John 18
18
1 #
Mt 26.30,36; Mk 14.26,32; Lk 22.39; 2 Sam 15.23. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples across the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3#Mt 26.47-56; Mk 14.43-50; Lk 22.47-53. So Judas, procuring a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4#Jn 6.64; 13.1. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6When he said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7Again he asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he; so, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9#Jn 17.12; 6.39. This was to fulfil the word which he had spoken, “Of those whom thou gavest me I lost not one.” 10Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. 11#Mk 10.38; 14.36. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?”
12 #
Mt 26.57; Mk 14.53; Lk 22.54; 3.2. So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him. 13First they led him to Annas; for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14#Jn 11.49-51. It was Caiaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 #
Mt 26.58; Mk 14.54; Lk 22.54. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this disciple was known to the high priest, he entered the court of the high priest along with Jesus, 16while Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17#Mt 26.69-72; Mk 14.66-69; Lk 22.56-58. The maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are not you also one of this man's disciples?” He said, “I am not.” 18Now the servants#18.18 Or slaves and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves; Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
19 #
Mt 26.59-66; Mk 14.55-64; Lk 22.67-71. The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together; I have said nothing secretly. 21Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23#Mt 5.39; Acts 23.2-5. Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24#Jn 18.13; Lk 3.2. Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
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Mt 26.73-75; Mk 14.70-72; Lk 22.59-62. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “Are not you also one of his disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26One of the servants#18.26 Or slaves of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27Peter again denied it; and at once the cock crowed.
28 #
Jn 11.55; Mt 27.1-2; Mk 15.1; Lk 23.1. Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover. 29#Mt 27.11-14; Mk 15.2-5; Lk 23.2-3. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30They answered him, “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over.” 31Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” 32#Jn 3.14; 12.32. This was to fulfil the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death he was to die.
33Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36#Jn 6.15; Mt 26.53. Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” 37#Jn 3.32; 8.14,47; 1 Jn 4.6. Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” 38#Mt 27.15-26; Mk 15.6-15; Lk 23.18-19; Acts 3.14. Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again, and told them, “I find no crime in him. 39But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you the King of the Jews?” 40They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
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John 18: RSV
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
John 18
18
Seized in the Garden at Night
1Jesus, having prayed this prayer, left with his disciples and crossed over the brook Kidron at a place where there was a garden. He and his disciples entered it.
2-4Judas, his betrayer, knew the place because Jesus and his disciples went there often. So Judas led the way to the garden, and the Roman soldiers and police sent by the high priests and Pharisees followed. They arrived there with lanterns and torches and swords. Jesus, knowing by now everything that was imploding on him, went out and met them. He said, “Who are you after?”
They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
5-6He said, “That’s me.” The soldiers recoiled, totally taken aback. Judas, his betrayer, stood out like a sore thumb.
7Jesus asked again, “Who are you after?”
They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8-9“I told you,” said Jesus, “that’s me. I’m the one. So if it’s me you’re after, let these others go.” (This validated the words in his prayer, “I didn’t lose one of those you gave.”)
10Just then Simon Peter, who was carrying a sword, pulled it from its sheath and struck the Chief Priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. Malchus was the servant’s name.
11Jesus ordered Peter, “Put back your sword. Do you think for a minute I’m not going to drink this cup the Father gave me?”
12-14Then the Roman soldiers under their commander, joined by the Jewish police, seized Jesus and tied him up. They took him first to Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the Chief Priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.
15-16Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That other disciple was known to the Chief Priest, and so he went in with Jesus to the Chief Priest’s courtyard. Peter had to stay outside. Then the other disciple went out, spoke to the doorkeeper, and got Peter in.
17The young woman who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “Aren’t you one of this man’s disciples?”
He said, “No, I’m not.”
18The servants and police had made a fire because of the cold and were huddled there warming themselves. Peter stood with them, trying to get warm.
The Interrogation
19-21Annas interrogated Jesus regarding his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered, “I’ve spoken openly in public. I’ve taught regularly in meeting places and the Temple, where the Jews all come together. Everything has been out in the open. I’ve said nothing in secret. So why are you treating me like a traitor? Question those who have been listening to me. They know well what I have said. My teachings have all been aboveboard.”
22When he said this, one of the policemen standing there slapped Jesus across the face, saying, “How dare you speak to the Chief Priest like that!”
23Jesus replied, “If I’ve said something wrong, prove it. But if I’ve spoken the plain truth, why this slapping around?”
24Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to the Chief Priest Caiaphas.
25Meanwhile, Simon Peter was back at the fire, still trying to get warm. The others there said to him, “Aren’t you one of his disciples?”
He denied it, “Not me.”
26One of the Chief Priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
27Again, Peter denied it. Just then a rooster crowed.
The King of the Jews
28-29They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn’t enter the palace because they didn’t want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and spoke. “What charge do you bring against this man?”
30They said, “If he hadn’t been doing something evil, do you think we’d be here bothering you?”
31-32Pilate said, “You take him. Judge him by your law.”
The Jews said, “We’re not allowed to kill anyone.” (This would confirm Jesus’ word indicating the way he would die.)
33Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
34Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?”
35Pilate said, “Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?”
36“My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”
37Then Pilate said, “So, are you a king or not?”
Jesus answered, “You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice.”
38-39Pilate said, “What is truth?”
Then he went back out to the Jews and told them, “I find nothing wrong in this man. It’s your custom that I pardon one prisoner at Passover. Do you want me to pardon the ‘King of the Jews’?”
40They shouted back, “Not this one, but Barabbas!” Barabbas was a Jewish freedom fighter.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.