John 18

Chap. XVIII. Ver. 1-18. Jesus betrayed, and carried be shall we not drink it from our Father’s, and especially from our Saviour’s hand, who drank for us that cup of wrath which our sins had merited? We may pray submissively to have the cup removed, but it is base ingratitude to refuse it. Peter, it should seem, now put away his sword for ever, and followed his Master in disguise, as though he had been a stranger, with another disciple, who being known at the palace, procured admission; but Peter stood without till that other disciple (supposed to be John himself) interceded for his admission with the woman who kept the door, and who, upon his admission, directly challenged him with being a disciple; but Peter promptly denied this, and, no farther notice being taken for the present, he stood and warmed himself with the servants, at a fire which they had kindled for the occasion.

It is mentioned that the officers first took Jesus to Annas, who had been previously High Priest, and perhaps still acted occasionally in that office for his son-in-law, on whom the office had been since conferred: but Annas seems to have taken no cognizance of the affair, but sent him immediately to Caiaphas, from whom he had the first hearing. In our next section we see Jesus arraigned before a time-serving Jewish priest. Ver. 19—28. Jesus examined before Caiaphas.—Of this previous examination the only account is here given by the Evangelist John, and this merely states that he was questioned, by the High Priest, of his disciples and his doctrine; in answer to which he appealed to those who had heard him, denying that he had any secret doctrines, (as the Greek philosophers were known to do,) or formed any private faction.

But speaking, as the Messiah, with more freedom than the under officers of the Court thought becoming the rank of their master, one of them presumed to strike our Saviour, with this reproof—‘Answerest thou the High Priest so?’ The reply of our Lord may, perhaps, be thus paraphrased:—‘If now, or on any other occasion, I have spoken what is contrary to the law, bear witness against me, (as I just now said;) but if not, why strikest thou me uncondemned?’ (See (Acts 16:37).) Here John closes this part of his narrative; probably because the other evangelists had related the process of our Lord’s trial before the Sanhedrin, which immediately followed. But Peter is here again brought before us, and we see the danger of running uncalled into the way of temptation.

Had Peter boldly come forward as a witness to justify his Master, he might probably have died for him, as he proposed; ((John 13:37);) and he would have anticipated Stephen in the honour of being the first Christian martyr; but for this he disqualified himself by his rash attack on Malchus. Had he then stayed without, and waited the issue of his Master’s trial, he might have avoided the temptation to deny him, which he was not able to resist, and saved himself from many bitter tears. Ver. 29—40. Jesus examined by Pilate, the Roman governor.—Here the first circumstance which strikes us is the hypocrisy of the priests and other members of the Sanhedrin, who, though (in a body, as it should seem) they led Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate, dared not enter into the Roman hall of judgment, lest they should be defiled by mixing with the Gentiles.

They were not alarmed at the guilt of shedding innocent blood, but they were afraid of entering the house of a Gentile, lest they should be polluted during all the feast. And even here, it is to be remarked, they were not afraid lest they should be incapacitated from offering sacrifices to God; but lest they should be prevented from eating that part of the sacrifices to which they were entitled, which was considerable. (See (Numbers 28:19-24).) Pilate so accommodated himself to their wishes, that he came out to the door of the hall, probably, to hear what they had to say. At this, however, they seem to take offence; for they wish him to take it for granted, that the prisoner was guilty of a capital offence, or they would not have brought him; and therefore, had thought it not necessary (or at least prudent) to bring him any account of their proceedings.

On this, Pilate tells them to take him back “again, and judge him according to their own law, as he did not wish to interfere. They are now obliged to confess that they wanted not his judgment on the case, but merely that he would order the execution, which they were not allowed to do. Upon this, Pilate went back into the hall, and called Jesus to him, (under custody, doubtless, of their officers,) and began himself to question him. It is evident that the only charge they had brought against him was, that he made himself “King of the Jews?” and upon this, therefore, he examines him—“Art thou the King of the Jews?’ Jesus, wishing to draw from him the fact, that the Jews had reported this, in reply asked, ‘Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?’—Pilate rejoins, “Am I a Jew?

Thine own nation (the Jews) and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me under that charge: confess what thou hast done to occasion it.” Jesus now takes an opportunity to explain the nature of his kingdom, which he does in such a manner as disarms the jealousy of the Roman governor: ‘My kingdom is not of this world,” &c., as if he had said, ‘I interfere not with your authority, neither am I an enemy to Cesar. I assume no worldly state nor riches: my throne is on high, and surrounded with celestial guards. Were I indeed about to institute a temporal kingdom, these would fight for me, and even Roman legions would vainly oppose celestial hosts. But mine is a kingdom of truth, and righteousness, and peace; and I came from heaven to proclaim this truth on earth, and to prepare the world for its es- Pilate understood enough of this discourse to perceive that Jesus interfered not with his authority, nor with the prerogatives of his royal master.

He asks, indeed, “What is truth?” but recollecting he had nothing to do with truth, instead of waiting for an answer, he goes back to the Jewish priests, who were waiting still without, and frankly tells them, “I find no fault in him; but as you have a custom that I should release to you a prisoner at the Passover, will you that I release unto you the King of the Jews, as you call him?’ This, however, only made them more clamorous—‘Not this man, but Barabbas’—a man convicted both of sedition and murder. To silence their importunity and violence, having heard that Jesus had chiefly preached and wrought his miracles in Galilee, he hopes to get rid of the business by sending him to Herod, whose curiosity Jesus refusing to gratify, he sends him back again to Pilate, without any judgment on the case.

Pilate again calls together the chief priests and rulers, and tells them that neither he nor Herod had found him guilty of any capital offence; he proposes, therefore, to scourge him, and let him go.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 13. That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.—Campbell, “That their joy in me may be complete,” or fulfilled. Ver. 15. From the evil—viz. the evil that is in the world. Ver. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth.—Some ancient MSS. and versions read, “the truth;” and Mill and other critics reject the pronoun as un- Ver. 24. Father, I will.—Campbell “I would.” So Beza, Witsius, &c., and compare (Mark 6:25); x. 35. Doddridge includes both senses—“I importunately ask, and in consequence of the mutual transactions between us, am bold to claim.” It is a petition founded on a previous engagement.

Chap. XVIII. Ver. 1. The brook Cedron.—Kedron, or Kidron, is a rivulet running between Jerusalem and mount Olivet, which empties itself into the Dead sea.

It is a narrow stream, with little water, except in the rainy season, when it carried off all the filth of the city and open one into the Dead sea. The name signifies dark or black, and it was so called, as some suppose, from the darkness of the narrow valley through which it runs; but others think, from the blackness of its waters. Ver. 3. A band of men.—Campbell, “The Cohort,” a Roman troop of about 500 men, to guard against a rescue. Ver. 4. The Lord not only knew in general, says Dr. Doddridge, that he should suffer some great evil, and even death itself, but was acquainted also with all the particular circumstances of ignominy and horror that should attend his sufferings: which, accordingly, he largely foretold, (see (Matthew 20:18-19),) though many of these circumstances were as contingent as can well be imagined. It is impossible to enter aright into the heroic behaviour of our Lord Jesus Christ, without carrying this circumstance along with us. ‘The critics are in raptures at the gallantry of Achilles in going to the Trojan war, when he knew, according to Homer, that he should fall there: but he must have a very low way of thinking, who does not see infinitely more fortitude in our Lord’s conduct on this great occasion, when this circumstance, so judiciously, though so modestly suggested by St. John, is duly attended to.’—B. Ver. 5. Judas stood with them.—Judas was probably aware of Peter’s rashness, and thought it safest to shelter himself among the officers.

Ver. 6. They went backward.—(Doubtless by the interposition of Divine power; and it was thus shown that Jesus voluntarily resigned himself into their hands.—Bagster.) Ver. 9. Have I lost none.—This shows that Judas was not one whom the Father had really given to Christ. See note on ch. xvii. 12. Ver. 11. Put up thy sword.—See Mal. xxvi. 52, 53.—The cup.—See note on (Matthew 26:39). Ver. 12. The captain.—The Greek (Chiliarchos) is properly the commander of 2000 men, and answers to our term colonel. The Romans called them Military Tribunes. Ver. 13. And led him away to Annas first.—In the margin of our larger Bibles, ver. 24 is here introduced, which seems to be its natural place, with the only of “had.”

• And Annas sent Christ bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. Ver. 15. The palace—(Greek, aulen,) which means an open court or hall; we see the late Mr. Taylor understood of a part of the temple appropriated to his use. Ver. 16. Her that kept the door.—Among the ancients, (and probably the Jews,) women were often employed as door-keepers.—Orient. Lit. No 1372. Ver. 18. A fire of coals.—Not pit-coal, we suppose, but wood or charcoal. Campbell reads, “Now the servants and officers stood near a fire which they had made, because it was cold,” &c. The nights at this season were often very cold, though the days were hot.—Harmer. Ver. 20. I spake openly.—The Gemara of the Talmud mentions proclamation being made by a public crier for any one who could witness the innocence of a prisoner to come forward, before punishment was executed, and that this was done forty days before the death of Jesus; but we know this to be false.

Ver. 22. Struck Jesus with the palm of his hand.—Some explain this word (rapisma) of a blow with a staff or stick; so Beza; but Doddridge says, “the word is used apparently for any blow.” So Campbell. Ver. 24. Now Annas.—Annas was dismissed from being high priest, A. D. 23 after filling that office for fifteen years, (Josephus, Ant. 1. xviii. c. 2;) but being a person of distinguished character, and having had no less than five sons who had successively enjoyed the dignity of the high priesthood, and the present high priest Caiaphas being his son-in-law, he must have possessed much authority in the nation. It was at the palace of Caiaphas where the chief priests, elders, and scribes, were assembled the whole of the night to see the issue of their stratagem.—Bagster. Ver. 26. Being his kinsman—i.e. the kinsman of Malchus. See ver. 10. Ver. 28. The hall of judgment.—Campbell, “The Pretorium.”—Lest they should be defiled; but that, &c.—Doddridge, “Lest they should be polluted, and prevented from eating the Passover;” i.e. the sacrifices which followed the paschal supper, during the feast of unleavened bread. Ver. 30. If he were not a malefactor, &c.—These words import, 1, If the crime he is charged with were not capital, we should have punished him ourselves, and not have come to you. 2. If he were not guilty, we should not have accused him.”—Lardner’s Credibility. Ver. 31. It is not lawful for us to put any man to death—That is, a criminal we cannot punish according to his deserts.

“It is not one of the lesser faults, for which we are wont to set men, or to cast out of the synagogue; but he is guilty of blasphemy, which by our law is punishable with death. And since we cannot be permitted to punish any man capitally, we have brought him to your tribunal, where alone we can have satisfaction.”—Lardner’s Credibility.