John 18 - CSB Study Bible for Women

18:1–19:42 Judas knew to look for Jesus in Gethsemane since Jesus often sought the quiet of this garden for prayer and meditation. Located on the lower slope of the Mount of Olives, this site is still marked by a grove of ancient olive trees (18:1).

Peter was obviously devoted to Jesus and courageous enough to risk his own life to defend Jesus against the arresting mob. He was armed and took action impulsively. Although Jesus told Peter, Put your sword away! there is no hint of pacifism here but rather Jesus’s conscious determination to follow the Father’s plan and timing (18:11). Guards from the Jewish temple were joined by a company of soldiers (Gk speira, “military cohort, a tenth of the legion”), likely a contingent of about 300 to 600 Roman soldiers, so the arrest would be legal. The troops were accompanied by a throng of religious leaders. The party seemingly evolved into an armed mob (18:3).

In the account of Jesus’s passion, John to a large degree parallels the Synoptic Gospels. However, John does include some material that is not recorded in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. For instance, John notes the fact that Jesus was brought before Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year (18:12-14,19-24), for an informal trial. Since Jewish law claimed that the role as high priest was one held for life, Annas still exercised authority and influence.

The identity of another disciple (18:15) is not stated in Scripture. Some have speculated that it might have been Joseph of Arimathea, who later made his own personal tomb available for Jesus’s burial, or Nicodemus, who is mentioned as helping Joseph prepare Jesus’s body for burial. However, the person most often identified in this way in the book of John seems to be John himself. In any case, this individual had the distinction of being known by the high priest.

Although the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, had the authority to impose the death penalty, they could not carry out execution without the approval of the Roman government (18:31). The governor’s headquarters (Gk praitōrion, transliterated as Praetorium, “imperial guard”) was probably located close to the palace of Herod (18:28). The Jewish religious leaders would not enter for fear they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover meal.

From Jesus’s final words, clearly love of enemies and steadfast commitment to the will of God were supreme. In Christ’s death was modeled commitment to the two greatest commandments: loving God and loving neighbor, and loving them to the uttermost.