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John 18 – shortcode

John 18 – shortcode

Jesus is arrested

(Parallel accounts: Matthew 26:47–56, Mark 14:43–52, and Luke 22:47–53)

  1. Having said these things, Jesus went out with His disciples across the winter-streamfn“winter-stream” refers to a river that only flows in the Middle Eastern equivalent of winter, which can also have heavy rain in addition to snow.  Large amounts of water can flow through it during the winter period of heavy rains, but it’s dry most of the rest of the year. of Kidronfnpossible quotation/allusion to 2 Samuel 15:23 where a garden was, into which He and His disciples entered.
  2. And, Judas (the man betraying Him) had also known the place because Jesus often gathered there with His disciples.
  3. So Judas, having received the cohortfn“cohort”. The cohort was a basic unit of the Roman military, which consisted of 480 soldiers, plus 120 servants. A standard cohort was comprised of 6 “centuries”, which consisted of 80 men, plus 20 servants. However, the first cohort in every Roman Legion was composed of five double strength centuries, or 800 soldiers plus 200 servants. However, in this context, it is possible that it refers to a smaller group of men, since writers like Josephus and Polybius sometimes use it to refer to smaller groups of about 200. and officers from the chief priests and from the Pharisees, he goes there with torches, and lanterns, and weapons.
  4. So *knowing all things coming upon Him, Jesus also went out and says to them: “Whom do you seek?”
  5. They answered Him: “Jesus the Nazarene.”  He tells them: “I Am.”fnquotation/allusion to Exodus 3:14  (And Judas – the man betraying Him – had also been standing with them.)
  6. So as He told them: “I Am.”,fnquotation/allusion to Exodus 3:14 they drew back and fell to the ground.
  7. So He questioned them again: “Whom do you seek?”  And they answered: “Jesus the Nazarene.”
  8. Jesus answered: “I told you that I Am.fnquotation/allusion to Exodus 3:14  So if you seek Me, allow these men to depart.”
  9. This happened so the word which He spoke might be fulfilled that: “Of those whom you have given to Me, I lost not one of them.”fnJesus said this in John 17:12; see also John 6:39
  10. So having a sword, Simon Peter unsheathed it and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his right ear, and the name of the slave was Malchus.
  11. So Jesus told Peter: “Put the sword into its scabbard.  The cup that the Father has given Me, won’t I definitely drink it?”
  12. So the cohort,fn“cohort”. The cohort was a basic unit of the Roman military, which consisted of 480 soldiers, plus 120 servants. A standard cohort was comprised of 6 “centuries”, which consisted of 80 men, plus 20 servants. However, the first cohort in every Roman Legion was composed of five double strength centuries, or 800 soldiers plus 200 servants. However, in this context, it is possible that it refers to a smaller group of men, since writers like Josephus and Polybius sometimes use it to refer to smaller groups of about 200. and the commander, and the Jewish officers seized Jesus and bound Him,
  13. and they led Him to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year.
  14. And, Caiaphas was the man who counseled the Jews that it’s profitable for one man to die for the sake of the people.fnCaiaphas said this in John 11:49–52
Peter’s first denial

(Parallel accounts: Matthew 26:58,69–70, Mark 14:54,66–68, and Luke 22:54–57)

  1. Now, Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus.  And since that disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest, he also entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,
  2. but Peter had stood outside at the door.  So the other disciple (who was an acquaintance of the high priest) went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
  3. So the servant girl who was the doorkeeper says to Peter: “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?”  He says: “I’m not.”
  4. Now, having *made a bed of coals because it was cold, the officers and the slaves had stood near it and they were warming themselves.  And Peter also was *standing with them and warming himself.
Jesus before the high priest

(Parallel accounts note: fnThis initial questioning by Annas is unique to John.  Notably, verse 24 records Jesus being sent to Caiaphas, and the other gospels do record that interrogation.  Also notable, John omits the interrogation by Caiaphas, skipping from Jesus being sent to him in verse 24, to Jesus being led from Caiaphas to Pilate in verse 28. )

  1. So the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching.
  2. Jesus answered him: “I have spoken with open boldness to the world.  I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple where all the Jews assemble, and spoke nothing in secret.
  3. “Why do you question Me?  Question the men who have heard what I spoke to them.  Behold, they *know what I said.”
  4. And with Him having said these things, one of the officers *standing there gave Jesus a slap after saying: “You answer the high priest this way?”
  5. Jesus answered him: “If I spoke evil, testify about the evil.  But if I spoke rightly, why do you strike Me?”
  6. So Annas sent Him *bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter’s second and third denials

(Parallel accounts: Matthew 26:71–75, Mark 14:69–72, and Luke 22:58–62)

  1. Now, Simon Peter was *standing and warming himself.  So they said to him: “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?”  He denied it and said: “I’m not.”
  2. One of the high priest’s slaves – being a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off – says: “Didn’t I see you in the garden with Him?”
  3. So Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Jesus before Pilate

(Parallel accounts: Matthew 27:1–2,11–23, Mark 15:1–14, and Luke 23:1–5,13–25)

  1. So they lead Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium.  Now, it was early and they didn’t enter into the Praetorium so they wouldn’t be defiled, but might eat the Passover.fn“might eat the Passover”. The Last Supper was, of course, the Passover according to Luke 22:15. In the first century, the Passover had become synonymous with the Feast of Unleavened Bread according to Luke 22:1. Thus, they likely meant the Feast of Unleavened Bread, since it was also called “Passover” at that time.
  2. So Pilate went out to them and says: “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
  3. They answered and told him: “If He wasn’t doing evil, we wouldn’t have delivered Him to you.”
  4. So Pilate told them: “You take Him and judge Him in accordance with your law.”  The Jews said to him: “It’s not lawful for us to kill anyone.”
  5. (This happened so the word of Jesus which He spoke might be fulfilled, signifying what sort of death He was about to die.fnJesus said this in John 12:32–33; see also John 3:14 and John 8:28)
  6. So Pilate entered into the Praetorium again and called Jesus and said to Him: “Are you the King of the Jews?”
  7. Jesus answered: “Do you say this from yourself, or did others tell you this about Me?”
  8. Pilate answered: “I’m not a Jew, am I?  Your nation and the chief priests delivered you to me; what did you do?”
  9. Jesus answered: “My kingdom isn’t of this world.  If My kingdom was of this world, My subordinates would have been fighting so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews.  But presently, My kingdom isn’t of this place.
  10. So Pilate said to Him: “Then you are a king?”  Jesus answered: “You say that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, so that I might testify to the truth.  Every man who is of the truth hears My voice.
  11. Pilate says to Him: “What is truth?”  And having said this again, he went out to the Jews and tells them: “I myself find not even one cause for charges against Him.
  12. “But it’s a custom with you that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover.  So, do you intend that I release the King of the Jews to you?”
  13. So they cried out again saying: “Not this man, but Barabbas.”  (And Barabbas was a violent robber.)