The Betrayal And Arrest Of Jesus Series

LUKE 22: 47-53 [JESUS’ LAST NIGHT SERIES]

THE BETRAYAL AND ARREST OF JESUS

(Matthew 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; John 18:3–11)

Luke now turns his attention from the spiritual warfare in the Garden to the arrest of Jesus. Satan, finding himself baffled in his attempts to terrify and dissuaded our Lord Jesus, now brings the betrayers into the garden of Gethsemane with the force and arms they thought necessary to seize Him. Jesus faces this dark hour directly yet with restraint and compassion (CIT).

Our text describes the high priests and soldiers’ arrival with Judas leading the way to Jesus’ regular spot for prayer. After a traitorous greeting, the disciples realized what was about to happen and one produces a sword. Jesus restrains His disciples then turns to the menacing mob and asks if this is the way to arrest a peaceable teacher? He had taught in the daylight in the Temple and they did nothing but they take Him at night for they work under the power of darkness. Truly the hour of evil’s sway had come!

I. JESUS’ FOREKNOWLEDGE, 47–48.

II. JESUS’ COMPASSION, 49–51.

III. JESUS’ POINTS OUT THE HYPOCRISY [of the religious leaders], 52–53.

In verse 47 Judas at the front of the crowd marches straight for Jesus and makes as if to kiss Him. “While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him,”

All the Synoptics make the point that Jesus was “still speaking” to His disciples when Judas and the crowd arrived. This emphasizes the sudden intrusion of Judas leading the crowd into the somber scene in Gethsemane.

It is pointed out that Judas was “one of the twelve.” Judas graciously privileged position emphasizes the terrible extent of the treason against God he was committing. He had been called to spend three years in the Master’s blessed company. The Apostles placed full trust in him, even making him their treasurer. How deceived and deceptive he proved himself to be. This shameless turncoat turned over the only truly worthy being in all of human existence, the God-man Jesus Christ. He sold the One full of grace and truth for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver. [Which Judas already had in his possession, Mt 26:15.]

Luke recorded three elements in the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. The first is that Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him that night. Therefore, He was not surprised or caught of guard when the large “crowd” which included the religious leaders (v. 52), Roman soldiers (John 18:12), and Jewish police came into the grove with Judas leading them. As if Judas leading the crowed to Jesus’ secluded place of prayer is not hurt enough, He approaches Jesus to denounce Him with a kiss.

In verse 48 Jesus points out the betrayal of Judas. ‘but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

The betrayal was to be accomplished with a kiss which underscores the treachery of the act. In Judas’s scheme of betrayal, the kiss, an act of great intimacy, willing was the way he would identified Jesus in the darkness of the night (Mark 14:44). But in the high drama of the actual situation, it was cruelly hypocritical. [In the Greek word order, following Judas’s name, three elements come together in stark succession—“with a kiss -the Son of Man- are you betraying?”]

Jesus, by His words, showed that He already knew all about the betrayal, including Judas’ secret sign. Think of the genuine anger that Jesus felt as He said, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Jesus asks the betrayers why one of His own disciples would betray Him, as if He had been a hard or untrue Master or deserved ill at their hands? Must He be betrayed with a kiss? Must the badge of friendship be the instrument of treachery? Was ever a love-token so desecrated and abused?

Nothing can be a greater affront or grief to the Lord Jesus than to be betrayed, and betrayed with a deceptive kiss, a token of love. It also occurs when those who profess a relationship with Him and an affection for Him bring the powers of darkness against who He is and what He stands for. Those do so who, under pretense of a superior understanding of Him, misuse His Word and oppose or even persecute His servants. Under the cloak of a seeming affection for “God” and the honor of free grace, give a blow to the root of His holiness and deity. Many instances are there of Christ being betrayed with “a kiss” by those who, under the form of godliness, fight against the power of it. It would be good if their own consciences would put this question to them which Christ here puts to Judas, “Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” And will he not resent it? Will he not revenge it? [Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1904.]