John Chapter 18
Agony in the Garden;
The Arrest; Peter’s First Denial
18:1 When Jesus finished, he went out with his disciples past the wadi Kidron to an orchard 2 Judas knew about, because Jesus often went there with his disciples. 3 Judas had received a cohort as well as officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus knew what was coming and went out to meet them, “Who are you looking for?”
5 “Jesus the Nazarene.”
“I’m Jesus.” (Judas was standing with them.) 6 When he said, “I’m Jesus,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 He asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”
“Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 “I told you I’m Jesus. If you’re looking for me, let these go” ( 9 like he’d said, “I haven’t lost any you gave me.”).
Jn 18:1-9
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. His name was Malchus.
11 Jesus said, “Put your sword back in its sheath. Am I not going to drink the cup the Father gave me to drink?”
12 Then the cohort, the tribune, and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 They led him to Annas first because he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 He’s the Caiaphas who counseled the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die for the people.
15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That disciple was acquainted with the high priest and went in with Jesus to the courtyard. 16 Peter stood outside at the gate. The other disciple went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
17 The gatekeeper, a servant woman, saidp to Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”
“No.”
18 Servants and officers were standing there. They’d built a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were warming themselves. Peter was standing with them, warming himself.
Jn 18:10-18
The Trial Before Annas
19 The high priest asked Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 He answered, “I spoke openly to the world and taught constantly in synagogue and in the Temple, where the Jews all gather. I haven’t done anything secretly. 21 Why ask me? Ask the ones that heard me. They know what I said.”
22 One of the officers standing by slapped him, “Do you answer the high priest that way?”
23 “If I said something wrong, what was it? If I didn’t, what are you hitting me for?”
24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Jn 18:19-24
Peter’s Final Denials
25 While Simon Peter was standing there, warming himself, the officers said, “You’re not one of his disciples too, are you?”
“No.”
26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, saidp, “I saw you in the orchard with him, didn’t I?”
27 Peter denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed.
Jn 18:25-27
The Trials Before Pilate
28 They ledp Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was early. They didn’t go into the Praetorium themselves. They didn’t want to defile themselves and not be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
30 “If he wasn’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have delivered him to you.”
31 Pilate said, “You take him and judge him by your Law.”
“It’s illegal for us to execute anybody” (32 fulfilling Jesus’ statement about how he would die).
33 Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34 “Are you asking that yourself, or have other people prompted you?”
35 “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have you done?”
36 “My ‘kingdom’ is not an earthly kingdom. If it was, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being delivered to the Jews.”
37 “So you’re a ‘king’ then?”
“Yes, I’m a ‘king.’ That’s why I was born—why I came into the world—to speak about truth. Everybody that’s committed to truth listens to me.”
38 Pilate saidp, “What’s truth?”
When he said that, he went out to the Jews, “He’s not guilty of anything. 39 You have a custom that I release a prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the King of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted again, “Not him! Barabbas!” (an insurgent).
Jn 18:28-40