Matthew 26:50Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Or, because whenever they had hitherto attempted to seize Him, He had escaped them they knew not how; as also He might then have done had He been so minded.

The Lord remains patient until the very end, striving to lead him to repentance through His enduring mercy. However, when he still refuses to heed correction, the Lord causes those who approached to collapse, as noted by John; He does this so that they might recognize His omnipotence through their fall. Yet, even after witnessing this, they persisted in their defiance. At this point, the Lord reveals His own vulnerability to them. He addresses Judas as 'friend,' bringing shame and reproach upon him for betraying Him under the guise of friendship. He questions him, asking, 'Have you come for this?' rather than inquiring, 'What disposition do you bring here?' If he is a friend, then why approach with weapons? If he is an enemy, then why the kiss? Thus, the Lord exposes him as merely a sycophant.

Exult, Christian, you have gained by this bargain of your enemies; what Judas sold, and what the Jews bought, belongs to you.

Hostility is referred to as companionship. The Lord directs His gaze towards him, and the cunning disciple approached the Master of truth to greet Him with a kiss.

The term "My friend" should be interpreted either in a contrasting sense or possibly in the context of the question posed earlier: "My friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?" as noted in Matthew 22:12. In the new Synodal Russian translation, this is rendered as: “Friend, how did you enter here without the wedding garment?”

Contemplate the profound mercy displayed: even before his betrayal, he looked after the one who would betray him; thus, he still addressed his greatest adversary as a friend. The phrase "for what thou art come" should not be interpreted as a question, for He was fully aware of Judas's intentions; rather, it should be seen as a statement: fulfill your purpose for which you have arrived, setting aside all pretense. The intent was betrayal, and the pretense was the spoon and the words spoken.

Some may say that a great multitude came, because of the great multitude of those who already believed, who, they feared, might rescue Him out of their hands; but I think there is another reason for this, and that is, that they who thought that He cast out dæmons through Beelzebub, supposed that by some magic He might escape the hands of those who sought to hold Him. Even now do many fight against Jesus with spiritual weapons, to wit, with divers and shifting dogmas concerning God. It deserves enquiry why, when He was known by face to all who dwelt in Judæa, he should have given them a sign, as though they were unacquainted with His person.

When Jesus tells Judas, "Do what you must do" (John 13:27), He acknowledges the reality of the betrayal. He who had the capability to summon twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53) to defend Himself against His betrayers could certainly have thwarted the intentions and actions of one individual with ease. Thus, He also tells Pilate, "You would have no authority over Me, if it had not been given to you from above" (John 19:11). In doing so, He bestows authority upon him by saying, "Do what you shall do." This implies that the transgression of desire is counterbalanced by that which is eternal; Judas is now executing what he had previously contemplated in his heart.

The Lord suffered the traitor’s kiss, not to teach us to dissemble, but that He might not seem to shrink from His betrayal.

One of the twelve, by association of name, not of desert. This shews the monstrous wickedness of the man who from the dignity of the Apostleship became the traitor. To shew that it was out of envy that they seized Him, it is added, A great multitude sent by the Chief Priests and elders of the people.

The Lord did not withdraw His gaze from Judas but instead accepted the kiss of the betrayer. How shocking is this act! While David bore the insults from Shimei (2 Sam. 16:7-12) with grace, despite being his benefactor, here we witness pure malevolence on display. What righteous individual would remain silent upon hearing Judas' greeting? What saintly figure could passively receive the kiss from someone who betrays him? Yet You, embodiment of heavenly kindness, gently address the traitor with heartfelt sorrow: "My friend, why have you come? Are you betraying the Son of Man with your hand?" (Luke 22:47). This gentle demeanor from heaven teaches us: learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart (Matt. 5:29).

AND JESUS SAID TO HIM, ‘FRIEND, WHY HAVE YOU COME?’ ‘Rabbi, Rabbi!’ Judas echoed, and the word caught in his throat (Mark 14:45). The Lord then addressed him with poignant sorrow, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’ (Luke 22:48). Do you betray Him who has loved you immensely, cherished you profoundly, and honored you greatly as one of His closest followers? ‘How powerfully does this heavenly Compassion call to us, ‘Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart!’ This is how we ought to endure the wrongs inflicted by those nearest to us—our friends, our family, those whom we have aided!

When Judas betrayed his Master with a prearranged kiss, indicating Him to the guards he had led to Him, Jesus gently addressed him by saying, ‘Friend, have you come for this?’ He further asked, ‘Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’ This moment marked the final appeal of the Master to his disloyal disciple. By referring to Judas as a friend, Jesus aimed to reform him and reveal the gravity of his actions. He questioned, ‘Judas, if you were sent as a friend, why did you come with armed guards to seize me, a friend? But if you approach as an adversary, then why greet Me with a kiss? Why betray the Son of Man in such a manner?

The Lord addresses Judas by calling him "friend," signifying a reproachful acknowledgment reminiscent of the way the discontented laborer in Matthew 20:13 and the guest improperly attired at the wedding feast in Matthew 22:12 are referred to in the parables. The Lord's question, "Why are you here?" serves as a final opportunity for Judas to contemplate the true weight of his betrayal. By calling Judas a friend, the Lord highlights the irony of his actions—betraying Him under the guise of friendship. The inquiry implies, did you arrive in friendship? If so, your approach with weapons and malice is inconsistent with that claim. Alternatively, if you have come as an adversary, then why do you choose to greet Me with a kiss? This exchange reveals Judas as a deceitful flatterer, as noted by Theophilus.