43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him.47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.
51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together.54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree.
60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
As Jesus predicted the arrival of his betrayer, amidst the sleepy betraying disciples, Judas appears with a torch wielding angry mob sent by the leaders of all the factions of Jewish power. It seems a rather heavy handed approach for a person whose only violent act was turning over some tables in the temple court. Why they feel swords and clubs are necessary for a simple apprehension is difficult to discern. They have waited until Jesus was out of the temple to apprehend him due to their fear of what the people might do.
In a seemingly unnecessary gesture that stands in stark contrast to the violence inherent in the approach of the crowd, Judas chooses a kiss to be his marking of Jesus as the appropriate focus of their action. The simple kiss will be transformed from an act of intimacy to a sign of betrayal. Judas does not hesitate, walks straight to Jesus and kisses him. The posse doesn't hesitate either and Jesus is quickly arrested.
Someone standing near, identified in other gospels, but here anonymous, sees the violence and responds with violence drawing a sword and cutting off the servant of the high priest's ear. The details of the event make it important. Leviticus says that if the high priest or his servants is disfigured that they are no longer qualified to be high priest. Other gospel writers use this story for different purposes, but Mark does not have Jesus condemn the action nor heal the wound. He does criticize the crowd that has come for him for choosing to do so in the dark, but he goes with them to fulfill the scriptures. Everyone deserts Jesus leaving him abandoned, betrayed and alone in the control of those who wish him ill.
Then we come to perhaps the strangest and most disjointed incident in Mark. A young man avoids apprehension by running away naked when the crowd attempts to capture him. Who is he? Why is the garment important? The first kiss to be printed with a printing press is followed shortly by the first streaker, and no one knows why. One intriguing suggestion, is that he is meant to remind the reader of Joseph fleeing from the false charges of Potiphar's wife. Another school of thought is that this is the same young man who will appear at the tomb later to announce the resurrection. Some even attempt to suggest that this is the author's signature of a sort, putting himself into the gospel. 2000 years of speculation have led to no definitive answer.
Yet another interwoven scene is introduced when Mark tells us that as Jesus is brought to stand before the Jewish powers that be, Peter follows at a discrete distance. But when he arrives in the courtyard, he chooses to sit with the guards rather than to sit with Jesus. We are reminded of Jesus prediction that all will fall away and in the dark of the courtyard, Peter is fulfilling it.
With Jesus in their custody, the Sanhedrin begins to try to build a case against him. They are shown to be ineffective in this effort as they can not find agreeing testimony. Finally they make a charge that Jesus has said that he will tear down the temple and rebuild another in three days not made by hands. Mark never records Jesus saying this, although it does seem a combination of the little apocalypse and Jesus resurrection prediction. It is a sort of false, but true accusation. Those making the charges are right even though they don't understand why.
Mark makes it clear that either the leaders believe that Jesus has predicted and may be planning the destruction of the temple or believe that if he hasn't that this charge is the most heinous and incendiary one possible. Why do they want to kill Jesus? Jesus is the enemy because he threatens the building that is central to their economy and power.
Finally the voice of the high priest (who you'll remember has just been disqualified) gains the floor. "Is this true?" he asks? But Jesus remains silent. It is only when he asks if Jesus is the Messiah that an answer comes. Jesus answer comes as no surprise since Mark has said in sentence one that Jesus is the Christ. When Jesus says "I am" it is both an answer and a declaration of divinity as God's revealed name to the Hebrew people was "I am." In Mark 1:1 Jesus is identified not only as the Messiah, but also as the son of God. Here however, Jesus asserts his dual nature as "I am" but also son of Man who will descend from the clouds in glory.
This is enough for the high priest, they had been going for a charge of insurrection, but now they had an even greater offense blasphemy. The Sanhedrin quickly condemns him to death, an ironic sentence as they are unable to carry it out with out Roman permission who would not have seen this charge (unlike insurrection) as a capital offense. They will need to come up with something else to put him to death, but they are inflamed now and blood lust has seized them.
Jesus is spit upon. He is blindfolded (an odd detail) and asked to identify who has hit him. It is almost as if the anonymity provided by Jesus covered eyes gives them permission to act with violence. The scene is disturbing on many levels. The educated,elevated Sanhedrin reduced to the thuggery of hitting a blindfolded and bound man. Even those who are "guards" of Jesus join in on the explosion of emotion.
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