Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 18:1-9

"When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where was a garden, into which he entered, himself and his disciples. Now Judas also, who betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received the band [of soldiers], and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went forth, and saith unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am [he]. And Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When therefore he said unto them, I am [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground. Again therefore he asked them, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that I am [he]; if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: that the word might be fulfilled which he spake, Of those whom thou hast given me I lost not one." — John 18:1-9 (ASV)

1. Before His passion, as we saw above, our Lord prepared His disciples in many ways: teaching them by His example, comforting them with His words, and helping them with His prayers. Now the Evangelist begins the history of the passion.

• First, he sets forth the mystery of the passion.
• Second, the glory of the resurrection: and on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen came early (John 20:1).

Christ’s passion was brought about partly by the Jews and partly by the Gentiles.

• First, he describes what Christ suffered from the Jews.
• Second, what He suffered from the Gentiles: then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him (John 19:1).

Regarding the first part, he does three things:

• He shows how our Lord was betrayed by a disciple.
• He shows how He was brought before the high priests: then the band and the tribune, and the servants of the Jews, took Jesus, and bound him (John 18:12).
• He shows how He was accused before Pilate: then they led Jesus from Caiphas to the governor’s hall (John 18:28).

In regard to Christ’s betrayal, the Evangelist mentions three things:

• The place.
• The procedure: Judas therefore having received a band of soldiers and servants . . . went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
• The willingness of Christ to submit to the betrayal: Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would befall him, went forth, and said to them: whom do you seek?

The place of the betrayal was shown to be appropriate in three ways: it was outside the city, it was private and enclosed, and it was known to the traitor.

2. The place of the betrayal was some distance from the city, so Judas could more easily do what he intended. The Evangelist says, when Jesus had said these things, referring to the words we have read above.

However, since Christ’s words were a prayer, it might seem more appropriate for the Evangelist to have said, “when Jesus had prayed.” The Evangelist phrased it this way to show that Christ did not pray because of any need of His own, since He was the one who, as man, prayed, and who, as God, heard the prayer. Rather, Christ prayed in order to teach us. Thus this prayer is described as spoken words.

3. He went out with his disciples, but not immediately after this prayer, as Augustine notes. Other things happened that were omitted by this Evangelist but mentioned by the others. For example, there was an argument among the disciples about who was to be regarded as the greatest (Luke 22:24). Before setting out, He said to Peter: Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail (Luke 22:31). Also, the disciples recited a hymn with the Lord, as Matthew (Matthew 26:30) and Mark (Mark 14:26) report. Therefore, we should not think that they went out immediately after the words of the previous chapter, but that Christ said these things before they went out.

4. It is said, he went out . . . over the brook Cedron.

Matthew and Mark say that they went to the Mount of Olives, and then to a garden called Gethsemane. There is no conflict here, because all of them are referring to the same place. The Cedron brook is at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where there was a garden called Gethsemane. In Greek, Kidron is a genitive plural, so in effect he is saying “a brook of cedars.” Perhaps many cedar trees were planted there.

It is fitting for this mystery that He crosses a brook, because the brook indicates His passion: he will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head (Psalms 110:7). It is also fitting that He cross the Cedron brook, for Cedron is interpreted to mean “an overshadowing.” By His passion, Christ removed the shadow of sin and of the law. By stretching out His arms on the cross, He protected us under the shadow of His arms: hide me in the shadow of your wings (Psalms 17:8).

5. The place was especially suitable for the betrayal. He says, there was a garden, into which he entered with his disciples. This was especially suitable because Christ was atoning for the sin of our first parent, which had been committed in a garden (for paradise means a garden of delights). It was also suitable because by His passion He is leading us into another garden and paradise to receive a crown: today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43).

6. It was also an appropriate place because it was known to the traitor: and Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place; for Jesus had often gone there, together with his disciples. This included Judas, who was like a wolf among sheep: have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? (John 6:71). This wolf in sheep’s clothing, who had been tolerated among the sheep according to the profound plan of the Master, learned where he could scatter the small flock when the time came.

7. Since Judas had left the supper a while before the others, how did he know that Christ would later be in the garden?

Chrysostom says that it was Christ’s custom, especially at the major feasts, to bring His disciples there after supper and teach them the deeper meaning of the feasts—things that others were not ready to hear. And so, because this was an important feast, Judas surmised that Christ would be going there after supper. It was Christ’s custom to teach His disciples these sublime matters in the mountains or in private gardens, seeking places free from disturbance so they would not be distracted: I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her (Hosea 2:14).

8. Now the Evangelist shows the procedure of the traitor. Notice, as we see from Luke, that after Judas had agreed with the chief priests to betray Christ, he looked for an opportunity to deliver Him without disturbing the people (Luke 22:4). Consequently, he wanted to come to Him privately and at night, because during the day Christ was always busy teaching the people. Yet even at night, it was possible that he could be hindered by a quickly gathering crowd, or by the darkness in which Christ could be spirited away or escape from their hands. So against the crowd, he armed himself with weapons, and against the darkness he brought lanterns and torches. Because some of the crowd might resist, he took a band of soldiers, not from the Jews, but from the governor. In this way, no one would dare to resist because they would see the marks of legitimate authority. Furthermore, some Jews might resist out of zeal for the law, especially because Christ was being taken by Gentiles. For this reason, Judas took some servants from the chief priests and the Pharisees. He has run against God with his head held high (Job 15:26); have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? (Luke 22:52).

9. Now the Evangelist shows the readiness of Christ to willingly undergo betrayal:

• First, by voluntarily offering Himself.
• Second, by stopping one of the disciples who was resisting: then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it (John 18:10).

Regarding the first point, the Evangelist does two things:

• First, he tells how Christ identified Himself to show His power.
• Second, to show His patience: again therefore he asked them: whom do you seek?

Regarding the first of these, he does three things:

• First, he states the question Christ asked.
• Second, he shows Christ identifying Himself: Jesus said to them: I am he.
• Third, we see the effect this has: as soon therefore as he had said to them: I am he; they went backward, and fell to the ground.

10. He does three things regarding the first point. First, he recalls Christ’s knowledge: Jesus therefore, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward. Jesus knew that his hour had come (John 13:1). The Evangelist mentions this for two reasons: first, so that it does not appear that the question He is asking comes from His ignorance; and second, so that it does not seem that He is offering Himself unintentionally and without knowing that they have come to kill Him. He knew all that would happen to him.

Second, he states Christ’s question, for although He knew all these things, He came forward and said to them: whom do you seek? But this was not because of His ignorance, as we said.

Third, he gives their answer: Jesus of Nazareth. They were seeking Him not to imitate Him, but to slander and kill Him: you will seek me, and you will die in your sin (John 8:21).

11. Now we see Jesus identifying Himself and offering Himself so that they can seize Him. I am he, He says, that is, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are looking for.” The Evangelist adds that Judas was also there because he had mentioned before that Judas had left them: when he therefore had gone out (John 13:31). It could be expected that they might not recognize the face of Christ because of the darkness. But this darkness would not explain why they did not know Christ from His voice, especially those who were quite familiar with Him. By saying, I am he, Christ shows that He was not recognized even by Judas, who was with them and on close terms with Christ. This in particular shows the power of Christ’s divinity. Judas . . . also stood with them, that is, he continued in his evil to the point of identifying Him with a kiss.

12. Now we see the effect of His revealing Himself: they went backward, and fell to the ground. As Gregory says, we sometimes read that the saints fall to the ground: then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and did homage to Daniel (Daniel 2:46); when I saw it, I fell upon my face (Ezekiel 1:28). We also read that the evil fall: your men will fall by the sword (Isaiah 3:25). Yet there is a difference. It is said that the evil fall backward: Eli fell over backward from his seat (1 Samuel 4:18); while the saints fall on their face. The reason for this is: the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn . . . the path of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble (Proverbs 4:18). Now those who fall backward do not see where they fall. And so those who are evil are said to fall backward because they fall over things that are invisible. Those who fall forward see where they are falling. Thus the saints, who willingly cast themselves down with respect to visible things so they can be raised up to invisible things, are said to fall on their face because they humble themselves.

Mystically understood, we can say that by this falling backward we can understand that the Jewish people, who were a special people, fell backward and were excluded from the kingdom because they did not listen to the voice of Christ in His preaching.

13. Now we see Christ questioning them a second time. First, we see His question; second, He identifies Himself; third, He offers Himself to them.

According to Chrysostom, there are two reasons why Christ asks them a second time whom they were seeking. First, to teach the faithful that He was captured because He willed it: he was offered because it was his own will (Isaiah 53:7). He had already shown His power because when His enemies came against Him, they fell backward to the ground before Him.

Second, He wanted, as far as He could, to give the Jews a reason to be converted, having seen this miracle of His power: what more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done it? (Isaiah 5:4). When they were not converted by the revelation of His power, He voluntarily offered Himself to be taken by them. When again therefore he asked them: whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth, He again identified Himself and answered, I have told you that I am he. It is obvious from this that they were so blind that they could not recognize Him.

He offers Himself when He says, if therefore you seek me, to arrest me, then do what you want, but let these men go—My disciples—for it is not yet their time to be taken from the world by suffering: I pray not that you would take them out of the world (John 17:15). It is clear from this that Christ gave them the power to capture Him, for just as He saved His disciples by His own power, so, much more clearly, He could have saved Himself: no man takes it away from me, but I lay it down of myself (John 10:18).

14. The Evangelist shows that the officers allowed the apostles to leave not because Christ persuaded them to do so, but because of His power, when he says, that the word might be fulfilled which he said. The officers let the apostles go because they were not able to hold them, since Christ had said that of those whom you have given me I lost not one (John 17:12).

15. On the contrary, when our Lord said that none was lost, He was referring to the soul. How can the Evangelist adapt this to refer to the loss of the body?

We may answer, according to Chrysostom, that our Lord was speaking of the loss of both the soul and the body when He said, those whom you gave me have I kept; and none of them is lost (John 17:12). And if He spoke only of the soul, we could say that here the Evangelist extends it to the loss of the body.

Alternatively, with Augustine, we could say that we must understand these words to refer here also to the loss of the soul. The reason is that the apostles did not yet believe in the way that those who do not perish believe. And so, if they had left the world then, some would have perished.