The arrest of Jesus
1 When Jesus had finished speaking, he went with his dis ciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley. There was a garden there where Jesus entered with his disciples.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place since Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
3 He led soldiers of the Roman battalion and guards from the chief priests and Pharisees, who went there with lanterns, torches and weapons.
4 Jesus knew all that was going to happen to him; he stepped forward and asked, “Who are you looking for?”
5 They answered, “Je sus the Naza rene.” Jesus said, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, stood there with them.
6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they moved back and fell to the ground.
7 He then asked a second time, “Who are you looking for?” and they an swered, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, let these others go.”
9 So what Jesus had said came true: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”
10 Simon Peter had a sword; he drew it and struck Malchus, the High Priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear.
11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?”
12 The guards and the soldiers, with their commander, seized Jesus and bound him;
13 and they took him first to Annas. Annas was the father-in-law of Caia phas, who was the High Priest that year;
14 and it was Caiaphas who had told the Jews: “It is better that one man should die for the people.”
15 Simon Peter with another disciple followed Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the High Priest, they let him enter the courtyard of the High Priest along with Jesus,
16 but Peter had to stay outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the High Priest went out and spoke to the maidservant at the gate and brought Peter in.
17 Then, this servant on duty at the door said to Peter, “So you also are one of his disciples?” But he answered, “I am not.”
18 Now the servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire and were standing and warming themselves, because it was cold. Peter was also with them warming himself.
19 The High Priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in places where the Jews meet together, either at the assemblies in synagogues or in the Temple. I did not teach secretly.
21 Why then do you ask me? Ask those who heard me, they know what I said.”
22 At this reply one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a blow on the face, saying, “Is that the way to answer the High Priest?”
23 Jesus said to him, “If I have spoken wrongly, point it out; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
24 Then Annas sent him, bound, to Caiaphas, the High Priest.
25 Now Simon Peter stood there warming himself. They said to him, “Surely you also are one of his dis ciples.” He denied it and answered, “I am not.”
26 One of the High Priest’s servants, a kinsman of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you with him in the garden?”
27 Again Peter denied it, and at once the cock crowed.
Jesus before Pilate
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the court of the Roman governor. It was now morning. The Jews didn’t enter lest they be made un clean (by coming into the house of a pagan) and be unable to eat the Passover meal.
29 So Pilate went out and asked, “What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered,
30 “If he were not a criminal, we would not be handing him over to you.”
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your own law.” But they replied, “We ourselves are not allowed to put anyone to death.”
32 It was clear from this what kind of death Jesus was to die, according to what Jesus himself had foretold.
33 Pilate then entered the court again, called Jesus and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus replied, “Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My king ship does not come from this world. If I were king like those of this world, my guards would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews. But my kingship is not from here.”
37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” And Jesus answered, “Just as you say, I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice.”
38 Pilate said, “What is truth?”
Pilate then went out to the Jews again and said, “I find no crime in this man.
39 Now, according to a custom, I must release a prisoner of yours at the Passover. With your agreement I will release for you the King of the Jews.”
40 But they insisted and cried out, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
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Comments John, Chapter 18
• 18.28 CHRIST THE KING
My Kingship does not come from this world. It is important to remember what was said regarding Luke 8:9. In the Gospel the same word means: The King dom, that is, the coun try that the king governs; the reign, that is the government of the king; the Kingship, that is, the dignity and power of the king.
In Jesus’ response to Pilate the meaning to be given to the word is not kingdom, but rather kingship, which is the power of the king.
In any case, it would be an error to understand Je sus’ words as follows: “My Kingdom is in another world, therefore, the social and political problems of this world do not concern me,” and think that Jesus came to give spiritual salvation, in di vid ually, to believing souls.
Likewise, it would be an error to understand the word: You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above as affirming that the authorities receive their power directly from God and that no one should take steps to replace them with others less corrupt, or less unjust, or more capable. See commentary on Romans 13:1.
Jesus with hands bound, behaves like a king before the governor, Pilate, who is captive of his office and his own ambitions. Jesus is not a king like those of this world, because he does not exert the kind of power that people are used to obeying. Jesus, king of the Jews, did not come to revive the independent Jewish kingdom, but to establish the Kingdom of Truth, which God promised them for centuries.
Yet truth does not win with arms, but thanks to the testimony of those who live according to the truth. Witnesses of the truth are often persecuted, but they themselves do not persecute others.
My kingship does not come from this world. Jesus is unlike other authorities that have gained their positions through force or have won in an election. He has been sent and anoint ed by the Father.
Pilate, on the other hand, had been appointed by the Emperor of Rome and owed his career as much to his own ambition as to several protectors. How could such a man have power over the Son of God and have him crucified for fear of the peo ple, if it were not to fulfill a decree from on High? Indeed, not even a spar row falls to the ground without the Father allowing it.
God would not permit hu man creatures to destroy the destiny of his Son. He cares for each one of us in such a way that even the in justice committed against us serves his plans for our good. Because our fate depends at the same time on the Father and on human authorities, we should believe that he takes advantage of their decisions to carry out his own purposes, even when their power is of this world, that is to say, of a very questionable legitimacy.
Pilate condemned Jesus unwillingly. Having oppressed and shamelessly exploited the Jews, he feared the denunciations that they might make to Caesar against him. The condemnation of Jesus, however, meant for him nothing more than the death of one more Jew: he did not bear the whole guilt, since that type of justice was the result of the Roman colonial system.
Caiaphas, instead, the anointed High Priest of God, could not condemn Jesus with out knowingly slandering his deeds and his word. So he was more guilty (19:11).
We have no king but Caesar (19:15). Thus shouted the crowd impelled by the leaders, although they hated the Romans and their emperor. In fact, several years later the Jews would have no other king but Caesar, and this king would destroy them. Pilate wanted to save the life of his prisoner when he presented him in his disfigured condition. Instead he wounded the pride of the Jewish people: a Christ the King humiliated – they could not accept this offense.