He had scarcely spoken, when the Garden was filled with armed men, and flashed with the light of numerous lanterns and torches[501]. At the head of a portion of the Roman cohort[502] with its captain (Jn. xviii. 12) in attendance on the procurator (Jn. xviii. 3), and of the Levitical guards of the Temple, attendants and apparitors of the Sanhedrin, the traitor[503] approached. Advancing he saluted his Master with a kiss, the signal which had been agreed upon, and received the reproachful reply, _Friend, wherefore art thou come? betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?_ (Mtt. xxvi. 50; Lk. xxii. 48). Having thus rebuked the traitor, the Lord proceeded towards the entrance of the garden[504] (Jn. xviii. 4), and meeting the soldiers and officers enquired whom they sought. They replied, _Jesus of Nazareth_. _I am He_, answered the Holy One, and immediately, awed by His calm majesty and the sudden appearance of One whose name had so long had for them a mysterious significance, they recoiled backwards and _fell to the ground_ (Jn. xviii. 6)[505]. _Whom seek ye?_ the Redeemer again enquired, and when they answered as before, again declared that He was the object of their search, and covenanting only for the safe dismissal of His followers, freely surrendered Himself into their hands (Jn. xviii. 7–9). But one of His followers was not minded to yield thus willingly. Drawing his sword the impetuous son of Jonas cut off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high-priest. The soldiers were just on the point of laying hands on the Holy One, and taking Him into custody, but seeing what His Apostle had done, He said to them, _Suffer ye thus far_, and touching the ear of the wounded man restored it whole as before (Lk. xxii. 51); then rebuking the disciple for his over-hasty zeal, and protesting[506] meekly against the mode in which He had been arrested by His captors, He allowed Himself to be bound and led towards the city; for it was their _hour and the power of darkness_ (Lk. xxii. 53). On the part of the Apostles all was now terror and confusion. Though they had all promised to die with Him, they now forsook their Master and fled (Mtt. xxvi. 56; Mk. xiv. 50). Their last hope of a temporal kingdom of the Messiah had crumbled to pieces[507]. Meanwhile the Roman guard and the officers (Jn. xviii. 12) led the Saviour over the Kidron, and up the road leading into the city, and either at the suggestion of some of the ruling powers, or in accordance with previous concert, conducted Him to the palace of Annas[508], who as the father-in-law of Caiaphas, and as an able and experienced counsellor, had great influence with the nation.