John 18
New Catholic Bible
The Passion—The Supreme Testimony[a]
Chapter 18
Jesus Gives Himself Up Freely.[b] 1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples and crossed the Kidron[c] valley. He and his disciples entered a garden there. 2 This place was known to Judas, his betrayer, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 Therefore, Judas went to that garden with a detachment of soldiers,[d] together with temple guards provided by the chief priests and the Pharisees, equipped with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Then Jesus, fully aware of everything that was going to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered, “Jesus the Nazorean.”[e] Jesus replied, “I am.” Judas who betrayed him was standing with them.
6 When Jesus said to them, “I am,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again, he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazorean.” 8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am. If you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word he had spoken, “I did not lose any of those you gave me.”[f]
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, slicing off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its scabbard! Am I not to drink the cup[g] that the Father has given me?”
12 Jesus and Peter at the Hour of Bearing Witness.[h]Then the detachment of soldiers, their commander, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. 13 They took him first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was the high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was better for one man to die for the people.
15 Peter’s First Denial. Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. That disciple was known to the high priest, so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter remained standing outside at the gate. The other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the woman who was in charge of the gate, and he brought Peter inside.
17 The woman said to Peter, “Are you not one of this man’s disciples?” He replied, “I am not.” 18 Since it was cold, the servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire, and they were standing around it, warming themselves. Peter was also standing there and warming himself.
19 The Inquiry before Annas.[i]The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus answered,
“I have spoken openly
for the world to hear.
I have always taught
in synagogues and in the temple
where all the Jews congregate.
I have said nothing in secret.
21 Why do you ask me?
Interrogate those who heard
what I said to them.
They know what I said.”
22 [j]When he had said this, one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that any way to answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus replied, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to my error. But if I have spoken rightly, why did you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.
25 Peter’s Second and Third Denials. Meanwhile, as Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “Are you not also one of his disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 Then one of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had sliced off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Again, Peter denied it. And at that very moment, a cock crowed.
28 Jesus Handed Over to Pilate.[k]Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.[l] It was early in the morning, and they did not enter the praetorium in order to avoid becoming defiled and thus be able to eat the Passover meal.
29 Therefore, Pilate went out to them and asked, “What charge do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not allowed to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.
33 The First Hearing before Pilate. Then Pilate went back into the praetorium, and having summoned Jesus he asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or have others told you about me?” 35 Pilate said, “Am I a Jew? Your own people and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus replied,
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my followers would have fought
to prevent me from being handed over to the Jews.
The fact is that my kingdom is not here.”
37 Pilate then said to him, “So you are a king!” Jesus answered,
“It is you who say
that I am a king.
For this was I born,
and for this I came into the world:
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth
listens to my voice.”
38 Pilate responded, “What is truth?”
Barabbas Preferred to Jesus. Then, having said this, he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no evidence of a crime in this man. 39 But according to your custom, I release one prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They shouted, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a thief.[m]
Footnotes
- John 18:1 Jesus does not submit passively to what happens; he controls his life and his sufferings; he even wills them and defines their meaning. The fourth Gospel, more than the others, emphasizes his sovereign freedom. Jesus is not, however, only pretending to share the human condition: he is a human being who suffers hostility, violence, and death, and the Passion Narrative demonstrates this. John, no less than the Synoptics, emphasizes the realistic character of the events; in fact, some details are even peculiar to him. In the fourth Gospel, the Passion and cross are an exaltation or uplifting of Jesus, a glorification by the Father, and a manifestation of all his love for humanity. By traveling the way of the cross with full awareness and on his own initiative, Jesus makes the truth of God shine forth.
- John 18:1 Fear and disgust have no place in this account of the arrest. From the beginning, Jesus manifests his sovereign liberty to enter upon the Passion; it is his initiative and his destiny. The betrayal by Judas and his wicked cohorts cannot take away the liberty of Jesus, any more than the violence of Peter can defend it. Jesus depends only on his Father; he gives his life willingly.
- John 18:1 Kidron: a brook, fed by the rains, divided the hill of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
- John 18:3 Detachment of soldiers: this refers to a complement of Roman troops—either 600 (a cohort) or 200 men, hinting at Roman complicity in the plot against Jesus even prior to his trial before Pilate. Lanterns and torches: these may stress that the hour of darkness has come.
- John 18:5 Nazorean: this is the form found in Mt (2:23 and 26:71) and Acts (e.g., 2:22), not the Nazarene of Mark. I am: probably intended by John as an expression of divinity (see note on Jn 4:26).
- John 18:9 The citation may refer to Jn 6:39; 10:28; or 17:12.
- John 18:11 Cup: symbol of a person’s calling and, above all, of his tragic destiny (“lots” were shaken in a cup); here it signifies the bitter hour of the Passion (see Mt 22:39).
- John 18:12 In the fourth Gospel, the trial before the Jewish authorities is told in a few swift strokes; throughout his public ministry Jesus has spoken about his ministry and the mission he has undertaken; the trial is already over. Annas, who appears here, was a high priest removed from office by the Romans, but by his influence he controlled Jewish life. Another disciple (v. 15): John, the one “whom Jesus loved.”
- John 18:19 It is not very probable that this nighttime inquiry before Annas, mentioned only by John, is the same as the trial before Caiaphas mentioned by the Synoptics (at night by Mt and Mk and in the morning by Lk).
- John 18:22 Jesus remains calm and self-restrained throughout the entire Passion. He responds to the guard’s aggressiveness with meekness, but he does not fail to defend the legitimacy of his behavior and to point out the injustice done to him. Hence, Christians’ defense of their rights is compatible with meekness and humility (see Acts 22:25).
- John 18:28 We should try to imagine the scene. A Roman official, Pontius Pilate, had been governor of restless Judea since A.D. 26 (we are now in the year 30). He had two guiding principles: to keep public order at any cost, and not to compromise his own reputation with Emperor Tiberius. The Jewish authorities wanted to rid themselves of Jesus in a legal way, thereby saving their own good name. Jesus himself did not want to disappear in an uprising, but had decided to go forward even to torture and execution on the cross (see Jn 18:32). In seven successive steps, dealing now with the Jews, now with Jesus, the governor is led to seek, find, and proclaim the truth. Jesus is in fact innocent; he claims the title of king, not in order to dominate but in order to give. This man, whose innocence the governor asserts three times and whom he wishes to set free, says that he is Son of God, and explains his present subordination to an earthly authority as a phase in a divinely willed plan over which the imperial official has no power (Jn 19:10-11).
The Gospel notes that this event took place around midday on the day of Preparation for the Passover; it was the hour when they began to slaughter the lambs for the feast. The new Passover, marking God’s deliverance of humanity, is at hand; the new Passover Lamb is about to offer the true and final sacrifice. - John 18:28 Praetorium: the residence of the Roman procurator. Passover meal: unlike the members of the Sanhedrin, Jesus has already celebrated the Passover supper (Mt 26:20-29).
- John 18:40 Barabbas . . . thief: the word for thief can also mean revolutionary (see note on Mk 15:9).
John 18
New King James Version
Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane(A)
18 When Jesus had spoken these words, (B)He went out with His disciples over (C)the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; (D)for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 (E)Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, (F)knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”
5 They answered Him, (G)“Jesus [a]of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who (H)betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, (I)“Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
10 (J)Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink (K)the cup which My Father has given Me?”
Before the High Priest
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And (L)they led Him away to (M)Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of (N)Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 (O)Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was [b]expedient that one man should die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus(P)
15 (Q)And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did (R)another[c] disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 (S)But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am (T)not.”
18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
Jesus Questioned by the High Priest
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, (U)“I spoke openly to the world. I always taught (V)in synagogues and (W)in the temple, where [d]the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask (X)those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”
22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by (Y)struck[e] Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”
24 (Z)Then Annas sent Him bound to (AA)Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Twice More
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. (AB)Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and (AC)immediately a rooster crowed.
In Pilate’s Court(AD)
28 (AE)Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. (AF)But they themselves did not go into the [f]Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 (AG)Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not [g]an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 (AH)that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, (AI)signifying by what death He would die.
33 (AJ)Then Pilate entered the [h]Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 (AK)Jesus answered, (AL)“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, (AM)that I should bear (AN)witness to the truth. Everyone who (AO)is of the truth (AP)hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, (AQ)“I find no fault in Him at all.
Taking the Place of Barabbas(AR)
39 (AS)“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 (AT)Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” (AU)Now Barabbas was a robber.
Footnotes
- John 18:5 Lit. the Nazarene
- John 18:14 advantageous
- John 18:15 M the other
- John 18:20 NU all the Jews meet
- John 18:22 Lit. gave Jesus a slap,
- John 18:28 The governor’s headquarters
- John 18:30 a criminal
- John 18:33 The governor’s headquarters
John 18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 18
Jesus Arrested.[a] 1 When he had said this, Jesus went out[b] with his disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.(A) 2 Judas his betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas got a band of soldiers[c] and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.(B) 4 Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”[d] He said to them, “I AM.” Judas his betrayer was also with them. 6 When he said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground. 7 So he again asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I AM. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 [e](C)This was to fulfill what he had said, “I have not lost any of those you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus.[f] 11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup[g] that the Father gave me?”(D)
12 (E)So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus, bound him, 13 and brought him to Annas[h] first. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.(F) 14 It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.(G)
Peter’s First Denial.(H) 15 Simon Peter and another disciple[i] followed Jesus. Now the other disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus. 16 But Peter stood at the gate outside. So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest, went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in. 17 Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm.
The Inquiry Before Annas.(I) 19 The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his doctrine. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area[j] where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing.(J) 21 Why ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said.” 22 When he had said this, one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”(K) 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas[k] the high priest.(L)
Peter Denies Jesus Again.(M) 25 Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm. And they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed.[l]
The Trial Before Pilate. 28 (N)Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.[m] It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring [against] this man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” The Jews answered him, “We do not have the right to execute anyone,”[n] 32 [o]in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he said indicating the kind of death(O) he would die. 33 So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”(P) 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”(Q) 37 So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king.[p] For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”(R) 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”(S)
When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.[q] Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this one but Barabbas!”[r] Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.
Footnotes
- 18:1–14 John does not mention the agony in the garden and the kiss of Judas, nor does he identify the place as Gethsemane or the Mount of Olives.
- 18:1 Jesus went out: see Jn 14:31, where it seems he is leaving the supper room. Kidron valley: literally, “the winter-flowing Kidron”; this wadi has water only during the winter rains.
- 18:3 Band of soldiers: seems to refer to Roman troops, either the full cohort of 600 men (1/10 of a legion), or more likely the maniple of 200 under their tribune (Jn 18:12). In this case, John is hinting at Roman collusion in the action against Jesus before he was brought to Pilate. The lanterns and torches may be symbolic of the hour of darkness.
- 18:5 Nazorean: the form found in Mt 26:71 (see note on Mt 2:23) is here used, not Nazarene of Mark. I AM: or “I am he,” but probably intended by the evangelist as an expression of divinity (cf. their appropriate response in Jn 18:6); see note on Jn 8:24. John sets the confusion of the arresting party against the background of Jesus’ divine majesty.
- 18:9 The citation may refer to Jn 6:39; 10:28; or 17:12.
- 18:10 Only John gives the names of the two antagonists; both John and Luke mention the right ear.
- 18:11 The theme of the cup is found in the synoptic account of the agony (Mk 14:36 and parallels).
- 18:13 Annas: only John mentions an inquiry before Annas; cf. Jn 18:16, 19–24; see note on Lk 3:2. It is unlikely that this nighttime interrogation before Annas is the same as the trial before Caiaphas placed by Matthew and Mark at night and by Luke in the morning.
- 18:15–16 Another disciple…the other disciple: see note on Jn 13:23.
- 18:20 I have always taught…in the temple area: cf. Mk 14:49 for a similar statement.
- 18:24 Caiaphas: see Mt 26:3, 57; Lk 3:2; and the notes there. John may leave room here for the trial before Caiaphas described in the synoptic gospels.
- 18:27 Cockcrow was the third Roman division of the night, lasting from midnight to 3 a.m.
- 18:28 Praetorium: see note on Mt 27:27. Morning: literally, “the early hour,” or fourth Roman division of the night, 3 to 6 A.M. The Passover: the synoptic gospels give the impression that the Thursday night supper was the Passover meal (Mk 14:12); for John that meal is still to be eaten Friday night.
- 18:31 We do not have the right to execute anyone: only John gives this reason for their bringing Jesus to Pilate. Jewish sources are not clear on the competence of the Sanhedrin at this period to sentence and to execute for political crimes.
- 18:32 The Jewish punishment for blasphemy was stoning (Lv 24:16). In coming to the Romans to ensure that Jesus would be crucified, the Jewish authorities fulfilled his prophecy that he would be exalted (Jn 3:14; 12:32–33). There is some historical evidence, however, for Jews crucifying Jews.
- 18:37 You say I am a king: see Mt 26:64 for a similar response to the high priest. It is at best a reluctant affirmative.
- 18:39 See note on Mt 27:15.
- 18:40 Barabbas: see note on Mt 27:16–17. Revolutionary: a guerrilla warrior fighting for nationalistic aims, though the term can also denote a robber. See note on Mt 27:38.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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