358 SECT. Jesus submits to his enemies, and cures Malchus's ear. calling Malchus to him, he touched his ear, and touched his ear, clxxxiii. immediately healed him". Luke healed him. and which were come to 53 When I was daiteaching] in the temly with you, [and sat ple, ye [MARK, took me not, and stretched Then Jesus said in that same hour to the chief 52 Then Jesus said XXII.5 priests, and to the captains of the temple-guardo, to the chief priests, and [in that same hour] unand to the elders of the people, or to those mem- captains of the tembers of the anhedrim who (as was said before, ple, and the elders p. 353.) were so forgetful of the dignity of their him [and to the mulcharacters as to come to him themselves with the titudes, ] Be ye come dregs of the populace, at this unseasonable time, out as against a thief, and on this infamous occasion: to these he said, with swords and staves [for to take me?] [and] to the multitude that now surrounded him, [MAT. XXVI. 55. For what imaginable reason are you come out MARK XIV. 48.] against me, as against a robber that would make a desperate resistance, armed in this way with swords and staves, as if you came to seize me at 53 the hazard of your lives? When I was with you every day, as I have been for some time past, [and] publicly sate teaching in the temple, you had opportunities enough to have secured me, if there was any crime with which you could have charged me; yet then you did not apprehend me, [or] offer to stretch out your hands against me. But I know the reason better than you yourselves do: you have hitherto been kept under a secret restraint, which is now removed; and this is your hour, in which God has let you loose against me, and the power of darkness is now permitted to rage with peculiar violence; for it is under the instigation of Satan and his infernal powers that you now act, with whatever pious names you may affect to consecrate the deed. And in all this I know, that both you and they are secretly Mat. XXVI. 56 n He touched his ear, and healed him.] As this was an act of great compassion, so likewise it was an instance of singular wisdom; for it would effectually prevent those reflections and censures on Jesus which the rashness of Peter's attack might otherwise have occassioned. • The captains of the temple.] There was indeed a Roman guard and commanding officer which attended near the temple during the time of the great feasts, in order to prevent any sedition of the Jews: (see Joseph. Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. 4. [al 6.] § 3. and Bell. Jud. lib. v. cap. 5. [al. vi 6.] § 8.) And this appears to be the band and captain mentioned here by John ver. 12. where the word in the original is nagy which plainly shews it was a Roman officer, and is the title given to Lysias, (Acts xxi. 31. & seq.) who was commander of the garrison kept by the over forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of [MA T. XXVI. 55.-MARK XIV. 49.-] MAT. XXVI. 56. Romans in the castle of Antonia; from whence there were detachments sent at the time of the feasts, and posted in the porticoes of the temple, to suppress any tumults among the people, when such great numbers flocked together.-But for these captains of the temple spoken of by Luke, there is no doubt but they were Jewish officers, who are said by John to have attended with the former; of whom it is to be observed, that as the priests kept watch in three places of the temple, and the Levites in twenty-one, so their leaders were called spalny TH 12, F captains of the temple; and Josephus more than once speaks of one of the Jewish priests by this title, (Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 6. [al. 5.] § 2. cap. 9 [al. 8] § 3. and Bell. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 17. § 2.) (See Dr. Whitby in loc. and Dr. Lardner's Credib. part i. Vol. 1. book 1. ch. ii. § 15. P That All his disciples forsook him, and fied. 359 clxxxiii. -But all this was over-ruled by Divine Providence, to accomplish SECT. done that the scrip- events most contrary to your own schemes; and tures of the prophets might be fulfilled. it is done, that what is written concerning me in Mat. [MARK XIV.-49.] the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled p. XXVI. I therefore resign myself into your hands, though 56 I have given you abundant evidence that I am not destitute of the means of deliverance, if I was inclined to use them. -56 Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. [MARK XIV. 50.] MARK XIV. 51. And there followed him a certain young on him. Then all the disciples, who but a little while before had solemnly protested that they would never leave him, when they now saw him bound in the hands of his enemies, according to his repeated predictions, forsook him and fled; each of them shifting for his own safety as well as he could, and seeking to shelter himself either among friends or strangers. And a certain youth, who lodged in a house Mark near the garden, and was waked by the noise of XIV. 51 man, having a linen this tumult, having an affection for Jesus, and cloth cast about his apprehending him in danger, arose out of bed naked body; and the with nothing but a linen cloth in which he lay, young men laid hold thrown about his naked body; and he followed him a little way after the rest of his disciples were gone, transported into a forgetfulness of his own dress, by his concern for Jesus: and the young men that made a part of the guard, suspecting he was one that belonged to Jesus, laid hold on him. But he, leaving the sheet which was wrapped 52 about him in their hands, fled away from them naked, in the utmost consternation. After which Jesus was led to the palace of the high-priest, and condemned there, in the manner which will presently be related. 52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. That the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.] This was a consideration, which, if duly applied, might have prevented his disciples from being offended at his sufferings and it strongly intimates that he still kept up the claim which he had formerly made of being the Messiah; and that what he was now to go through, was 30 far from being at all inconsistent with that claim, that, on the whole, it was absolutely necessary, in order to make it out to full satisfaction. q All the disciples forsook him and fled.] Perhaps they were afraid that the action of Peter should be imputed to them all, and might bring their lives into danger, But, whatever they apprehended, their precipitate flight in these circumstances was the basest cowardice and ingratitude; considering, not only how lately they had been warned of their danger, and what IMPROVE solemn promises they had made of a cou- men. 360 Reflections on Christ's being betrayed and apprehended. SECT. IMPROVEMENT. THE heroic behaviour of the blessed Jesus, in the whole period elxxxii. of his sufferings, will easily make itself observed by every atJohn tentive eye, though the sacred historians, according to their usual xviii. 4. but wonderful simplicity, make no encomiums upon it. With Mat. what xxvi. 50. composure does he go forth to meet the traitor! with what calmness does he receive that malignant kiss! With what dignity does he deliver himself into the hands of his enemies, yet plainly 2, 53 shewing his superiority over them, and leading as it were even then captivity captive! 9, 11 xxii. 51 xxvi. 56 John We see him generously capitulating for the safety of his friends, xviii. 8, while he neglected his own; and afterwards, not only forbidding all the defence they attempted to make, but curing that wound which one of his enemies had received in this assault on him. With what meek majesty did he say, Suffer ye at least thus far! Luke And he touched his ear, and healed him. We hear his words, we behold his actions with astonishment: but surely our indignation must rise within us when we see so amiable and excellent a Person 47, 48 thus injured and abused; when we see the Son of man betrayed with a kiss: betrayed by his intimate friend, who had eaten of Mat. his bread, and yet lifted up his heel against him, (John xiii. 18.) and at the same time forsaken by all his disciples, even by him. whom he most tenderly loved, and who had so often leant on his bosom. Let us not wonder if some of our friends prove false ; and others seem to forget us when we have the greatest need of their assistance. When we deserve so much less friendship than Christ did, let us not think it strange if we find but little more. Nor can we reasonably be so much amazed, as we might otherwise have been, to see sinners going on under the most awful rebukes of providence; when we consider that these wretches, who had been struck down to the ground by one word of Christ's mouth, should immediately rise up and stretch forth their impious hands against him, to seize and bind him; though they might well have known that they lived only by his indulgence and forbearance, and that the same word that struck them down to the ground could have laid them dead there. Touch our hearts, O Lord, by thy grace; or it will be in vain that we are smitten with thy rod! John xviii. 6, 12 In all the remainder of this story let us remember that Jesus voluntarily gave himself up to sufferings which he circumstantially foreknew; even though he could have commanded to his assistMat. ance whole legions of angels. His Father's will was an answer to xxvi. 53 all that nature could plead in its own cause; and the good hand xviii. 11 from which this cup of his severest sufferings came, reconciled John him to all the bitterest ingredients it contained. How reasonable then Christ is led away first to Annas. 361 clxxxiii, then is it that we who, having had fathers of our flesh that cor- CT. rected us, submitted to the rod, and gave them reverence, should much rather, after the example of our innocent and holy Redeemer, be in subjection to the Father of our spirits, and live! (Heb. xii. 9.) SECT. CLXXXIV. Jesus is conducted to the palace of Caiaphas: Peter follows him thither, and denies him thrice, Mat. XXVI. 57, 58, 69, to the end. Mark XIV. 53, 5, 66, to the end. Luke XXII. 54-62. John XVIII. 13-13, 24-27. JOHN XVIII. 13. AND they led him away to JOHN XVIII. 13. John Annas THE officers and people having thus appre- SECT. first, (for he was fa- hended Jesus, in the manner described clxxxiv. ther-in-law to Caia- above, they led him away from the garden of phas, which was the Gethsemane to those who had employed them, XVIII. high-priest that same year,) and brought him first to the house of Annas; for 13 he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was highpriest that year, or bore the office at that time: And Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high- 24 priest, as judging it most proper that the rest of the council should upon this occasion be con14 Now Caiaphas vened at his palace. Now this Caiaphas was 14 was he which gave he whom we mentioned above (John xi. 49—51, counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient sect. cxli.) who gave it as his advice to the Jews, that one man should that it was fit that one man, though innocent, die for the people. 24 (Now Annas sent him bound unto Caiaphas the highpriest.) should die for the preservation of the people: a Led him away first to Annas, &c.] It appears from Josephus (Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. 2 [al. 3], § 2, p. 873, Havercamp.) that Annas, whom he calls Ananus, had been high-priest before his son-in-law Caiaphas; and it seems to have been by his interest, that first Eleazer his own son, and then Caiaphas, who married his daughter, and probably had been his deputy, obtained that dignity: so that though he had resigned that office himself, yet the people paid so much regard to his experience, that they brought Jesus first to him; who, no doubt, took all necessary care to prepare Caiaphas for receiving him, as he could not but know that this was a most critical juncture. We do not read of any thing remarkable which passed at the house of Annas; for which And reason his being carried thither is omited Followed 362 SECT. Mat. John Thence he is sent to Caiaphas, whither Peter follows him. laid hold on Jesus and brought him into the elders were assem bied [with him).— [MARK XIV. 53LUKE XXII. 54.—] JOHN XVIII. 15. And Simon Peter fol was known unto the And they who had apprehended Jesus took and MAT. XXVI. 57. clxxxiv. led him away from Annas like a criminal in And they that had bonds, and, according to the directions which [LUKE, took him, and] XXVI. Annas had given them, brought him in the pa- led him away, [LURE, 57 lace of Caiaphas the high priest; where, though the house of] Caiaphas it was now the dead time of the night, all the the high-priest; where chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, or [all the chief priests, the chief persons of the sanhedrim, with their and] the scribes, and proper officers, met together on a summons from Caiaphas, and were assembled with him, waiting for Jesus to be brought before them. And though Simon Peter had at first forsaken XVIII. Christ, and shifted for himself, as the rest of lowed Jesus [afar off], 15 his companions did, yet afterwards he and an- and so did another dis other disciple, even the evangelist John, be- ciple. That disciple thought themselves, and determined to return; high-priest, and went and accordingly they followed Jesus afar off, in with Jesus into the desiring to see what would become of him: and palace of the highas that other disciple was known to the high- 58.-Mark XIV. 54. priest. (MAT. XXVI, priest, he was admitted without any objection -LUKE XXII,—54.) or impediment, and went into the palace of the high-priest with Jesus and the guard that at16 tended him. But Peter, who had no interest or acquaintance there, stood waiting without at Then went out that the door: that other disciple therefore, who was other disciple which known to the high-priest, went out of the inner- was known unto the room, into which Jesus was then carried in high-priest, and spake order to his examination, and spake to her that the door, and brought kept the door to open it; and so by her consent in Peter. Luke brought in Peter. And when they had kindled XXII.55 16 But Peter stood at the door without. unto her that kept LUKE XXII. 55. midst of the hall, and were set down kindled a fire in the a fire in the midst of the large hall, and were set And when they had b Followed Jesus afar off] It appears from hence that Peter and John recovered themselves quickly after their flight, or else they could not have followed him at some distance, and yet be so near as to be ready to go into Caiaphas's house with him. c That disciple was known to the high priest.] We cannot imagine the acquaintance was very intimate, considering the great diversity of their rank and station in life; but a thousand occurrences occasion some knowledge of each other, between persons whose conditions are as unequal, [with the servants to see the end,] [MARK, down among them and warmed himself at the fire]. [MAT. XXVI. 58. MARK And, XIV.-54.] a And warmed himself at the fire, while they were examining Jesus, &c.] It is remarkable that all the evangelists record the fall of Peter, and none with circumstances of greater aggravation than Mark, whose gospel is said to have been reviewed by Peter himself, and indeed written from his preaching. (See noted on Mark xiv. 31, p. 344.)-Though Christ's examination happened during this interval (which occasions Matthew, Mark, and John, to interrupt this story to recount that), I rather chose, as Luke has done, to take the whole of it together, as best suiting the design of this work. |