One event, four witnesses
The Betrayal and Arrest
Judas leads a band to arrest Jesus in the garden, betraying Him with a kiss. All four Gospels record the arrest; John alone gives the words "I am he" and the soldiers falling back, and Mark alone tells of the young man who fled.
“And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.”Matthew 26:47
“And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.”Mark 14:43
“And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.”Luke 22:47
“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.”John 18:1
The event
The event. While Jesus is still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrives with a great crowd sent from the chief priests and elders, armed with swords and staves, along with a band of soldiers and officers carrying lanterns and torches. Judas has given a sign, a kiss, to mark out Jesus, and he approaches and kisses Him. Jesus meets him with a word, asking whether he betrays the Son of man with a kiss, or, in John, going forward to ask whom they seek and declaring, "I am he," at which the arresting party draws back and falls to the ground. Peter, in defense, draws a sword and strikes the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear; John names both Peter and the servant, Malchus, and Luke records that Jesus healed the ear. Jesus rebukes the use of the sword, saying that those who take the sword shall perish by it, and that He could call more than twelve legions of angels, but the Scriptures must be fulfilled. He asks why they come out as against a thief, when He taught daily in the temple. Then the disciples all forsake Him and flee. Mark alone notes a certain young man who followed, wearing only a linen cloth, and who fled naked when they laid hold of him. Jesus is led away bound.
Read side by side: what is the same, what differs
Read side by side: what is the same, what differs. All four agree that Judas led an armed party to arrest Jesus, that a disciple struck off the ear of the high priest's servant, that Jesus rebuked violent resistance, and that He was taken. The distinctive details are complementary. Matthew, Mark, and Luke record the betraying kiss and Jesus' word about it; John does not mention the kiss but gives instead the majestic exchange in which Jesus, asking whom they seek, answers "I am he," and the arresting band falls backward to the ground, a detail found only in John, showing that no one takes Jesus except as He permits. John alone names Peter as the swordsman and Malchus as the servant, prudent details perhaps possible only after those figures were beyond danger. Luke alone records that Jesus touched and healed the severed ear, a fitting note in the Gospel of compassion. Matthew alone preserves the saying about the twelve legions of angels and that those who take the sword perish by it. Mark alone tells the strange, vivid detail of the young man who fled naked, often thought to be Mark's own eyewitness signature. None of these contradict; each Gospel preserves particulars the others omit, and together they give a full and textured account of one arrest.
What it shows of Christ
What it shows of Christ. Even in His arrest Jesus is revealed as the sovereign Lord who lays down His life of His own accord, not as a helpless captive. John's scene of the soldiers falling back before His "I am he," which echoes the divine name, shows that they could seize Him only because He allowed it; He is in command of His own passion. He rebukes the sword and heals His enemy's ear, refusing to be defended by violence and returning good for the hand raised against Him, revealing the character of the kingdom. Matthew shows the King who could summon legions of angels yet chooses the Scriptures' path to the cross. Luke shows compassion reaching even the arresting servant. Mark's fleeing young man and the disciples' desertion underscore that Christ goes to His death alone, forsaken by all. Betrayed with the sign of affection, He meets treachery with dignity and grace, the willing Lamb who will not be turned aside from the Father's will.
Questions people ask
Why does John record "I am he" and the soldiers falling back, but not the betraying kiss?
Each Gospel preserves particulars the others omit. John highlights the majesty of Jesus, showing that when He said "I am he," echoing the divine name, the arresting party fell to the ground, proof that they could take Him only because He permitted it. The Synoptics record the betraying kiss instead. These are complementary details of one arrest, not contradictions.
Why does only Luke mention that Jesus healed the servant's ear?
Luke, whose Gospel especially draws out Jesus' compassion and healing, alone records that Jesus touched the severed ear and healed it. It is a fitting note for his portrait of Christ, who even in the hour of His arrest returns good for the hand raised against Him. The other Gospels record the wounding but not the healing.