John 18:4

4 Then Jesus, [because he] knew all the things that were coming upon him, went out and said to them, "Who are you looking for?"

John 18:4 Meaning and Commentary

John 18:4

Jesus therefore knowing all things
As being the omniscient God, so his knowledge reaches to all persons and things, without any limitation, and restriction; though here it has a regard to all the things,

that should come upon him;
even all the sufferings he should endure, which were all determined by God; agreed to by him, in the covenant of grace; predicted in the Old Testament, and foretold by himself: he knew all the circumstances that would attend his sufferings, as that he should be betrayed by Judas; be forsaken by the rest of his disciples; that the Jews would give him gall and vinegar in his thirst; and the soldiers part his garments among them: he knew the time of his sufferings; and that it was now at hand; and that Judas and his company were not far off: and therefore, went forth out of the garden, or at least from that part of it where he was, and his disciples with him: this was done to show his willingness to suffer; he

went forth
of his own accord; he did not hide himself in the garden, as the first Adam did: he did not stay till those that sought his life came up to him: he went forth, not to make his escape from them, but to meet them, and make himself known unto them;

and said unto them; whom seek ye?
this question was put, not out of ignorance; for he knew full well who they were seeking after: nor with a design to deceive them, and make his escape; but to show that he was not afraid of them, and that they could not have known him, nor have taken him, had he not made himself known; and offered himself to them; and which makes it appear, that he was willingly apprehended by them, and voluntarily suffered.

John 18:4 In-Context

2 (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, also knew about the place, because Jesus often gathered there with his disciples.)

3 So Judas, taking the cohort and officers from the chief priests and from the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

4 Then Jesus, [because he] knew all the things that were coming upon him, went out and said to them, "Who are you looking for?"

5 They replied to him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I am [he]." (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was also standing with them.)

6 So when he said to them, "I am [he]," {they drew back} and fell to the ground.

Footnotes

• [a] *Here "[because]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("knew") which is understood as causal