Matthew 26:47: And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Satan has entered Judas, and now directs him in this wild frenzy to capture Christ. This verse paints the scene as a vast over-kill. Jesus with eleven frightened, sleepy disciples are outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the recalitrant disciple, Judas. Note the text reminds us that Judas was "one of the twelve." He knew the Garden well--he knew it was holy ground--yet he was willing to break into that tranquil Garden just as Satan dared enter the Garden of Eden thousands of years earlier.
The motivation for bringing a great multitude with swords and clubs makes it appear to be a vigilante scene in the Old West. The chief priests and elders had for so long dreamed of the day to take Christ by force, and Judas afforded them this excellent opportunity. No reporters, no crowds of followers, no Romans to ask what they were doing, it was perfect! And thanks to it being Passover, the mind and heart of the people of Jerusalem was distracted from the Lord.
Judas even provided the perfect time for the attack--under the cover of darkness. The priests and scribes just wanted Jesus gone, and thus "shock and awe" was in their strategy as they swooped down on the unsuspecting disciples and the Lord of Glory.
Yet, Jesus was still in charge! Look back at verse 45: Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand. Even in the worst of circumstances--when the world is against us--remember that God is still sovereign. He sets up and disposes kings, and His plans will not be thwarted.
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