Passion Week ~ Yeshua’s Betrayal & Arrest ~ Part 2
In our last post, we continued to examine the final days of Yeshua’s life and ministry. We began to examine His Betrayal & Arrest. We continue with that theme. As you can imagine, all four Gospels have something to say about this topic.
Y’hudah Betrays Yeshua
2 Now Y’hudah, who was betraying Him, also knew the place; because Yeshua had often met there with His talmidim. 3 So Y’hudah went there, taking with him a detachment of Roman soldiers and some Temple guards provided by the head cohanim and the P’rushim; they carried weapons, lanterns, and torches. [1]
The chief priests had their own military guard of Jewish males who acted as Temple police.
44 The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Grab Him, and take Him away under guard.” [2]
A signal refers to a sign agreed on in advance. The specific signal was a kiss (probably on the cheek). While a kiss was a standard greeting (Luke 7:45; Acta 20:37; Romans 16:16), this is the only time a talmid is recorded as greeting Yeshua this way (cp. 2 Samuel 20:9–10).
He came up to Yeshua to kiss Him, 48 but Yeshua said to him, “Y’hudah, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” [3] 45 Y’hudah went right up to Yeshua, said, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. [4]
Yeshua Affirms His Talmidim of Their Safety
Interestingly only Yochanan includes this dialogue in his Gospel.
4 Yeshua, who knew everything that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, “Whom do you want?” 5 “Yeshua from Natzeret,” they answered. He said to them, “I AM.” Also standing with them was Y’hudah, the one who was betraying Him. 6 When He said, “I AM,” they went backward from Him and fell to the ground. 7 So he inquired of them once more, “Whom do you want?” and they said, “Yeshua from Natzeret.” 8 “I told you, ‘I AM,’ “ answered Yeshua, “so if I’m the one you want, let these others go.” 9 This happened so that what He had said might be fulfilled, “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” [5]
I AM. There is a double meaning. Yeshua was both identifying Himself and voicing God’s authority (see Yochanan 4:26). Apparently, He was demonstrating God’s power as well, so it was in direct consequence that they went backward from Him and fell to the ground. (See Yochanan 6:39 for His last quote.) Recall that God told Avraham to say to Pharoah that I AM was His name. No wonder the Jews fell to the ground.
Kefa Cuts Off an Ear
As the mob arrives to arrest Yeshua, His talmidim asks whether they should attack. All four Gospels record that one talmid drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave; Luke is the only Gospel to report that Yeshua reattached the man’s ear.
46 Then they laid hold of Yeshua and arrested Him; [6] 49 When His followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?” [7] 10 Then Shim’on Kefa, who had a sword, drew it and struck the slave of the Cohen HaGadol, cutting off his right ear; the slave’s name was Melekh. 52 Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back where it belongs, for everyone who uses the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you know that I can ask my Father, and he will instantly provide more than a dozen armies of angels to help me? 54 But if I did that, how could the passages in the Tanakh be fulfilled that say it has to happen this way?” [8] 51 But Yeshua answered, “Just let me do this,” and, touching the man’s ear, He healed him. [9]
Yeshua Chides His Arrest
52 Then Yeshua said to the head cohanim, the officers of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come to seize him, “So you came out just as you would to the leader of a rebellion, with swords and clubs? 53 Every day, I was there with you in the Temple court, yet you didn’t arrest me. But this is your hour—the hour when darkness rules.” [10]
That Yeshua was viewed as a criminal fulfilled Isaiah 53:12. Yeshua’s prior awareness of the time (this is your hour) and place (not in the temple complex) of His arrest indicates that everything was according to God’s design even though the chief priests and elders were in league with the dominion of darkness (HaSatan and the demons) in carrying out the arrest.
Yeshua Is Arrested
12 So the detachment of Roman soldiers and their captain, together with the Temple Guard of the Judeans, arrested Yeshua. [11] Then the talmidim deserted Him and ran away. [12] 51 There was one young man (Mark)who did try to follow Him, but he was wearing only a nightshirt; and when they tried to seize him, 52 he slipped out of the nightshirt and ran away naked. [13]
In our next post, we move on the Yeshua’s Trial Before the Sanhedrin.
Click here for the PDF version.
[1] Yochanan 18:2–3.
[2] Mark 14:44.
[3] Luke 22:47–48.
[4] Mark 14:45.
[5] Yochanan 18:4–9.
[6] Mark 14:46.
[7] Luke 22:49.
[8] Mattityahu 26:52–54.
[9] Luke 22:51.
[10] Luke 22:52–53.
[11] Yochanan 18:12.
[12] Mattityahu 26:56.
[13] Mark 14:51–52.
My Heart is for Israel 