To say that we ‘know’ somebody implies a variety of relationships. The person might be somebody we occasionally meet, or a colleague, friend or family member. Even within families there are different levels or intensity of relationship. The closest should be between spouses, and between parents and children. But Jesus prayed to His Father in an astonishingly intimate way about His very close relationships with people who believed in Him. That closeness was contrasted with the distance of people in the world – people who had rejected Him and did not want to know Him.
 

Judas the betrayer had guided soldiers and temple officials to capture Jesus. However He was not going to run away; He was ready to be taken. The cross was an essential part of His mission, and Satan’s worst schemes would only bring Him greater glory. The passage shows that Jesus was fully in command of the situation. He was not taken by surprise at all. However Jesus’ evil captors were not prepared to meet the holiness of God in the darkness. They were afraid to grasp Him and fell backwards.
 

Jesus, the Creator of the world, the King of kings and God the Son was taken away bound with ropes, making sure He could not escape. What foolishness! It was only possible because Jesus gave Himself into their custody in order to fulfil God’s great salvation-plan.
 

At last, the religious officials thought, they had captured Jesus and could interrogate Him in private. But Jesus taught the crowds in public, consistently telling them the truth from God. What more could His interrogators learn? But when Jesus told them to find evidence against Him they took offence, hitting Him in the face.