(1) Judas brought with him a squad of soldiers and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees to capture Jesus. They came at night and they brought weapons with them. What did they expect? A fight with the disciples v.10-11. What they did not expect was the ease of their arrest. Jesus took the initiative and asked them whom did they look for v.4 and admitted twice that He was v.5, 8.
18:11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
(NET) [the cup]=It is the cup of suffering which Jesus is about to undergo.
Reflection: Not only I see the obedience of Jesus to the Father, but also His courage. Knowing what was going to happen to him v.4 and still showed the courage was incredible. I pray to God that I have that courage when I face sufferings and trials.
(2) Difficult passage
v.5b (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.)
Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Jn 18:5). Biblical Studies Press.
18:6 So when Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they retreated and fell to the ground.
Why did they fall to the ground?
Why did they fall to the ground?
(NET) Before he states the response to Jesus’ identification of himself, the author inserts a parenthetical note that Judas, again identified as the one who betrayed him (cf. 18:2), was standing with the group of soldiers and officers of the chief priests. Many commentators have considered this to be an awkward insertion, but in fact it heightens considerably the dramatic effect of the response to Jesus’ self-identification in the following verse, and has the added effect of informing the reader that along with the others the betrayer himself ironically falls down at Jesus’ feet (18:6).
(NAC) The identification of Jesus here is done by Jesus himself through the dynamic self-disclosure statement, “Egō eimi” (“I am”), which mirrors the great self-disclosure statement of God to Moses in Exod 3:14. That John intended such a connection with the Old Testament in clear from the fact that the arresting band is forced to the ground as if in obeisance to deity.
Reflection: Jesus, the Most High God, gave up Himself for us. He deserved to be worshipped and obeyed, but He gave Himself up for us. He protected the disciples and made sure that they were not arrested with Him. What have we done for Him?
Audrey
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