Knowing The Word in Luke 22:47-53

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

22:47 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, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Comments

Luke’s account of Jesus’ arrest is shorter than that of the other gospel writers. It is very likely that Jesus saw the arresting party coming out of the city wall and around the Kidron Valley toward the Garden of Gethsemane for some time as he looked back across the valley and toward the city, the temple, and the road leading to his location. He could have escaped, but he remained in place, waiting for the arresting party, which Luke calls “the crowd.” This crowd was composed of officers from the Sanhedrin (Matthew and Mark) along with Roman soldiers (John). Judas, the one who had conspired with the Sanhedrin, led them, and kissed Jesus to indicate the man to be arrested.

A kiss was a convenient way for Judas to show the soldiers who they were to arrest while not using words that might lead others, who knew Judas well, to defend Jesus. Yet Peter—we learn from John—turned to armed resistance, cutting off the ear of one of the intruders. Jesus immediately undid the damage, demonstrating his desire for peace through his last miracle. He wanted the process of moving toward the cross to continue. The miraculous healing is additionally important in light of Jesus’ conversation with Pilate in John 18:36 when he says his kingdom is not of this world. He supported this with the fact his followers were not fighting for him, and Peter’s rash action could have undone this.

The presence of the chief priests and officers of the temple indicated the seriousness with which they took Jesus’ arrest. Jesus had shown absolutely no violent tendencies, and yet they came after him as one would a terrorist. Jesus, then, called them out for who they were. “Your hour” implicated these men as minions of Satan and his dark powers. It pointed to the fact that behind the crucifixion of Jesus are not only Satan but the political and spiritual forces of Jerusalem who have turned to his dark and evil ways.

Application

Have you ever asked the question, why do bad things happen (sometimes) to good people? Why should this happen to Jesus, who was the best human being who ever lived?

Prayer

Great God, our Father: as we call to mind the scene of Christ’s suffering in Gethsemane, our hearts are filled with penitence and shame that we foolishly waste our time in idleness and that we make no progress in the Christian life from day to day . . . We are ashamed that war and lust flourish and grow more rampant every day. Forgive us for our cruel indifference to the cross, and pardon us that, like the bystanders of old, we merely stand and gaze in idle curiosity upon the piteous scene. O teach us, we beseech thee, the good news of thy forgiveness. Cause humanity, degenerate as it is, to live anew, and hasten the day when the whole world shall be born again.

Toyohiko Kagawa, 1888-1960