Peter's Denials; Jesus' Trials

INTRO

In John 18, we’re coming to the end of a section in which Jesus was preparing His disciples for His death and His resurrection. Through the last few chapters, we’ve looked at Jesus’ teachings about what was to come, what the disciples could expect, and how they were to lead. In today’s study, we’re putting that aside because now everything Jesus told them was beginning to happen. We’ll look at chapter 18 through five symbols¹that will take us through Jesus’ trial.

TEACHING

John 18:1: The Kidron Valley is outside the east gate of Jerusalem, between the city and the garden of Gethsemane. Some suggest that this garden was walled and private. David also crossed the Kidron Valley while he was fleeing from his own nation.

The first symbol is the garden, and it represents obedience (v. 1). Jesus went often to the garden. He wasn’t running away, but walking toward what He was to do. Human history started in the garden of Eden, but disobedience brought sin into the garden and to mankind (Genesis 2:8). Christ went obediently to the garden, ultimately bringing righteousness and life to all who trust Him. History will one day end in another garden in the heavenly city (Revelation 21–22). There will be no death, sorrow, or pain there (Revelation 22:1–3a). Wiersbe described the garden of Eden as the garden of disobedience and sin, Gethsemane as the garden of obedience and submission, and heaven as the eternal garden of delight and satisfaction to the glory of God.²

John 18:2–9: The second symbol is the kiss. This is a little bit of a stretch here because it’s not in John, but we know that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss (Matthew 26:48–49). The kiss was a sign of affection and devotion. Family members kissed upon meeting and parting, and disciples greeted a rabbi with a kiss as a sign of devotion and obedience. But, Judas’s kiss, instead of being a symbol of obedience, was a sign of treachery (v. 2). Judas came to Jesus with a detachment of troops (or a cohort of a tenth of a Roman legion) of 500 soldiers (v. 3). They had no idea what to expect from Jesus.

Jesus did not shrink away from Judas when the troops went out to meet them (v. 4). Jesus knew His time had come, and He was in full control. Earlier, Jesus had withdrawn from the conflict with the Jewish officials because His hour had not yet come. The soldiers told Jesus whom they were there to arrest, and Jesus said, “I am He” (v. 5). We’ve been looking at the “I am” statements of Jesus. Possibly, in this moment, Jesus responded, “I am He,” to bring all those statements into the sum of His identity. The guards could not stand before that divine authority and fell to the ground before Him (vv. 6–7). Jesus identified Himself again and asked that His disciples be allowed to go free (vv. 8–9).

John 18:10: The third symbol is the sword. Simon Peter drew a sword, possibly a dagger, and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave, Malchus. Only John’s account gives the name of the servant. The sword symbolizes rebellion against the will of God. Wiersbe explains that Peter “fought the wrong enemy, used the wrong weapon, had the wrong motive and accomplished the wrong result!”³Remember Peter’s response to Jesus when He told His disciples that He would be arrested, tried, and crucified (Matthew 16:21–23). Peter actually hindered the work Jesus came to accomplish. While we admire Peter’s courage and sincerity, realize that zeal, without knowledge, is dangerous. Peter ultimately discovered the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). Jesus redeemed Peter and used him mightily––more than 3,000 souls came to the Lord at Pentecost (Acts 2:38, 40–42).

John 18:11–14: The fourth symbol is the cup, which represents submission. Jesus talked about the cup of submission and accepting God’s will (Matthew 26:39, 42). Biblically, the cup often illustrates suffering and sorrow. For example, after Babylon captured Jerusalem, Isaiah 51:17 said, “You have drunk at the hand of the Lord, the cup of His fury.” Jeremiah pictured God’s wrath against nations as the pouring out of a cup (Jeremiah 25:15-28). However, as followers of Christ, we don’t need to fear the cup the Father hands us. Jesus had already drunk from the cup before us. We may suffer pain and heartbreak, but Christ will eventually turn that into glory.

John 18:15–27: The fifth symbol is the fire, which represents denial. Jesus told Peter he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed, but Peter denied he could possibly do that. All of Jesus’ disciples, except Peter and probably John, fled the scene. Since Peter followed the crowd when he should have fled with the other disciples, he put himself right into temptation and denied Jesus three times: with the servant girl who recognized him (v. 17), later when approached by other servants and officers (v. 25), and with Malchus’ relative (v. 26). Because Peter did not walk away, he did something he never thought he could do. Peter’s actions parallel Psalm 1:1 in this: Peter walked in the “counsel of the ungodly” (the high priest’s courtyard), he stood with the enemy by the fire, and he sat down with the enemy (Luke 22:55). When we consider temptation, 2 Timothy 2:22 says to flee.

John 18:12–14; 28–40: Let’s go back now to look at the trial itself. The soldiers arrested and bound Jesus and took Him to Annas (vv. 12–13). Only John mentioned Annas, the unofficial high priest. There were two types of trials: the religious (Jewish) trial and the civic (Roman) trial. The Jewish trial had three stages:

1. Before Annas, where Jesus was interrogated in Annas’ house (v. 13).
2. Before Ciaphas the High Priest and some members of the Sanhedrin (v. 24).
3. Before the Roman council the next morning where Jesus was condemned to death (v. 28).

Based on Jewish authority, the Jews alone could have only stoned Jesus to death. Because Jesus was prophesied to die by crucifixion, only the Romans had the authority to execute Jesus that way.

After these three steps, Jesus was taken to the Praetorium where Herod was. The Jews did not enter with Him or they would have become defiled and unable to partake in the Passover. Constable explains, “Ironically, these Jews were taking extreme precautions to avoid ritual defilement, while at the same time preparing to murder the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”⁴Jesus came to set us free. He became a curse for us so that we could walk in freedom (Galatians 3:13). Jesus was taken before Pilate (John 18:28–38), sent to Herod (Luke 23:6–12), and then sent back to Pilate again (John 18:39—19:16). John focused mainly on the Roman trial. By the time John wrote this Gospel, the Jewish nation had been scattered by Rome, the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed, and Roman power was all that mattered.

Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews. Jesus asked Pilate a question in response, basically asking if Pilate was a sincere seeker of the truth or trying to give the Jews what they wanted (v. 34). Pilate was looking to find a “loophole” that would please both sides––he was afraid of the crowd, but he grew more afraid of the prisoner. At least three times (Luke 23:13–15, 22, and John 19:4, 6), Pilate announced Jesus was not guilty of any crime, and yet he refused to release Him (v. 39, John 19:16). Pilate asked if Jesus was a king (v. 37) and Jesus responded that “everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” Who knows how Pilate asked about truth? He was in the presence of the Truth (“I am the way, the truth and the life,” John 14:6). Those who were in the presence of Jesus didn’t realize the truth was right in their midst because they didn’t “hear His voice.”

CLOSING

This is the reason Jesus came to earth as the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, who walked this out. He knew what would happen—falsely accused, falsely convicted, beaten, humiliated, spit upon—yet He held all the power. He allowed all this to happen because He walked in obedience. He did that for me and for you. Jesus came to die for us, even for those who hated Him and turned against Him. Therefore, in response, we should step forward in boldness in the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be lukewarm, but be bold (Revelation 3:15–16). The truth of Christ sets us free.