John 18 - NKJV Study Bible

18:1 The Brook Kidron was a ravine between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

18:3 A detachment was a cohort of about six hundred men, or one-tenth of a legion. However, sometimes this Greek word was used for one-third of a cohort, or two hundred men. These soldiers were probably the experienced Roman troops stationed at the Antonia, a fortress near the temple. The officers who came with the detachment were members of the temple police under the command of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin.

18:4 knowing all things: Knowing He was about to be arrested, Jesus could have escaped, but He did not. He submitted Himself voluntarily to the ordeal that was ordained by God.

18:6 fell to the ground: For a moment, Christ unveiled His majesty. His statement of deity, I am, manifested such glory that it literally threw the soldiers to the ground.

18:8 For the third time in this passage, Jesus claimed to be I am (vv. 5,6), echoing God’s self-revelation in Ex. 3:14. let these go: As He was being arrested, Jesus demonstrated His love for the apostles.

18:10 Note the contrast between Peter and Jesus. By fighting the guard, Simon Peter vehemently exercised his own self-will; Jesus in contrast voluntarily submitted to the will of God. One swung the sword of self-will; the other drank from the cup of God’s will. See Matt. 16:22,23 for another attempt by Peter to control God’s plan for Jesus. cut off his right ear: Jesus mercifully restored the ear (Luke 22:51) that Peter cut off. He often does the same in our lives when we act rashly. His purposes are fulfilled in spite of us.

18:12 A captain was the chief officer of a Roman cohort (v. 3).

18:13 Annas was high priest from A.D. 7 to 14. He was deposed by the Romans. Then Caiaphas, Annas’s son-in-law, was appointed to the position and served from A.D. 18 to 37. However, according to Jewish law the high priest was a lifetime position, so the Jews still considered Annas to be high priest. So they took Jesus to Annas first. Caiaphas would soon be involved, however, since he had the authority to carry out the plan (see v. 14).

18:14 In passing, John reminds the reader of the earlier prediction of Caiaphas (11:50–52): Jesus would die for the entire nation.

18:15 another disciple: Although this other disciple is never identified, the consensus is that he was John, the author of this Gospel.

18:17 I am not: This was the first of Peter’s three denials prophesied by Jesus (13:38).

18:21 Ask those who have heard Me: According to the law, the witnesses for the defense had to be called first. Jesus should not have been questioned until witnesses had testified.

18:22 the officers . . . struck Jesus: This was illegal according to Jewish law. There was to be no punishment before conviction.

18:23 bear witness: Jesus invited His accusers to present evidence that He had done something wrong.

18:25 I am not: This was the second of Peter’s three denials prophesied by Jesus (13:38).

18:27 Peter then denied again: For the third time, Peter denied the Lord, as Jesus had said he would (13:38). In the Upper Room, Peter had boasted that he would remain true to the Lord to the end (see 13:37; Matt. 26:33,35). In the garden he surrendered to the desires of his body, by sleeping three times when the Lord had commanded the disciples to stay up in prayer (Mark 14:32–42). Now he submitted to the pressure of the world and denied the Lord three times.

18:28 The Praetorium was the Roman governor’s official residence, probably the Fortress Antonia near the temple. Early morning refers to the fourth watch of the night, from 3 to 6 A.M. A Roman court could have been held immediately after sunrise, and this scene could have taken place around 6 A.M. defiled: During Passover, if a Jew entered a house that contained leaven, he or she would be ceremonially defiled and unable to celebrate the feast. Thus Jews would not enter the residence of any Gentile for fear of being ceremonially defiled. Passover: The main meal of the Passover had taken place. The synoptic Gospels report that Jesus celebrated that meal the night before (see Matt. 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–22). However, there were other ceremonial meals during the Passover, which lasted the entire week.

18:29,30 What accusation: Pilate was not ignorant of the accusation. He was merely requesting that it be formally stated. If He were not an evildoer: Jesus’ accusers had no charge that would stand up in a Roman court. Therefore they sullenly replied, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

18:31 You take Him and judge Him: The accusations did not warrant a trial before Pilate. It is not lawful: The Romans did not allow the Jews to impose capital punishment. These Jewish leaders had no interest in a just trial; they simply wanted permission from Rome to have Jesus executed.

18:32 signifying by what death He would die: Jesus had said, “If I am lifted up from the earth,” indicating the method of His death, crucifixion (12:32,33). The Jewish method of execution was stoning. However, Jesus had already indicated that He would be crucified. John is pointing out that the Jewish leaders’ inability to impose capital punishment themselves fulfilled Jesus’ prediction describing His death.

18:33 Are You the King of the Jews: The Jews charged that Jesus claimed to be their king. From their standpoint, this was the most damaging accusation possible because it would be regarded by the Romans as treason and would be punishable by death. In the Greek text, you is emphatic, perhaps indicating that Pilate did not think the forlorn figure before him looked like the defiant rebels he was used to dealing with as claimants to the Jewish throne.

18:34 Are you speaking for yourself: In reply to Pilate, Jesus gave no violent protest of innocence, nor was He sullenly defiant. Jesus politely but directly asked whether Pilate was asking on his own initiative or whether the charge was secondhand. If Pilate’s question originated with him, he was using king in the Roman sense of a political ruler. If not, then king was being used in the Jewish sense of the messianic King.

18:35 Am I a Jew: Pilate was asking, “Is it likely that I, a Roman governor, would have any interest in a Jewish question?”

18:36 My kingdom is not of this world: Jesus pointed out that though He was a king, he was no threat to Rome because His kingdom would not come by a worldly revolution.

18:37 bear witness to the truth: The truth was the seal of God. hears My voice: If Pilate wanted to know the truth, he would understand what Jesus was saying.

18:38 What is truth: This question has been interpreted as (1) a cynical denial of the possibility of knowing truth; (2) a contemptuous jest at anything so impractical as abstract truth; and (3) a desire to know what no one had been able to tell him. No fault is a legal term meaning that there were no grounds for a criminal charge. Teaching the truth was not against the law. Pilate pronounced Jesus not guilty.

18:39 you have a custom: It appears that some in the crowd suggested that a prisoner should be released in honor of the Passover (see Mark 15:8,11). Pilate jumped at the possible compromise. By promising to release Jesus on account of the custom rather than by proclaiming Him innocent, Pilate would avoid insulting the Jewish leaders, who had already pronounced Him guilty.

18:40 The people demanded that Pilate release Barabbas, who was not only a robber, but a rebel (Mark 15:7) and a murderer (Luke 23:19).