NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Part XV

Verse 47: While Jesus was still speaking, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles arrived. He had a big crowd of people with him, all carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent from the leading priests and the elders of the people.

The stillness in the garden is now shattered. Just as Jesus awakened His sleeping disciples the final time, an armed crowd shows up at the entrance to the garden. It is interesting to note, the Greek term used to describe the group that arrived is: polys ochlos (large multitude). Most people assume that there was only a small number who arrived, but Matthew tells us is was a big crowd.

Most scholars believe the large crowd consisted of Roman soldiers, Temple guards, officers, chief priests, along with their servants, captains of the Temple, and elders of the people. So this would constitute a much larger crowd than most people think, and greater than that which is often displayed in motion pictures about the life of Christ. However, some spurious attempts have been made to discount what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John record about this event.

Around 600 AD, some fragments of Jesus’ biography made their way into the Babylonian Talmud; and in 827 AD, Archbishop Agobard of Lyon attests to a sacrilegious story of Jesus that circulated among Jews. In the Middle Ages, the book became the object and tool of a most acrimonious controversy. Jews, Christians, and atheists, such as Shem-Tob ben Isaac Shaprut of Tudela, Martin Luther, and François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, quoted and commented on what became known as the “Toledot Yeshu” (Life of Jesus), trying to disprove the beliefs of Christians yet revealing their own biases and prejudices.

In this spurious document, we find the following recounting of our Lord’s arrest in Gethsemane:

“Then they [Jesus and His disciples] journeyed to Jerusalem, there to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Passover]. Now when the devout men saw Judas Iscariot they rejoiced with great joy, and said to him, ‘Point Him out to us, we ask you, what remains to be done.’ (For he had secretly withdrawn himself and come to the elders and wise men of the city.) Then Judas related all that had happened, and how he had obtained the unpronounceable name YHWH from the illegitimate one. Therefore, they rejoiced, and Judas said to them, ‘If you will obey my orders, tomorrow I will deliver this fellow into your hands.’ Then said the wise men, ‘Have you enough knowledge of his going and coming?’ Judas replied, ‘Everything is known to me. Look, he goes to the temple to attend the sacrifice of the paschal victim, but I have sworn to him by the Ten Commandments not to deliver him into your hands. And he has with him, 2000 men. You should be prepared tomorrow, and know that the man before whom I bow down in adoration, he is the illegitimate one. Act bravely, attack his followers, and seize him.’ Simon, son of Shetach and all the rest of the wise men danced for joy, and they promised Judas to obey his orders. The next day Yeshua came with all his crowd, but Judas went out to meet him, and falling down before him, he worshiped him. Then all the citizens of Jerusalem, being well armed and equipped, captured Yeshua. And when his disciples saw him held captive, and that it was vain to fight, they took to their legs here and there and gave themselves up to bitter weeping. Meanwhile, the citizens of Jerusalem, waxing stronger, conquered the illegitimate one and his crowd, killing many of them, while the rest fled to the mountains.”¹

But the account given to us by Matthew is accepted as the true story of that momentous occasion:

Verse 48: Judas planned to do something to show them which one was Jesus. He said, “The one I kiss on the cheek will be Jesus. Arrest Him.” So he went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!’ Then Judas kissed Him on the cheek. Jesus responded, “Good friend, do the thing you came to do.”

At the head of this crowd stood a passive assassin named Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ own followers. This form of ambush was ripe in the early days of Israel after they entered the Promised Land,² and our Lord’s royal ancestor faced a similar situation.³ In this case, the betrayal would be consummated with a kiss on the cheek. The Greek word used here for “kiss” is kataphileō. It means, “to kiss much, kiss again and again, kiss tenderly.” We can see it more clearly in context by looking at examples.⁴ In some countries even today, family, friends, and guests are often treated with alternating kisses on each cheek as many as two times each. Such kissing is also expressed with what is called “cheek to cheek.”

According to the Syriac version of Matthew, it reads that when Judas Iscariot arrived, he came toward Jesus and said, “Shalom Rabbi” (Peace, Teacher). In the Farsi Version, Judas is recorded as saying, “Peace be upon You, Rabbi.” This was the customary form of salutation that disciples rendered to their wise teachers. As a matter of fact, in the Talmud, we find it said: “The greeting of a disciple to his Master is ‘Peace be upon you.’”⁵ Jesus did not dismiss this act of friendship. As a matter of fact, He greets Judas by calling him “good friend.” I can only imagine that at that moment Judas Iscariot’s heart must have burned with conviction as his Lord kindly embraced him.

Many of the early church scholars were impacted by what Judas did here. Chrysostom says: “For having shown His own strength, at once He yielded Himself. But the other Evangelist says that even at that very moment He continued to reprove Him, saying, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?’⁶ Are you not ashamed even of the form of your betrayal? Nonetheless, He submitted to being kissed and did not even resist this shameless act. He gave Himself up willingly. They laid their hands on Him. They seized Him that night on which they ate the Passover. To such a degree did they boil with rage and madness. They, however, would have had no strength against Him unless He had permitted it. Yet this did not deliver Judas from unspeakable punishment. He even more exceedingly condemns himself by the manner of his betrayal, by the Lord’s meekness and leniency and gentleness. He became fiercer than any wild beast.”⁷ Jerome has this to say: “It was shameless indeed and a sign of broken trust to call Him master and to plant a kiss on the one he betrayed. But Judas still has something of the modesty of a disciple, for he does not deliver up Christ to His persecutors openly but with the sign of a kiss. This is the mark which God put on Cain lest anyone who came upon him should kill Him.”⁸

Chrysostom then adds this commentary: “How fitting are the instruments of the priests! They came against Him ‘with swords and clubs.’⁹ Judas himself was with them, one of the Twelve. In the interest of fair disclosure, the Evangelist still calls him ‘one of the Twelve,’ unashamedly. ‘Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him.”’ O with what depravity had the traitor’s soul been inflamed! With what kind of eyes did he then look at his Master? With what mouth did he kiss Him? O accursed purpose! What sign did he devise? What did he dare? What sort of clue of betrayal did he give? Whoever I kiss! He was emboldened by his Master’s gentleness. Yet it by itself was sufficient to shame him. The kiss deprived him of all excuse, for he was betraying one incomparably meek. But why does he say [‘Seize the one I kiss’?] Often when Jesus had been under attack and possible seizure, He had gone out from the crowd, through the middle of it, without their even knowing it.‘¹⁰”¹¹

Then Bishop Hilary offers an interesting insight: “There is a certain order to the different facets of Christ’s suffering. But the reason for Judas’s kiss was that we might discern all our enemies and those who we know would delight in raging against us. The Lord does not resist his kiss.”¹² What Hilary seems to be saying is that although Jesus knew the purpose for which Judas Iscariot came, and He was also cognizant that it would lead to His arrest, torture, and death, He opened His arms to Judas and accepted the betrayal kiss without resistance. This then should serve as an example for all of those who followed Him. Whenever those come against us for the sole purpose of trying to embarrass us or have us persecuted for the name of Christ, we should not shout back or make accusatory statements in our defense, but acknowledge that we know why they are there and we are willing to suffer whatever punishment or persecution that may come as a result of being a born again committed Christian, and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ.

1 Sepher Toldoth Yeshu, Ch. 3

2 II Samuel 3:27; 20:9-10

3 Psalm 28:1-3; cf. Psalm 55:20

4 See Luke 7:45; 15:20; and Acts 20:37

5 Babylonian Talmud, Seder Nezikin, Masekhet Shevu’oth, folio 32a, fn. (24).

6 Luke 22:48

7 Chrysostom: Matthew, Homily 83.2

8 Jerome: Commentary on Matthew, Bk. 4, Ch. 26.49

9 See verse 47

10 Luke 4:30

11 Chrysostom: ibid.

12 Hilary of Poitiers: On Matthew, 32.2