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THE KING ’S BUSINESS
have been that the garden would be a good place to arrest Jesus unawares, and thus get the thirty pieces o f silver. Judas had not beeome so hardened in a day. But lit tle by little, by allowing the greed o f money to usurp a larger place in his heart, and by hardening his heart more and more against the truths that he heard constantly falling from the lips o f His Lord, Judas had become what we. see him here. Two bands were to meet that night in the garden, God’s band, and the Devil’s. Judas had provided himself with a large company o f soldiers. The word translated “ band” would seem to indicate a cohort, a very considerable company. Evidently a great fear o f this humble man Jesus had taken possession o f them, and they feared the multitude also. I f Jesus had seen fit to resist, their preparations would have proven totally inadequate, for .He had only to say the word and the Father would have provided Him with “ twelve (not cohorts, but) legions o f angels” (Matt. 26:53). They had provided themselves with lan terns and torches, evidently fearing that Jesus would try to hide in the dark shadows o f the garden and that they would have to search for Him. But they did not have to search for Him. Jesus, fully realizing His peril, but knowing also that God’s appointed time had come, went forward and delivered Himself into their hands (cf. ch. 10:17, 18). Tuesday, August, so. John 18:4-9. ■ Jesus knew that at last the awful hour that He had so long looked forward to with unspeakable sorrow had at last chme. He knew, but He did not shrink, He “went forth” .with steady step and undaunted heart. He put to Judas and his band a question that had more in it than appears on the surface, “Whom seek ye?” “Jesus o f Nazareth,” is .the quick response. A h ! little did they realize who it really was whom they sought to capture and destroy. There are five words o f awful sadness in this fifth verse, “J udas was standing with them ,” Think o f 'i t ; he who had been a
chosen apostle standing with the enemies o f his L ord ! So today there are many standing with the enemies o f Jesus whom one would naturally, expect to be standing _ by the side o f Jesus. Judas standing there is an illustration o f the brazen effrontery o f sin. But Judas did not remain standing long. With majestic calmness and dignity Jesus simply says, “I am He,” and Judas and the entire hellish crew go backward and fall to the ground. Augustine well asks in commenting on this verse, “What will He do when He comes as a judge, if He did this when giving Himself up as a prisoner?” But though Jesus gave Him self up He shielded His disciples, and thus fulfilled the word which He had spoken, “ O f those whom thou hast given me, I have lost not one.” He knew that they were not strong enough at this time to stand the test o f arrest and trial, so He will not suffer them to be tempted above that which they are ’able (v. 8 ; cf. 1 Cor. 10:13). The time will come when they will be strong enough, and then they too shall have the honor o f arrest and martyr dom (ch. 13:36). Wednesday, August ¿1. ‘ John 18 :10-12. Peter took it upon himself to defend Jesus. ,There was courage in his act, but it was not an intelligent courage, nor a lasting- courage. He was trying to make good his boast and prove his Master mis taken in His estimate o f him. He had boasted, “with thee I am ready to go both to prison and to death” (Luke 22 :23, R. V .), There was little sense in the act. How excited and really frightened Peter was may be suggested in that the blow was so poorly directed. The rash act got him into trouble later, and was one o f the causes that led to his denial o f his Lord (v. 26). John is the only evangelist who records the name o f the one who it was that struck this blow; Perhaps the other evangelists concealed Peter’s name that he might not get in trouble by the act, but when John wrote, Peter was already dead. Peter received no praise from the Lord
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