You could right about the 300 soldiers. But I do believe the main reason is that they were going to capture the disciples, too. That’s why Jesus told them, to let them go and take Him alone. Jesus certainly knew what their intentions were and that’s why He said that.

Election and free-will…sometimes I think I have at least a good understanding of it, but I will never say I fully understand it just as I will never fully comprehend the Trinity, although I believe it in it fully. The most I can say–as I’m not a theologian on paper or by title–is that God has given each of us free-will. God wants us to love Him out of our free will choice. Otherwise, it’s not love, is it? If it’s compulsion, that’s not love. But since God is eternal–without beginning and without end–then from His vantage point, He knows beforehand what we will do or what we will choose.

As I’m mentioned repeatedly here, one of my favorite Bible teachers is Chuck Missler. He has a way of explaining this that I’m not sure I can do it justice here. We human beings are bound by time and space. We live on a fixed time line, so to speak. But God is spirit. For a time 2,000 years ago, He became flesh and blood like us. But God is eternal and outside our time and space domain. The closest visual I can think of is a parade. If we are sitting in the bleachers at the bottom, we can only see what is in front of us. But God sits at the top row. From that vantage point, He can see around the corner and see what’s coming before we do. He can also see what’s down the line after we have seen it. It’s a very simplistic model, but it is the closest I can come up with.

The fact that Judas, and also the enemies of Jesus, had witnessed many miracles makes them realize that Jesus has supernatural power and that He might use it.

Also….you pointed out John 17:12. Hmm……I’m starting to think you are doing this deliberately because that verse has “election” mentioned in it. There are certain things in Scripture that are not contradictory, but they certainly are paradoxical. Election and free will happen to be one of those. It is one of those things that we simply do not understand. Some people think they have this one figured out……..but I certainly don’t!