The Gospel of John: John 18.1-40

Read and meditate on John 18.1-40.
The passion of our Lord Jesus begins. Betrayed in the garden, denied in the court of the high priest, scorned by religious and civil authorities alike, He bore up nobly and resolutely as God set the stage for His greatest work of glory.

                                   ¹And when
He had thus prayed and spoken, Jesus went
with His disciples over Kidron Brook.
There was a garden there, and Jesus took
His friends into it with Him. ²Judas, who
betrayed Him, knew the place, for Jesus used
to meet there with them. ³Judas came there then,
and with him, officers and soldiers sent
by the chief priests and Pharisees. And they
had lanterns, weapons, torches to display
and wield. ⁴So Jesus, fully knowing all
that was about to happen to Him, saw
the mob approaching, and He went to them
and said, “Whom do you seek?” ⁵They answered Him,
“We’re seeking Jesus, He of Nazareth.”
He answered, “I am He.” And he was with
them who betrayed Him, Judas. ⁶When He said
unto them, “I am He,” they, full of dread,
drew back, and fell down to the ground. ⁷Then He
inquired of them again, “Whom do you seek?”
And they said, “Jesus.” ⁸Jesus answered, “I
have told you I am He. So therefore, why
should you detain these others; let them go,
since you seek Me.” ⁹Now Jesus said this so
that what He prayed might be fulfilled, “Let none
Whom You have given Me be lost.” ¹⁰Then one
of His disciples, Simon Peter, drew
a sword, and struck the high priest’s servant, who
was Malchus, and cut off his ear. ¹²So to
him Jesus said, “Put up your sword into
its sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My
own Father has assigned Me?” ¹²So they tied
His hands, arrested Him, ¹³and led Him to
a man named Annas, who was kindred to
the high priest, Caiaphas. ¹⁴And was he,
this Caiaphas, who spoke unwittingly
the prophesy that it was better that
one man should die for all the people.

                                                       ¹⁵And
so Simon Peter followed Jesus, and
another of His friends, also. And that
disciple, since the high priest knew him, went
along with Jesus as the soldiers led
Him to the high priest’s court yard. ¹⁶Peter stayed
outside; but that other disciple made
it possible for him to enter. Since
he knew the priest, he managed to convince
the keeper of the door to let him in.
¹⁷The servant girl, who kept the door, said when
she let him in, “Aren’t you one of this Man’s
disciples?” He said, “I am not.” ¹⁸So then,
since it was cold, they made a fire to warm
themselves. And Peter stood there, too, to warm
himself.

              ¹⁹The high priest questioned Jesus then
of His disciples, and His doctrine. ²⁰Then
He answered, “I have spoken openly
to all the world, in synagogues, to meet
where all the Jews do, in the temple. I
in secret have said nothing. ²¹So then why
do you ask Me? Ask those who heard Me what
I said to them. Indeed, they really ought
to know.” ²²And when He said this, standing by,
an officer struck Jesus, saying, “Why
do you speak thus to the high priest?” ²³And He
replied, “If I have spoken wrong, show Me
the evil; but if well, then why do you
strike Me?” ²⁴Then Annas bound and sent Him to
the high priest, Caiaphas.

                                  ²⁵Now Peter stood
and warmed himself. Then someone said, “You should
be one of His disciples, are you?” He
said, “I am not.” ²⁶Then one who served the priest,
a relative of him who had his ear
cut off by Peter, said, “Were you not there
with Jesus, in the garden?” ²⁷Peter then
denied again that it was so, and when
he did, a rooster crowed.

                                 ²⁸So after this
the Jews led Jesus out from Caiaphas
to the Praetorium. The day was just
beginning. They did not go in there, lest
they be defiled, and kept from joining in
the Passover. ²⁹So Pontius Pilate then
went out to them and said, “What charge do you
bring here against this Man?” ³⁰They said unto
him, “We would not be here at all if He
were not an evildoer, nor would we
deliver Him to you.” ³¹Then Pilate said,
“Take Him and judge Him by your law instead.”
They said to him, “Our law does not allow
us to put Him to death,” ³²and this is how
the word of Jesus was fulfilled, when He
explained how He would die.

                                        ³³Immediately,
returning to the Praetorium, Pilate said
to Him, “Are You the king of the Jews?” ³⁴Instead
of answering, Jesus asked, “Do you speak for
yourself of this concern? Or is it more
the case that you are only listening to
what others have reported unto you?”
³⁵Then Pilate answered, and to Jesus said,
“Am I a Jew? Your nation and the head
of all the priests have brought You here before
me. Just what have You done? ³⁶He said therefore,
“My Kingdom is not of this world. If My
domain were, then My servants all would fight
that I might not be handed over to
the Jews. But now the Kingdom which I rule
is not from here.” ³⁷Then Pilate said unto
Him, “Are You then a king?” “Yes, rightly you
have said I am a King,” said Jesus. I
was born for this cause, and for this cause I
have come into the world, to testify
concerning truth. Everyone who My
voice hears is of the truth.” ³⁸Then Pilate said
to Him, “Truth. What is truth?” And when he said
this, he went out again and said unto
the Jews, “I find no fault in Him. ³⁹But you
a custom have, that at this feast I should
release one prisoner. Does it thus seem good
to you that I release your ‘King’?” ⁴⁰They said
together, “Not this Man. Release instead
Barabbas!” Now he was a thief.

- John 18.1-40

Reflect
1. How would you describe the demeanor of Jesus throughout this beginning of His passion? How does He seem to you? Did Jesus practice what He preached? Explain. Complete this prayer: Lord Jesus, truly You are my Rock and my Fortress, so that, in times of trial, I…

2.  Jesus came to earth to glorify God the Father. In His demeanor, and in the response of people to His demeanor, we glimpse the beauty, majesty, strength, purity, and power of God. Explain. When we live like this, to the glory of God in even the smallest details of our lives (1 Cor. 10.31), what kind of responses should we expect? Give me grace, heavenly Father, to seek Your glory in all things, so that…

3.  Peter’s faith was tried in this situation as well. But Peter did not bear up well. Why did Peter fail his time of trial? If you had been there as Peter was entering the high priest’s courtyard, how might you have counseled him? German theologian Helmut Thielicke wrote that to be faced with temptation is be at the point of wanting to be disloyal to God. What can you learn from Peter’s failure to help you remain loyal to God at all times? Thank You, Lord, that when I am tempted, You are there with me, to…

4.  Pilate also underwent a trial of sorts. He was the highest authority in the land. Would he wield his authority for good, as a true servant of God (Rom. 13.1-5)? What seem to have been the guiding principles in Pilate’s decisions? Are we ever tempted to make decisions this way? Explain. Lord Jesus, help me always to weigh my decisions in the light of Your Word and Your glory, and…

5. Jesus accepted the charge of claiming to be a king, but with a twist. Explain. We are citizens and ambassadors of His Kingdom, and we are not from or of this world, even though we are in it. How would you explain to a new Christian what it means to be called to the Kingdom and glory of God (1 Thess. 2.12)? Bring together into one prayer the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“How many were offended … when they made that dreadful and monstrous assertion that the robber and housebreaker, the man laden with the crime of murder, deserved to be released rather than Jesus. How many were offended when, having received permission from the judge to make their choice, they preferred Barabbas, desiring not only to crucify Christ but also to involve him in infamy? For they thought that by these means they should be able to manufacture the belief that he was worse than the robber and such a great transgressor that neither on the plea of mercy nor the privilege of the festival was it possible to save him. For they did everything for the purpose of slandering his fame. This is also why they crucified the two robbers with him. Nevertheless the truth was not obscured but shone forth all the more clearly.” John Chrysostom (244-407 AD)

In this world, Jesus promised, we will have tribulations – trials (Jn. 16.33). Like Peter, Pilate, and Jesus, our faith, our worldview, and our calling as followers of Christ will be called into question from time to time. How can we prepare for such trials, so that in Jesus, we overcome, and do not fail?

Closing Prayer
You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

Psalm 22.23-31

Psalm 22.29-31 (Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
All the prosp’rous of the earth shall before His mercy fall;
Bending low before His worth, hear them humbly on Him call.
Even those low in the grave He will by His mercy save.

Let the generations all witness to His saving grace;
Let them to all nations call, “Bow before His holy face!”
Let the children of the earth hear of Jesus’ saving worth!

T. M. Moore
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.