Lesson 7 - John 18:4-5, 19-23, 33-37 - THE ARREST AND INTEROGATION OF JESUS
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in John 17:12-26, we heard Jesus deliver the final section of His High Priestly Prayer to His eleven apostles. This section not only concerned God's protection of the apostles whom Jesus would soon be leaving behind, but also the believers who would follow in the apostles' footsteps and continue their mission to a lost world. Jesus wanted them to remain true to God and their mission while at the same time interacting in the ordinary aspects of human life. Every Christian throughout history came to faith either directly or indirectly through these apostles and those who followed them down through the ages. Since we, like the apostles, are 'in the world but not of the world,' we should relate to the world as Jesus did, but at the same time be distinct from it by living sanctified lives that present a Christ-like image. We also learned that unity based on a shared life in Christ is the major source for our witness to the world. Jesus wanted the unity among believers to be so great and so clear that by seeing it, the world would believe His message.
This week, in John 18:4-5, 19-23, 33-38, we will cover Jesus' arrest in the garden of Gethsemane and His subsequent interrogation by the Jewish religious authorities. Since this section is very lengthy section (40 verses), we will skip some of the details and focus on the main points.
Note: Verses 1-3 report than Jesus was arrested in the garden by a unit of Roman soldiers and officers sent by the Jewish temple police.
Read John 18:4-5 - JESUS: WHOM DO YOU SEEK?
4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, "Whom do you seek?" 5 They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He *said to them, "I am He." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
v. 4:"So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, "Whom do you seek?" - Jesus 'hour' has finally come (17:1), and He's completely prepared for it. John notes that when the soldiers and police approached Jesus, He was fully aware of their intentions. John's gospel emphasizes that Jesus is in complete control of His destiny. Notice that He makes no attempt to evade arrest, but instead takes the lead by asking, "Whom do you seek?" The synoptic gospels mention that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss (Matt. 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47), but John omits it. John's point here is that Jesus is the one in control of these events.
v. 5a: "They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He *said to them, "I am He." - Jesus answered them with the 'I am' (Gk. ego eimi) statement that can be understood in two ways: (1) it could simply be a way for Jesus to confirm that He's the person they are seeking or (2) it meant that He was identifying Himself as God in the flesh as He has done on seven previous occasions in this gospel.
v. 5b: "And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them." - All the gospels brand Judas Iscariot as Jesus' betrayer, and John's gospel also portrays him as a thief (12:6).
Skipped vv. 6-18: The text reports that Jesus went peaceably and told them to dismiss the soldiers. Peter, standing nearby, drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's slave and Jesus rebuked him. The soldiers took Jesus to Annas, the elder of the two high priests. Peter, following behind the soldiers, denies being one of Jesus disciples not once but twice in a row.
Note: There are two "high priests" in this story: Annas, the official high priest appointed for life, who was deposed by the Roman Prefect of Judea in 15 A.D. to be replaced by his son-in-law Caiaphas, who functioned as the sitting high priest at the time of this writing. Significantly, as reported in v. 14, in an earlier incident, Caiaphas told the Sanhedrin that it would be more practical for "one man"-i.e., Jesus Christ-"to die for the people," by which he meant it would be better to execute Him rather than run the risk of having the Roman authorities intervene to put down any civil unrest, in which case the province of Judea might risk losing most of if not all of its local autonomy.
Read John 18:19-23 - JESUS BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. 21 Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said." 22 When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?" 24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
v. 19: "The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching." - This was Annas, the unofficial high priest who privately conducted this initial, informal inquiry. He most likely asked Jesus about "His disciples" to determine the size of his following, insofar as one of the religious leaders' chief concerns was the potential threat arising from Jesus' popularity. Annas' interest in "His teaching" undoubtedly revolved around who Jesus claimed to be. Both subjects were significant because many religious Jews suspected Jesus of being a political insurrectionist. Because this is informal, Annas is not bound by Jewish law requiring two or more witnesses to establish a fact.
v. 20: "Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. - Jesus answers the interrogation by stating that He has taught "openly" (in places like synagogues and the Temple), not secretly, so that His teachings are public knowledge. Since this was the case, this questioning is, in truth, an unnecessary farce. In any event, the Jewish religious officials should have established the essential facts of the case before they arrested Jesus-i.e., prima facie evidence.
v. 21: "Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said." - Given the protections afforded under Jewish law and the requirement that conviction of crimes must be based on the testimony of two or more qualified witnesses, this interrogation is either illegal or questionable at best. Under applicable law, the Sanhedrin (like a Grand Jury), should be gathering testimony from witnesses rather than questioning Jesus directly. In this verse, Jesus invites Annas to conclude the interrogation and call witnesses, i.e., "those who have heard what I spoke," in accordance with accepted law. By this time, thousands of people had heard Jesus speak during His public ministry.
v. 22: When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?" - If Jesus had actually spoken to Annas disrespectfully, He could have been charged with violating the prohibition against cursing a leader (Ex. 22:28), but he did no such thing. He is guilty only of refusing to be provoked or intimidated. The "officer" who struck Him was probably a member of the Temple Police. Today we would classify this as 'police brutality.'
v. 23: "Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?" - Once again, Jesus refuses to be provoked but responds with self-control and logic to demonstrate the injustice of the officer's actions. The proper procedure under the law would be to call two corroborating witnesses who would "testify of the wrong." The question "why do you strike me?" invites the Temple Policeman to explain his unwarranted actions. The irony here is that Jesus was struck for telling the truth.
v. 24: "So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest." - At this juncture, Annas has apparently determined that he's not going to get anywhere with further questioning of Jesus, so he sends Him "bound" (tied up?) to Caiaphas, the sitting high priest, where Jesus will appear before the entire Sanhedrin. From v. 14, we know that Caiaphas has already made up mind-that Jesus should convicted and sentenced to death. We should note that at this point in history, in a province under Roman rule, like Judea, punishment for capital crimes could only by carried out by the Roman authorities.
Note on Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin: The synoptic gospels give fairly detailed accounts of Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin (Matt. 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-71), but this gospel gives only brief mention of Jesus' appearance before Annas and Caiaphas as reported above in vv. 19-24. In the synoptics, after Jesus truthfully answered that He was the Son of God, the Sanhedrin convicted Him of being an evildoer and forwarded His case to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, to seek the penalty of capital punishment, death by crucifixion.
Skipped vv. 24-27: Peter, while standing around a fire warming himself outside the court of the high priest, when asked by slave if he was one of the men in the garden with Jesus, denied Christ for the third time..."and immediately a rooster crowed. Commentators say this was where the real trial was taking place: In his trial before Pilate, Jesus was moving inescapably moving toward His glorification, but in the trial around the fire, Peter and the church were being tried and found deficient.
Skipped vv. 28-32: After Jesus conviction, the temple police and entire Sanhedrin took Jesus to the Praetorium before Pilate in order to seek capital punishment, and reluctantly, Pilate told them to judge him according to their laws and pronounce sentence. When Pilate asked what crime Jesus had committed, the Sanhedrin curtly replied that He was an "evildoer" (v. 30). And they reminded Pilate that only he could order a death sentence. When Pilate, honoring their Passover custom, offered to release Jesus, they said no, and asked him to release Barabbas, a convicted murderer, instead.
Read John 18:33-37 - JESUS BEFORE PILATE
33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 38 Pilate *said to Him, "What is truth?"
v. 33: "Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus" - The "Praetorium" was the Roman governor's residence, where Pilate resided, located on the western wall of Jerusalem opposite the Temple precincts. The Jewish leaders took Jesus to Pilate for questioning but didn't enter the building to avoid ritual defilement during the Passover. Pilate went outside to ask them what charge they were making against Jesus, then summoned that Jesus be brought to him for questioning and went back inside.
v. 33b: "and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" - Pilate only had one pressing concern: Did Jesus of Nazareth really pose a threat to the civil authority of Rome in Judea? I mean, the offense for which the Sanhedrin sought to punish Him wasn't an uprising but that He was an 'evildoer.' He's probably asking himself how this very ordinary looking man could ever pass himself off as a king, so he asks Him directly, "are You the King of the Jews?" Pilate probably expected a negative answer.
v. 34: "Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" - Before Jesus could forthrightly answer the question, he must know the intent behind it. Was Pilate merely curious about Jesus claims or was He simply acting as a mouthpiece for Jesus' Jewish accusers? Pilate might have asked are You a rebel or the Messianic king the Jews are seeking? Jesus' question makes it clear that He understands the behind-the-scenes politics surrounding His arrest. And notice that Jesus has now become the interrogator.
v. 35: "Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" - Pilate's reply reflects that he no personal interest in Jesus' kingship and is indignant that Jesus would imply that he might be a tool of the Jewish religious leaders. By his reply, "am I a Jew?," Pilate sarcastically denies that he has any personal interest in Jesus' alleged kingship. With the question "what have you done?," Pilate, in effect, admits that he knows of no real charge against Jesus that merits punishment. He only knows what the Sanhedrin has told him.
v. 36a: "Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world." - Here, Jesus affirms that He is a king, but assures Pilate that His kingship is in no way a threat to Rome: The kingdom that Jesus seeks is not on this world but a godly (spiritual) kingdom; and this is also true of all His followers.
v. 36b: "If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is," - Jesus, with His influence over his disciples and the crowds that followed him, could have provoked a revolution, inasmuch as the Jews greatly resented the Roman occupation of their land. But the real irony here is that Jesus is not really a victim of the Jewish authorities but is obediently walking a God-directed course toward the cross of Calvary. The Father is in charge and the Son is faithfully executing the Father's will.
v. 36c: "My kingdom is not of this realm." - Jesus' kingdom doesn't have it origins in this world but in the kingdom of God. His kingdom doesn't derive its authority from the world but from God. The same is true for the church today; we seek authority not from the world, but from God in heaven.
v. 37: "Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." - Pilate evidently didn't understand the distinction Jesus was making between His kingdom and those of the world. Jesus admits that He is "a king," but explains that His kingdom is concerned with "truth," rather than swords and shields. To "testify"-bear witness to the 'truth'-is the purpose for which Jesus came into the world. The 'truth' means the truth about God, Christ Himself, the Holy Spirit, mankind, sin, and salvation. And everyone who loves the truth "hears" His voice. Of significance, Pilate did not hear Jesus' voice,
POSTSCRIPT: Verses 38-40 record Pilate whimsically saying, "What is Truth?, then go out and report to the Jewish authorities that "I find no guilt in Him." He asked again if Jesus could be released, but they refused. They wanted Him dead.
APPLICATION-Jesus has got everything under Control:
1. Jesus is Lord-in control of -every situation we face in life. Because Jesus is Lord, even over His own death, we can trust Him for our salvation and we can trust Him when we go through trials, including facing our own death. At all times we can trust that He is in control!
2. Like Peter, we at times have all failed the Lord. Our failures may not be as dramatic or as well-known as Peter's failure, but through either our words or our actions, all of us have at times have denied Christ as our Savior and Lord. Our main flaw is that we sometimes fail to understand that God's ways simply are not our ways. In addition, we fail to recognize our own weaknesses, so that we trust in ourselves, not in the Lord.
3. You can't remain neutral about Christ. This is the crucial question that every person must answer. To ignore or disregard Jesus is the same as deciding against Him. This was the coldblooded response of the Jewish leaders. It was the worst choice possible because they knew the Old Testament with its prophecies about the Messiah. They knew about Jesus and His ministry. They had seen His miracles and heard His teaching, as He spoke openly in their synagogues and in the temple (18:20). But in spite of this, they led the attack against Him. Pilate failed this test, too. If he believed Jesus really was truly innocent, he should have stood on principle and released Him.
