Soar Like Eagles (Parts 40-41)
The Betrayal, Arrest, Denials, and Pilate - John 18:1-19:16

Melodies bring a smile to your face, and others bring a tear to your
eye. Some remind you of the best days of your life, and some bring back
heartbreaks.
This is something we know and expect from songs, but we should also
expect it from passages in the Bible. They, too, have their own
particular moods.
Our text for this study is one of the most distressing and painful
passages in the Scriptures.
For seventeen chapters, we have read the story of Jesus' life and
ministry. John reported what Jesus said and did, arranging his story so
that it would produce faith in hearts of the readers. At the beginning of
chapter 18, Jesus was moving decisively toward the cross, the stated goal
and purpose of His life.
This emotionally difficult section tells of three trials which took
place in the hours before Jesus' crucifixion: the trials of Jesus, Peter,
and Pilate. These trials are woven together like a three-strand rope,
together containing God's message about His Son and the importance of
belief in Him.

These final chapters of John have generally been called "The Period Of
Consummation" which covers the close of Jesus' life.
It is so named because its content revealed the consummation of the
tension of belief and unbelief:
- unbelief reached its deepest infamy in the rejection and crucifixion
of Jesus
- belief reached its highest achievement in the action of the
disciples at the time of the resurrection and afterward.
- man will do his worst, and God will respond with His very best!

The earthly work of Jesus was completed by these events. His statement
in 17:4: "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you
gave me to do" shows that He regarded His death as the apex of His career
and the fulfillment of His commission.
Simeon the aged prophet told Mary, the mother of Jesus, some 33 years
before of this night: Luke 2:34-35: "Then Simeon blessed them and said to
Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising
of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, {35} so
that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will
pierce your own soul too."
In other words, Jesus was born to be a "sign spoken against" or a
spectacle, which was about to begin. He will be betrayed by one of His
closest friends. He will be arrested, mocked, ridiculed, falsely and
illegally tried and condemned.
And He will also be denied by the one closest to Him and the same one
who swore that he would never let Him down.
Then, declared innocent at first, Jesus will, because of political
expediency, be given over to His murderers. But through it all it was not
the Son of God on trial --- it was mankind on trial that black night.
A comparison of the accusation of the priests... "He made himself the
Son of God" (19:7) with Thomas' confession, "My Lord and my God" (20:28)
illustrates well the respective climaxes of unbelief and belief. In this
period the plot of Judas reached its conclusion.
John added to the final days of Jesus' life the following accounts not
given in the synoptics:
- the trial before Annas (18:12-24)
- some detail about the hearing before Pilate
- the committal of Mary to the beloved disciple (19:25-27)
- the four last words from the cross
- the visit of Peter and the other disciples to the tomb (20:3-10)
- the interview with Mary Magdalene (20:11-18)
- the remarks of Thomas (20:24-29) - the appearance to
the seven disciples at Galilee (21:1-24)
John omitted:
- the agony in Gethsemane
- the rending of the veil
- the group of women at the tomb
- the walk to Emmaus
- the great commission
- the ascension

Definite reason cannot be given for the inclusion or omission of each
of these items, but the principle of selectivity which the author gave in
his key to the gospel was doubtless applied.
The choice may have been governed by the desire to use fresh material,
or it was connected with the principle of relevancy to the central theme
of "belief and unbelief."

* THE BETRAYAL (18:1-11)
The Kidron Valley is located east of Jerusalem, between the city wall
and the Mount of Olives; and the garden is on the western slope of
Olivet.
Jesus often went to this garden with His disciples, no doubt to rest,
meditate, and pray (Luke 22:39). Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims
attending the Passover, and Jesus would want to get away from the crowded
city to a private place. He knew that Judas would come for Him and He was
ready.
While these words related directly to His going to meet the party that
had come to capture Him, it was indicative of His entire attitude.
He went to the garden with full knowledge that Judas had gone to
bargain with the priests for His betrayal and would look for him in this
familiar rendezvous.
The warning of Jesus to Judas at the Passover supper, (John 13:27: "As
soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about
to do, do quickly," Jesus told him") forced Judas to do immediately what
he had not planned to do until after the feast was over.
Matthew 26:5 ("But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be
a riot among the people") shows us that the priests had no intention of
arresting Jesus during the feast, lest there be a popular tumult ... but
the opportunity that he could be in their hands couldn't be passed off.
Judas had lived with Jesus for three years ... yet he knew very little
about Him. He actually brought a company of temple guards, armed with
swords and clubs (Matt. 26:55).
A Roman cohort (band) was 600 men!

- The Surrender Was Conscious
"So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some
officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying
torches, lanterns and weapons. {4} Jesus, knowing all that was going to
happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?""
Between the dismissal of Judas from the upper room and the actual
arrest in the garden, at least two hours must have elapsed. In that time
Jesus could have left Jerusalem and have been well on His way across the
river to Perea, or to some hiding place where the Jewish leaders could
not have found Him.
Judas' betrayal would have recoiled on himself, since he would have
failed to produce Jesus, and undoubtedly, the priest would have wreaked
the vengeance of their disappointment on him. At one stroke Jesus could
have saved Himself and could have dispensed of the traitor.
Why should He have gone deliberately to the place where Judas would
surely look for Him, and wait until the traitor came to capture Him?
Furthermore, when the mob with Judas at its head finally arrived, Jesus
walked boldly out to meet it.
His complete calm, determined resolution, sublime majesty, and
commanding manner and courage frightened the would-be captors so that
they shrank back from Him and fell on the ground!
This was foretold in Psalms 27:2: "When evil men advance against me to
devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble
and fall."
One writer said, correctly: "They were caught, instead of catching
Him."
The kiss was the basest act of treachery recorded anywhere! It was a
sign of affection and devotion. When people today pretend to know and
love the Lord, they are committing the sin of Judas.

- The Surrender was Vicarious.
""I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for
me, then let these men go." {9} This happened so that the words he had
spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me.""

Verse 9 seems to be John's own parenthetical insertion into the
narrative here as John is writing the account years later to show that
what Jesus had prophesied in 6:39, 10:28, and 17:12 was in part fulfilled
in this very incident.
He gave Himself in the place of the disciples all of whom made good
their escape. The essence of the atonement was illustrated by this act of
Jesus, who purchased their security by His sacrifice.

- The Surrender was Loving.
"Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high
priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was
Malchus.) {11} Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not
drink the cup the Father has given me?""
Peter, in a fit of loyal zeal, drew a sword and cut off the ear of
Malchus, a servant of the high priest. the probability is that in nervous
haste he struck three inches wide of his original aim! Certainly, it was
not Peter's intention to damage only an ear!
Peter's sword symbolizes rebellion against the will of God. He made
every mistake possible:
- fought the wrong people
- had the wrong motive
- used the wrong weapon
- accomplished the wrong result

Besides: Jesus didn't need Peter's protection! He could have summoned
legions of angels had He wanted to Be delivered (Matthew 26:52-54: "Put
your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the
sword will die by the sword. {53} Do you think I cannot call on my
Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions
of angels? {54} But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say
it must happen in this way?")

The reason fo His command and the refusal of this courageous act is
varied:
- The cup which the Father had given Him, He must drink, and Peter's
deed is at variance with this determination of His to do so
- Jesus must be able to say to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this
world..." (18:36) and if He allows them to fight with carnal weapons He
cannot so answer
- It is worthy of note in passing that this record, which not only
gives the name of the servant but tells it was his right ear, certainly
is the record of one who was an eyewitness!

Luke records a rebuke of Peter and also the healing of the ear by
Jesus, which was motivated by love.

* THE TRIAL BEFORE ANNAS (18:12-27)
"Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish
officials arrested Jesus. They bound him {13} and brought him first to
Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
{14} Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good
if one man died for the people."
The trial before Annas took place at his private lodgings. He was the
father-in-law of Caiaphas, who had been high priest between the years 7
to 14, and following him at intervals, five of his sons and his
son-in-law held the office.
Ever since the Romans had occupied Palestine the high priests no
longer held office for life as the Old Testament law legislated. They
were not appointed by the Romans as they saw fit.
He wielded a powerful influence, and was regarded as high priest
emeritus. In this case he was consulted that he might render a
preliminary opinion to establish the nature of the accusations which
should be ratified by the Sanhedrin in a formal meeting on the following
morning.
Hendriksen said of Annas: "He was very proud, exceedingly ambitious,
and fabulously wealthy. His family was notoriouis for its greed. The main
source of his wealth seems to have been a goodly share of the proceeds
from the price of sacrificial animals, which were sold in the Court of
the Gentiles. By him the house of prayer had been turned into a den of
robbers.
Even the Talmud declares: "Woe to the family of Annas! Woe to the
serpent-like hisses! (probably the whisperings of Annas and the members
of his family, seeking to bribe and influence the judges)."
The reason that John makes the parenthetical notice of verse 14 is
because of the significance of his statement that it was expedient for
one man to die for the whole nation (John 11:49-52). He'd been planning
for the death of Christ for a long time and he and his father-in-law were
two of a kind.
"Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and
his teaching. {20} "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I
always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come
together. I said nothing in secret. {21} Why question me? Ask those who
heard me. Surely they know what I said." {22} When Jesus said this, one
of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you
answer the high priest?" he demanded. {23} "If I said something wrong,"
Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth,
why did you strike me?" {24} Then Annas sent him, still bound, to
Caiaphas the high priest."

* THREE JEWISH (Religious) and THREE ROMAN (Civil) TRIALS
Because John does not include all the trials of Jesus, I will list them
here for your knowledge, though time will likely not allow you to discuss
them in any detail:
- Jewish trials: religious in nature.
a. First trial (John 12:12-24).
He stood before Annas.

b. Second trial (Matt. 26:57-66).
Before Caiaphas, the high priest, and the Sanhedrin quickly condemned
Him, with the help of false witnesses and much false evidence ... he was
mocked and beaten.

c. Third trial (Matt. 27:102).
The Sanhedrin pronounced its verdict: guilty of blasphemy! But the
Sanhedrin did not have the legal right to put anyone to death ... the
Roman government had to decide that issue.

- Roman trials (civil in nature):
d. Fourth trial (Matt. 27:11-14).
Pilate, Judea's governor, presided. Jesus offered no defense, not even to
a single charge, and Pilate was amazed by it.
Most people do not take note of Pilate's wife and her message to him:
Matt. 27:19: "While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent
him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for
I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."


e. Fifth trial (Luke 23:8-12).
Herod Antipas, the governor of Galilee, presided. Since Jesus was a
Galilean, Pilate used this opportunity to send him out of his sight.
Luke tells us that the governor had wanted to meet Jesus for a long
time, since he'd heard about him ... and he hoped to see him perform some
miracles.
It's interesting here, also, to note that Jesus brought Herod and
Pilate together as friends, though before these events they had been
enemies!

f. Sixth trial (John 18:39—19:16).
Pilate, again in charge, pronounced the verdict: guilty of treason,
but he washed his hands of the whole affair (in his mind) and gave Jesus
to His enemies. He granted them the go-ahead to crucify the One they
hated.

REGULATIONS IN FORCE WHEN A QUORUM (23) OF THE
SANHEDRIN WENT TO TRIAL
The Jews took their legal instruction from the Mosaic Law as
interpreted for them in the Talmud. Judged according to this scale, the
trials were weighed and found wanting.

1. All arrests for a capital cime must be made in broad daylight and all
criminal cases must be tried during the daytime and completed during the
daytime (this one was conducted at night).

2. Criminal cases could not be transacted during the Passover season
(Luke 22:1-5)

3. Arrest for a criminal crime may not be made based on information by
the offender's follower -- for if the accused were a criminal, so were
his followers.

4. Only if a verdict of not guuilty could a case be finished on the day
it was begun. If someone was accused of a capital offense, those who were
to render verdicts were to return to their homes for 2 days and nights,
eating only light food, drinking only light wines, and sleeping well.
Then they were to return and hear again the testimony against the
accusedand cast their vote.

5 . In regard to witnesses, all evidence had to be guaranteed by two
witnesses, seperately examined, and having no contact with each other.
False witnessing was punishable by death.

6. All were considered innocent and that evidence was to be given first,
before the evidence for is guilt was given.

7. The Sanhedrin must vote one at a time, the younger men first, so as
not to be influenced by the older men on the council. In the third
trial, they all voted simultaneously.

* THE THREE DENIALS OF PETER (18:15-18, 25-27)
"Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this
disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high
priest's courtyard, {16} but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The
other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the
girl on duty there and brought Peter in. {17} "You are not one of his
disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am
not." {18} It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a
fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them,
warming himself. {19} Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about
his disciples and his teaching. {20} "I have spoken openly to the world,"
Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all
the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. {21} Why question me?
Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said." {22} When Jesus
said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this
the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded. {23} "If I said
something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I
spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" {24} Then Annas sent him, still
bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. {25} As Simon Peter stood warming
himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He
denied it, saying, "I am not." {26} One of the high priest's servants, a
relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't
I see you with him in the olive grove?" {27} Again Peter denied it, and
at that moment a rooster began to crow."

Peter’s three denials (harmonized through the four gospels)
FIRST DENIAL SECOND THIRD
Matthew 26:69-70 26:71-71 26:73-74
Mark 14:66-68 14:69-70a 4:70b-72
Luke 22:56-57 22:58 22:59-60
John 18:15-18 18:25 18:26-27

Matthew tells us that Peter began to swear (26:74). One writer said:
"He was on trial, so he put himself under an oath to convince his
accusers that he was telling the truth." At that point, the cock began to
crow.
Luke (22:32) tells us that Jesus immediately looked Peter squarely
between his eyes --- and into his soul!

The following ideas have been placed with the "look of the Master:"
- His look was a talisman dissolving the spell in which Peter was held.
Peter was so engrossed in his scheming to rescue Jesus that he needed to
be brought to himself again.

- The look of Christ was a mirror in which Peter saw himself. He saw what
Christ thought of him. His past confessions and professions of courage
and "I will fight to death with you" came rushing back upon his mind.

- It was a rescuing look. Had it been an angry look he saw on Jesus' face
when their eyes met, Peter's fate might have been the same as Judas'. In
that look of an instant Peter saw forgiveness and unutterable love.
We're not sure that Peter saw this in one look ... but what he did see
was enough to cause him to go out and weep bitterly.


* THE INTERVIEW WITH PILATE (18:28-19:16).
The trial before Pilate is given more space in John than in any one of
the other gospels, in spite of certain omissions from his narative.
John's portrayal of this incident was designed to bring the
personalities of the two into sharp relief.
As we read this, we'll see quickly that Pilate was on trial here, not
Jesus! Pilate was seeking any loophole possible that would please all
sides. He was afraid of the crowd, at least three times announcing that
Jesus was not guilty of any crime (Luke 23:14; 23:22; John 19:4, 6). Yet,
he refused to release Him!
The first impression given of Pilate was his reluctance to take part
in the action. He likely had been forewarned, since he was surprisingly
available at this unseasonably hour.
The trial with Pilate revolved around four key questions:

1. "What is the accusation?" (18:28-32).
"Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman
governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial
uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to
eat the Passover. {29} So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What
charges are you bringing against this man?" {30} "If he were not a
criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." {31}
Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we
have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. {32} This happened
so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was
going to die would be fulfilled."

Action in criminal cases was subject to Pilate as the ruling Roman
governor, since Rome had divested the Jewish Sanhedrin of the authority
to inflict capital punishment. His initial question was a part of the
usual legal routine.
Formal complaint had to be lodged before he could proceed with the
case. It was also plain to Pilate that these Jewish rulers were trying to
embroil him in their religious wranglings...his question in verse 29
tells us he did not intend to become a mere tool in their hands.

Luke 23:2 lists three ‘official charges:’
- He led the nation astray.
Of course, He had not subverted the nation, either politically or
religiously. He had publicly denounced the Pharisees and their
hypocritical religious system. He had blessed the nation and brought them
new hope. The fact that some of the militant Jews saw in Him a potential
king (John 6:15) was not our Lord's fault, and He fled from all such
political demonstrations.

- He opposed paying tribute to Caesar.
He taught just the opposite in Matthew 22:21.

- He claimed to be the Jewish Messiah and King.
He did claim to be King but not in a political sense. Even His own
disciples did not fully understand these truths until after His
resurrection (Acts 1:1-8)
Had the Sanhedrin possessed the right to execute Jesus, they
undoubtedly would have stoned Him to death, for stoning was prescribed by
the law (Lev. 20:27). Crucifixion was the Roman method which Jesus had
foretold.

2. "Are you the king of the Jews?" (18:33-38).
"Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked
him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" {34} "Is that your own idea," Jesus
asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" {35} "Am I a Jew?" Pilate
replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over
to me. What is it you have done?" {36} Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of
this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by
the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." {37} "You are a
king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a
king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the
world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to
me." {38} "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to
the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him."
The question asking Jesus if he was king of the Jews is recorded by
each of the Gospel writers. Messianic expectations always ran high at
Passover season, and it would be easy for a Jewish pretender to incite
the people into a riot or a rebellion against Rome. Pilate no doubt felt
himself on safe ground when he asked about Christ's kingship.
However, he was not prepared for the answer! Jesus was not evading the
issue; He was forcing Pilate to clarify the matter for his own sake.
Pilate explodes with indignation when Jesus answers him the way he does
(vs. 34). His contempt for the Jews and his impatience with Jesus come
to the surface.
Jesus proceeds to explain that His kingdom was not of this world.
Pilate's anger subsided into baffled curisoity (vs. 37). He was well
acquainted with royalty, but could not classify Jesus with any king he
knew.
Pilate pronounced the prisoner innocent of any crime, but notice two
things:
- Jesus tells Pilate why He was upon the earth
Pilate asked the most important question in the world, "What is truth?"
yet never went further to seek to identify it
3. "Shall I release the King of the Jews?" (18:39-19:7).
"But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the
time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"
{40} They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had
taken part in a rebellion."
(John 19:1-7) "Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. {2} The
soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They
clothed him in a purple robe {3} and went up to him again and again,
saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. {4}
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him
out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against
him." {5} When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" {6} As soon as the chief
priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no
basis for a charge against him." {7} The Jews insisted, "We have a law,
and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son
of God.""
The fact that Herod had found nothing worthy of death encourged Pilate
to confront the Jewish leaders and seek to release the prisoner.
Pilate sought to release Jesus in accordance with the annual custom of
pardoning a prisoner at the Passover, then tried to placate the priests
with a halfway punishment and a sentimental presentation (19:5).
Barabbas was a robber (18:40), a notorious prisoner (Matt. 27:16), an
insurrectionist and a murderer (Luke 23:19). Who could possibly want that
kind of a prisoner turned loose!

4. "Where did you come from?" (19:8-16).
The Romans and Greeks had numerous myths about the gods coming to
earth as men (note Acts 14:8-13), so it is likely that Pilate responded
to the phrase "Son of God" with these stories in mind.
"When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, {9} and he went back
inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus
gave him no answer. {10} "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said.
"Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
{11} Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not
given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is
guilty of a greater sin." {12} From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus
free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no
friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." {13}
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's
seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is
Gabbatha). {14} It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the
sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. {15} But they
shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify
your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests
answered. {16} Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So
the soldiers took charge of Jesus."
Why did Jesus not answer Pilate's question? Because He had already
answered it (John 18:36-37). It is a basic spiritual principle that God
does not reveal new truth to us if we fail to act upon the truth we
already know. Furthermore, Pilate had already made it clear that he was
not personally interested in spiritual truth.
Of course, our Lord's silence before both Herod and Pilate was a
fulfillment of Isaiah 53:7. Peter later used this as an example of
suffering Christians to follow (1 Peter 2:18-23).
Jesus then spoke His last words to Pilate, words that reveal His faith
in the Father and His surrender to His will:
"Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not
given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is
guilty of a greater sin." {12} From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus
free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no
friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." {13}
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's
seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is
Gabbatha). {14} It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the
sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. {15} But they
shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify
your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests
answered. {16} Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So
the soldiers took charge of Jesus."
The "preparation" refers to the preparation for the Sabbath which
would begin at sundown that day (Friday). Being the Passover Sabbath, it
was an especially holy day. The religious leaders were more concerned
about their traditions than they were knowing the truth and obeying the
will of God.
Pilate was uneasy throughout this entire proceeding. He made at
least four trips between the outer court where he met the Jews (18:28)
and the inner chamber or hall where he took Jesus for questioning:

- 18:29: Pilate went out to meet the delegation and prisoner
- 18:33: Pilate went in and called Jesus for consultation
- 18:38: Pilate went out again to report his verdict
- 19:1: (inference) Pilate went in again to order the scourging
- 19:4: Pilate went out again to present Jesus
- 19:9: Pilate went back again to question Jesus further
- 19:13: Pilate brought Jesus out again for the final verdict

From the human standpoint, the trial of Jesus was the greatest crime
and tragedy in history. From the divine viewpoint, it was the fulfillment
of prophecy and the accomplishment of the will of God.
The fact that God had planned all of this did not absolve the
participants of their responsibility. In fact, at Pentecost, Peter put
both ideas together in one statement: (Acts 2:23) "This man was handed
over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the
help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."

THE TRIAL OF PETER
The second trial that night was the personal spiritual trial of Peter.
We pick up his story as Jesus was washing the disciples' feet. Peter,
true to his nature, reacted impetuously, at first forbidding Jesus to
wash his feet and then asking Jesus to wash his entire body (13:6-9).
Later, when Jesus told the disciples that He was going where they
could not follow, Peter insisted that nothing could keep him from
following his Master. "Lord," he asked, "why can I not follow You right
now? I will lay down my life for You" (13:37).
Jesus then prophesied, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly,
truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three
times" (13:38). Peter could not imagine what he would say and do within
the next few hours.
Later that night, in the garden, Peter was ready to fight the soldiers
who came to arrest Jesus (18:10). Taking a sword, he struck a man named
Malchus, a slave of the high priest. Although Peter probably intended to
cut off the slave's head, he only struck a glancing blow and cut off the
man's right ear.
As quickly as the fight started, it stopped; Jesus told Peter to put
up his sword. At this point in the story, Peter appeared to be the
boldest and bravest of the disciples.
Peter's personal trial intensified when Jesus was taken to the house
of the high priest. John explained that Peter was actually inside the
courtyard when the following events occurred (18:15, 16). A slave girl
who attended the door asked Peter as he entered, "You are not also one of
this man's disciples, are you?" (18:17). He answered, "I am not." The man
who, only a short time earlier, had been ready to fight the band of
soldiers sent to arrest Jesus, was now intimidated by a single slave
girl!
The night was cold, so the slaves and soldiers built a charcoal fire
by which to warm themselves. Peter was standing with these people around
the fire, warming himself, when one of them said, "You are not also one
of His disciples, are you?" (18:25). For the second time, Peter denied
any connection with Jesus, saying, "I am not."


While Peter was still swallowing the bitterness of his second denial,
another slave spoke up, this one an eyewitness to the events in the
garden and a relative of the man Peter had cut with his sword. "Did I not
see you in the garden with Him?" (18:26) the man asked. John recorded
that "Peter therefore denied it again; and immediately a cock crowed"
(18:27). While Jesus was tried and found innocent, Peter was tried and
found to be a coward.
The Gospels should always be read on three different levels. At the
first level is the question of what happened in Jesus' life. At the
second level is the issue of what the Gospel writer intended for the
early church to learn from his retelling of the story. On the third
level, we should ask what this Gospelmeans for our lives today.
A "first level" reading of Peter's trial tells us that Peter denied
Jesus three times.
A "second level" reading brings us to a message which has been
presented several times already' in this Gospel, namely that Christians
must be willing to demonstrate their faith publicly, even when doing so
may bring severe persecution.
Our "third level" reading calls us to be bold in our faith and to
confess our commitment to Jesus, even though the world may ridicule or
hurt us.
A good friend of mine went to Africa as a missionary in 1995. He loves
the Lord and has a tremendous commitment to share the gospel with others.
By virtue of being a foreign missionary, he stands out as a zealous
Christian. In one of his early work reports, he wrote about his plane
flight to Africa:
"... one man who sat next to me on the airplane to Uganda last Spring
said something which
has stuck with me like a shadow. After I explained that we were coming to
Uganda to preach about Jesus Christ,
the European man said to me, "Excuse me,but don't they already have gods
in Africa." I didn't know
how to respond, so I said nothing.

What bothered my friend about that experience, I think, was that he
felt like Peter on the night of Jesus' arrest. I, too, know what it is
like to be intimidated into silence. John's Gospel tells the story of
Peter's trial as a warning to us about the conspiring forces in our world
that cause us to do the unthinkable: to deny our Lord!

CONCLUSION
The three trials we have considered describe the gospel and our
response to it. Jesus was tried and found innocent. You and I, like Peter
and Pilate, are now on trial ourselves. The question for us is "Will we
stand up for the One who died for us?" When the pressure is on, will we
be strong enough to say, "I am a disciple of Jesus the Nazarene"? We
cannot avoid making a decision about Him. What will you do with Jesus?


JOHN 18 IN REVIEW
Jesus left the place of prayer for His meeting with His enemies. "The
brook Kidron" reminds us of King David, who was exiled from his throne by
the rebellion of his own friends and family and passed through that same
body of water (see 2 Sam. 15).

I. The Arrest (18:1-14)
Jesus deliberately met Judas and his band, for He knew what was about to
happen. (See 13:1-3 and 6:6. Jesus always knew what He would do, for He
always knew the will of the Father.) It is interesting to note that the
arrest took place in a garden. Christ, the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), met
the enemy in a garden and triumphed, while the first Adam met the enemy
in a garden and failed. Adam hid himself, but Christ openly revealed
Himself. As you meditate on these two garden scenes, see what other
contrasts you can find.

Judas stood with the enemy. "And being let go, they went to their own
company" (Acts 4:23). People will always go where their hearts are; Judas
had Satan in his heart and so stood with Satan’s crowd. Sad to say, Peter
mixed with this same crowd! Note how Jesus stunned them when He used the
divine name, "I AM!" (The word "he" in v. 6 is not in the original Gk.
manuscripts.) The same name that saves believers (17:6) condemns the
lost.

In v. 8, Jesus warned His disciples to go away, lest they fall into
trouble. He had already told them they would scatter (16:32), but Peter
preferred to remain and fight—and got into danger because of it. Some
have suggested that Peter’s sin was not that he "followed afar off," but
that he followed at all! He should have obeyed the Word and departed.

Verse 9 refers back to 17:12, where Christ spoke of the disciples’
salvation. Here He is talking about their physical protection. Thus,
Christ keeps us in two ways: He preserves our souls in salvation and
keeps our bodies, sealing them by His Spirit, until the day of redemption
(Eph. 1:13-14).

In using the sword, Peter was definitely disobeying Christ. Christ does
not need our protection; the weapons we are to use to fight Satan are
spiritual ones (2 Cor. 10:4-6; Eph. 6). Peter used the wrong weapon, had
the wrong motive, acted under the wrong orders, and accomplished the
wrong result!

How gracious of Jesus to heal Malchus (Luke 22:51) and thus protect Peter
from harm. Otherwise there might have been another cross on Calvary, and
Peter would have been crucified before God’s time had come (John
21:18-19).

II. The Denial (18:15-27)
The narrative focuses on Peter now, and we see his sad decline. In the
Upper Room, Peter had boasted three times that he would remain true to
Christ (Matt. 26:33, 35; John 13:37). In the Garden, he had gone to sleep
three times (Mark 14:32-41) when he should have been praying. Then he
denied the Lord three times, and in John 21 had to confess his love for
Christ three times! In the Upper Room Peter fell into the snare of the
devil (Luke 22:31-34); in the Garden he yielded to the weakness of the
flesh; and now in the priest’s courtyard, he would surrender to the
pressures of the world. How important it is to watch and pray!

We do not know who the unnamed disciple was in v. 15. It may have been
Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea; it is not likely that John (often
called "that other disciple"—20:3) would have been on friendly terms with
the high priest. See Acts 4:1-3. Whoever he was, this disciple led Peter
into a sin by opening the door for him!

Verse 18 says "it was cold," so Peter sat by the fire, but Luke 22:44
states that Christ had been sweating as He prayed that night! Peter was
cold both physically and spiritually and had to warm himself at the
enemy’s fire. He had "walked in the counsel of the ungodly" and was now
"standing in the way of sinners." He would soon "sit in the seat of the
scornful" (see Ps. 1:1). While Christ was suffering, Peter was warming
himself, not sharing Christ’s sufferings at all.

Last modified: April 18, 2006