on his hands until his tragic end. And yet, and yet, during His time with Judas, Jesus graciously put up with him, befriended him, and ultimately forgave him. That is the very definition of God’s agape love.
Fourth Question. “At that moment they stepped forward to lay hands on Jesus, and arrested him. Suddenly one of those who accompanied Jesus, Peter by name, put his hand to his sword, drew it, and slashed at Malchus, the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Enough! Put back your sword where it belongs. Those who use the sword are sooner or later destroyed by it. Do you not suppose I can call on my Father to provide at a moment’s notice more than twelve legions of angels?’ Then Jesus touched the servant’s ear and healed him.”
Parallel Passages. Each of the four Gospels has a version of the arrest of Jesus… Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; and John 18:1-11. Only Luke recorded Jesus healing the high priest’s servant’s ear. This was the last recorded physical healing that Jesus accomplished on earth. His healing hands would be tied and bound after this healing, until they were opened wide for the crucifixion.
Disciples. Still standing with Jesus in the face of the mob, the disciples were alarmed at what was going on. Several hundred men with weapons, looking to arrest Jesus! They asked Jesus if they should defend Him with their swords. True to his personality, Peter decides to take matters into his own hands and picks up his sword, which was more like a dagger. Fortunately for Malchus, Peter had bad aim, since he’s a fisherman, not a soldier. As opposed to his head or neck, Peter struck Malchus’ ear and severed it from his head.
The Healing. Jesus forcefully told Peter “No more of this!” and touched the man’s ear and healed him. That’s right. Miraculously, the ear grew back. Jesus re-created the ear of Malchus, and he was healed, right there in the middle of the mob. Malchus was a member of the mob sent to arrest and seize Jesus, the servant of the enemy high priest, and Jesus healed him! Jesus’ words to Peter at this point are memorable… “Put away your sword. Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword. All those who embrace violence will die by violence.” Malchus, the healed servant, is never mentioned again. One wonders if Malchus became a follower of Jesus.