Matthew 26:56Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here is a paraphrased version of the given text, maintaining the theological core and biblical citations:

Christ addressed His disciples and spoke to those who sought to capture Him, saying, ‘You have come out against Me as if I were a criminal, with swords and clubs; I was teaching in the temple daily, and you did not seize Me. Consider the many signs that should have enlightened them: He knocks them down, He heals a servant’s ear, He warns of destruction. “By the sword they will perish,” He proclaimed, noting that those who live by violence will be met with violence, which is evident in His restoration of the ear. In every moment, both now and in what is to come, He displays His power, illustrating that the Jews did not apprehend Him by their own strength.

Demonstrates the absurdity of their endeavor, revealing their inability to seize Him. He states that while He was in the temple among them, they attempted to apprehend Him; yet, because He chose not to permit it, they were powerless to do so. Now, however, He willingly surrenders Himself, for He understands that it is impossible for the Scriptures that predicted their malice to be false.

All these events transpired to fulfill the prophecies recorded in Scripture. At that moment, all the disciples deserted Him and ran away. What are these prophetic writings? They pierced my hands and my feet (Psalms 21:17), and elsewhere it is written: like a lamb He was taken to be sacrificed (Isaiah 53:7). Additionally, in another passage, or in the same one: For the transgressions of my people He was put to death (Isaiah 53:8).

All of this, which I desired to be taken, occurred so that the prophetic Scriptures would come to fruition, which spoke solely of my demise. Then all the disciples abandoned Him and ran away. When they realized that Jesus Christ had willingly surrendered Himself as foretold in the Scriptures, and they recognized that there was no longer a way for Him to evade them, they dispersed, fulfilling His steadfast prophecy. Mark recounts that a young man, cloaked with a linen covering over his exposed body, followed Him, and the soldiers apprehended him. However, he left the linen behind and fled away in his nakedness.

Abandoned by all the disciples - “then all the disciples, forsaking Him, fled” - so that we, who are abandoned, defenseless, powerless, and estranged from the presence of God, can receive intercession and assistance. As He proclaims through the prophet, “I looked, and there was no helper; and I marveled, and no one interceded; and My arm brought salvation" (Is. 63:5).

Let the prophecy come to pass. Another reason for their seizing Him is that this is the divine decree outlined in Scripture, which clearly reflects God's will. It is noteworthy that during the trials from Satan, the Saviour countered his assaults solely with the Holy Scriptures; likewise, in the dark moments of His crucifixion, He consistently referred to Scripture's testimonies (Matt. 26:24, 31, 54; Lk. 22:37; Jn. 13:18). At that moment, all His disciples abandoned Him and fled. Given the words the Saviour spoke to His adversaries, His disciples ought to have been inspired and determined to share His burden. If a time of darkness had arrived, one that would surely be followed by a dawn, how could they not choose to stand firm against the shadows? Would it not be a glorious act to resist?

God has allowed this, and I yield not to your brutality but to the divine will: ALL THAT HAS OCCURRED SHALL BE FULFILLED, AND THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS SHALL BE HONORED. St. Chrysostom remarks on the miraculous acts for their benefit: first, He brings them low, then He mends a servant's ear, subsequently He warns them of their impending doom, declaring, ‘by the sword they shall perish.’ Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson, reflects on how this remarkable blend of grandeur and humility, strength and vulnerability, momentarily halted the unruly crowd.

The soldiers, regaining their composure, approached Jesus and bound Him, complying with the orders given by the chief priests and elders. The apostles, fearing they might meet the same fate, abandoned their Master in haste and fled. Thus, the prophecy came to pass: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered (Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31). The whereabouts of the nine apostles are uncertain, but Peter and John, though they distanced themselves from Jesus, dared not venture too far. Their longing to understand what would happen to Him compelled them to stay close. Emerging from their brief hiding place, they followed the departing crowd from a distance and eventually made their way to Jerusalem.

Only Peter and John trailed the crowd from a distance, while a young man, wrapped in a linen cloth, moved anxiously among them. This brave disciple of the Lord, seemingly stirred by the commotion in the street, followed his Master as long as he went unnoticed. However, when a servant sought to determine his identity by seizing the linen cloth, the young man fled in fear, escaping from the servant’s grasp and abandoning the cloth, running away naked into the night. Tradition holds that it was St. Mark who uniquely recorded this occurrence. (Mark 14:51-52)

These events unfolded as a continuation of Jesus Christ's own words, rather than as a comment from the Evangelist. The phrase "the writings of the prophets" refers to the Lord’s sufferings and death. At that moment, all the disciples, as prophesied by Jesus Christ, were present. When the confrontation began, the disciples initially remained with Him; however, after He declared the words directed at the crowd that approached Him, they dispersed. It became evident that escape was no longer an option for Him, as He willingly surrendered Himself, affirming that His actions were in accordance with the prophetic writings.

The disciples, observing that their Teacher neither employed miraculous nor ordinary tactics for His protection, willingly surrendered to His adversaries. In their desperation, they sought refuge by fleeing swiftly, fearing that the guards, emboldened after seizing the Lord, would now turn their aggression toward them, thereby subjecting the disciples to judgment alongside their Master. This scenario fulfilled the final words spoken by the Lord during His farewell discourse just hours earlier (John 16:32).