Lesson from John 18: The Arrest of Jesus

Well, next we see that what started out as a quiet night in the upper room, between Jesus and His disciples has now turned into a horrifying experience for the disciples upon the arrest of Jesus.

And it appears that after Jesus had been bound and arrested and was being led away Peter and the other disciple followed at a distance.

Brought Before Caiaphas and Annas

John tells us in verse 13 that the first place they took Jesus was to Annas, who we are told was the father in law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. Annas had been the high priest from 6 AD-15 AD, but then the Romans came in they deposed or dethroned him and replaced him with a procurator, Gratus which simply put, meant the Romans removed Annas and put in one of their own.

According to Jewish law, Annas was for all intent and purposes the hereditary high priest and once a high priest according to Jewish law you were always a high priest. Therefore in the eyes of the people even though Caiaphas, Annas son in law had been appointed by the Romans to serve as high priest in 18 18 to 36/37 A.D., Annas was for all intent and purposes, in the eyes of the Jewish people, the true high priest.

Eventually all four of Annas’ sons as well as his son in law Caiaphas, served at different times as the high priest. Annas was not known to be a nice man, in fact many people detested and feared him, though he retained a tremendous amount of power and influence in Jerusalem.

The family was known for their corruption, as Annas and his family made their money by robbing or overcharging the people who came to Jerusalem to worship. They overcharged the people, their people for the animals that were to be offered as sacrifice and they overcharged them when exchanging their foreign money for local currency in order to pay their temple taxes.

And as your notes point out, “When Jesus cleared the temple courts of money changers, He literally laid His hands on the income of Annas and Caiaphas.” Your notes go on to say that, “Jesus attacked these men where it hurt them most—in their wealth and religious position.”

And so it’s not surprising that when Jesus is brought before Annas, Annas illegally questions Jesus about His disciples and His teaching in verse 19. According to Jewish law, it was illegal to ask prisoners any kind of question that would involve admitting their own guilt.

Jesus knowing the law, pointed out Annas illegal questioning by stating that He had indeed spoken openly to the world. Having taught in the synagogues or at the temple, where all there Jews had come together. Therefore Jesus states, I have not taught anything in secret, followed by verse 21 where Jesus asks, then, “Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

Jesus indeed had turned the tables on Annas and was pointing out his failure to follow the very law he was supposed to up hold as a high priest. And so Jesus brings out Annas illegal actions and asks Annas, “Why are you questioning me, when you should be questioning others on my behalf. In other words, Jesus was telling Annas to obtain his evidence against Jesus in the proper and legal way, by examining others. This was the right or legal thing to do.

Jesus knew Annas was anything but an honest and loyal high priest, Annas was in it for what He could gain and who he could control. Annas thrived on power and prestige and he wanted nothing to do with Jesus or His teachings. And it was no sooner than Jesus had brought out the truth of the matter, that one of the officials who stood nearby struck Jesus in the face, and asked Him, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”

Jesus responded to the man’s actions and words, “If I said something wrong, testify as to what is wrong.” In other words, tell me what I said that was not the truth. “But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”

Little did this man know that he had just struck, “THE TRUE GREAT HIGH PRIEST”. The one in whom no wrong could be found. The one who had come down from heaven’s throne and walked among us and who willingly surrendered His life as an atonement for the sins of the world. Jesus was and is the one and only great high priest for all time! And not only was Jesus the Great High Priest, He was about to become the greatest sacrifice and the Savior of the world!

And therefore finding no wrong in Him, Annas buying for time and searching for false witnesses in order that they might indict Jesus sent Him to Caiaphas.

And though John doesn’t record this, Caiaphas secretly and hastily summoned members of the Sanhedrin who were favorable with his plan to meet in his house. Both men, along with other family members and other high ranking officials, lived in the palace of the high priest making it easy to gather these men together and continue in their scheme to do away with this Jesus, of Nazareth!

But in the meantime, while all this was going there was another scene that was unfolding and that was that though Peter and another disciple had been following Jesus and this band of men, when they came up to the high priest’s courtyard only the other disciple was allowed inside.

Now though the identity of the other disciple has been subject of considerable speculation, and is thought by most to be John. We do know that the other disciple was also known as the “beloved disciple” that we will come across in John 20. Another observation is that this disciple is often found with Peter, as was the case here, in the gospel of John.

The argument against this “other” disciple being John, the son of Zebedee, is that that the disciples were not educated and not highly connected enough in the Jerusalem society to be at such an event.

However, John’s family seems to have had significant wealth as they owned a very lucrative fishing business, as well as having hired servants. Matthew 20:20-28 states that John and James had a concern about personal prestige. So it is reasonable that the Zebedee’s had connections in Jerusalem at high levels. And Salome, the mother of John was a sister of Mary, Jesus mother, making her a cousin of Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, so she had a connection also with the priestly caste in Jerusalem. Which would explain John’s connections with the high priest and his ability to not only be allowed to enter the courtyard but also his influence in getting the slave girl on duty to allow Peter’s entrance.

Apparently as the girl opened the gate for Peter to enter, she asked him, “You are not one of His disciples, are you? Peter replied, “I am not.” This is the first of the three denials that Jesus warned Peter about. And though Peter was indeed a man of faith, his fear instilled by the lowest ranking servant became greater than his devotion to Jesus.

And because it was cold, and the servants and officials were standing around a fire to keep warm, it appears Peter thought he could squeeze in unnoticed. But as verse 25 tells us, as Peter was standing there warming himself, he was again asked, “You are not one of His disciples, are you?” And for the second time, Peter said, “I am not.”

Immediately, of the high priests servants, a relative of Malchus, the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged Peter, by saying, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the olive grove? Yet, again, for the third time, Peter we are told not only denied Christ but, he also cursed Christ and swore that he was not one of Jesus disciples and at that moment a rooster began to crow, just as Jesus had predicted. And Luke 22:62 tells us that at this, Peter went outside and wept bitterly.

The question is, what happened to Peter between the garden and the courtyard? How had Peter, risen to such heights of courage claiming before Jesus and the other disciples that, “Even if all the others fell away, he would not.” Peter insisted that, even if he had to die with Jesus, he would never disown Him,” while all the others claimed the same.

What about Peter’s bravery and boldness, though misdirected, in cutting off the ear of Malchus one of the soldiers who had come to arrest Jesus, only to fold here in the courtyard and react like a coward!

Imagine standing outside while Jesus, your Lord and Master, is inside being questioned or interrogated. Imagine if you will, watching this man that you love and whom you have come to believe is the long awaited Messiah, but He is being mistreated by being bruised and beaten.

Terri Hamman

Faith & Fitness Coach