Parallel passages can be found in Mark 14:26-52 and Luke 22:39-52. We come to the part in the narrative when we need to refer to all three synoptic accounts to get the full picture.
Matthew and Mark, with almost identical words, give us the context for John’s mention that Peter would deny Jesus. The original comment was that they would all be scattered according to the prophesy in Zechariah 13:7. The disciples seemed to have missed the statement that upon His resurrection, they should meet Him in Galilee. Instead, Peter as the presumed second-in-command insisted that he would never panic. But Jesus solemnly warned that Peter would do it not once, but three times before the last guard rotation of that very night began (called “cock-crowing” in those days). Peter insisted that he would die before denying Him, and the others in chorus asserted the same.
Again, Matthew and Mark record the same details in very similar language. Luke has a rather different report that adds a few details. Jesus leads His entourage to the Garden of Gethsemane, a place where people came to hang out at night for typically nefarious purposes, but which Jesus had customarily used as a prayer chapel. He asked the main group to stay in one place to pray with Him, then went farther into the garden with His inner circle of three: Peter, James and John.
In this more restricted company, He began to show His emotional distress. They had no clue, but Jesus knew His arrest, trial and crucifixion was at hand. Like any other man, Jesus wasn’t looking forward to that experience. He stepped away from the trio still farther and began to pray, lying face down. Luke tells us that an angel appeared to Him to encourage Him as He struggled with His flesh in prayer. He was so distressed that He sweat blood.
We know that He asked His Father to let Him skip this coming event, but was willing to obey and endure it. He came back once to find the trio asleep. Granted, it was late at night in a sheltered space and they were all full from the meal. They didn’t understand that there even was a threat, much less what it was. Jesus warned them that testing was coming and they needed to be focused and alert to face the temptation, but it went in one ear and out the other.
This same scenario happened two more times. On His third time returning to them, He said it was over, both the prayer and their sleep. The time had come and the traitor had brought an arresting force. Judas knew where to find Jesus during these prayer meetings. This was a mixed group of soldiers bearing swords (Judean, not Romans), Temple Guards, and various others with clubs, easily the size of a full company of troops.
Judas had prepared a signal with the commander, that whomever he gave the respectful public greeting, kissing on both sides of the face, and calling Him “Rabbi” was the one they were to arrest. He wasted no time in picking out Jesus, marking Him with this elaborate greeting.
The sequence of events at this point is a little confused between the three synoptic narratives. Apparently Jesus responded to this greeting with some sarcasm aimed at Judas. Why was he really there? And why would he choose to identify Jesus in this particular fashion? Just how fake was he?
John’s parallel passage in 18:1-12 adds something very interesting, and most people have no idea what to make of it. Jesus turns to address the crowd and makes a legal query: Who are you here to arrest? The answer was clear: Jesus of Nazareth. To this Jesus declared, “I am.” In John’s schoolboy Greek grammar, it was a rough translation of God’s name, “Jehovah” (English; Hebrew is Yahweh). By a miracle of God’s power, they were all forced backward and prostrated on the ground before Him. When they had recovered, He asked the same question again, but this time made it obvious their response meant His disciples were not under arrest. John says this fulfills His promise in the previous chapter, having lost none of them except Judas.
At this point the disciples realized what was happening, and Peter pulled out his big fishing knife and tried to strike the man closest to him, likely one who was not even armed. Peter lacked the skill for fighting, because all he managed to do was slice off the man’s right ear. Jesus rebuked him, noting that if this was the time to fight, Jesus could have gotten far better troops — twelve legions of angels. Even if such an army were only humans, it would be enough to occupy the city and a large territory around it, but with angels, only a few would be enough to defeat any human force of any size. Then Jesus healed the man, reattaching the ear with no wound.
Speaking loudly to the apparent commander of this company, the Temple Guard captain, Jesus asked why this force was necessary. How often had Jesus stood before them within the Temple grounds, and they didn’t even try to seize Him? But of course, this was all prophesied that the government would act on behalf of the Kingdom of Darkness.
It was then that the eleven disciples fled into the darkness as the armed company surrounded Jesus and officially took Him in custody.
