Mar 14:43-45 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord is ready. Therefore His enemies can come to take Him captive. God’s time has come, and therefore the power of the enemy can manifest itself. They are not aware that they are going to fulfill God’s plan in God’s time. That is not up to them either. They are entirely responsible for this crime, which can’t be compared to any other, and will be judged for it. Judas is coming. He is still referred to as “one of the twelve” to indicate that he has lived so closely with the Lord Jesus. He leads a crowd, armed with swords and clubs. It is an armed crowd, because it is a dangerous “criminal” who could fiercely resist with His little army of disciples. They come from the religious center, from where the good words of God should have flowed, and from where God’s people should be governed according to the law. It is precisely they who are insisting that the Name they represent be wiped from the face of the earth. The contradictions cannot be greater! When it comes to his deed, the name of Judas is not mentioned, but is said “he who was betraying Him”, thus emphasizing his terrible deed. This treacherous act is linked to what is the proof of love: a kiss. He will appoint the Lord by kissing Him. It means that the Lord is not directly distinguishable from His disciples. It is also dark. They shouldn’t arrest the wrong person. What a tragic ignorance about Him by suggesting that they should lead Him away “under guard”. Has Judas learned nothing from His power? No, he didn’t. Unbelief cannot be persuaded by the power of the Lord. When Judas reaches Him, he goes straight to Him. He falls around His neck, greets Him with “Rabbi” and kisses Him, i.e. kisses Him intimately or many times. He has never called the Lord Jesus ‘Lord’. He greets Him with the proof of the most profound love, while there is only falsehood and greed in his heart. The ‘Judas kiss’ will become proverbial as the act of a traitor who commits treason by abusing intimacy. It does not surprise the Lord, but it hurts His soul to the depths ( ). Mark does not mention the Lord’s addressing of Judas. He immediately describes that the Lord is captured. He does not defend Himself, but allows evil people to seize Him. Peter who slept during his Master’s serious prayer awakens to strike, while his Master surrenders Himself like a lamb to be led to the slaughterhouse. Once again, he disagrees with his Master’s path and comes to an act that is wrong and irreparable for him. There can be no good fight for the Lord without prayer. Just as he previously, out of love for his Master, took too great a word for himself, he is now, also out of love for his Master, performing an overconfident act. As if his Master needed his defense. Nor does Mark mention the healing of the ear that Peter cut off. It is not mentioned because this Gospel is not about the power of the Lord, but about His submission as a Servant. Mark also doesn’t mention the fact that the Lord speaks to Peter about his deed. The Lord speaks to the crowd. In full dignity He responds to the crime that is done to Him. He speaks to their conscience. In Gethsemane, in the presence of God, He went through everything in the spirit, and was therefore in the presence of people in perfect peace and tranquility. Is He a robber that they came upon Him so armed to take Him captive? What has He ever robbed? He Who only gave to and never took from others. He points out that He was with them “every day”. This is a beautiful expression that indicates that He had come so close to them. And not occasionally in a sudden appearance, but He was among them daily, He was One of them. They heard Him speak in the temple. His teaching has always been a blessing, He never used inflammatory language. He spoke the words of God to them, and He did so with authority. That they did not catch Him then is because it was not yet the time of the fulfillment of the Scriptures. That time has now come and that is why they are given the opportunity now. He wishes to give testimony to the Scriptures in all things. If the Scriptures announce His death, He must die. As Man on earth, He takes them as a rule and motive for everything He says and does.

‏ Mark 14:43-45

The Capture

The Lord is ready. Therefore His enemies can come to take Him captive. God’s time has come, and therefore the power of the enemy can manifest itself. They are not aware that they are going to fulfill God’s plan in God’s time. That is not up to them either. They are entirely responsible for this crime, which can’t be compared to any other, and will be judged for it.

Judas is coming. He is still referred to as “one of the twelve” to indicate that he has lived so closely with the Lord Jesus. He leads a crowd, armed with swords and clubs. It is an armed crowd, because it is a dangerous “criminal” who could fiercely resist with His little army of disciples. They come from the religious center, from where the good words of God should have flowed, and from where God’s people should be governed according to the law. It is precisely they who are insisting that the Name they represent be wiped from the face of the earth. The contradictions cannot be greater!

When it comes to his deed, the name of Judas is not mentioned, but is said “he who was betraying Him”, thus emphasizing his terrible deed. This treacherous act is linked to what is the proof of love: a kiss. He will appoint the Lord by kissing Him. It means that the Lord is not directly distinguishable from His disciples. It is also dark. They shouldn’t arrest the wrong person.

What a tragic ignorance about Him by suggesting that they should lead Him away “under guard”. Has Judas learned nothing from His power? No, he didn’t. Unbelief cannot be persuaded by the power of the Lord.

When Judas reaches Him, he goes straight to Him. He falls around His neck, greets Him with “Rabbi” and kisses Him, i.e. kisses Him intimately or many times. He has never called the Lord Jesus ‘Lord’. He greets Him with the proof of the most profound love, while there is only falsehood and greed in his heart. The ‘Judas kiss’ will become proverbial as the act of a traitor who commits treason by abusing intimacy. It does not surprise the Lord, but it hurts His soul to the depths (Psa 41:9).

Mark does not mention the Lord’s addressing of Judas. He immediately describes that the Lord is captured. He does not defend Himself, but allows evil people to seize Him.

Peter who slept during his Master’s serious prayer awakens to strike, while his Master surrenders Himself like a lamb to be led to the slaughterhouse. Once again, he disagrees with his Master’s path and comes to an act that is wrong and irreparable for him. There can be no good fight for the Lord without prayer. Just as he previously, out of love for his Master, took too great a word for himself, he is now, also out of love for his Master, performing an overconfident act. As if his Master needed his defense. Nor does Mark mention the healing of the ear that Peter cut off. It is not mentioned because this Gospel is not about the power of the Lord, but about His submission as a Servant. Mark also doesn’t mention the fact that the Lord speaks to Peter about his deed.

The Lord speaks to the crowd. In full dignity He responds to the crime that is done to Him. He speaks to their conscience. In Gethsemane, in the presence of God, He went through everything in the spirit, and was therefore in the presence of people in perfect peace and tranquility. Is He a robber that they came upon Him so armed to take Him captive? What has He ever robbed? He Who only gave to and never took from others.

He points out that He was with them “every day”. This is a beautiful expression that indicates that He had come so close to them. And not occasionally in a sudden appearance, but He was among them daily, He was One of them. They heard Him speak in the temple. His teaching has always been a blessing, He never used inflammatory language. He spoke the words of God to them, and He did so with authority.

That they did not catch Him then is because it was not yet the time of the fulfillment of the Scriptures. That time has now come and that is why they are given the opportunity now. He wishes to give testimony to the Scriptures in all things. If the Scriptures announce His death, He must die. As Man on earth, He takes them as a rule and motive for everything He says and does.