NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 47
John 18:4
1808
Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of
Roman soldiers and Temple guards to ac
company him. Now with blazing torches,
lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the
olive grove.
4Jesus fully realized all that was going to
happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet
them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.
5“Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.
“I A M he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed
him, was standing with them.) 6As Jesus
said “I A M he,” they all drew back and fell
to the ground! 7Once more he asked them,
“Who are you looking for?”
And again they replied, “Jesus the Naza
rene.”
8“I told you that I A M he,” Jesus said. “And
since I am the one you want, let these others
go.” 9He did this to fulfill his own statement:
“I did not lose a single one of those you have
given me.”
10Then Simon Peter drew a sword and
slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the
high priest’s slave. 11But Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I
not drink from the cup of suffering the Fa
ther has given me?”
12So the soldiers, their commanding offi
cer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus
and tied him up.
18:4
John 6:64
18:9
John 6:39; 17:12
Peter’s First Denial of Jesus
18:14
John 11:49-51
John 18:15-18 // Matt 26:69-70 // Mark 14:66-68 //
Luke 22:54-57
18:10
Luke 22:36, 38
18:11
Matt 20:22; 26:39
Mark 10:38; 14:36
Luke 22:42
18:12-15
//Matt 26:57-58
//Mark 14:53-54
//Luke 22:54
18:13
Luke 3:2
John 18:24
13First
they took him to Annas, since he was
the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest
at that time. 14Caiaphas was the one who had
Annas and Caiaphas (18:13-14, 19-24, 28)
John 11:49-53
Matt 26:3, 57-67
Mark 14:53-65
Luke 3:2
Acts 4:5-7
Annas and Caiaphas were both spoken of as high priests during the time of Jesus; they were
instrumental in getting Jesus condemned to death.
Annas was the Jewish high priest about AD 6–15. Even after he was officially deposed by
the Roman procurator of Judea, he retained considerable power and influence in the Jewish
high council and was still spoken of as “high priest” fifteen to twenty years later (Luke 3:2;
Acts 4:6)—perhaps because of the Jewish view that high priests retain their position for life.
Five of his sons and his son-in-law Caiaphas became high priests after him. According to the
Gospel of John, when Jesus was arrested, he was brought to Annas for his initial interrogation
before he was turned over to Caiaphas for the official trial (18:13-24).
Caiaphas was the official Jewish high priest about AD 18–36. He worked closely with his
powerful father-in-law, Annas. Caiaphas was the one who argued in the high council that it
would be better for Jesus to be sacrificed than for the entire nation to be destroyed (11:49-50;
cp. Matt 26:3-4). These prophetic words were given him by God because of his role as high
priest (11:51-52). It was Caiaphas who tore his robes at Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God (Matt
26:57, 65) and urged the high council to condemn him for blasphemy.
Not long after the execution of Jesus, the Jewish authorities became increasingly disturbed
over the rapidly growing numbers of believers in Christ. Annas and Caiaphas also actively involved themselves in the interrogation of Peter and John over their healing a crippled beggar
and their preaching about the resurrection of the dead (Acts 4:5-7).
the arrest, the Roman detachment
stood by to prevent a riot. The Roman
detachment was large enough to warrant a commander (18:12) and came
armed, anticipating a struggle (18:10).
Numerous men had claimed to be the
Messiah, and often they had made
politically explosive attempts to expel
the Romans.
18:5 Jesus the Nazarene: Or Jesus
of Nazareth; also in 18:7. I AM he
(or “The ‘I AM’ is here”; or “I am the
LORD”; literally I am; also in 18:6, 8):
Jesus identified himself by the divine
name God had revealed to Moses on
Mount Sinai (Exod 3:14; see also 4:26;
8:24, 58).
18:6 The soldiers and guards all drew
back before the Lord (cp. Isa 6:5; Ezek
1:28; Dan 10:9; Acts 9:4; Rev 1:17). Even
Roman soldiers, who were trained not
to fall, fell to the ground before Christ.
Although they submitted to God, they
didn’t really understand what had occurred and proceeded with the arrest.
18:8 I AM: Jesus used God’s divine name
for the second time (see note on 18:5).
18:9 his own statement: See 6:39;
17:12. I did not lose a single one: Jesus
continued to be a good shepherd, offering his life for the sheep and protecting
them from the wolves (10:11-15). From
the beginning, however, Judas Iscariot
had not been a true disciple of Jesus
(17:12).
18:10-11 Simon Peter drew a short
sword or a long knife that was generally
worn with everyday garments. The
Hebrew name Malchus means “king,” a
detail that John might have included for
its wordplay on Jesus’ true identity (see
18:36-37; 19:19). Put your sword back:
Jesus’ mission was not to fight for his
life, but to die for ours.
18:12-14 Jesus was bound by the soldiers and returned to Jerusalem. First
they took him to Annas, who had been
the high priest and remained highly influential (five of his sons also became
high priests). Caiaphas, his son-in-law,
was the official high priest at that time
(literally that year; see 18:24).
18:14 one man should die for the
people: Caiaphas had previously made
this political analysis (11:49-50). John
points out the irony of this statement. Jesus’ death did not bring Israel
political salvation—it brought spiritual
salvation to all who believe.
