Jesus Is Arrested (J67)

He created man, fashioned the places
In which man moves and conducts his being;
Now, will He submit to man’s disgraces—
A farce of a trial, and death receiving?
You need not ask, for such was why He came—
His life’s blood spilling, atoning for sin;
Buying back man’s debt, which Satan laid claim,
The wages of sins committed by men!
To arrest Jesus required His assent:
Does the pot shape the potter on the wheel?
Did hordes of angels the scandal prevent?
Is truth falsehood or reality unreal?
The epitome of irony’s this:
That Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss!

Scripture Quoted: John 18:4-8 (NIV)
“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who do you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, ‘Who is it that you want?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ ‘I told you that I am he,’ Jesus answered. ‘If you are looking for me, then let these men go.’

Commentary on: John 18: 1-11 (NIV)
Can you imagine anything so unlikely to occur as Almighty God, the omniscient and omnipotent Creator of man and the entire universe, being arrested by a group of such ant-like creatures as men? Other than the macabre unlikelihood of His planning for it billions of years before the time for it to come to pass, and then coordinating the many variables to make it happen at this precise moment in history, with His essential humbling Himself—which He did, and the answer is no. The God who first gave the law that “the wages of sin is death”(Romans 6:23); after which “all men sinned and fell short of the righteousness of God” (Romans 3:23); and become condemned to death; “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not die, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Take a deep breath and read the last “sentence” again!

Simon Peter, the bumbling, wonderful fisherman, who ultimately became the chief and ablest of original apostles, drew his sword and proceeded to cut off the right ear of one of the chief priest’s servants. Jesus quickly ordered him to put the sword away and healed the ear. Obviously Peter did not yet understand that Jesus wanted to be arrested, so that He could be martyred, and so that all men would have the opportunity to accept His atonement for sin. It was probably a miracle of Jesus that a general battle did not erupt, which would have tainted the name of Jesus forever and wrecked His mission to earth! Jesus interceded for His apostles, and they were not arrested; as prophesied in Zechariah 13:7, they scattered in fear.

Judas, the erstwhile apostle, had led the officers to the garden and identified Jesus for them with a kiss on the cheek, according to the other gospel books. He was already apprehensive about his great offense; he tried to soften it a bit later by offering the thirty pieces of silver paid him back to the chief priest, but that unworthy official refused to accept it, saying it was “blood money”; how ridiculous of him to “strain at a gnat while swallowing a camel” (Matthew 23:24).

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9).