And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his disciples. (3) Judas then, having received a hand of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns, and torches, and weapons.
It is sweetly said, that Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his disciples. Yes! no doubt the Lord had enjoyed many blessed hours in communion with his Father in this hallowed spot. And no doubt had oft refreshed his faithful Apostles in it with his divine discourses. Here then, where Christ in his human nature had received the richest consolations, shall he now sustain the bitterest conflicts. And as in a garden his Church in her Adam-nature fell under the temptation of the devil, so in a garden will Jesus begin his triumph over hell, to take his Church out of the hands of Satan. Judas, it is said, knew the place. No doubt had often heard, in common with the other Apostles, the Lord's heavenly discourses there. But what discourses of heaven, and heavenly things, can affect the minds of them w ho are earthly, sensual, devilish? Reader! depend upon it, if all the damned in hell were liberated from their chains, no other mind would they have, but what would be still hellish. And if the devils were permitted to change their place, there would be no change accomplished by this of their nature: devils they would still be. Nothing but a sovereign act of grace could alter their mind. And this we are told will never be accomplished. They are reserved, scripture saith, in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 1:6
Of this awful character Judas, I have said so much already (John 13:1.) as to render it unnecessary to enlarge in this place in adding to the account. But I cannot forbear observing, in this miserable man's history, to what a desperate degree of hardness the mind of man, under hellish influence, is capable of arriving. It is very evident, from the relation which follows in this Chapter, that when the band of soldiers fell to the ground at the voice of Christ, Judas must have fallen with them, for the Evangelist is express in noting, that Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. Reader! pause over the trembling account. Here were chief priests and Pharisees, Roman soldiers and officers, and Judas the traitor, all standing together in conspiracy against the person of Christ. Now, I humbly ask, were not these the different heads and representatives of all the enemies of God, and of his Christ? The chief priests and Pharisees were the representatives of the Jewish church. The Roman soldiers of the Gentiles. And both were prophesied to join hand in hand to the death of Christ. See Psalms 2:1. And what was Judas? Was he not the awful representative of all the reprobate? Jude 1:4
I must not pass away from these verses, without first noticing the circumstance of this band of armed men coming to apprehend Christ, with lanterns, and torches, and weapons. What was this for? In all probability it was moon-light, being full moon according to the season of the Passover; yet, as if to make sure of their object, they bring lights with them, as well as weapons. Judas, their leader, no doubt had told them of some of Christ's miracles, and therefore they used every precaution. But, if the Reader will attend to what is related in the following verses, he will discover how the Lord rendered all these circumstances, (as he did indeed every other) to minister to his own glory, the joy of his Church, and the confusion of his enemies. Luke 4:28-31; John 6:15.