John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
This chapter is a chapter of prayer, and is one of my favorite chapters in scripture. Jesus is talking with His Father with His eyes raised to heaven. First, He acknowledges that the time has come (as determined by God) to fulfill the purpose for His coming. I think that such an opening is an indication of how eager He was to go back home. He certainly wasn’t eager to endure all that faced Him before that could happen, as indicated by His prayer in Gethsemane. He was, however, eager to glorify the Father by His obedience.
Matthew 26:38–39 “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
“Glorify thy Son” – I think this phrase is a prayer of faith regarding the resurrection, the defining proof of all the claims He has made about Himself. He knows that by fulfilling this purpose, He will bring glory to the Father. By His obedience, God the Father has granted Him the authority to determine the destiny of (judge) all flesh (mankind/human beings). He has been given the authority to provide eternal life for those whom the Father has given Him (those who believe in Him and accept Him as their Savior). Then He clarifies what He means by eternal life—knowing (absolutely with understanding) the one true God and Jesus Christ (The Messiah who was sent by God). In this verse I think knowing identifies the most intimate of relationships—as evidenced by the desire to share time together and learn all you can about the person of your focus and attention.
Jesus is rightfully pleased to know that His obedience has and will glorify the Father. What was the work the Father gave Jesus to do? Providing for the salvation of man by living a sinless life and being obedient to the Father by enduring the cross. He is also eager to return to the position of glory that was His before the world ever began—to the side of His Father.
Wiersbe: “From the human point of view, Calvary was a revolting display of man’s sin, but from the divine point of view, the cross revealed and magnified the grace and glory of God.”
John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
John 17:7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
John 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Jesus shifts the focus of His prayer to His disciples. He tells His Father (not because He does not know already – but I think the human part of Him is going through the process of why He must endure what is to come) how He has taught the disciples about Him (the Father).
The truth is that there is nothing we can tell God in prayer that He doesn’t already know. He knows what we are going to say before we ever utter a word.
Psalms 139:4 “For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
I think the privilege of prayer is for our benefit in establishing and maintaining an intimate relationship with our Father in heaven—and Jesus was a man at the time of this prayer. When you love someone, you desire to spend time in fellowship with him. Prayer was the Savior’s special time of fellowship with His Father during His human experience that kept Him focused on His mission and empowered Him to succeed where the first Adam had failed. Prayer is also a means that the LORD uses to grow our faith as we experience His provision, comfort, encouragement and protection in answer to our prayers. Through prayer the LORD also allows us the privilege of having a part in accomplishing His purposes on planet earth.
“manifested thy name” - To “manifest” is to declare, render apparent, show forth. The Greek for “name” is a reference to one’s authority and character. Jesus provided a clear representation of God in the flesh to His disciples. He recognized His disciples as special gifts from His Father and was pleased that they had been faithful and obedient. They understood that God is the giver of all things (truth, miraculous power, etc.) because they believed what Jesus taught them and showed them through His miracles. They believed without doubt that Jesus was sent from YHWH, the God of Israel, and that everything He told them was from God.
John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
John 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Jesus emphasizes that He is praying for the disciples that His Father had given Him during His time on earth—not the rest of the world. He makes the point that because they follow the Son, they belong to the Father; and because they belong to the Father they belong to Jesus as well. They have brought and will bring Him glory through their obedience and faithfulness.
That truth should be one of our greatest motivations to obey God’s word and strive to exhibit a strong faith in all we do and say. Our highest privilege is to glorify our Saviour.
John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Jesus is leaving the world to go home to His Father, but the disciples have to stay. Now He asks His Father to protect them through the power of His name. His prayer and desire is that they will function as one in harmony with one another—the same relationship enjoyed by God the Father and Jesus the Son.
Jesus talks about how He was able to keep them all together as a team of faithful disciples during His time of ministry on the earth. Then He makes note of the fact that in the end, one was lost (Judas Iscariot) in fulfillment of the scriptures.
Psalm 41:9 “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
In my study of prophecy, I have learned that the phrase “son of perdition” is only used in reference to Judas and Antichrist (see journal on Revelation 17). My hypothesis is that Judas was the first person that Satan himself chose to indwell on planet earth and the Antichrist will be the second. Perdition is a reference to damnation—the certain fate of Satan and these two evil men.
John 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Jesus is ready to come home, but He has shared enough with them (His disciples) to enable them to experience “my joy” within them. It just jumped out at me that He is saying that they/we can have that perfect joy while here on earth. We know that the joy of Jesus would be perfect joy. (See notes on John 15:10-11.)
I liked this definition from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary: “Joy is a delight of the mind, from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good.” Obviously, that good for the believer is eternal life in the presence of the Savior. We may have to face many trials and troubles in this lifetime, some that seem beyond endurance at the time; but we can always look through the pain and sorrow with hope to our eternal future with our Father and Savior.
John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
They (the disciples) know the word (the teachings) of God, and they have already begun to experience hate from the world because it is obvious that they are no longer “in tune” with the world. They don’t fit in any better than Jesus does. They are strangers on a pilgrimage waiting to go home. He is not praying for God to bring them on home because their ministry is necessary to bring many into the kingdom (verse 20). But based on the next verse, it would seem that He also knew their need for a time of sanctification—being made holy (cf 15:1-3).
His prayer for them is for protection from evil, the spiritual forces of the enemy. Their faith has made them citizens of a heavenly kingdom—just like Jesus.
This prayer for God to protect His disciples from evil aligns directly with Jesus’ teaching on how to pray as recorded in the Olivet Discourse and is a prayer I make continually over my family.
Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil….”
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Jesus asks that they be made holy, that they be purified through the truth of His word. He is sending them into the world just as He was sent into the world. Jesus has sanctified Himself in order to be able to sanctify them. How is that sanctification accomplished? Through obedience to the Father through the power of the Spirit.
1Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
Sanctify = to make holy, purify, consecrate, set apart
The obedience of the disciples to live by the commands of the Word (Jesus Christ) would set them apart from the world just as surely as Jesus’ obedience to the Father set Him apart.
John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Jesus now expands His prayer to include all those who will come to believe in Him through the testimony and preaching of His disciples, including me. He prays that they will also be unified in spirit as another proof that Jesus is the Son of God—the Messiah. The only way that kind of unity (“one in us”) is possible is through the work of God, the “three in one,” through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The importance of the unity of the body of believers has basically been ignored throughout church history. No wonder Satan has been so successful with his deceits. Fractions in the body began occurring as early as the time of Paul regarding the acceptable practices for Gentiles who became part of the body. These fractions have continued to multiply, especially since the Reformation, even more so in the last few hundred years. Jesus declared that unity among believers is one of the primary proofs to the world that He is the Son of God. I believe the lack of unity is connected to the sin of the Pharisees. People get caught up in their own positions of influence regardless of the impact on others or whether they are adhering to the truth of God’s word. One of my great struggles is how so many “learned” men who supposedly love the LORD and are supposedly taught by the same Holy Spirit can come to so many different conclusions of the “truth.” I know that God holds me accountable as an individual and have decided that I will trust the Spirit to teach me the truth. I may study the teachings of others, but I will only accept as true that which the Spirit shows me personally through the Word of God. This should be the litmus test for all teaching of scripture.
Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Just as God the Father put His Son in a position of glory (praise, honor, approval) by sending the Son as His representative, Jesus is sending His followers out with the same position of glory. His desire from the beginning was to have them just as unified and committed in their obedience to Him as He was totally committed in obedience to God the Father. He would dwell in them (through the Spirit) just as God dwelled in Him to enable Him to be successful and victorious in His mission. This unity and obedience would be proof to the world that God the Father had sent Jesus the Son. It would also be a proof that the Father loved them in the same way He loved His Son.
As I was reading The Jesus Style by Gayle Erwin, I ran across a statement that made me stop and think. “But living unity is coming because the Father answers the prayers of Jesus.” I had just worked on this section in John and it flashed in my mind that Jesus is still waiting for one of His prayers to be answered. The answer is sure to come—but in the Father’s timing. It certainly puts our/my impatience in perspective when I think about “waiting on God’s timing” regarding my prayers.
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Jesus is eager for His followers to be with Him in heaven. He wants them to experience the glory of His presence, a gift from the Father—an expression of His love since before the foundation of the world.
John 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
John 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
As Jesus continues to talk to His Father, He points out that the world does not know Him (the Father). Then He says that just as He (Jesus) knows His Father, His disciples know that Jesus had been sent by the Father. Jesus had been faithful to declare the truth of God the Father and would continue to declare it. When He says He will continue to make the Father known, I think He is referencing what will be done by the empowered witness and preaching of His disciples through the Holy Spirit. His whole motive is to fill them with the love of God.
As I have continued to grow in my prayer life, I’ve come to a real position of peace and confidence regarding God’s working in my own life and the lives of those I love. He knows my heart. I also recognize that our desires—though good in our eyes—might not be what are best from God’s perspective. I have learned to just lift up before Him those I love and for whom I am burdened with thankfulness and confidence that His provision will be best both for the person and the glory of God. When praying for those I care about that are lost, I pray for opportunity to share the truth with them or that the LORD will bring someone into their lives who will be a more effective witness for that person. I also pray that He will do whatever it takes to bring them to their knees in repentance and faith.
As I look at Jesus’ prayer, five things stand out to me.
1. Jesus didn’t lose one of the disciples given to Him except for Judas Iscariot, which was a fulfillment of scripture. I see this as another affirmation of the security of the believer. The true believer is one who continues in the faith; John affirms this truth in 1John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
2. Unity among His followers was a great desire of the LORD. He mentions that desire three times—verses 11, 21 & 22. What a sad thought to me that the body of believers is so divided in this world. Our priority should be to do our part to promote unity in the body through the leading of the Spirit. The Spirit knows the mind of God and will lead us accordingly.
1 Corinthians 2:11 “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
That leading will not be divisive, but will promote unity. I believe that division in the body of believers is primarily a result of pride and/or lack of submission to the teaching of the Spirit. The unity of the body is supposed to be one of the main ways that the world comes to belief in Jesus as the Son of God (v21).
I think it is important to understand that such unity is only possible on the basis of shared belief in the essential doctrines of the faith that are indisputable. In those beliefs that are subject to dispute, love for the LORD and the desire to share the gospel should take precedence over our differences.
3. Jesus was concerned that His followers be protected from the attack of the enemy and his evil spiritual forces. Apparently, this prayer for protection strengthens the net of protection around each child of God. We know that the enemy can attack physically, mentally, materially, etc. This prayer doesn’t ensure that evil things won’t occur to the believer; however, I think it protects the believer from becoming spiritually defeated by the circumstances. Instead, the result will be victory through faith.
4. Jesus prayed for His followers to be purified through the Word (v17). That can only happen as they are drawn to the Word by the Spirit with a desire to know the will and wisdom of the Father.
5. Jesus is eager to have His followers with Him in glory (v24). Oh that it were today!
In the next chapter we will find Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. As I reflect back, it seems that John has given us quite an account of the time from the last supper until He arrives at the Garden. So many important truths were presented to the disciples. I also get the impression that His prayer to the Father was audible as they walked towards the garden, because the next words we read are: “When Jesus had spoken these words.”
John 18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.
Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22 give us more details of Jesus’ time of sorrow and prayer in the garden. As they entered the garden, Jesus expressed His intent to go and pray and encouraged the disciples to pray themselves that they not yield to temptation. He evidently took Peter, James and John a bit further apart from the others for support as He prepared to face His destiny.
Mark 14:33–34 “And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.”
Three different times Jesus prayed for the cup to be taken from Him. Each time He expressed His desire that the Father’s will be done over and above all.
Mark 14:36 “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
After each period of prayer, He found His three “supporters” fast asleep. I think the LORD was identifying with His disciples when He stated that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). Luke tells us that the Father sent an angel to strengthen Him (22:43). I believe He will do the same for us as needed when we face times of trial and testing since that is one of the purposes of the angels according the Hebrews.
Hebrews 1:13-14 “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
John 18:2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
John 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
John takes us immediately to the encounter with Judas and the arresting officers. Notice that these officers were from the Jewish religious leaders—not the Romans. The indication is that Judas knew right where to look for Jesus, because it was a favorite “hang out” for Him and His disciples.
Luke 22:39 “And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.”
After being dismissed by Jesus, Judas had gone to the chief priests and Pharisees to connect with those that would take custody of Jesus. Judas led the group to the garden, including officers from the chief priests and Pharisees; they were carrying lanterns and torches and weapons.
John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
John 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
John 18:6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
Jesus was ready to do the Father’s will. He knew everything that was going to happen to Him. He boldly stepped forth and asked the mob whom they were seeking. When they said, “Jesus of Nazareth,” Jesus immediately identified Himself as the man they sought. In this account there is no record of Judas’ betrayal with a kiss; we are just told that Judas was with the mob. As soon as Jesus identified Himself saying “I am” (the name of God; the “he” is not in the original), the mob fell back and fell to the ground. Commentators seem to agree that this was a result of a force that Jesus used to show that He was not at their mercy though He would choose to allow them to arrest Him. Frankly, I think it could just as well have been an act of the Father through the Spirit. It was probably because of this display of power that the disciples were allowed to escape.
John 18:7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
John 18:8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
John 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
Again, Jesus asked them who they were seeking and identified Himself as the person being sought. Then He asks that they let the disciples go on their way since they were only looking for Him. Jesus was conscious of the Father’s promise that none of those that He had given Him would be lost. (Judas didn’t fall into that category. He never truly put his faith in Jesus. He was the foretold betrayer.) I believe this truth was an important comfort to the man Jesus since it also figured prominently in His prayer from the last chapter.
John 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
John 18:11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
Simon Peter had a sword and decided to use it. He was willing to fight to protect the Savior. He cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. The response of Jesus surprised Peter I’m sure (but it shouldn’t have if he had been paying attention to all that Jesus had been telling them); Jesus told him to put his sword up. This time of testing was the “cup” that the Father had given Him. It was what He had been sent to earth as a human being to endure. He was so close to completing His mission obediently; “shall I not drink it?” He wasn’t going to back out now.
John doesn’t include the fact that Jesus healed Malchus’ ear.
Wiersbe: “Peter made every mistake possible! He fought the wrong enemy, used the wrong weapon, had the wrong motive, and accomplished the wrong result. He was openly resisting the will of God and hindering the work that Jesus came to accomplish. While we admire his courage and sincerity, it was certainly a demonstration of zeal without knowledge.”
John 18:12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
John 18:13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
John 18:14 Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Jesus was arrested and bound. First, He was taken to Annas, father-in-law of Caiphas, the high priest. Caiphas was the one who told the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. He actually believed he was doing what was best for the people; because if Jesus became more popular, the Romans might feel it necessary to intervene. That would result in stricter, more oppressive rule from the Romans—plus it would jeopardize the authority possessed by the Jewish leaders.
John 18:15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
John 18:16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
John 18:17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.
Simon Peter and another disciple (probably John) followed Jesus. The other disciple was known by the high priest (John was from a wealthy family, a family of influence.) and went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside. The other disciple came back and spoke to the girl at the door and brought Peter in. The girl at the door asked Peter if he was also one of Jesus’ disciples, implying that she knew John was. Peter denied it (denial #1).
John 18:18 And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.
We are told that it was cold, and a group of servants and officers warmed themselves by a fire. Peter was standing with that group in an outside courtyard of the palace.
John 18:19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
John 18:20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
John 18:21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
The high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Annas was the high priest before Caiphas. Maybe once a high priest, one continued to carry the title (like our presidents and other political leaders). Jesus answered that He had always taught in public (synagogue, temple, and other meeting places)—not in private or secret. They could ask anyone who had heard Him speak what He had said.
I have a note in my Bible that it is against Jewish law to have a man testify against himself. David Guzik provides more information: “Jesus wasn’t being uncooperative, only asserting His legal right. There was to be no formal charge until witnesses had been heard and been found to be truthful. It was the High Priest’s duty to call forth the witnesses first, beginning with those for the defense. These basic legal protections for the accused under Jewish law were not observed in the trial of Jesus.”
John 18:22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
John 18:23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
One of the officials standing by slapped Jesus and accused Him of being disrespectful to the high priest. Jesus asked him why He had been slapped for speaking the truth. He could understand being struck for lying.
John 18:24 Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.
I guess Annas decided that he was not going to get any incriminating evidence against Jesus, so he sent Him to Caiaphas, the high priest.
We are told in Matthew that when Jesus appeared before the High Priest, they couldn’t get the necessary two witnesses to agree in testimony against Him. Finally, Caiphas, as the High Priest, commands Him in the name of God to declare whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus answers that He is. Caiphas then pronounced Him guilty of blasphemy and tore his clothes, hypocritically expressing grief for such blasphemy. Others responded by spitting in His face, slapping Him, and taunting Him to identify who had struck Him.
Matthew 26:63–67 “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,”
Mark 14:65 “And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.”
John 18:25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
John 18:26 One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
John 18:27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
Peter is still warming himself by the fire and is asked again if he was one of Jesus disciples. Again, he denied it (denial #2). Then one of the servants who was a relative of the soldier whose ear Peter had cut off challenged him. He thought he recognized Peter from the garden. Peter again denied it (denial #3). At that moment the rooster began to crow. John doesn’t tell us, but just imagine how awful Peter felt when he heard that rooster and remembered Jesus’ words—and his own to Jesus.
Luke tells us that “the Lord turned and looked at Peter” after the cock crew. Matthew and Mark tell us that Peter wept bitterly.
Luke 22:60-61 “And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.”
Matthew 26:75 “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”
McGee: “Why is it that Simon Peter, who did a deed as dastardly as Judas, could make his way back to the Lord? Because he was a child of God, and it broke his heart to know what he had done. A child of God may get far from God, but God is never far from him. You may be dead to God, but God is never dead to you. He is always there and He is always available.”
John 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
John 18:29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
John 18:30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
Jesus is next seen being taken to the “hall of judgment” to appear before Pilate. It was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the hall since it would have made them ceremonially unclean for the Passover. Again, this emphasizes that the “last supper” as we know it was not the Passover observance.
So, Pilate went out to them to ask what the charges against Jesus were. They answered that He was a criminal; that is why they brought Jesus to him. It was interesting to note that the Greek for “malefactor” indicated that the charges were “uncertain”; in other words, they could not make a valid criminal charge according to Roman law.
John 18:31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
John 18:32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
So Pilate told them to judge Him by their own law. They explained that they wanted Jesus executed, but they were not allowed to exercise capital punishment. We are then reminded that the kind of death Jesus had predicted for Himself would be fulfilled.
Note from Chuck Smith: “The right to put a man to death had been taken from the Jews two years before this. This was not to happen—‘the scepter be taken’—until Messiah came. Many mourned when that happened because they didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and they thought God had broken His promise. Also, under Jewish law Jesus would have been stoned—not crucified. The prophecies regarding the crucifixion were made long before crucifixion was invented as a punishment by the Persians.”
John 18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
John 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Pilate went back in and asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews. Jesus responded by asking him if this question was his own or had it originated from others.
John 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Pilate basically admitted it was the accusation made by the Jewish leaders, the chief priests. Then he asked Jesus what He had done.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Jesus affirms He is a king by telling Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world; if it were, His servants would fight to prevent His arrest. His kingdom is from another place.
“delivered to the Jews” – Because of the misuse of this terminology throughout history, people are quick to qualify this statement. The truth is that Jesus was rejected and killed by His own people in fulfillment of prophecy. It’s significant that this statement is preceded by a reference to the truth that His servants would fight for Him. Israel was chosen by God as unique among the nations and set apart to be His servants before the world. It was not a derogatory position to which they had been called; it was a position of favor and blessing. It was their rejection of God’s promised Messiah that sent Him to the cross. It is, however, also true that we all had a part in the death of Jesus. Except for sin, the cross would never have been necessary. The Jews were uniquely blessed among the nations with the oracles of God. They had been given much, and the LORD will hold them accountable accordingly.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
So Pilate deduced that He did claim to be a king; so he asked Jesus point blank, “Art thou a king then?” Jesus basically said that He was. In fact, that is why He was born—to come into the world and testify to truth. Then He told Pilate, “Everyone that is of the truth hears (listens, understands, gives heed to) my voice (what I say).”
John 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
John 18:39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
John 18:40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
Pilate responds with a typically human observation—“What is truth?” We explain truth from our own perspective. We decide what we choose to accept as truth. That was the bottom line with Adam and Eve—they chose to believe the serpent as the teller of truth. More often than not, we choose to accept as true that which is comfortable or what we feel is more beneficial to us according to the desires of the flesh or human reasoning. When Jesus uses the word truth, it is as an absolute according to YHWH and His word with no wavering, bending, or stretching in any direction.
Pilate went back out to the crowd and told them that he found no legitimate basis for a charge against Jesus. Then he gave them a choice. It was customary for a prisoner to be released at the time of Passover. Did they want him to release “the King of the Jews?” (Matthew’s account informs us that Pilate gave them the choice of Jesus or Barabbas.) The crowd yelled, NO. They wanted Barabbas (a murderer and insurrectionist) released; John just identifies him as a robber.
Luke 23:18-19 “And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)”
McGee made a good summary concerning Pilate’s conviction that Jesus was innocent:
“He knew that for envy they had delivered him” (Matthew 27:18)
“…I am innocent the blood of this just person…” (Matthew 27:24)
“For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy” (Mark 15:10)
“Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them” (Luke 23:20)
“…I have found no cause of death in him” (Luke 23:22)
“I find in him no fault at all” (John 18:38)
“…From thenceforth Pilate sought to release him…” (John 19:12)
“…Pilate, when he was determined to let him go” (Acts 3:13)