The Kiss of Judas / Arrest of Jesus
Basic Info
Matthew 26:47–56, Mark 14:43–52, Luke 22:47–54, John 18:3–12
After Jesus has prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas comes along with a crowd (including soldiers and Temple guards according to John) from the high priest. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have the crowd carrying clubs and swords; John says they carried lanterns, torches, and weapons. Judas kisses Jesus to identify him, and Jesus is then arrested. One of Jesus’ followers cuts off the ear of the servant of the high priest; Jesus heals the ear. The Gospel of John identifies the sword-wielding disciple as Peter.
Mark includes a verse about a young man who was present wearing only a linen cloth. When the crowd tried to seize him, he ran off naked. Occasionally, he will be included in artworks; such a figure gives an artist the opportunity to display her or his prowess at painting human bodies.
The kiss of Judas is considered the ultimate human betrayal. Dante puts Judas in the center of hell with the betraying angel, Lucifer. Jesus seems to take it all in stride, realizing it is all part of a bigger picture. The role of the high priest in Jesus’ arrest and death has sometimes been interpreted as a Jewish-Christian issue rather than a power issue in Roman-occupied Jerusalem.
What to Look For
- Elements of chaos and order / calm
- Judas’ emotional state (face, eyes, posture, hands, gestures, etc.)
- Jesus’ emotional state (face, eyes, posture, hands, gestures, etc.)
- A disciple’s (maybe Peter) slicing off the servant’s ear and his emotional state
- Jesus’ reattaching the servant’s ear and the servant’s reaction
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
Jesus knew that a moment like this was coming. He talked about it at the Last Supper, but the disciples didn’t seem to grasp the significance of his words until this moment. How does the artwork depict Jesus’ readiness in comparison to the disciples’ being caught off guard?
One of the challenges to an artist’s depicting the divine and human natures of Jesus is whether Jesus experiences the darker human emotions or whether he rises above them. Does the artwork depict Jesus as being deeply hurt by Judas’ betrayal?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
Does the artwork emphasize more the darkness of Judas’ betrayal or Jesus’ calm acceptance of God’s will? Does this offer insight into your own experiences of betrayal?
Most people in the developed world do not worry about large groups’ arriving to arrest them or to otherwise do them harm. Does the artwork offer any insight into the lives and experiences of people who do live in a realistic fear of that kind of event?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
Because this crowd came from the Temple high priest, artists have, over the years, used this scene (and the Questioning by the High Priest) to depict their anti-Semitism or the prevalent attitude of the day toward Jews. Is there evidence of anti-Semitism in the artwork? What was the relationship between Jews and Christians in the artist’s place and time?
Does the artwork emphasize more the darkness of Judas’ betrayal or Jesus’ calm acceptance of God’s will? How might that emphasis reflect the mores of the artist’s time and place?
