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170
Early Writings
After Jesus had prayed, He came to His disciples; but they were
sleeping. In that dreadful hour He had not the sympathy and prayers
of even His disciples. Peter, who was so zealous a short time before,
was heavy with sleep. Jesus reminded him of his positive declara-
tions and said to him, “What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?”
Three times the Son of God prayed in agony. Then Judas, with his
band of armed men, appeared. He approached his Master as usual,
to salute Him. The band surrounded Jesus; but there He manifested
His divine power, as He said, “Whom seek ye?” “I am He.” They
fell backward to the ground. Jesus made this inquiry that they might
witness His power and have evidence that He could deliver Himself
from their hands if He would.
The disciples began to hope as they saw the multitude with
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their staves and swords fall so quickly. As they arose and again
surrounded the Son of God, Peter drew his sword and smote a servant
of the high priest and cut off an ear. Jesus bade him to put up the
sword, saying, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father,
and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels?”
I saw that as these words were spoken, the countenances of the
angels were animated with hope. They wished then and there to
surround their Commander and disperse that angry mob. But again
sadness settled upon them, as Jesus added, “But how then shall
the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” The hearts of the
disciples also sank in despair and bitter disappointment, as Jesus
suffered Himself to be led away by His enemies.
The disciples feared for their own lives, and they all forsook Him
and fled. Jesus was left alone in the hands of the murderous mob.
Oh, what a triumph of Satan then! And what sadness and sorrow
with the angels of God! Many companies of holy angels, each with a
tall commanding angel at their head, were sent to witness the scene.
They were to record every insult and cruelty imposed upon the Son
of God, and to register every pang of anguish which Jesus should
suffer; for the very men who joined in this dreadful scene are to see
it all again in living characters.
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