The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus The events in this study are thought to have occurred immediately following the preceding chapter where Jesus delivered what is often referred to as "The Great Intercessory Prayer." This Chapter, the "Arrest of Jesus" demonstrates Jesus' complete control over the His trial, sentence, and crucifixion. Nothing happens to Him by accident or outside of His control. He could have stopped the process at any moment. He is not so much the victim as the orchestrator of events.
Verse 1: "When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered." The Kidron Valley they crossed refers to a stream bed which flows only in the rainy season so crossing it in April would have not involved getting wet. The site is still identifiable. The garden referred to is identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as "The Garden of Gethsemane," thought to be located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. arrest of Jesus
Verse 2-3: "Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns,and torches and weapons." These officers from the Chief Priest and Pharisees making the arrest of Jesus were most likely temple guards who had authority under the Jewish leaders to make arrests. The Roman soldiers did not make the arrest but simply accompanied the temple guard for added security.
Verse 4-5: "Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" 5They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them." Jesus fully realized all that would happen to Him and evidently stepped forward, and being the first to speak, asked who they were looking for. upon their answer, "Jesus of Nazareth," He stated "I am He."
Verse 6: "When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground." By saying "I am He" Jesus might seem to simply be acknowledging that He is the Jesus from Nazareth they were looking for, however this scripture has instead been identified as one of the great "I AM" statements whereby Jesus identifies Himself as deity, (God,) "God the Son." This explains how his words could have such an impact on the troops, the mighty Roman Soldiers and the highly trained temple guards who fell to the ground from the mighty power unleashed by His words.
Verse 7-8: "So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go." Jesus tells them that He is the one they are looking for and to let the others go. Even at this point Jesus is protecting His own, giving himself up on their behalf.
Verse 9: "This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one." Again, as in John 17:12. Jesus states that none of those the Father had given, or entrusted Him with, were lost, except for Judas Iscariot.
Verse 10: "Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?" Here John gives an eyewitness account of Peter impulsively cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant. This servant would have been a powerful person with much authority. We also see the love, mercy, and healing power of Jesus. Jesus was in complete control and did not allow anything to interfere with "the cup" of suffering which He was about to undergo in carrying out the mission assigned to Him by the Father.
Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas
Verse 12: "So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him." The Greek translation for the word "captain" as used here, literally means "one in charge of a thousand men." There is no mention of Jesus being bound in the synoptic, (other Gospels). Again, Jesus being in complete control of the events, allowed Himself to be bound and led as a sheep to the slaughter.
Verse 13-14: "First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. They took Jesus to Annas first although he was not the high priest. Annas was Caiaphas' the present high priest's, father in law, and had been the previous high priest until being removed by the Roman government. The office of high priesthood was the most powerful office in Jewish Palestine until the Roman period. Most bible scholars believe that although Caiaphas was high priest that year, Annas had more power and influence, thus the reason for taking Jesus to him first. Arrest of Jesus According to Jewish law no single individual could act as judge in a capital case. This law did not stop Annas from privately interrogating Jesus.
Verse 14: "It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people." Earlier, in chapter 11, Caiaphas made the following statement: "Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish"(John 11:50).
Peter Denies Jesus Verse 15: "Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest," The 'other disciple' has traditionally been identified as John, the writer of this Gospel, 'John" repeatedly refers to himself in the third person throughout this Gospel. John being acquainted with the high priest may have hoped to have some influence on Jesus' behalf.
Verse 16-17: "but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not. Verse 18:"Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself." So Peter blatantly denies being a disciple of Jesus. Strange as it seems, later teaching shows that under special circumstances Jewish people were permitted to deny their Jewish-ness, especially if it would save their lives; however, direct denial as committed by Peter, rather than a denial of being Jewish was in all actually a denial of God, which was considered shameful. Arrest of Jesus
The High Priest Questions Jesus Verse 19: "The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. This was a violation of the Jewish law for the accused to be interrogated, lest he incriminate himself. Guilt must be established by witnesses.
Verses 20-21: "Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said." It was a Jewish tradition that one must teach the law openly, in contrast to false prophets, who taught in secret. Jesus had not taught in secret and invited His accusers to ask others what He had said.
Verse 22: "When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" 23Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?" The Jews again violated their own law by striking Jesus. This is an indication of how abusive and uninterested in any form of legality Annas was; his interest was political, not legal. The Arrest of Jesus
Verse 24: "Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest." This trial was probably not strictly legal because it was held at night; such proceedings which involved the death penalty were not permitted to be conducted on a single day. As you will notice no details of Jesus’s trial before Caiaphas are given in John's Gospel.
Peter Denies Jesus Again Verse 25: "Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." This is Peter's second denial of being a disciple of Jesus.
Verse 26: "One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" 27Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed." The third person to challenge Peter was a relative of Malchus, whose ear he had cut off. The other Gospels do not mention this. John, on the other hand, doesn't mention the oaths and cursing by Peter, followed by bitter tears.
Jesus Before Pilate Verse 28: "Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover." John's account of Jesus before Pilate is more detailed than in the other gospels. The first episode (questions) occurred outside the praetorium (the governors residence). So "it was early morning", but it was customary for the Roman officials to begin meeting the public at daybreak. Although defiled in their hearts enough to plot to kill Jesus, by remaining outside the praetorium the Jews avoided ritual uncleanness, allowing them to eat the Passover. As you remember, Jesus and the disciples had already eaten the Passover, and these Jews would eat the following day. To some this might seem to be a discrepancy; however there are several possible explanations, one being that several Jewish groups had different calendars and did not celebrate Passover on the same day. As a matter of interest, the Praetorium here was Herod the Great's old palace.
Verses 29-30: "So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" 30They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." Before Pilate would be required to hear the case an official charge would be necessary, hence the reason for Pilate's question of "What accusation do you bring against this man?")
Verse 31-32: "Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die." It was not lawful for the Jews to put anyone to death without first obtaining the governor's sanction. And to fulfill prophecy it was necessary for Jesus to be crucified. If the Jews had been allowed to carry out the death penalty He would have been stoned.
My Kingdom Is Not of This World Over the next few verses Pilate follows a procedure known as 'cogitio,' an inquiry to determine what really happened. It would be his responsibility to make the final decision and he would answer to no one for it except for Rome.
Verse 33: "So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" This second set of questions between Pilate and Jesus took place inside the palace (praetorian).
Verses 34-36: "Pilate answered, " 34Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me? Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? Pilate's main concern was whether or not Jesus was intending to lead a rebellion or to set up a government of His own.
36Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
The notion of kingship was probably in the Sanhedrin's charge implicating treason by Jesus against the emperor, along with a possible revolt.
Verse 37: "Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Again, Pilates's concern was political, and not based upon religious beliefs. He wanted to know for sure that Jesus would not cause him a problem that might cost him his career. Jesus answer made it clear that his kingdom was a spiritual kingdom of another place, literally, 'not from here.
Verse 38: "Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him. Pilate seemed surprised that Jesus would use the word "truth," In the Jewish tradition truth was God's covenant integrity. This would be an abstract and impractical concept to the Greeks. Like many in our world today, to Pilate it was a matter of what is expedient, and any means to an end.
Verse39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" When asking whom to release, Pilate purposely used the title king, no doubt to show his contempt for the Jews.
Verse 40: "They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber." The word Barabbas literally means 'robber.' Barabbas was probably a hero among the Jews but considered a terrorist by Pilate.
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