Jesus surrenders]

were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the High Priest, and smote off his ear.

52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

54 But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as

[himself to his enemies.

against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

56 But all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples for. sook him, and fled.

57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the High Priest, where the Scribes and the elders were assembled.

58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the High Priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants to see the end. (M)

(M) Ver. 47–58. Jesus surrenders himself to his enemies.-From the manner in which Peter here acted, it appears that he was perfectly sincere in his resolution not to deny his Lord; and had even resolved to risk his life in his defence, with the hope, probably, that his Master, whose miracles he had often witnessed, would, when he saw his fidelity and zeal, in some way support him, and save both himself and his disciples. But Peter was grossly mistaken; his Master wrought no miracles but those of mercy; and even those not on his own behalf, but for others, even for his enemies, as in the case before us. Instantly he commands the rash disciple to put up his sword, and heals the wound he had made, by cutting off the ear of " the high priest's servant." At the same time he reproves his warlike disposition, and gives him to understand that those who use the sword must expect to perish by it; which applies particularly to the case of persons who, like Peter, have had recourse to it in order to defend themselves from persecution; as, for instance, the Hussites in Bohemia, and the Huguenots in France. Why Peter struck at the high priest's servant, does not appear; perhaps he was armed, and might threaten him; perhaps he had seized hold of his Master; or pos

sibly the blow was not aimed at him, but fell promiscuously; for had he aimed at any one, he most likely would have attacked Judas. But we should recollect this was before daylight.

Judas has immortalized his infamy, not only by betraying his Master, but by be traying him with a kiss. Dr. Guise and others have reasonably supposed, that Jesus permitted his apostles thus to salute him, on returning to him after absence; he might therefore think it would excite no suspicion of his design; but he has thereby become, in the Hebrew idiom, "the father of all those who betray their Master with a kiss :" a fraternity most unhappily numerous in the Christian world, and embracing all those who profess attachment to the Saviour, merely to promote their secular interests; and especially those who partake of the sacred institution of his supper, merely (as Cowper expresses it) as "the pick-lock of a place."

Our Lord Jesus is particularly careful to have it understood that his surrender was voluntary, for he had only to address his Holy Father, and were it consistent with his decree, an army of angels would be assigned for his protection, to which all human opposition would be utterly in vain; and yet what protection could be re

Ver. 53. Twelve legions of angels-these usually composed an army; and though their legions might vary, like our regiments, when full they amounted to at least 5000 men each.

Ver 54. That thus it must be?-See Acts ii. 22-24. Our Lord continually adverts to the necessity of the Scriptures being fulfilled. See ver. 56.

Ver. 55. As against a thief- Doddr." Robber;" luding to the chiefs of banditti, common in the mountains of Judea. Staves-namely, of office,

like those of constables with us.

Ver. 56. That the Scriptures.... might be fulfilled.-This object we find traced through all the

evangelists, not as a native of human action, but as a lending design of Providence. For the prediction here alluded to, turn back to ver. 31.

Ver. 58. And nent in-namely, into the court before the palace, which was always open to the sky, though sometimes with piazzas round it. It is not certain, however, that this palace was the private residence of Caiaphas (which is understood to have been on Mount Sion), but rather his official house, or apartments in the temple, where the Sanhedrim now sat, and into one of the courts of which Peter and John obtained admission. So the late Editor of Calmet, Fragments, No. cxxxVİL

59¶ Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

62 And the High Priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

63 But Jesus held his peace. And the High Priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

[false witnesses.

64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

65 Then the High Priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? (N)

69 Now Peter sat without in the

quired for him whom the winds and seas obeyed? for him who hath the keys of death and the grave suspended at his girdie? (Rev.i. 18.)

Jesus remonstrates with the guard sent to arrest him, on the method taken to pursue him into his devotional retreat, when they saw him daily teaching in the temple; but when he says, "Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves?" our Saviour plainly intimates that swords and staves may be necessary in treating with such characters; but surely not with him as a prophet and teacher of religion: and though indeed, he claimed a kingdom, it was of a nature so purely spiritual that it required no support from the sword, much less could it be propagated by it. He then adds, upon the officers stating that himself personally was the object of their search, "Let these (disciples) go their way' (John xviii. 8); and they took the opportunity to fly. One young man, in particular, having only a garment loosely thrown over him, left it in the hands of the officers aud fled naked; and, one way or other, they all forsook him, and sought their own safety.

It has been thought strange, however, that Peter was suffered to escape, after cutting off the ear of Malchus, the high

As to Peter himself, though he deserted his Master for the present, he could not abandon him; but followed him afar off. It appears by John's gospel (chap. xviii. 13), that Jesus was first taken to Aunas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, to whom he immediately sent him; and thither Peter, and probably some other of the apostles, followed him at a distance, and by means of John, obtained admittance within the hall (or rather court) of the high priest. But we must leave Peter for the present, and attend to the circumstances of his divine Master, who is brought before the whole Sanhedrim, the highest court among the Jews, which, on this occasion, was hastily assembled in the high priest's palace.

(N) Ver. 59-68. Jesus arraigned at the bar of the Jewish high priest.-Behold the Son of God now undergoing a mock trial, to gratify the malice of his enemies!We call it a mock trial, because on the preceding day a council had been expressly

Ver. 61. This fellow.-This scornful term is supplied by our translators, and perhaps the common term man would be more warrantable.

Ver. 63. I adjure thee.-Thus the high priest, in his magisterial capacity, lays the Holy Jesus under a judicial oath, which in some cases, very different from the present, he was allowed to lay upon the accased party. See Num. v. 19, &c.

Ver. 64. Thou hast said.- See Note on ver. 25. -The Son of man-See Dan. vii. 13, 14, and Exposition of chap. xxiv. 29.

Ver. 65. Rent his clothes.-It has been said, that the high priest might never rend his clothes; but that he might, and did on extraordinary occasions, Dr. Lardner has given several instances. Credib. vol. i. bk. i. ch. 7.

called for the purpose of murdering him. We call it so also in reference to the false witnesses, who were evidently suborned expressly for the purpose; but probably, through the hurry of the proceedings, were not properly trained, and therefore gave so confused and contradictory evidence that even such a court could not found any proceedings on it. At length two men came forward, who had heard Jesus say something respecting the temple of his body, which they applied to the temple at Jerusalem, contrary to his design. (See John ii. 19-22.) Even this, however, had the evidence been perfectly correct, the high priest himself saw, could not amount to a capital offence, since they only quote him as saying, he was able to destroy and to rebuild it; the high priest therefore, in virtue of his office, administers an oath, or adjuration, respecting other words, which some reported him to have uttered, and perhaps truly; for he had asserted his divine character, and neither could nor would retract it. Hitherto, it may be observed, Jesus had been silent, as thinking it beneath his character to notice charges so trivial, and (to say the least) unfounded. But when the oath of God is laid upon him by the high priest, reverence to truth, to himself, and to God's holy name, all in duce him to speak out; especially as being about to suffer voluntarily, he had now no reason to shun the declaration. We think, however, as already intimated, that our Lord's prompt reply to the question here put to him upon oath, is a very satisfactory proof of the legality of judicial oaths, though too much care cannot be taken to preserve their solemnity, and guard against their trifling or improper use.

The form of adjuration is-" I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us, Whether thou be the Christ (or Messiah), the Son of God:" on which we may in the first place remark, that the ancient

Jews uniformly expected their Messiah to bear a divine character; and 2dly, that they considered it as blasphemy for any other person to assume it. Consequently, when Jesus admitted that he laid claim to this character, and added, that he should again visit earth in a manner suited to his rank, "sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven;" the high priest immediately rent his clothes, which he was allowed to do only on extraordinary occasions, and cried out," He hath spoken blasphemy: what farther need have we of witnesses? Caiaphas then appeals to the Sanhedrim, who all agree that Jesus had spoken blasphemy, and was guilty of death. In consequence of this, probably, his face was covered (as was usual with condemned persons), on which the petty officers and spectators treated him with every mark of contempt and ridicule. Some spat in his face, some buffeted him, and others ridiculed his prophetic charac ter; and on his being blindfolded, jeeringly exclaimed-" Prophesy unto us, thou [pretended] Christ; who smote thee!" Thus do these unhappy creatures, while they vent their vilest passions in tormenting the Son of God, at the same time fulfil the decrees of God, and the predictions of the prophets. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was despised, and we esteemed him not. He was oppressed, and afflicted; yet he opened not his mouth," (Isa. liii. 3. 7.)

"Mistaken Caiaphas! ah! which blasphem'd, Thou, or thy prisoner?-Which shall be condemn'd" Young.

But it is not for us to penetrate the secrets of eternal judgment: this we know, that among the redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, shall be some who persecuted and pierced him: nay more; which of us can plead, not guilty?

Ver. 67. Then did they spit, &c.-This mark of contempt and malice is still continued in the East. In 1744, when a rebel prisoner was brought before Nadir Shah's general," the soldiers were ordered to spit in his face; an indignity of great antiquity in the East." Hanway's Travels, vol. 1. p. 298. Smote him with the palms of their hands -There is good authority for this sense of the words; but the etymology inclines others to render it, "with rods," or staves; i. e. with their official staffs.

Ver. 68. Who is he that smote thee? - Dr. Gill thinks this alludes to a play, resembling blind man's buff, called by the Greeks, Kollabismos. Thus was

See

our Saviour made a jest of! But we rather think this was done in allusion to an ancient custom of covering the faces of condemned persons, as in the instance of Haman, Esther vii. 8, and Note. also Jer. xiv. 3. Likewise Harmer, vol. ii. p. 96. Ver. 69. Peter sat without in the palace.-The term aule, rendered palace, more properly signifies an open court. Faber's Heb. Archeology, p. 408, and compare Note on ver. 58.

Ver. 73. Thy speech bewrayeth or betrayeth thee; meaning that his accent was Galilean. See Mark iv. 79.

fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.

73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. (0)

[by the Sanhedrim.

CHAP. XXVII.

WHEN the morning was come,

all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him to death:

2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself; and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.

(0) Ver. 69-75. Peter denies his Master, with oaths and curses.-There is nothing more important for us to learn than our own weakness. Who that saw Peter vaunting but the day before this-" Though all men forsake thee, yet will not I,"-could have supposed that in so short a time he could have forgotten, or at least have broken all his promises? What! an apostle prevaricate and lie; yea, and curse and swear, that he knew not the man to whom he had professed so strong an attachment; for whom, in fact, he had fought, and nearly committed murder? Alas, how weak is man! But all this arises from too much confidence in our own strength. This leads us into temptation, and throws us off our guard. As Paul said, "When I am weak, then am I strong;" Peter might reverse the phrase, and say, When I was strong, then was I weak indeed! The question of a silly damsel confused and terrified him; and the fear of being taken for one of the followers of Jesus, led him to prevarication, lying, and perjury.

But how was Peter recovered, and put to shame? His foolish vaunting is reproved by the crowing of a cock! How small the means by which the Lord often accomplishes the most important ends ! This seemingly trivial incident brings to mind the prediction of his Master: the recollection of his words "kindled his repentings," and led him to seek retirement; and a glance from his eye in pass

ing, penetrated, like a flash of lightning, to his heart: he went out and wept bitterly. And whereas his fall is recorded as a beacon, to warn us against apostacy, so is his repentance exhibited as a model to penitent backsliders. "He wept bitterly!" Such a bitter apostacy indeed requires bitter tears; and if they are not produced on earth, they will be mingled with "wailing and guashing of teeth" in hell. "This deep sorrow is required (says Mr. Henry) not to satisfy divine justice (as a sea of tears will not do that); hut to evidence that there is a real change of mind, which is the essence of repentance; to make pardon more welcome, and sin, in future, more loathsome. Peter, who wept so bitterly for denying Christ, never denied him again; but confessed him often and openly, and in the face of danger. So far from ever again saying, "I know not the man," he made all the house of Israel know assuredly, that this same Jesus was both Lord and Christ. True repentance for any sin will be best evidenced by our abounding in the contrary grace and duty; that is a sign of our weeping, not only bitterly, but sincerely. Some of the ancients report, that as long as Peter lived, he never heard a cock crow but he burst into tears.

We may have never sinned with Peter in openly declaring we did not know him but actions speak louder than words;" and is there no part of our conduct which in effect says, "I know not the man?" -Conscience! Do thy office.

CHAP. XXVII. Ver. 1. Took counsel - that is, Consulted afresh; the preceding transactions took place during the night and early dawn. Their prisoner was now probably sent out of court, while they

obtained some interval of rest or refreshment: but they again consulted together, so soon as the day was fully come.