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John records some most suggestive circumstances not recorded by the Synoptists, and omits some that they record. Fabricators of history would never have acted thus. Absolute uniformity would have implied collusion, and thus thrown a doubt upon the veracity of the evangelists, Many of the events of Christ's life occurred in connection with turbulent multitudes and immense excitement. Observers could not have detailed them in the same order. From the nature of the case each would have a standpoint peculiar to himself, would be struck with a circumstance which the other would not have an opportunity of observing, and be in a position to receive a deeper impression from some incident which the other, perhaps, would scarcely deem worthy of note. Note

I. — THE SCENE OF THE GATHERING. As it is in the reflective gospel only that the circumstance of Christ's crossing Cedron is mentioned, we can hardly doubt that to the Evangelist's own mind 2 Samuel 15:23 and 2 Kings 23:12 were present. Thus surrounded by such memorials and typical allusions, the Lord descends into the dust of humiliation and anguish. To this garden Jesus went forth with His disciples.

1. Whence (John 14:31)? From the room of feasting, discourse, prayer; from the city and the haunts of men.

2. Whither? Into the solemn grandeur and deep hush of nature. Some have supposed that this spot belonged to a friend, and was thus a favourite resort of Jesus and His disciples. Great souls often sigh for solitude, and all souls morally require it.

3. Wherefore? To commune with His Father; to realize His mission; to confront His doom. His going forth to this scene reveals —

(1)  His sublime courage. Conscious virtue is always fearless.

(2)  His social sympathy. As man He yearned for, and valued, the presence of His sympathetic friends in His great trials.

II. THE PERSONS IN THE GATHERING. In imagination enter this secluded spot. Though night it was not dark, the moon was at its full. The group is not large, but wondrously diverse in character, passion, purpose.

1. Christ and His disciples are there. He is the central figure, poor and sad in aspect, but divinely grand. Peter, James, and John are there. On them, in all probability, rests a heart-sinking impression, that something terrible is to happen to the one they love best.

2. Judas is there. In his case we find greed ("What will ye give me?") running into —

(1)  Base ingratitude.

(2)  Heartless cruelty.

(3)  Atrocious treachery (Matthew 26:49).

3. Unprincipled hirelings are there (ver. 3) — a detachment of the Roman cohort on duty at the festival, for the purpose of maintaining order, and the officials of the ecclesiastical authorities, the captain of the Temple and armed Levites. These men, perhaps, had no hostile feeling, but were there to do their duty, i.e., the orders of their masters. In the sacred name of duty what crimes have been enacted! Soldiers rifle innocent homes, burn cities, shed oceans of blood, create millions of widows and orphans in the name of duty.

III. THE TRANSACTIONS AT THE GATHERING. Four classes of deeds were here enacted.

1. Those against a conviction of duty. Judas must have so acted. Well he knew that he was perpetrating an atrocious crime (Matthew 27:3, 4). To sin against conscience is to sin with aggravated heinousness.

2. Those without conviction of duty — "the band and the officers of the chief priests." These were like "dumb, driven cattle" — mere tools; men ready for anything at the bidding of their masters; with no will of their own, and no convictions concerning the right or wrong of their actions. How numerous are such in every age: wretched serfs on whom despots built their thrones.

3. Those by a right conviction of duty. Such were the deeds of Christ. Mark —

(1) His intrepidity (ver. 4). He does not wait for their approach, nor does He ask for His own information. He questions them that they may confess their object, and to impress them with the fact that they could only attain their object by His voluntary submission.

(2) His dauntless confession (ver. 5). "Here I am, not as victim but as Victor. Do your worst, My time has come."(3) The moral force of His expression (ver 6). They came with deadly weapons to seize His body; He by the moral majesty of His looks seized their souls, and they fell as Saul on his way to Damascus, and as the sentinels at the Tomb (Matthew 28:4).

(4) His tender consideration (vers. 7, 8). They seem to have recovered from the shock, and were ready to lay hold of the disciples. Thus the "Shepherd seeth the wolf coming, and fleeth not because," &c. In all this our Lord acted by the conviction of right, i.e, that He was doing the will of His Father.

4. Those by a wrong conviction of duty (ver. 10). To which of these classes do our actions belong? Crucial question this!

(D. Thomas, D. D.)

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KJV: When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.

WEB: When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.