Mark 14:43-50 Apprehended As Predicted.

This passage (Cf. Mt. 26:47-56; Lk. 22:47-53; Jn. 18:3-11) begins with some puzzling verses (vv. 43-44). Surely those who sought Jesus death knew who he was. Perhaps the servants sent did not. In any case, Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus with a kiss (v. 45), and as they were taking Jesus away one of the disciples cut off the ear of one of these servants (vv. 46-47). John informs us that this disciple was Peter (18:10), and the incident became an occasion for Jesus to point out that he could have easily called angels to his own defence, but he was allowing what happened to fulfill the will of the Father, even as the Scriptures predicted (vv. 48-49). To that end Luke records that Jesus in fact healed the servant (22:51). Jesus made the point that he could have been taken many times before that point, but the Scriptures indicated that he would be apprehended like a criminal (Cf. Mt. 26:55; Ps. 22:6; Is. 53:7; Lam. 4:20). In any case, all his disciples “forsook Him and fled” (v. 50).