Verse 50
50. Friend Rather, companion, associate. For the sincere Saviour could hardly call him friend. Wherefore art thou come? Our Lord puts in this question, as Judas well knows, not in order to learn, but to make Judas think. What errand is it for which you, a disciple, have now come to your Lord? And then he develops his full knowledge by the question supplied by Mark: “Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” To betray is bad enough; to betray the Son of man is worse; to betray him with a kiss is worst of all.
With meek majesty, showing even at that very moment that he is Lord, Jesus accepts this beginning of insults from man. But for a brief interval (John 18:4-9) he holds his foes at bay by the secret restraint of his power before he yields to the arrest. This he does to demonstrate that he lays down his life of himself. For the same reason he utters the declaration in Matthew 26:53.
Took him As soon as the divine influence, by which the multitude were withheld, was in a measure withdrawn, they used their power to apprehend him.
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