John 18:12-18
Notes
Transcript
Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
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.
They surrounded Jesus. Notice these Old Testament verses that highlight this:
Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
Lamentations
The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath,
was caught in their traps.
We thought that under his shadow
we would live among the nations.
The Roman custom was to pull the arms behind the back and binding them with rope or placing them in irons.
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him;
the cords of his sin hold him fast.
“My sins have been bound into a yoke;
by his hands they were woven together.
They have come upon my neck
and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has handed me over
to those I cannot withstand.
Psalm
They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,
Isaiah 5
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
This appears to be the reaction after Peter’s attack.
Some have called this
Taking Jesus to Annas is only recorded in John’s gospel. Some have called this an examination preliminary.
Although Caiaphas was the high priest, they took Jesus first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas.
We know from that John the Baptist’s ministry began during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. The Romans appointed and replaced the high priests, but the Jews saw the high priests as a life office.
Annas was considered to be high priest long after he technically was not.
John reminds his readers of that Caiaphas had previously stated:
John 11:
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
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,
So, who was “another disciple” that is mentioned here? John gives many other references in this book using the phrase “other disciple.”
Many believe it was John, the author of this gospel.
Why did the high priest let the other disciple in and not let in Peter?
There are a few theories. One suggests that John was born into the royal priesthood and this was indicated on his garments. Another theory suggests that this could not be true because we know that John was a fisherman. He was the son of Zebedee. In , we see that Zebedee was wealthy enough to have hired hands on his boat.
Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
This indicates that Zebedee had a fishing business. Salted fish was a high market commodity. The house of the high priest was believed at one time to belong to Zebedee which was used as a “branch office” of his fishing business.
Therefore, when the “other disciple” came up with Jesus, he knew his way around and if the household had purchased any fish, he would have delivered it and known the servants.
This idea flows into the next verse:
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.
The “other disciple” was so well known, that he could speak to the servant girl on behalf of Peter to get him inside the courtyard.
“You are not one of his disciples, are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter.
He replied, “I am not.”
There is an obvious connection being made here. Could it be that the other disciple was so known that the girl recognized him as one of the disciples, so she is really asking Peter, “Are you one also?”
There is so much to consider here:
Does who you hang out with reveal your belief system?
Are you known by who you associate with?
What makes Peter say, “I am not”?
This is the first of 3 denials. Maybe he was feeling guilt about attacking earlier with his sword. Maybe he was afraid. What do you think?
Notice how fast he was to deny.
Pretty selfish wasn’t he?
He could have shown boldness and said yes. He could have said nothing and remained silent, like a serpent.
But he says, “I am not.”
What implications are there here for us?
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.
Why do you think John gives us this detail?
You drink wine by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Look who was in the middle, making himself “one of them” instead of one of the disciples.
He stood with them and warmed himself with them. One is not very wise in warming himself with those whom we are in danger of being burned by!
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.