The Arrest of Jesus - Mark 14:43-52
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Copyright November 13, 2023 by Bruce Goettsche
I suspect every one of us have had the experience of being betrayed by someone we thought was our friend. In Psalm 55 we have what could be titled, “A Psalm of Betrayal.” It is identified as a Psalm of David. He writes,
12 It is not an enemy who taunts me—
I could bear that.
It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—
I could have hidden from them.
13 Instead, it is you—my equal,
my companion and close friend.
14 What good fellowship we once enjoyed
as we walked together to the house of God. (12-14)
I wonder if Jesus thought of these words as He saw Judas coming toward him. I don’t want to get ahead of the text. We pick up the account in Mark 14:43-50.
43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled.
We shake our heads at the gall of Judas who not only betrays the man who accepted Him, taught Him and equipped him but he did so with a kiss, a sign of affection. He had heard the teaching of Jesus, seen the miracles of Jesus, and still turned Him over to the Jewish authorities for a small amount of money. But more on him later.
This morning we are not going to look just at Judas, I want to pull the camera back and get a broader picture of what was happening. As we look at this text, I remind you of the importance of looking at all four gospel accounts to get the full story of what happened. Like witnesse3d to any event, different witnesses remember different story elements. As you put these accounts together, we see several details.
First, Jesus knew He would be betrayed but didn’t run away. In John 18 we are told Judas was able to find Jesus in the thick of the night because he knew where Jesus would be because He went to the Garden often. We don’t read about any other meetings in the Garden. However, this is another good reminder that the gospels do not come close to recording everything that Jesus said and did.
I suspect the Garden of Gethsemane was a nice quiet place where Jesus could go with the disciples, allowing them some quiet time for teaching and rest. The point for us to see is this: if Jesus wanted to avoid being captured at night, He could have gone any number of places. He deliberately leaned into the situation and went to a place where Judas would be able to find Him. Everything that was happening was part of God’s plan and Jesus was not going to run from it.
Second, it was not the Romans who came to arrest Jesus, but the Jews. The gospel writers make it sound like Judas gathered a bunch of religious leaders and, if you will, a mob of angry people, and came to get Jesus. Only John mentions a few soldiers. These were likely part of the temple guard. The Romans were not interested in causing a stir . . . especially during Passover. I suspect this “mob” was whipped up into a bit of a frenzy. However, they were a minority of the people. Most of the people loved Jesus . . . this is why this group came at night.
The people who had spent their lifetime looking for the Messiah, not only missed Him, they were the people who put Him to death! This is why we must be very careful that we don’t become so sure God “is going to do things a certain way” that we miss Him if we are wrong. This is especially true as we await the Second Coming of Jesus.
The very people who attacked Jesus were the ones He came to save. Likewise, sometimes the criticism we will get will be from “friendly fire.” In other words, sometimes other Christians are more critical than non-believers. If you don’t believe me, read some of the comments related to our YouTube videos. We need to guard against that critical and divisive spirit.
Third, we can’t help but be saddened by the calloused heart of Judas. This man who walked with Jesus, performed miracles in the power of Christ, who witnessed the astounding miracles and the teaching that is superior to any teaching ever given, this man, who was loved, discipled, cared for by Jesus . . . betrayed him by calling Him rabbi and kissed him to identify him in the night to the crowd.
What causes someone to get to this point of callousness? There are many theories as to why Judas did what he did. Did he grow tired of waiting for Jesus to make a move and throw off the oppression of the Romans? Did he feel he could speed things up by turning Him over to the Jewish authorities? Was Judas so jaded by his desire for riches (we are told he used to take from the disciples' funds) that he was willing to sell out Jesus for just 30 pieces of silver? If greed motivated him, why didn’t he strike a better bargain with the Jewish leaders?
Did Judas feel he had fallen out of favor in the group? Judas was critical of Mary pouring perfume on Jesus and said it would have been better to get the cash and give the money to the poor (including Judas). Was Judas frustrated because he felt people weren’t listening to him? We don’t know and can continue speculating (another word for “guess”). It appears, however that Judas may have been seated next to Jesus at the Passover meal we call the Last Supper. It seems John may have been on one side and Judas on the other. That would have put Judas in a seat of honor. Was it the Lord’s last attempt to reach this lost disciple?
Honestly, do you find this whole thing a little terrifying? Are you wondering if Judas could betray Jesus, could we? Could we get so angry by circumstances that we would reject Him? Could we be so intimidated by the authorities of this world that we would sell out Jesus? Here’s the thing: the big difference between us and Judas however is that when we came to trust in Christ, we were given the Holy Spirit to live in us always! Judas did not have that internal power. The Spirit promises that nothing will separate us from His love.
The power of God was self-evident but was ignored. The gospels report that when Judas and his mob arrived, Jesus stepped forward (He didn’t hide in the back). He asked, “Who are you looking for?” When they told Him, He said, “I am He,” and they all fell back. The power of God was evident, but the mob didn’t care. The people also saw the power of God when Jesus healed the ear of the servant who was in the way of Peter’s sword. They were primed for an execution, and nothing, not even the power of God, was going to stop them. (Think about the foolishness of that statement).
Here we have the reminder to remain attentive to the power of God in our midst. Someone has wisely said, watch for where God seems to be working . . . and then join Him.
For people have not yet turned to Christ in the book of Romans, for those who may say there is no evidence for God, Paul asserts in the very first chapter,
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Paul says people are going to be judged not for what they didn’t know, they will be judged because what can be known about God, (His power, His wisdom, His superiority to us) is clearly seen in nature. How can you ignore the order, the intricacy of nature, the complex code in our DNA, the ability of the human body to heal itself, and the innate belief that their must be something more to life than what we can see and feel? Rather than seek this God and submit to Him, people ignore and reject Him and run after all kinds of senseless philosophies.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that we are more “sophisticated” in our thinking than these people were! People reject God because they don’t like the idea of being subject to Him! People will believe all kinds of religious nonsense before they submit to the true God.
The disciples may have deserted Jesus, but He would not stop protecting them. Jesus knew his disciples were all going to run away but He wasn’t angry. He did everything in His power to protect them. He negotiated a surrender that would allow all his followers to go free. When Peter impulsively started to swing his sword, Jesus stopped him. When the high priest's servant lost his ear, the Lord healed him. Why? Because he was protecting the disciples. He was diffusing a potentially volatile situation.
Sometimes we picture the Lord as this ogre in Heaven who is just waiting for us to make a mistake so He can squash us. The times God breaks out in judgment are when people persistently ignore or take advantage of, His mercy and grace. However, the words in Lamentations are as beautiful as they are true,
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
I am trying to train myself to respond to everyone who asks, “How are you?” with the words, “His mercies are new every morning.” If I can remember to say those words, my hope is that I will also remember the truthfulness of those words. The Lord is not out to destroy us, He is out to save us.
I wonder how many times He has already saved us and we don’t know it? I wonder how many times His angels have come to our rescue keeping us from some act of violence or accident. We often complain because we feel the Lord is not doing “enough” when we have no idea what He is doing that we don’t even see. How great is His mercy toward us?
Jesus could have stopped all of these things but didn’t. There are three subpoints here. First, Jesus told the disciples that they did not need to defend Him . . . if He wanted to, He could call for 12 legions of angels to come to His defense. A legion of Roman soldier was between 4000-6000 amen. Many have concluded the same would be true of angels. So, to call 12 legions of angels would be 48,000-72,000 angels. Knowing angels are much stronger than their opponents it is easy to realize there is no army that could stand against such an angelic force. That’s the point Jesus is making to His followers. He is not helpless. He is surrendering to this mob of people because He chooses to do so. He was not just a good man who got caught in a bad situation.
The staggering reality is this: Jesus choseto go to the cross. He made this choice because it was the only way to satisfy the justice of God against sin while at the same time making it possible for those who put their trust in Him to find forgiveness and new life. In other words, our sin is not just a little thing! It is, in essence, cosmic treason! To sin is to rebel against the ruler of all that is. This is a capital offense and warrants the death penalty. The only way we could be forgiven would be for a perfect human being to take our place.
Jesus became man, lived a perfect life, and thus qualified as a worthy substitute. Because He is also the Son of God, His life has sufficient worth to trade for anyone who would believe. When Jesus died, the justice of God was satisfied, and the mercy of God was unleashed.
It is the plan that was decided on before the world's creation! (Ephesians 1:3-7) Throughout the Old Testament history, there was a promise that there would be One who would set the people (all people) free. Unfortunately, the people were looking for someone to give them political freedom. They missed the point. Jesus came to set the people free but not from political oppression, He came to set us free from supernatural oppression and from the sin that condemns us before Him.
Let me state this incredible truth again: Jesus chose to die, and He chose to die for you and me!
Does that sober you? Does it make you take a step back? It should.
Most of us live our lives feeling inadequate, overlooked, insufficient, and, yes, deficient. For some, it may even make it hard to believe someone could love you. You spend your life waiting for that person who professes love to open their eyes, realize they made a terrible mistake, and then walk away. The Lord will not do that!
We were walking away from HIM! When we came to faith, it was because somehow the Lord touched our hearts and changed us. He enabled us to see that Jesus was the One who had come to set us free. We belong to Him not because of OUR choice, but because of His. Stop for a moment and let that truth register in your mind and heart. You are trying so hard to impress Him in the hope He will love you, while He loved you first!
Don’t miss the majesty and the wonder of these words. Jesus surrendered to the Lord’s will in prayer because this was the only way you and I could have a relationship with God. He went with the angry mob because it was the only way to save us. He endured the punishment, the cruelty, the intense pain, and even the wrath of God . . . so we could be forgiven and be made a part of God’s eternal family.
Jesus did what was necessary. He paid the price. Now it is up to us to receive the gift, mercy, and sacrifice made on our behalf. This isn’t about joining a church, reading a version of the Bible, or doing certain religious actions . . . it is about saying yes to His invitation to come and follow Him. Do you want to live even after you die? Do you want to be part of God’s family? If so, tell Him. He asks that you trust and follow Him. He promises He will never abandon you. But, let me warn you, if you understand what God is offering, it will be hard to respond without tears of gratitude.
Second, Jesus died because of our sin so we should seek to remove all such sin from our life. The Lord died to rescue us from sin, we should not see that as a license to keep sinning, but as motivation to fight the sin that remains in our lives. In Christ, we see the cost of sin. If we continue to do what we know is wrong, we are making light of the Lord’s sacrifice. We are like a child who jumps off a pier into the icy water but can’t swim. Someone rescues him, and when he dries, he laughingly goes and jumps into the deep icy water again. It is ludicrous! The assumption that you can keep living in the way of sin, claiming to be a believer is not taking Him at His Word . . . it is, despising the sacrifice He made.
If we do not want to be saved from the stain of sin and the power of sin in our daily life . . . God will let us continue to whistle as we journey to eternal condemnation. Before we can genuinely receive Christ as our Savior, we must recognize that we have something we need to be saved FROM. That something is the sin addiction which has for too long run our lives.
I have one more application from the fact that Jesus chose to die for us. Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels to come and defend Him. However, there was a better reason not to do so.He could send legions of angels to snatch you out of the circumstances that weigh you down. The fact that He has not done so does not mean He doesn’t care about you. . . it means there is something better for you than to be extricated from your circumstances.
The Lord often uses trying times to deepen our faith or prepare us for ministry. I hated going through a divorce, but I have been told that I am a much more compassionate counselor because I did go through that heartache. I suspect I am a better preacher and teacher because of the pain associated with the death of my parents and because of the funerals I have been called upon to conduct.
It is not an accident that you, as a follower of Christ, are going through what you are going through. He is at work. Rather than complain about what is happening. . . lean into it. Trust that something is going on that is part of His plan for you and maybe for others around you.
He loves us. I don’t know why. It isn’t because we live such exemplary lives. His love is not in response to anything we have done. He loves us despite what we have done. Let this truth strengthen your weary arms and your heavy hearts. Let it change your attitude. May it cause us to pursue holiness with genuine eagerness and determination. And may it draw you closer to Him so that you may serve Him more fully and worship Him more completely. And may it give you strength when someone you thought was a friend, attacks you.
That night in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see the worst of man. However, we also see the magnitude of the Savior's love. Judas turned against the one who loved Him more than He could comprehend. May we learn from Judas’ mistake rather than repeat it by treating His love and sacrifice as if it were nothing and instead cherish it as the act of love it is.