THE KING’S BUSINESS
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seek ye?” Little did they realize who He was whom they sought to capture and destroy. He was to them only “Jesus of Nazareth.” If they had only realized that He was Jesus Christ our Lord, the Son of God, how differently things would have looked, and how differently they would have acted. There are five words of awful sadness in the 5th verse. “Judas was stand ing with them.” Think of it, he who had been a chosen apostle standing with the enemies of his Lord! But it is so today. There are many standing with the enemies of Jesus who one would naturally expect to find standing by the side of Jesus. Judas standing there is an illustration of the brazen effrontery of sin. But Judas does not long remain standing. With majestic calmness and dignity, Jesus simply says, “I am He,” and Judas and his whole hellish crew go backward and fall to the ground. In commenting upon the sixth verse Augustine well asks, “What will He do when He comes as a Judge, if He did this when giving Himself up as a pris oner ?” vs. 7-9. "Then asked He them again (Again therefore He asked them), Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Naza reth. Jesus answered I have ( omit, have) told you that I am He: if therefore, ye seek me, let these go their way: that the saying (word) might be fulfilled which He spake, Of them which (those whom) thou gavest (hast given) me, have I lost none (me I lost not one).” Though Jesus delivers Himself up, He shields His dis ciples. “Not one” of them shall be lost (v. 9 R. V.). Jesus knows that they are not strong enough to stand the test of the arrest and trial, so He will not suffer them to be tempted above that which they are able (v. 8; cf. I Cor. 10:13). The time will come when they will be strong enough and then they too shall have the honor of arrest and martyrdom (ch. 13:36). vs. 10, 11. “Then Simon Peter (Simon Peter therefore) having a sword, (omit ,) drew it, and smote (struck) the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear:
in communion with the Father had made little impression upon it. His principal thought seems to have been that the gar den of prayer would be a good place to capture Jesus unawares, and away from the dangerous crowd. Judas had not become so hardened in a day; but, Jittle by little, by allowing the greed of money to usurp a large place in his heart, and by hardening his heart more and more against the truths that he had heard constantly falling from the lips of the Son of God, Judas had become what we here see him. Two bands were to meet that night in that garden, God’S' band and the devil’s. Judas had provided himself with a large company of soldiers (R. V. Marg.). Evidently a great fear of this humble man, Jesus, had taken possession of them and they feared the multitude also, lest they should try to effect a delivery if they arrested Jesus. If Jesus had seen fit to resist, their prepa rations would have proven totally inade quate (Matt. 26:53). v. 4. "Jesus therefore (add J knowing all (add, the) things that should come (were coming) upon Him, went forth, and saith unto them. Whom seek ye?” They did not have to search for Jesus. He fully realized His peril, but knowing also that God’s appointed hour had come, went forth and delivered Himself into their hands (cf. ch. 10:17, 18). Jesus knew that at last the awful hour that He had so long looked forward to with sorrow unspeak able, had come. He knew all that was coming upon Him, 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?” vs. 5, 6. " They answered Him; Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also (add ,) which betrayed Him, stood with them. A s soon then as He had (When therefore He) said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” “Jesus of Nazareth” was the quick response of the company Judas had gathered to the question “Whom
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