Jesus Betrayed, Arrested, and Forsaken.

  ^c 49 And when they that were about him saw what would follow, they said, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

  ^b 47 But

{^a 51 And} behold,

  ^d 10 Simon Peter ^b a certain one of them that stood by ^a that were with Jesus ^d therefore having a sword ^a stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and smote {^d struck} ^a the servant of the high priest, and struck {^d cut} off his right ear.

[We have seen that the apostles were but scantily armed, there being only two swords in their possession. See Section 119. Peter evidently carried one of these, and stood ready to make good his boast that he would suffer, and, if need be, die in his Lord's service. evidently struck a downward blow at Malchus' head, and Malchus would have been killed had he not dodged.] Now the servant's name was Malchus. [John knew the household of the high priest ( John 18:16 ). He knew Malchus by name, and he also knew his kindred-- John 18:26 .]

  ^b 47 But

{^a 51 And} behold,

  ^d 10 Simon Peter ^b a certain one of them that stood by ^a that were with Jesus ^d therefore having a sword ^a stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and smote {^d struck} ^a the servant of the high priest, and struck {^d cut} off his right ear.

  ^c 51 But Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye them thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. [Some think that Jesus spoke these words, "Suffer ye thus far," to those who held him, asking them to loose him sufficiently to enable him to touch the ear of Malchus. But the revision committee by inserting "them" make Jesus address his disciples, commanding them not to interfere with those who were arresting him, making it a general statement of the idea which the Lord addressed specifically to Peter in the next sentence.]

  ^a 52 Then

  ^d 11 Jesus therefore said {^a saith} ^d unto Peter, ^a Put up again thy {^d the} sword into the sheath: ^a its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. ^d the cup which the Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

[By the healing of Malchus' ear and the words spoken to Peter, Jesus shows that the sword is not to be used either to defend the truth or to advance his kingdom. Had he not thus spoken testified that his kingdom was not of this world ( John 18:36 ). While we know better than to rely upon the aid of the sword for the advance of truth, we are often tempted to put undue trust in other "carnal weapons" which are equally futile. Wealth and eloquence and elaborate church buildings have but little saving grace in them. It is the truth which wins. By using the word "cup" John gives us an echo of the agony in Gethsemane, which suggests that he expects his readers to be conversant with the other Gospels. The other Evangelists, having shown that Jesus was fully resolved to drink the cup, do not regard it as necessary to repeat these words.]

  ^d 11 Jesus therefore said {^a saith} ^d unto Peter, ^a Put up again thy {^d the} sword into the sheath: ^a its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. ^d the cup which the Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

  ^a 53 Or thinkest thou that I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?

  54 How then should the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?

[Jesus still addresses Peter. Had it accorded with the divine purpose that Jesus should resist this arrest, angels and not men would have been his proper and infinitely more effective rescuers. But, on the contrary, it was God's purpose that he should be arrested, as the Scripture had foretold.]

  54 How then should the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?

  55 In that hour ^b Jesus answered and said unto them ^a the multitudes, ^c the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders, that were come against him, Are ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and staves? ^a to seize me?

  ^c 53 When ^a I sat {^b was} daily with you in the temple teaching, ^c ye stretched not forth your hands against me: ^b and ye took me not: ^c but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

  ^a 56 But all this is come to pass, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.

[The party which came to arrest Jesus was large. The word "band" used by John to describe part of it is speira, which is the Greek name for the cohort, a division of the Roman army which in the time of Augustus contained 555 men. Ten cohorts, or a legion, were usually quartered in the castle Antonia, at the northwest corner of the temple enclosure. That the whole cohort was present is not likely ( Matthew 27:27 ), Evangelists therefore properly style it a great multitude. Moreover, it was a motley crowd. Its strength and diversity suggest the fear that Jesus might miraculously defend himself. Each part of the crowd found courage in the strength possessed by the other part, the priests relying upon the solidity of the soldiers, the soldiers superstitiously trusting to some spiritual power residing in the priests, etc. Now, because of these fears, the preparation was as great as if some band of robbers was to be taken. The questions of Jesus, therefore, show two facts: 1. By their extensive preparation the rulers bore an unintentional testimony to his divine power. 2. By their failure to arrest him openly in the temple, they bore witness to his innocence. With his divinity and his innocence, therefore, Jesus challenges them, referring to their own conduct for testimony thereto. In conclusion, he cites them to the Scriptures which they were fulfilling. Our Lord's dual reference to the Old Testament at this sacred time should cause us to handle them with awe and reverence.]

  ^c 53 When ^a I sat {^b was} daily with you in the temple teaching, ^c ye stretched not forth your hands against me: ^b and ye took me not: ^c but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

  ^a 56 But all this is come to pass, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.

  ^b 50 And ^a Then all of the disciples left him, and fled.

  ^b 51 And a certain young man followed with him, having a linen cloth cast about him, over his naked body: and they lay hold on him;

  52 but he left the linen cloth, and fled naked.

[All the predictions of Jesus had failed to prepare the apostles for the terrors of his arrest. Despite all his warnings, each apostle sought his own safety. The young man who fled naked is usually presumed to be Mark himself, and it is thought that he thus speaks impersonally after the manner of Matthew and John. The manner of his description shows that he was not an apostle. As Mark's mother resided in Jerusalem ( Acts 12:12 Acts 12:25 ), Canon Cook advances the theory that the Lord's Supper was eaten in the upper room of her house, and that when the disciples retired with Jesus from thence to Gethsemane, Mark slipped from his bed, threw his sindon about him, and followed after them. The sindon, or linen vestment, was very costly, not being worn even by the middle classes: no apostle would be thus attired.]

  ^b 51 And a certain young man followed with him, having a linen cloth cast about him, over his naked body: and they lay hold on him;

  52 but he left the linen cloth, and fled naked.