John 18: 1-9, Garden of Olives
When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?"
And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."
Judas and an attachment of soldiers expect conflict. But Jesus is passive and ready to be arrested.
The prophecy described at the end was made from earlier in the text, from John 6:39.
John 18: 10-14, Arrest
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.
John even records the name of the servant who lost his ear! Peter's actions oscillate between anger and fear. A more stable Peter will appear after Pentecost.
Apparently Annas was a sort of "high-priest emeritus", retired but still very influential. (So says commentator Merrill Tenney.)
John 18: 15-18 Denial #1
Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
"You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter.
He replied, "I am not."
It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
Poor frightened Peter. If even Peter can be a disciple, then so can you and I!
John 18: 19-24, Jesus before the high priest
Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
"I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."
When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.
"If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?"
Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
Jesus will not play games with the rulers tonight. They have had ample opportunity to observe and question him.
It is not clear if this interview is before Annas or Caiphas. It could be before Annas, in his role as high priest emeritus or it could be before the current high priest, Caiphas. Apparently this last sentence could be in the past tense; for example, the NIV footnotes give "Now Annas had sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest."
Jesus's response to the slap is a simple one. If he is guilty, prove it so. If not, why the bullying and attempts at intimidation? John records this event so that we may know that the trial is unjust.
As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."
One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"
Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
Peter's denial is recorded in all four gospels. Peter, a church leader after Pentecost, could have attempted to paint over this shame and embarrassment, but humility and confession form the structure of the early church and so we all know of Peter's cowardice. May our churches today be so transparent!
John 18: 28-32, Before Pilate
Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"
"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."
Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."
"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.
This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
Again John records the injustice of the trial. When asked for their evidence against Jesus, the Jewish leaders deflect the question with "If he were not a criminal...," a statement intended to push Pilate to jump to the verdict without a trial.
The Jews want an execution and Pilate is reluctant to give that to them. The gospel writer will record Pilate's timid and frightened response to the proceedings, showing him as a weak ruler. The other gospels report a third interview, before Herod, but John skips over that part of the trial.
John 18: 33-40, Jesus before Pilate
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked.
With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release `the king of the Jews'?"
They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Pilate is trapped. He is half fearful that Jesus might really be a "son of a god", common in Roman mythology. He wants Jesus to talk to him. But Jesus will not. And although Pilate recognizes the trumped up trial, he is too weak to rule for justice. Running back and forth between the crowd and the palace, Pilate will make one more attempt to mollify the Jewish leaders.