468

Rise, let us go. Here is he who be-
trayeth me.” There was no time to
watch and pray now; for Judas was
coming, and a multitude with him.
The disciples had wasted their time
in sleep, while their master was
praying; and now the hour of
temptation was come, and they had
not sought strength to resist it.

When Jesus saw His enemies
coming towards Him, He did not
try to hide or escape from them.
He went to meet them, and asked,
“Whom seek ye?” They answered,
“Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said,
“T am He.” And when He said
this, His enemies went back, and
fell to the ground. Why? Because
they felt the power of Jesus as God.
They saw that there was something
in Him very different from other
men; and they were afraid, and
overcome by it. Jesus could have
easily escaped, for His enemies had
no power to hurt Him against His
will. But Jesus was willing to be
taken, and to suffer, and to die, be-
cause He knew that all this was
needful for our salvation. So he
stood quietly before His enemies,
till they recovered themselves, and
arose from the ground.

Wicked Judas was standing there.
Before he brought the priests and
the soldiers into the garden to take
Jesus, he had said to them, “I will
give you a sign, that you may know
whom you must seize. I will go to
Jesus, and kiss Him. Then you
must run directly, and hold Him
fast, and lead Him away.” So now
Judas went up to Jesus, and said,
‘“ Hail master,” and kissed Him.
What a kiss that was! How wicked
of Judas to pretend to love His

GETHSEMANE,

master so much, just at the moment
when he was betraying Him to Hig
enemies! Jesus knew the deceit of
Judas. He knew why he kigseq
Him. Yet Jesus did not drive
Judas away, nor look angrily upon
him. He only said, “ Friend, where.
fore art thou come? Betrayest
thou the Son of man with a kisg 2”
Then the multitude laid hands on
Jesus, and took Him away.

Where were the disciples ? They
were standing by: and when they
saw that their master was so cruelly
seized by His enemies, they rushed
forward to defend him; and Peter
drew his sword, and smote the high
priest’s servant, and cut off his ear,
The servant’s name was Malchus.
But Jesus said to Peter, “Put up
thy sword into the sheath, and do
not try to defend me. If I pleased,
I could now pray to my Father, and
he would directly send me a great
multitude of angels. But I do not
wish this. I am willing to suffer
all, and to fulfil all which has been
prophesied of me” Then Jesus
touched the servant’s ear, and
healed it. How kind and gentle
He was even to His cruel ene-
mies!

Then Jesus turned to the multi-
tude, and said, “Are you come out
against me as if I were a thief, with
swords and staves to take me? I
have often sat teaching in the
temple, and you did me no hurt
then. But the Scripture must be
fulfilled.” Then all the disciples
forsook him, and fled.

The captains and soldiers took
Jesus, and led him away to Caia-
»has the high priest. But Peter
still wished to see what would be