That the word might be fulfilled which he said: Of them whom thou hast given me, I have not lost any one.

“(Hom. lxxxiii) The Evangelist, to shew that it was not their design to do this, but that His power did it, adds, That the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, Of them which Thou hast given Me, have I lost none. He had said this with reference not to temporal, but to eternal death: the Evangelist however understands the word of temporal death also.”

“Above, before the Passion, the Lord prepared his disciples, instructing them in many ways by examples, comforting them by words, and advancing them by pledges; here the Evangelist proceeds to narrate his Passion, and first sets forth the mystery of the Passion, and second the glory of the resurrection, in chapter 20, where it says "Now on the first day of the week," etc. The Passion of Christ, moreover, was accomplished partly through the Jews, partly through the gentiles. First, therefore, he describes the Passion of Christ as to those things which he suffered through the Jews; second, as to those things which he suffered through the gentiles, in chapter 19, where it says "Then Pilate took Jesus," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows how the Lord is betrayed by a disciple; second how he is presented by the ministers of the chief priests, where it says "the cohort, and the tribune, and the ministers of the Jews took Jesus"; third how he is accused by the chief priests before the governor, where it says "then they led Jesus," etc. Concerning the betrayal by the disciple the Evangelist touches on three things. First indeed the place; second the equipment, where it says "Judas therefore, having received the cohort, ... came there with lanterns," etc.; third Christ's ready disposition to undergo the betrayal, where it says "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that were to come upon him, went forth," etc. The place is shown to be fitting for the betrayal on three counts: because it was removed from the city, in itself hidden and enclosed, and known to the betrayer. It was indeed removed from the city, whence Judas could more easily do what he intended; hence he says "when he had said these things," namely, the things said above. But since the things he had said pertained to Christ's prayer, the Evangelist would have spoken more fittingly if he had said "when he had prayed these things." But the Evangelist did this to show that he made this prayer not on account of his own need, since he himself was the one who prayed as man, and heard as God; but this was for our instruction. Whence it was, as it were, a certain teaching. "He went forth with his disciples," not indeed immediately, according to Augustine, after his prayer, since certain other things intervened which are narrated by the other Evangelists but omitted by this one — namely, that a dispute arose among the disciples as to which of them seemed to be greater, Luke 22:24. Meanwhile also Jesus said to Peter: "Behold, Satan has sought to have you, that he might sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail," as Luke narrates in the same place, verse 31. The disciples also sang a hymn with the Lord, as Matthew and Mark narrate. Thus, then, it is not to be understood that as soon as he had said this, he went forth immediately; but rather that he did not go forth before he had said it. "He went forth," I say, "beyond the torrent Cedron." But Matthew and Mark say that they went forth to the Mount of Olives, and then he came with them to the village which is called Gethsemane. In this there is no contradiction, since it is the same place which John records and Matthew, for the torrent Cedron is at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where also is the village called Gethsemane. Cedron, moreover, in Greek is a genitive plural, as if to say: beyond the torrent of the cedars. Perhaps there were many cedar plants there. It is fitting to the mystery that he crossed the torrent, since by it his Passion is signified; Psalm 109:7: "He shall drink of the torrent in the way; therefore shall he lift up his head." It is also fitting that it was beyond the torrent Cedron. For Cedron is interpreted "overshadowing," and Christ by his Passion took away the shadow of sin and of the law, and with hands outstretched on the cross protected us under the shadow of his hand; Psalm 16:9: "Protect me under the shadow of thy wings." The place was, moreover, a fitting one for the betrayal; hence he says "where there was a garden, into which he entered, himself and his disciples." And this fittingly, because he was making satisfaction for the sin of the first man committed in a garden. For Paradise is interpreted "garden of delights." Likewise because through the Passion he brings us in to be crowned in a garden and in Paradise; Luke 23:43: "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise." It was also a fitting place, because known to the betrayer; hence he says "and Judas also, who betrayed him, knew the place"; and the reason for this is that Jesus had often come there with his disciples, among whom Judas had been like a wolf among sheep; above, John 6:71: "Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" A wolf covered with sheep's clothing, and tolerated among the sheep by the deep counsel of the father of the household, learned where he might for a short time scatter the flock of sheep. But since Judas had gone out from the supper long before in order to accomplish the betrayal, it is asked how he knew that Christ would go out to that place at that hour. To which it must be said, according to Chrysostom, that it was Christ's custom, and especially on great feasts, after supper to lead his disciples apart, and to teach certain lofty things concerning the feast, which it was not lawful for others to hear; and therefore, because it was then the chief feast, Judas supposed that after supper he would have gone out there. He did this, moreover, so that in the mountains and in gardens he might teach his disciples lofty things, seeking above all a place pure of tumults, lest their mind be hindered; Hosea 2:14: "I will lead her into solitude, and I will speak to her heart." Here the equipment of the betrayer is set down. And note that, as is said in Luke 22:3 and following, Judas, after he had negotiated the betrayal with the chief priests, sought an opportunity for how he might betray him without a tumult of crowds; and therefore he wished to find him in secret, and at night, since in the day he was always occupied about the instruction of the crowds. But because at night he could be hindered either by a sudden gathering of crowds, or by the darkness, by which Christ might be snatched away or escape from their hands, therefore against the crowds he fortified himself with arms, against the darkness with lanterns and torches. But because some among the crowd might resist him by the power of the people, therefore against these he took a cohort, not of Jews, but of soldiers from the governor, so that with the order of legitimate power thus observed, no one would dare to resist him. Likewise some among the Jews, led by zeal for the law, especially since he was being seized by gentiles, might perhaps have wished to resist them; and therefore he also took ministers from the chief priests and Pharisees, and came there. Job 15:26: "He hath run against God with his neck raised up"; Luke 22:52: "You are come out as against a thief, with swords and clubs." Here the Evangelist sets down Christ's ready disposition to undergo the betrayal willingly, in two ways. First by offering himself willingly; second by restraining the disciple who resisted, where it says "Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it." And concerning the first the Evangelist does two things. First he narrates that Christ showed himself, in order to show his power; second in order to demonstrate his patience, where it says "again therefore he asked them, whom do you seek?" Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down Christ's questioning; second his own manifestation of himself, where it says "Jesus said to them, I am he"; third the effect of the manifestation, where it says "as soon therefore as he had said to them, I am he, they went backward." Concerning the first he does three things. First he commends Christ's knowledge and cognition: because "Jesus, knowing all things that were to come upon him, went forth," etc.; above, chapter 13:1: "Jesus knowing that his hour was come," etc. The Evangelist interposed this for two reasons. First, lest the questioning which Christ was about to put to them should seem to have been made out of ignorance; second, lest it should seem that he offered himself unwillingly and out of ignorance, when they came to kill him. Hence "all things that were to come upon him" he knew. Second he sets down Christ's questioning, who, although he knew these things, nevertheless went forth, and said to them, "whom do you seek?" — not out of ignorance, as has been said. Third he adds their response: "Jesus of Nazareth," namely, we seek — not indeed to imitate him, but to deal maliciously with him and to kill him. Whence above, chapter 8:11: "You seek me, and you shall die in your sin." Here is set down the manifestation of himself, by which he presented himself to them to be seized; hence he says "I am he," namely Jesus of Nazareth whom you seek. The Evangelist adds, moreover, the presence of Judas: because he had said above that Judas had gone out from him. Now it might be believed that it would be no wonder if Christ were not recognized by them by face on account of the darkness; but that someone should not be recognized by voice, especially by one very familiar with him, this cannot be ascribed to the darkness. He shows, therefore, by this that he says "I am he," that he was not recognized even by Judas, familiar to him, who stood with them — which is especially demonstrative of the power of Christ's divinity. "Judas therefore, who betrayed him, stood with them" — that is, he persevered in evil, so as to point him out by the sign of a kiss; Isaiah 33: "His mouth shall be," etc. Here is set down the effect of the manifestation: that "they went backward, and fell to the ground." And, as Gregory says, it is read at times of the saints that they fall to the ground; Daniel 2:46: "He fell upon his face, and adored Daniel," etc.; Ezekiel 2:1: "I fell upon my face." But of the wicked it is read that they fall; Isaiah 3:25: "Thy most beautiful men shall fall." But this is the difference: that of the wicked it is said that they fall backward, 1 Kings 4:18: "He fell from his seat backward"; but of the saints, that they fall upon their face. The reason for which is assigned in Proverbs 4:18: "because the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day." And "the way of the wicked is darksome; they know not where they fall." For everyone who falls backward, falls there where he does not see. The wicked, therefore, because they fall among things invisible, are said to fall backward — because they run there where they cannot then see what follows them. But he who falls forward, falls there where he sees; and therefore the saints, who of their own accord cast themselves down among these visible things, in order to be raised up among the invisible, are said to fall upon their face, because, struck with fear, seeing, they are humbled. Mystically, moreover, by this — that they fell backward — it is given to be understood that the people of the Jews, who was the peculiar people, not hearing the voice of Christ in his preaching, went backward, shut out from the kingdom. Here is set down the second questioning. And first he sets down the repeated questioning; second Christ's manifestation, and third his offering of himself. He asked, moreover, a second time, according to Chrysostom, for two reasons: so that, namely, while he had indicated his power — that his enemies, coming against him, fell backward to the ground before him — the faithful might be instructed that he was seized by his own will; Isaiah 53:7: "He was offered because it was his own will." Second, so that also, as far as was in him, he might give the Jews occasion for conversion, having seen the miracle of his power; Isaiah 5:4: "What more ought I to do?" And therefore, since they were not immediately converted at the showing of his power, he offered himself of his own accord to be seized. Whence when again he asked them: "whom do you seek?" And they said: "Jesus of Nazareth," he, manifesting himself again, answered: "I have told you that I am he." In which it is clear that they were blind, so that they could not recognize him. The offering of himself is set down when he says "if therefore you seek me" — namely, to seize — "do what you intend, yet so that you let these" — namely, my disciples — "go their way"; because it was not yet the time that they should be taken from the world through the Passion; above, chapter 17:15: "I do not ask that thou take them out of the world." In which it is clear that he himself gave them the power of seizing him; for just as by his own power he preserved his disciples, so much more could he have preserved himself; above, chapter 10:18: "No one taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself." And that the ministers did not let the apostles go on account of Christ's persuasion, but on account of his power, the Evangelist shows, saying "that the word might be fulfilled which he said" — as though the ministers let the apostles go because they were not able to hold them, since he himself had said, above, chapter 17:12: "of them whom thou hast given me, I have not lost any one." But on the other hand: above the Lord said this concerning the loss of the soul; how does the Evangelist adapt this to the loss of the body? Response. It must be said, according to Chrysostom, that the Lord spoke above of the loss both of soul and of body. And if he spoke only of the loss of the soul, it must be said that the Evangelist here refers it by a certain extension to the loss of the body. Or, according to Augustine, it must be said that what is said is to be understood also as to the loss of the soul; because the apostles did not yet believe in such a way as those believe who do not perish. And therefore, if they had at that time gone out of this world, they would have been among those who perish.”

“That the saying might be fulfilled , which He spake ; Oj them which Thou gavest Me hovel lost none , i.e. of the eleven Apostles which Thou gavest Me : for Judas, as the son of perdition, was not ►igitizec 222 given Him absolutely of the Father. But of what loss and death does Christ here speak: of the soul or of the body? Some say one, some another. But I say, both of body and soul. For they would have perished in the body if they had been seized and slain together with Jesus, more especially because Peter had withstood them and had wounded Malchus. They would have also perished in their souls, because they would have denied Christ in their weakness, and from fear of the threats of the Jews, just as Peter denied Him. And so, when killed by the Jews they would have perished both in body and soul. For they would have died in the mortal sin of denial. So Rupertus, Cajetan, Ribera, F. Lucas, Toletus, and others. Ver. io. — But there was a servant named Malchus . He mentions the name of the servant to signify the mystery. For Malchus is the same as “ king.” But as the servant of the High Priest he signifies the Jewish people, which was formerly a kingly and free power, but afterwards became subject to the Priesthood, which burdened it with its traditions and ceremonies, and also preyed upon it. See Matt, xxiii. Now this man, when S. Peter and the Apostles preached the Gospel, lost his right ear on account of his unbelief and hatred of Christ : that is, he became deaf to the Gospel, and to those things which were necessary to salvation, till the Lord converted him, and healed his ear. So S. Cyril (in loc. S. Ambrose on Luke xxii., and S. Jerome on Matt. xxvi. S. Ambrose adds that S. Peter wished to imitate the zeal of Phinehas, who slew a prince of Israel who committed fornication with the daughters of Moab : and thus obtained the High Priesthood (Num. xxv.) The love therefore of S. Peter, and his zeal for Christ, lessened his fault. And yet he sinned in drawing his sword without consulting Christ, more especially when he had heard just before from His own lips, that He was going of His own accord to His Passion and Death”

“That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake,.... Joh 17:12; of them which thou gavest me have I lost none; which though it has a peculiar respect to the apostles, is true of all the elect of God; who are given to Christ, and shall none of them be lost, neither their souls nor bodies; for Christ's charge of them reaches to both: both were given to him, both are redeemed by him, and both shall be saved in him with an everlasting salvation: he saves their souls from an eternal death, and will raise their bodies from a corporeal one; wherefore that his care of his disciples, with respect to their bodies as well as souls, with respect to their temporal lives as well as eternal happiness, might be seen; he made this agreement with the Jews that came to take him, or rather laid this injunction on them, to dismiss them; and which it is very remarkable they did; they laid hands on none of them, even though Peter drew his sword and struck off the ear of one of them: and which is a very considerable instance of the power which Christ had over the spirits of these men, to restrain them; and so a proof of his proper deity, as well as of the care of Christ for the preservation of his apostles, whilst he was here on earth; for to that time only the words cited have a respect; in which Christ speaks of his keeping them whilst he was with them, and uses this as an argument with his Father to keep them, now he was removing from them: wherefore their losing their lives afterwards for his sake, as they all did excepting the Apostle John, is no contradiction to this expression of his; and besides, they were preserved by the power of God so long, until they had done the work which was appointed them to do, and for which they were given him, and chosen by him to be his apostles, and for which they were better furnished after his resurrection and ascension; for had they been, apprehended by the Jews at this time, in all probability, according to an human view of things, such was their weakness, they would have fallen most foully and shamefully, as the instance of Peter, the strongest of them, shows; and therefore to prevent such a temptation and to preserve them, our Lord took this method to deliver them out of the hands of the Jews; the saving clause, "but the son of perdition", is here left out, because Judas, who is designed by that character, was now openly declared to be what he was; he was no longer among the disciples; he was separated from them, and had betrayed his master, and was not of the number of those Christ insisted upon might be let go.”

“That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none--The reference is to such sayings as Joh 6:39; Joh 17:12; showing how conscious the Evangelist was, that in reporting his Lord's former sayings, he was giving them not in substance merely, but in form also. Observe, also, how the preservation of the disciples on this occasion is viewed as part that deeper preservation undoubtedly intended in the saying quoted.”