Under Gods Command
Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested
John 18:1-6 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley, On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus knowing all that was going to happen to him went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” Jesus of Nazareth, “they replied. “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
The officials from the chief priests and Pharisees were probably members of the temple guard; they were Jews given authority by the religious leaders to make arrests for minor infractions. The soldiers may have been a small contingent of Roman soldiers who did not participate in the arrest but accompanied the temple guard to make sure matters didn’t get out of control.
John does not record Judas’s kiss of greeting (Matthew 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47) which was set up to identify Jesus was and also marked a turning point for the disciples. With Jesus arrest each one’s life would be radically different. For the first time, Judas openly betrayed Jesus before the other disciples. For the first time, Jesus loyal disciples ran away from him (Matthew 26:56). The band of disciples would undergo severe testing before they were transformed from hesitant followers to dynamic leaders.
They drew back and fell to the ground.
The men may have been startled by the boldness of Jesus question, or by the words “I am he,” a declaration of his divinity ((Exodus 3:14). Or perhaps his obvious power and authority overcame them.
Under Gods command 