JOHN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 

The Betrayal
John 18:1-11

Chapter seventeen concluded what is known as the Upper Room Discourse, which began in John 13 and ended with the powerful prayer in John 17 that Jesus addressed to the Father. As we come to John chapter 18, we come to the beginning of the end: the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

This is a story, by the way, that was predicted by God and His prophets throughout the Old Testament; going as far back as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when God spoke these words to Satan, referring to his deception of Adam and Eve.

Genesis 3:14-15 (MSG):
14 God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life.
15 I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."

Here God made it clear to Satan that Satan’s days were numbered and that one day a descendant of Adam and Eve would destroy him. This is a prediction of the coming of Jesus to destroy Satan’s power in the world by conquering sin and death thousands of years before the event took place. We want you to understand this miracle of prophecy so that you can fully appreciate that God has had a plan for this world since before the beginning of time and that nothing happens in this world without God allowing it to happen.

Imagine if you would, that God sent another prophet to this world in the time in which we are living. Imagine also that the prophet began predicting events that would take place in the year 2713 and 3033, and 3256. Your first reaction might be: “No one can predict with any accuracy anything that will happen that far in the future.” We are relatively certain that is how many people reacted to the prophets in the Old Testament. But guess what? Every single prediction made in the Old Testament about the first coming of Jesus came true, and there were over one hundred of them. Do you know the statistical probability for all of over one hundred predictions to come true by mere chance? It is a statistical impossibility, which means that the predictor did not do it by chance but knew exactly what would occur in the future. Let us show you just a few more predictions to give you an appreciation for the wonder of it all:

Psalm 22:7 NAS-- written by David around one thousand years before Christ: “All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head.”
                                                                    
Matthew 27:39 NAS—the fulfillment recorded by Matthew regarding Jesus’ crucifixion: “And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads.”

Psalm 69:21 NAS-- also written about a thousand years before Christ: “They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
       
John 19:29 NAS—the fulfillment recorded by the apostle John regarding Jesus’ death: “A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.”

Isaiah 53:12 NAS-- written some seven hundred years before Christ: “Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”
                                                                      
Luke 23:34 NAS—the fulfillment written by Luke after Jesus’ death. “But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.”

Isaiah 53:12 NAS:
“Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death.”

Fulfilled in John 10:17-18 NAS:
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."

The stage was set for Jesus to come from the very beginning and God has placed Jesus at the very core of the history of mankind. Everything revolves around Jesus. Unfortunately, most people do not realize it.

There is a famous painting of the crucifixion by the well-known artist, Rembrandt van Rijn. As you look at the painting, your attention is drawn first to the dying Savior. Then, as you notice the crowd gathered around that scene at Calvary, you are impressed by the various attitudes and actions of the people involved in putting the Son of God to death. Finally, your eyes drift to the edge of the picture and catch sight of a lone figure almost hidden in the shadows. He represents the artist himself, for Rembrandt realized that his sins had helped nail Jesus to the cross![fn]
Most people think of Judas as the one betraying Christ and thereby bringing about His death. However, although Judas led the officers of the chief priests and the Roman soldiers to where they could find Jesus, the cause of His death was the sin of every human being ever born including you and me. And there was nothing that anyone could do to prevent that death because it was part of the plan of God from before the world was formed. It was the only way that anyone could be saved from the penalty for sin; that penalty being eternity in Hell. So we want you to understand the price that Jesus was willing to pay so that we all could receive forgiveness, be given salvation, and eternity in Heaven with God and Christ. Let us not forget what He had to endure to pay the penalty that each of us deserves for our sin.

Then perhaps the next time we are tempted to do something we know is sin, we will think of what He was willing to do for us. Maybe that thought would keep us from willfully doing something that would in fact show our ridicule for His sacrifice. If we willfully do what we know is sinful, that is exactly what we are doing to Jesus.

In the Gospel of John, the emphasis is upon the deity of Christ. He is the God-man in this Gospel, and the emphasis here is upon His glory. In His arrest, His death, and His resurrection we will see His glory.[fn]

John 18:1-11 NAS:
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, into which He entered with His disciples.
2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
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.
6 So when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Therefore He again asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene."
8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,"
9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, "Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one."
10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

When the time came for Jesus to finish His mission on earth, Jesus left the walled city of Jerusalem to go to the place called the Garden of Gethsemane. He is going to this quiet place in order to give His enemies an opportunity to arrest Him. Jesus was betrayed by Judas after crossing over the Kidron Valley and going to the Mount of Olives. It was Jesus’ custom when He was in Jerusalem, after He had spent the day teaching, to retire at night to the mount of Olives; The olive grove was a place where Jesus and His apostles frequently came to spend the night (Luke 21:37, 38),[fn] and they were not staying at the Olive Grove Hyatt Regency. They would bed down outdoors, probably on the ground, wherever they could find a comfortable spot or shelter.

The Kidron Valley had special historical significance, for King David crossed the Kidron Valley when he was rejected by the people of Israel and betrayed by his own son, Absalom.[fn] Jesus had been rejected by His people and at that very moment was being betrayed by one of His own disciples. It is interesting that David’s disloyal counselor Ahithophel hanged himself (2 Samuel 17:23), and his equally disloyal son Absalom was caught in a tree and executed while hanging there (2 Samuel 18:9–17). Judas also went out and hanged himself after betraying Jesus (Matthew 27:3–10).[fn]

Jesus knew exactly what was in store for Him, yet He did not hesitate to follow what He knew was the will of His Father. John does not record the agonizing moments Jesus spent in the garden before His arrest. John does not record His praying, “Father, if possible, let this cup pass from Me.”  Nor does he record Jesus’ suffering in the garden. John instead focuses his attention on Jesus’ glory. He is emphasizing Jesus’ deity. The other three Gospel writers focus on His humanness.

When they arrived in the garden, Jesus asked eight of His disciples to remain near the entrance to the garden while He took Peter, James, and John and went to another location to pray.

Matthew 26:36-46 NAS:
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.
38 Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me."
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."
40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?
41 “ Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done."
43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!"

Jesus’ human side longed for the kind of encouragement and companionship these three men could give Him at this critical hour; but they went to sleep instead. It was easy for them to talk about their devotion to Christ, but when the test came, they failed miserably. However, before we judge them too severely, we had better examine our own hearts.[fn]

John 18:1 NAS:
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.

The office of the Jewish priest was to teach, and pray, and offer sacrifice. After teaching and praying for His disciples, which is what is meant when John writes, “When Jesus had spoken these words,” it was then time for Jesus to offer Himself as the sacrifice for the sin of all His disciples. Christ had said all He had to say as a prophet, and now He addresses himself to His calling as a priest, to make Himself an offering for sin.[fn]

John 18:2, 3 NAS:
2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

According to 1 Timothy 6:10, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” So it is not surprising that Judas betrayed Jesus for money.[fn] Judas was not an exceptionally evil man. He was simply a common man who gave in to the sin of greed, which Satan used to get Judas to do what he wanted him to do. The detachment of Roman soldiers was a cohort (speiran, 10th part of a legion), which here included about 600 men.[fn] So it must have been a very intimidating and even frightening force.

They were quartered in the Castle of Antonia, at the northern edge of the temple area (cf. Acts 21:31, 32[fn]). Apparently, the Jewish authorities were able to call upon these forces for help in any emergency that threatened the public interest. The city was filled with pilgrims attending the Passover Feast, many of whom were sympathetic to Jesus and might have given trouble if they had been nearby when He was being apprehended. There were also a number of temple police who were in the service of the Jewish rulers (Acts 5:22).[fn]

After the Last Supper, Judas most likely went to see Caiaphas, or some other leading member of the Sanhedrin, informing him of where Jesus was heading, and telling him that he was ready to fulfill his part of the bargain in order to accomplish the arrest of Jesus. It was not their intention to arrest Jesus during the feast in the crowded city because the people might riot in order to protect Him (Matthew 26:5). That is why arrangements were made with Judas to arrest Jesus in the garden. Disciples greeted a rabbi by kissing him; it was a sign of devotion and obedience. When people today pretend to know and love the Lord and claim to be Christians when they do not even know what that means, they are committing the sin of Judas. It is bad enough to betray Christ, but to do it with a kiss, a sign of affection, is a despicable evil.[fn]

John 18:3-11 NAS:
3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
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.
6 So when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Therefore He again asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene."
8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,"
9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, "Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one."
10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

The purpose of sending Roman soldiers along with the temple police was to insure order. Judas expected that Jesus might use some kind of trick in order to escape. He had probably been a personal witness to many of Jesus’ miracles and the way He had of simply disappearing when the authorities had tried to arrest Him previously. Judas therefore arranged to identify Jesus by kissing Him (Matthew. 26:48–49). Remember in previous incidents, when the enemies of Jesus tried to close in on Him, He hid Himself. Apparently He could just disappear miraculously. Now Jesus offers no resistance for He knows His time has come. This is very important to understand. Jesus surprised both Judas and the arresting officers by stepping forward and giving Himself up. He was now ready to willingly lay down His life for His sheep. In addition, by surrendering, Jesus helped to protect His disciples. So He gave Himself up. Do not think for a moment that Jesus was some meek, frail little man who was trapped and arrested without a fight. There was no need for resistance because the true test of courage and obedience to the Father was about to come in His scourging and crucifixion. If Jesus had wished to resist, all the weapons and legions in the world could not have kept Him from overpowering them.

Jesus did not wait for Judas to point Him out to the temple police, but stepped forward and spoke to them. The fact that they fell back certainly suggests some kind of fear, or respect, or perhaps both, for the figure that confronted them. That situation was only temporary, however, as they again resumed their conversation. Jesus’ request that the disciples should be allowed to leave can be seen as a fulfillment of the statement Jesus made in John 17:12. The “sword” which Peter is said to be carrying was most likely some kind of dagger. Severing the servant’s ear was so typical of Peter’s impulsive way of reacting to such a situation and it made absolutely no sense. The reference to the “cup” suggests that Peter had not yet come to understand Jesus’ commitment to do what He had been sent to do by the Father.

Jesus was in total control here. He knew what was about to happen as He had described this scene earlier to His apostles:

John 13:1, 3, 11 (NLT):
1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.
11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

John 16:17 (NLT):
17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’?

Why did the arresting soldiers draw back and fall to the ground when Jesus told them, “I am He”? The Jews among the arresting officers would be stunned by His response with an  “I AM” statement, which was a statement letting them know that He was God. The Romans, who were in the majority, would have been intimidated by His commanding nature, which He often revealed in difficult situations. The Jewish leaders had tried to have Jesus arrested before, always without success. The soldiers were ready for a fight, and when they saw Jesus calmly step forward and surrender they were quite surprised and undoubtedly a bit suspicious.

Perhaps it was Jesus’ way of expressing His divine power and majesty, as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 27:2: “When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”

During the season of Advent when we look forward to celebrating the first coming of Jesus as a Baby, it is appropriate to be reminded of the real reason He came: to die for us. We also look forward to His second coming, when Jesus will return to earth to set up His kingdom. In between these momentous events, the Holy Spirit is calling you. He is calling you to come to Jesus and receive Him as your personal Savior. He is calling you to then dedicate your total being to living a life that honors Him.

Where are you today? Do you need to respond to His call to salvation? Do you need to respond to His call for total surrender of your life to Him? Is there still some area in your life where you need to let Him be Lord? While He says, “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28) let us also respond, “Even so, come Lord Jesus”  (Revelation 22:20).

 

Peter’s Denial
John 18:12-27

Two themes run through this passage.: power and denial. Many people in our world these days are motivated by a drive for power, and they do almost anything to get it. Yet another large group of people in our world are motivated, or maybe we should say de-motivated, by fear. That fear, often taking the form of anxiety, blocks their ability to achieve their potential and become all that they can be. Let us see how those themes play out as we look at the passage in John 18.

John 18:12-27 NAS:
12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him,
13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.
15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest,
16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.
17 Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."
18 Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.
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.
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not."
26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"
27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Whoever came up with the saying that, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” described the nature of godless people perfectly. We are about to see God use the corrupt nature of man to accomplish the plan that He had for the world from before time began.

Now why do you suppose people desire power over others? It probably makes them feel important, and in some cases even loved. It would certainly also provide a feeling of being in control, which would allow a person the sense that they controlled people or events. This may help them believe that they can get exactly what they want. Based on the events of this past week, we might ask what it was that Rod Blagojevich hoped to get as a result of having the power that goes with being governor of the state of Illinois. It seems like he wanted to use his power to get money and lots of it.

What we will see in these verses and those that follow in John 18 is a portrait of men who want to use their power to provide for their own selfish interests and each will do it by using Jesus as their pawn in attaining that goal. Jesus had become a threat to all those who sought after the pleasures and material wealth offered by the world and now they believed it would be in their best interests to get rid of Him. To begin with, we first see Jesus being turned over to Annas. Christ had first been taken to Annas for some preliminary questioning regarding His activities. Then Annas had Him sent to Caiaphas where the entire lynch mob of scribes and teachers of the Law were assembled.

Annas had held the office of high priest earlier (A.D. 6-15), and his influence continued through his son-in-law, Caiaphas, the current high priest (John 18:13). According to Jewish law the high priestly office was for life, but the Romans did not like the concentration of power in one person so they frequently changed high priests. Annas was succeeded by five of his sons and then by his son-in-law, Caiaphas. Evidently, Annas remained the power behind the throne.[fn] Annas was one smart cookie and at the same time one of the most evil of all the high priests. He retained power, even though he was not the currently designated high priest.

Caiaphas was the one whom the Roman government favored, but the real brains of the Sanhedrin was Annas. He was the real leader and he knew how to handle Rome. He was probably the guy who planned the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. The entire trial was a mockery and Annas was very likely behind it all. And what an injustice has been brought upon the Jewish people because of the evil nature of their leaders who were more driven by their desire for power than for doing the right thing. The Jews wrongly have been blamed for the crimes of these leaders at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church called the Jewish people the "Christ-killers," which was the basis for anti-Semitism in Europe. Yet they are not any more responsible than the Gentiles. In fact, in the final analysis, we all are responsible for Jesus’ death. He died for the sins of the world. There should be no finger pointing at any particular race or group of people.[fn]

John 18:14 NAS:
14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

You may remember that shortly before Jesus and His disciples came to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, He had stopped at Bethany at the request of Martha and Mary whose brother, Lazarus, had died and been in the grave four days. You may remember the highlight of this miracle when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but do you recall the role Caiaphas played in this story? Reviewing the following passage will help you to connect what happened there to what John writes in John 18:15.

John 11:43-53 NLT:
43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.
46 But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs.
48 If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”
49 Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about!
50 You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
51 He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation.
52 And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.
53 So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.

Note that the Jewish leaders were concerned primarily with maintaining their own positions of power (John 11:47-48). When Caiaphas suggested killing Christ as the best way to do this, he was being used by God to predict Christ's death and the salvation it would bring to all people who believed.

Now let us look at the other theme in this section. D.L. Moody told the following story:

“[There was] a man in New York who used to come and pray with Moody. He had his cross. He was afraid to confess Christ. It seemed that down at the bottom of his trunk he had a Bible. He wanted to get it out and read it to a companion with whom he lived, but he was ashamed to do it. For a whole week that was his cross; and after he had carried the burden the whole of that time, with a terrible struggle, he made up his mind. He said, ‘I will take my Bible out to-night and read it.’ He took it out, and soon he heard the footsteps of his friend coming upstairs.
His first impulse was to put it away again; but then he thought he would not—he would face his companion with it. His friend came in, and, seeing him at his Bible, said—
‘John, are you interested in these things?’
‘Yes,’ he replied.
‘How long has this been then?’ asked his companion.
‘Exactly a week,’ he answered; ‘for a whole week I have tried to get out my Bible to read to you, but I have never done so till now.’
‘Well,’ said his friend, ‘it is a strange thing. I was converted on the same night, and I, too, was ashamed to take my Bible out.’[fn]

Is there anyone here who has not done something very much like the two men in this story? So when we read about Peter’s denial of Jesus, let us keep that in mind. Because you see, Peter’s denial of Jesus is not the point of the story. It is certainly an essential part of the story, but the real point of the story comes later, and you will see the main point in just a little while. Just to make certain you do get it, we will tell you what it is a little later. But it will be a good lesson if you can see it for yourself.

John 18:15-17 NAS:
15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest,
16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.
17 Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."
18 Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

John mentions "another disciple" who is "known to the high priest" and his household in verse 15. This is most likely a reference to John himself. John can bear witness to the Passion of Christ because he was there. John was separated from Jesus at the time of Jesus’ arrest when all the disciples scattered, but only for a brief time because two disciples returned and followed Jesus and the arresting officers back across the Kidron and into the city to see where they were taking Jesus. John knew either the high priest or some of his servants and therefore had access into the high priest’s courtyard.

John had therefore not missed much of the action and was able to describe the whole story from an eyewitness’s perspective. Unlike Peter, John was inside the high priest's palace and was able to see everything that went on, while Peter remained outside.[fn] The young woman who was the doorkeeper refused to let Peter in because she was not acquainted with him. John went in expecting Peter to follow, but when he did not, John returned and spoke to the young woman doorkeeper, probably telling her that Peter was a friend of his, whereby she allowed Peter to enter the courtyard.

Now consider this. If this young slave girl allowed John clear passage into the high priest’s courtyard, she must have known that John was a disciple of Christ. So it would seem natural for the girl to ask a friend of John’s if he were a disciple of Christ also, which she did when she said: "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?” There was no reason for Peter to deny this relationship, but from a sense of fear he said, "I am not."

An interesting point to note is this: “John, known to the high priest, secured Peter's entrance (John 18:15).  Since his mother, Salome, may have been the sister of Mary (John 19:25; Mark 15:40), and Mary was related to Elizabeth, a daughter of Aaron (Luke 1:5), John was of priestly descent. This is confirmed by Polycrates as recorded by Eusebius (Historia Ecclesiastica, 3.31).”[fn]

Now Peter found himself with the same officers that had arrested Jesus, warming himself by a fire in the courtyard. So while Peter is outside warming himself by the fire and probably wondering, “How did I ever allow myself to get in this kind of predicament?” John goes on to explain what is happening inside where Jesus has been taken.

John 18:19-24 NAS:
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.

Although Annas was not the official high priest at this time, he remained the most powerful member of the Sanhedrin, and just as a former president in our country is still referred to as Mr. President, Annas was still referred to as the high priest. This was not a trial. The Sanhedrin had not been called into session. This was more like an informal hearing in order to assemble evidence to provide the Sanhedrin when they were called into formal session. It would appear by the tone of Annas’s questioning that he was trying to develop a case suggesting that Jesus was preparing His disciples for a revolution against the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman government. Apparently, Annas saw the situation, at least partly, as a power struggle. He feared Jesus was planning to seize political power.

Jesus did not say anything about His disciples in order to protect them but was willing to talk about his teaching. Jesus denied having taught any secret doctrine that might be considered as a plan to overthrow the existing ruling bodies. He told Annas that all of His teaching had taken place openly in public places such as the synagogue and the Temple. If Annas wanted to collect evidence regarding Jesus’ teaching, there were hundreds, if not thousands of witnesses available who had heard Jesus teach. If they had any evidence that He was guilty of plotting an overthrow of the government, it was their responsibility to produce witnesses that would testify against Jesus. Even the private talks Jesus had with His disciples did not include any secret plans or motives. There was simply no evidence that would substantiate that Jesus had done anything wrong.

One of the officers did not like the way Jesus was answering the questions, either the content or the tone, so he hit Jesus in the face. This unofficial, preliminary hearing was filled with illegal acts, and this was one of them. It was also improper according to judicial procedure to try to get a defendant to implicate himself.[fn] But from the moment of the arrest, it was obvious that the Jewish leaders were not going to follow proper procedures for a properly conducted trial. In verse 23 Jesus was stating the plain and simple fact that He was entitled to a fair trial. After being questioned by Annas, Jesus was sent on to Caiaphas, the ruling high priest. Mark records that this questioning before Caiaphas included the entire Jewish council (Mark 14:53-65). The religious leaders knew they had no grounds for charging Jesus, so they were about to build evidence against Him by using false witnesses.[fn]

John 18:25-27 NAS:
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not."
26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"
27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

While Jesus was being questioned by Annas, Peter who was still standing and warming himself next to the fire in the courtyard, was drawing the attention of the officers and servants in the courtyard who were beginning to get a little suspicious of this stranger in their midst. So they said to Peter, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" Once again Peter denied it, and said, "I am not."

Then, ironically, one of the slaves in the courtyard who also happened to be a relative of Malchus, the slave who had his ear cut off by Peter, challenged Peter by asking him: "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” Peterfor a third time denied knowing Jesus. Luke sheds some additional light on this story.

Luke 22:54-62 NAS:
54 Having arrested Him (Jesus)[fn], they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance.
55 After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them.
56 And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, "This man was with Him too."
57 But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."
58 A little later, another saw him and said, "You are one of them too!" But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"
59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, "Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too."
60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times."
62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Apparently, as Jesus was being led out of Annas’ headquarters, Peter had just denied Jesus for the third time. The rooster crowed and Peter caught Jesus’ glance and was filled with guilt and shame. He hurried out of the courtyard and wept bitterly.

Whenever we look at this story we are reminded of how impulsive Peter could be and how easily he could be provoked to do the wrong thing. For this reason Peter had to be extra careful about the company he kept. He had already committed the criminal act of assault earlier in the evening, and now he had placed himself in a situation where he was surrounded by the enemies of Christ. He was in a bad place and quickly lost his courage, denying his Lord three times, just as Jesus said he would.

But at the same time we need to remember the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 22:31-34 NAS: (Jesus is speaking to Peter)
31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
33 But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!"
34 And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."

This reminds us that although Peter could be caught up in the temptation of the moment, and even give in to it, nevertheless Jesus had prayed for Peter and the result would be that He would be a more committed servant to Christ because of His failure. Remember Romans 8:28? “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Peter was human, like the rest of us. We believe his story is recorded both for our encouragement and as a word of warning. Peter was enthusiastic for Christ. He was eager to speak up and to accomplish things for Christ. Yet, when the test came, as it comes to all of us in one form or another, his fear won out.

We do not feel it fair for anyone to be critical of Peter’s behavior in this story. All believers have denied Christ at one time or another because of our fondness for the things Satan offers us in this world. But no matter how good something appears, if it means we have to deny Christ to get it, whatever it is will ultimately bring us guilt and shame. James Montgomery Boice has said:

"Those that warm themselves with evil doers grow cold towards good people and good things, and those that are fond of the devil's fire-side are in danger of the devil's fire."[fn]

So, which of these temptations comes closer to yours? Is your temptation a pull toward power, to always be in control of the people and events around you? Then you need to take heart in the fact that God is in control. God can be powerful without corruption. He is the all-powerful Sovereign. Our role is to trust Him and let Him run the world and the situations around us.

Or are you more like Peter? Is it fear that causes you to hide, worry, and be anxious? Peter loved Jesus (John 21:15-17), yet out of fear for his own safety he covered up his allegiance to Christ. And is not it fear that often closes our mouths? Maybe not fear for our lives, but fear of what others will think, or of losing a job, or of not being politically correct. We need to remember that God tells us many times throughout the Scriptures, “Do not be afraid.”[fn] Are we not glad that Jesus had no concern for being politically correct? When the next moment of testing comes, let us each resolve to call on God for strength to do the right thing.

Jesus’ Trial Before Pilate
John 18:28-40

When we look at John 18, we see that the time was drawing close for by far the greatest event in all history. Jesus knew the time had arrived. He had taught a great deal about grace and life and light, and also of the darkness that surrounds people who chase after their lusts for personal satisfaction. “How deeply is the world entrenched in darkness? How great is God’s love for us, and His grace to us? How vital is the life that Jesus offers? How bright is the light by which we are invited to live? The answer to each of these questions is found in the events of the final night and day of Jesus’ life on earth … and in His resurrection.”[fn]

John 18:28-37 NLT:
28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover.
29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”
30 “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.
31 “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied.
32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)
33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.
34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

There is a clue in verse 28 that should jump out at us immediately. Why did the Jewish leaders take Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate? Why would they not have Him tried and sentenced before their own Sanhedrin? It was simply because right from the outset the Jewish leaders intended for Jesus to be executed. You see the Jews could conduct a trial for another Jew who broke their laws and they could even condemn him to death, but they were not permitted to enforce the sentence by crucifixion unless the Roman government supported such a decision. Only the Roman governor had such authority. If the Jews had tried Jesus and sentenced Him to death, He would have been killed by stoning, as Steven would be killed (Acts 7:57-60). But God had determined that Jesus would be crucified as we read in John 8:28 NLT:[fn]

28So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me.

Jesus was to bear the curse of the law and become a curse for us; and in order to do this, He had to hang on a tree according to Deuteronomy 21:22–23 and Galatians 3:13.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (NLT)
22 “If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and hung on a tree,
23 the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung is cursed in the sight of God. In this way, you will prevent the defilement of the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.

Jesus would take on Himself the curse of the Law that we would have received for breaking that Law, and it resulted in His death so that we might have eternal life. He sacrificed His life for ours WILLINGLY.

Galatians 3:13 NLT:
13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Jesus Himself predicted crucifixion in Matthew 20:18-19 NLT:

18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die.
19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Two ways God shows us that the Bible is without error are prophecy and miracles. God gave the prophets predictions about the future which all came true exactly as they had been prophesied. He also had miracles performed that were so extraordinary that no other being could perform such miracles. Anyone who thoroughly understands their Bible will have no doubts as to who its author is.

So the Jewish leaders brought Jesus to Pilate and were willing to lie and cheat in order to produce evidence that would convince Pilate that Jesus was intending to overthrow the Roman government and set Himself up as king. Talk about a kangaroo court. The Jewish leaders would accept nothing else from Pilate but a death sentence for Jesus. Both the Jewish leaders and Pilate had no idea however that they were being used by God to accomplish His will at this crucial point in time.

Did Jesus try to defend Himself? No. Instead, He knew this was the time for Him to accomplish the major purpose for which He came. There would, therefore, be no reason to defend Himself. He was intent on allowing this sacrifice for the sins of the world to go forward. He could have called upon the angel armies to come and rescue Him if that is what He wanted, but He did not because He knew what He had to do to provide salvation for all who were willing to accept it.

“Abraham Bininger, a Swiss boy from Zurich, came with his parents to this country on the same ship that brought John Wesley. The father and mother of the lad both died on the voyage and were buried at sea, and he stepped alone from the gangway on to a strange continent, where there was not a single familiar face. When he had grown to manhood, he asked to be sent to tell the story of the cross to the Negroes of the island of St. Thomas, having heard of their great misery and degradation.

When he arrived at the island, he learned that it was against the law for any person but a slave to preach to the slaves. It was the policy of the planters to keep the blacks in ignorance and superstition. Shortly after this the governor of St. Thomas received a letter signed Abraham Bininger, in which the writer begged urgently to become a slave for the rest of his life, promising to serve as a slave faithfully, provided he could give his leisure time to preaching to his fellow-slaves.

The governor sent the letter to the King of Denmark, who was so touched by it that he sent an edict empowering Abraham Bininger to tell the story of the Messiah when and where he chose—to black or white, bond or free.”[fn]

Bininger chose slavery in order to preach the Word of God to those who would otherwise never hear it. Christ chose to die for those who would otherwise never see Heaven. That is the extent to which a true follower of Christ must be willing to go to serve the King. We believe this sentiment is expressed very well by the following poem entitled God Counted Crosses:

“I counted dollars while God counted crosses,
I counted gains while He counted losses,
I counted my worth by the things gained in store
But He sized me up by the scars that I bore.
I coveted honors and sought for degrees,
He wept as He counted the hours on my knees;
I never knew until one day by the grave
How vain are the things that we spend life to save;
I did not yet know until my loved one went above
That richest is he who is rich in God’s love.”
                                               —The Brethren Evangelist[fn]

That is the blessing one feels who follows the example of Christ going to the cross. It is not a pleasant thing to go through, but the glory of the reward for those who commit will last for all eternity. So let us try as best we can to understand exactly what was going on during this so-called trial of Jesus before He was sentenced to crucifixion. Mark gives us a little more detail on the trial than John does, so let us read his report before continuing.

Mark 14:53-65 NLT:
53 They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered.
54 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest’s courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.
55 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any.
56 Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other.
57 Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony:
58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’”
59 But even then they didn’t get their stories straight!
60 Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?”
61 But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
62 Jesus said, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
63 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses?
64 You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”
65 Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

Now let us pick up on the story as we go back to John 18:28-32 NLT:

28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover.
29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”
30 “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.
31 “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied.
32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)

Jewish law did not permit them to enter a Gentile house. They were allowed, however, to enter the courtyard. Pilate, therefore, probably came out into the courtyard to speak with them. Is it not interesting that they were so concerned about defiling themselves yet did not give a second thought to the treachery they needed to do in order to murder Jesus?

When Pilate asked the Jewish leaders what the charges were, they did not give him a straight answer. However Luke 23:2 lists three “official charges”: (1) He led the nation astray; (2) He opposed paying tribute to Caesar; and (3) He claimed to be the Jewish Messiah and King. None of these three charges could be supported by any tangible evidence. Pilate did not in any way want to get involved in a Jewish court case, especially during the Passover celebration, so he tried to evade the issue by telling them to take Jesus away and conduct their own trial.[fn]

John 18:33-37 NLT:
33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.
34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

In John 18:33 through 19:15, we get a good idea of just how much of a coward Pilate was. At least seven times Pilate went to the Jews outside, trying to work out a compromise. In the end Pilate had Christ crucified because Pilate was a weakling who would do anything to keep the people peaceful. After all, if there was political unrest in Judea, Rome might get rid of Pilate and appoint another governor.

Mark 15:9-15 NLT:
9 “Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked.
10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.
12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”
13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

How many people do you think are and will be in Hell because they were afraid of what other people would do or think if they did not go along with what everyone else was doing? We believe the number would be beyond comprehension.

Now Pilate would have been satisfied if Jesus would simply have said that He was not a king. That would have gotten Pilate off the hook, and he could have thrown the whole matter back upon the Sanhedrin. But Jesus would not say that He was not a king. He would only say that His kingdom was not of this world. We would imagine this statement would have confounded Pilate. What in the world could this guy mean? Did He come from outer space or the depths of the earth? Pilate had most likely never read the book of Isaiah where Isaiah says: 

Isaiah 11:1-9 NLT:
1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.
6 In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.
7 The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow.
8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

Pilate may not have known this prediction, but the Jews should have been familiar with Isaiah’s prophecies, which means they either must have intentionally ignored them or, like many Christian leaders today, they misled the people about God’s Word in order to satisfy their own agenda. Once again the Jews chose to ignore God’s Holy Word in order to satisfy their own worldly lusts.

Pilate said to Jesus, “So you are a king?” Jesus replied, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

Roman soldiers may have been great warriors, but apparently they were not the greatest thinkers, because at this point we believe Pilate started to get a little confused. First, he tries to understand how somebody can be a king and His kingdom is not on this earth. Then Jesus tells Pilate in effect that He did not say that He was a king; it was Pilate who suggested Jesus was a king. Then before that subject can be explored any further, Jesus tells Pilate that the real reason He came was to teach the truth of the Word of God. It seems that Pilate might have been scratching his head at this point wondering what in the world this fellow was talking about. Was He crazy? Was He drunk?

What Pilate did not realize is made quite clear by Paul in Romans 2:12-16 NLT:

12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.
13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.
15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

You see, God has built into every human being ever born the ability to recognize His truth when they hear it. That is why Jesus can say in John 18:37 that “All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” This simply means that anyone who is willing to open his or her heart and mind to receive God’s teaching will know that it is true. He has given everyone that great gift. It does not always mean that they will accept God’s truth because they may not want to stop doing what God tells them to stop doing, or to start doing what God tells them they should be doing. They may prefer lies, sin, and spiritual death to eternal life. Satan is not an adversary to trifle with. He will draw you away from the things that will bring you the most happiness with lies that he promises will bring you happiness, when in reality they will bring you misery. Be prepared!

Jesus was not about to tell Pilate that He would one day rule this world as King of kings and Lord of lords. That would probably have confused Pilate even more and would not have accomplished any purpose. Jesus said in effect that His Kingdom was not going to be like the kingdoms that have ruled the world system. It will not be a power structure built on politics. It will not come as the result of normal conquering strategies. Jesus will not be elected King by either the Democrats or the Republicans or by the United Nations. His kingdom is not going to be built upon war, hatred, and bitterness. Pilate, himself, was a crooked politician who bought his job and was a puppet of Rome. He hated the Jews, but he was afraid to offend them because he might lose his job. But Jesus will not come to His Kingdom by political maneuvering. Praise God for that!

Jesus said, "If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight." He was offering no resistance. Peter had tried to defend Him, and Jesus had told him to put his sword in the sheath, just as earlier in His ministry He had forbidden violence on His behalf (Luke 9:51-56). Misguided but zealous Christians over the centuries have missed this point. So we had the Crusades and other religious wars that have given Christianity a bad name in the view of others.

Christ was not going to build His Kingdom out of the political system of the day.[fn] Jesus was going to build His kingdom in a totally different way. The Bible teaches us clearly that in this present age, from the time of Jesus’ first coming to when He comes again at the end of the age, Christ is calling people to represent Him in this world. (See Acts 15:13-15.) 
 
Today, right now, you and I are being called to live in the world but not to be of the world. The time will come when the Lord will completely remove the Church from the world. Then, when Christ returns to the earth, all His saints will be with Him to set up His everlasting, eternal kingdom.[fn] Are you sure you will be part of that kingdom? If not, please e-mail us at www.villagechurchofwheaton and we will send you information fully explaining what it is all about.

 

Pilate, the cowardly politician
John 18:38-40

Politicians in our culture do not have a very good reputation. Their behaviors leave a great deal to be desired. The biblical passages that we are about to look at will show us that integrity issues with politicians go back pretty far.

As we conclude our study in John chapter eighteen, we would like to go back and summarize the highlights of this chapter to better enable us to understand the final three verses. Let us begin in John 18:4.

John 18:4-5 NAS:
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."

As the Roman soldiers came forward to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew that His time had come to die for the sins of mankind. He, therefore, stepped forward identifying Himself as the one they were seeking.

John 18:12-13 NAS:
 12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him,
13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

Jesus was now in the hands of the Jewish leaders and knew that they would do whatever they had to do to insure that Jesus would receive the death penalty.

John 18:25 NAS:
 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not."

Some wonder how Peter could have denied Jesus after he had so firmly promised that he would stand with Jesus under any circumstances. We need to remember that at this time Peter did not have the Holy Spirit living within him. It was only at Pentecost, soon after Jesus’ ascension, that the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers. Without the Holy Spirit the only thing that we can rely on is our own human strength, and in situations that produce great fear we may fail to do what is right because we are afraid of what will happen to us.

The Bible promises a number of times that a true believer will never deny Christ under any circumstances because the Holy Spirit will take over in such circumstances to overcome our fear and provide us with the right things to say and do (Matthew 10:17-20; Luke 12:11-12; 21:12-15).

John 18:28-29, 33, 36-37 NAS:
 28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium.
29 Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"
 33 Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.”
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."

Jesus had been teaching the truth to the people and the Jewish leaders for three years. Many rejected His teaching simply because they had no interest in the truth. They were only interested in how much gusto they could get out of this life and they did not particularly care what they had to do to get it. Had they wanted a relationship with their God more than anything else they would have understood the truth.

There is a story about an American Indian that illustrates what can happen to a sinner when they truly want relief from their sin and they are willing to look to God for the answer.

“This Indian chief was the most powerful chief of all the tribes in North America, and reveled in cunning midnight attacks, and all that goes to make savage warfare. But the Gospel Herald once carried the following story of his conversion under the early Methodist missionaries:

“One evening Maskepetoon was deeply moved by the missionary’s address on our Lord’s dying prayer, ‘Father, forgive them.’ The next day a band of Indians was approaching in which was the man who had murdered Maskepetoon’s only son. His son, sent into a secluded valley, had never returned; and the son’s companion said that he had fallen over a precipice, though in fact he had murdered him. Unknown to the murderer, the tragedy had been witnessed by some Indians who later reported it to the bereaved chief.

“When the two bands were within a few hundred yards of each other, the eagle eye of the old chief detected the murderer, and drawing his tomahawk from his belt, he rode up till he was face to face with the man who had murdered his son.

“Maskepetoon, with a voice tremulous with suppressed feeling, yet with an admirable command over himself looking the man full in the eyes said: ‘You deserve to die. I sent my son with you as his trusted companion. You betrayed my trust and cruelly killed my only son! You have done me and my tribe the greatest injury that is possible. You deserve to die, and if it wasn’t for what I heard from the missionary at the campfire last night, I would already have buried this tomahawk in your brains! The missionary told us that, if we expected the Great Spirit to forgive us, we must also forgive the one who has committed the greatest wrong against us.’

“With deep emotion he continued, ‘You have been my worst enemy, and deserve to die!‘ But as I hope the Great Spirit will forgive me, I forgive you.’ Then, hastily pulling his war bonnet over his face, Maskepetoon bowed down over his horse’s neck and gave way to an agony of tears.

“For years Maskepetoon lived a devoted Christian life. He preached to others, influencing many of his own tribe to turn from killing their enemies, the Blackfeet. He taught them to use no other weapon but the ‘Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.’

“But a bloodthirsty chief of the Blackfeet, remembering some of their fierce conflicts of other days, and, perhaps having lost some of his relatives in those conflicts, seized his gun, and in defiance of all rules of humanity, shot down the converted chieftain.

“Who can say that forgiveness is not a costly thing? Maskepetoon suffered a broken heart to forgive the murderer of his son. Then it cost him his life to forgive his enemies, to go to them unarmed and preach to them forgiveness of sin.”[fn]

Jesus was now about to suffer a most painful and agonizing death so that the bloodthirsty crowd that wanted to kill Him could be saved from the very sin they were about to commit against Him. He who had no sin was about to suffer for the sinners who would be the source of His pain. He would substitute Himself in order to go through what they would have had to suffer if He had not willingly put Himself in their place. It was a sacrifice of monumental proportions.

John 18:38-40 NLT:
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.
39 But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”
40 But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

What is truth? Too often today, people answer that question by saying there is no truth, no absolute truth. They feel that everything is relative. What a rude awakening they will have when one day they are confronted by the One who is Truth (John 14:6).

What is truth? Since Pilate was a cynical Roman soldier and governor of a province where lying was often a way of life and necessary to gain status and power, we can imagine his reaction to such a claim as Jesus had made in verse 37, where He said that everyone who is a friend of the truth would recognize that His words are true.

Pilate must have recognized something in the appearance of Jesus because, after all, the answer to his question was standing right in front of him. So immediately Pilate stepped out of the hall to the street, where the priests were waiting, and declared, “He is not guilty of any crime.” Pilate must have recognized that there was something very special about this Man or he would not have declared Jesus “not guilty” in the face of these angry Jews who would not hesitate to tell Rome that he had allowed a dangerous revolutionary to go free. We pick up more detail on the story in Luke 23:4-16 NLT:

4 Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”
5 Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”
6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked.
7 When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle.
9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer.
10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations.
11 Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.
12 (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)
13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people,
14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.
15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.
16 So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”

Before Pilate attempted to release Jesus according to the custom of the Passover feast, he sent Jesus to Herod, very likely hoping that he could avoid responsibility for this decision. But Herod sent Him back. Pilate might then have described his position as being between a rock and a hard place. Jesus had been accused of treason against the Roman emperor. Pilate declared that Jesus was not guilty. The priests then accused Pilate of not being a friend of Caesar and that they intended to advise Caesar of that fact. If Caesar learned that Pilate had been accused of letting a man go who claimed to be the King of the Jewish province of Judea, Pilate’s days, both as governor and perhaps even on this earth, would have been numbered. Yet Pilate had no stomach for being the one who ordered Jesus’ execution. So Pilate reminded the Jews of the custom which had developed over the years whereby the Roman governors always released one prisoner who had offended the Roman authority. There were only two such prisoners at this time who qualified for such a pardon. One was Barabbas, a man who had been in rebellion against the Roman government in Jerusalem as the leader of a band of robbers. He was also accused of other violations of the law, including murder. The other man of course was Jesus. Pilate suggested that Jesus be released but the crowd, having been stirred up by the Jewish leaders, called for Jesus to be executed and Barabbas to be freed.[fn]

Luke 23:18-25 NLT:
18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!”
19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.)
20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus.

At this point in the events, Matthew tells us that Pilate asked, “ What shall I do with Jesus?” (Matthew 27:22). Now, returning to Luke:

Luke 23:21-25 NLT:
21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed.
24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.
25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

There is a question raised here that each one of us will face at one time or another in our lives, and Pilate had to answer that question: “What shall I do with Jesus?”[fn] (Matthew 27:22)

Every person that has ever been born must do something with Jesus. They must accept or reject Him. Some try to avoid this decision by refusing to decide, which in effect is deciding against Him. Some postpone the decision, which is a risky move. Others substitute what they consider to be good works in the place of believing in Christ; or they lay the blame on others, on circumstances, or on temptations. But it is all in vain. To reject Jesus is to reject the sum total of all goodness. Rejecting Christ is the greatest sin in the world. The time will come when those who reject Christ will have to ask, “May I have another chance?"[fn]The answer to that question depends on whether it is before or after their death. Before you die, God offers everyone the opportunity no matter what they have done. After one dies it is too late and their decision is sealed for eternity.

"What shall I do with Jesus?" is still the most important decision a person can make. There are still a lot of Barabbases running around in this country who would rob us of the religion that made this country great and free. There are desires and lusts that rob our hearts of peace, our homes of joy, and our souls of the crown of life. Behold! Jesus knocks at the door of your heart. Will you receive and honor Him? Or will you, with the majority of others say, ‘Away with Him and release Barabbas?’ We are either for Him or against Him; there is no middle ground. It is the old question still, ‘What shall I do with Jesus?’"[fn]

Are you a believer in Christ because you have asked Him to be your Savior from sin? Then you are a member of Christ’s kingdom and you cannot chase after the things of this world. We are told, "Be not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2) and that, "The friendship of the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4).[fn]

Do you love the truth? Do you recognize the words of Jesus? Anyone who hears or reads the words of Jesus and turns away has no interest in the truth. They will eventually learn that they have done the wrong thing with Jesus and will spend eternity paying for their denial.[fn] Do you want to spend eternity in Paradise or the Lake of Fire? Your destiny will depend on what you do with Jesus. Remember that forever is a long, long time.

Isaiah

John

Romans

1 Peter


© Ron Teed - Used by permission. All rights Reserved.