Paper 183 Overview: The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

The betrayal and arrest of Jesus happened as part of a carefully planned event in which Jesus willingly accepted the Father’s will while making sure his apostles stayed safe. After praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, he moved away from his followers so they would not be caught during his arrest. At the same time, Judas brought a group of temple guards and Roman soldiers to capture Jesus, worried the apostles might try to fight back. When the armed group arrived, Jesus stayed calm and brave, stepping forward to identify himself and making Judas’s planned signal unnecessary.

What happened during the arrest showed clear differences between loyalty and betrayal. Most of the apostles ran away in fear, even though they had promised to stay loyal. John Zebedee was allowed to stay close to Jesus, becoming an important witness. David Zebedee set up a way to keep the others informed during the trials. Through all of this chaos, Jesus remained in control spiritually, choosing not to use divine power to escape and calmly accepting what was coming. His quietness after being arrested showed that he was fully ready to face what lay ahead.

After Jesus finished his prayer session with Peter, James, and John in Gethsemane, he found the rest of the apostles already awake because two messengers had arrived seeking David Zebedee. The Greek followers camped with them were especially anxious about potential trouble, having posted a sentinel who had alerted everyone when the messengers arrived. Although Jesus tried to send everyone back to their tents, they were reluctant to leave, so he walked alone toward the olive press near the entrance to Gethsemane Park.

Jesus deliberately separated himself from his apostles to ensure they would not be arrested with him, fearing they might resist and be harmed or killed alongside him. He knew his death had been planned by the Jewish leaders with approval from Lucifer, Satan, and Caligastia, who would have been pleased to see all the apostles destroyed along with him. Jesus then sat alone on the olive press, awaiting Judas's arrival, observed only by John Mark and hosts of unseen celestial beings.

Jesus's submission to arrest and suffering should not be confused with the idea that the Father willed the cruel treatment he received. While it was indeed the Father's will that Jesus should complete his mortal life experience naturally, including death, God had nothing to do with the barbaric behavior of those who tortured and humiliated Jesus. These inhuman experiences were not divinely ordained but were the result of wicked men's choices, completely separate from Jesus's spiritual commitment to fulfill the Father's will as expressed in his garden prayer.

The Father desired that his bestowal Son should finish his earth career through the natural processes experienced by all mortals. Understanding this distinction, Jesus refused to use divine power to escape from the unfolding events, even though the hatred and cruelty he faced came solely from evil men and women. The spiritual enemies of Jesus did not orchestrate these events either—even "the father of sin" turned away from the horror of the crucifixion scene that would follow. The mistreatment of Jesus represented human wickedness, not divine planning.

After leaving the Last Supper, Judas went directly to his cousin's home and then to the temple captain to arrange Jesus's arrest. When they arrived at the Mark residence, they discovered Jesus and the eleven had departed about fifteen minutes earlier, heading toward the Olivet camp. This unexpected timing disturbed Judas, who had hoped to apprehend Jesus when the city was quiet and when there would be limited possibility of armed resistance from the disciples.

Growing increasingly nervous, Judas feared the eleven loyal apostles might seek to destroy him when they discovered his betrayal. He informed the Jewish authorities that Jesus had more than sixty armed followers at the camp, which led them to request Roman soldiers. After being refused by the commander at Antonia fortress, they eventually had to appeal to Pilate himself, who reluctantly granted their request. By 11:30 that night, Judas set out from the temple with more than sixty people including temple guards, Roman soldiers, and servants of the chief priests.

As the armed company approached the garden carrying torches and lanterns, Judas moved ahead of the group, planning to greet Jesus with a kiss while pretending he had come to warn him of danger. Meanwhile, about thirty of Jesus's followers rushed down to the olive press when they saw the soldiers coming. With Judas approaching from one side and the disciples from the other, Jesus stood calmly between them as Judas prepared to betray him with a kiss.

Jesus took control of the situation before Judas could complete his plan, stepping forward to identify himself directly to the Roman captain by saying, "I am he." Many in the front ranks fell backward, overcome by his calm majesty. This bold self-identification made Judas's kiss unnecessary, though the betrayer still performed it to maintain his part of the arrangement. When Peter and others drew swords to defend Jesus, he commanded them to stop, saying, "They who take the sword shall perish by the sword." After being bound, Jesus was led away while his followers scattered, with only John Mark witnessing the events and John Zebedee following the procession.

The apostles gathered at the olive press after Jesus's arrest to determine their course of action. Though Andrew had been released from leadership responsibility earlier that evening, the group still looked for direction. Simon Zelotes made an impassioned plea for them to pursue the mob and rescue Jesus, but Nathaniel countered by reminding them of Jesus's teachings about non-resistance and his instruction that they should preserve their lives for future ministry.

After substantial debate, Thomas convinced the group that they could do nothing to save Jesus since he had refused to save himself. By 2:30 that morning, the camp was deserted except for David Zebedee, who remained with a few messengers to maintain communication. The apostles scattered to various hiding places—Nathaniel, Matthew, Philip, and the twins went to Bethpage and Bethany; Thomas, Andrew, James, and Simon Zelotes hid in the city; Peter and John Zebedee followed toward Annas's house. Throughout the crucifixion, John remained near Jesus as instructed, providing information to David's messengers who relayed updates to the hiding apostles and to Jesus's family.

As the procession left Gethsemane, a dispute arose between the Jewish captain of the temple guards and the Roman captain over where to take Jesus. Following Roman custom, the officer directed that Jesus be taken to Annas, the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas, because Romans typically dealt with Annas on matters of Jewish ecclesiastical law. Judas walked near the captains but was treated with such contempt that neither officer would speak to him.

John Zebedee followed close behind Jesus, and when the Jewish captain attempted to have him arrested too, the Roman commander intervened. The Roman officer declared that John had shown courage by coming forward to be with his Master and ordered that he should be allowed to stand with Jesus throughout the trial. This Roman protection allowed John to remain near Jesus through all the events of that night and the next day, while Judas, overcome with shame, dropped behind the procession and came to Annas's palace alone. Throughout the entire journey from Gethsemane to Annas's house, Jesus spoke not a single word.