Who is the one on trial?
March 30, 2021
Read John 18:15-27
Only John tells us that Jesus was first taken to Annas (13). Although Caiaphas was the current high priest (13-14; 11:49-51), Annas had previously held the position until deposed by the Roman governor, and he still had much power and influence (“the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas” Luke 3:2; Acts 4:6). So Jesus was first taken to him for an unofficial interrogation (19). This method was illegal but Annas hoped Jesus would incriminate himself by revealing some seditious or blasphemous beliefs. But Jesus’s teaching to his disciples was no different to what he taught publicly (20-21).
Eventually, Annas sent Jesus on to Caiaphas for official trial before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, without which it would not have been possible to seek the death penalty from Pilate, the Roman governor (24). That trial is recorded in the other gospels (Mark 14:55-65). It includes some important themes which John has already focused on (destroying and rebuilding the temple; “Are you the Christ, the Son of God?”; “I am”). As John has already told of the Sanhedrin resolving to put Jesus to death (11:45-53), his own main interest is on the trial before Pilate (18:28 – 19:16).
First, he concludes the story that he has already begun of Peter disowning Jesus (15-18, 25-27). In the other gospels, there is no separation between the first denial and the other two (Mark 14:66-72), but John’s account emphasises that the denials occurred at various times throughout the night. Peter’s first questioner was just a servant girl (17), so it was not very difficult for him to deny the accusation. Having denied Jesus once, doing so again came easily (25-27), despite his earlier insistence of unshakeable loyalty (13:37-38; Mark 14:29-31). By telling of Jesus’s interrogation between two of the denials, John contrasts the faithfulness of Jesus with the faithlessness of Peter.