John 18:15

THE TRIAL BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST (John 18:15-27)

"Reading the Gospels side by side, we will, with care and study, see how all they tell us falls accurately into its proper position in the general narrative, and shows us. six-fold trial,. quadruple decision,. triple acquittal,. twice repeated condemnation of Christ our Lord. We soon perceive that of the three successive trials which our Lord underwent at the hands of the Jews, the first only--that before Annas--is related to us by John; the second--that before Caiaphas--by Matthew and Mark; the third--that before the Sanhedrim--by Luke alone. Nor is there anything strange in this, since the first was the practical, the second the potential, and the third the actual and formal decision, that sentence of death should be passed upon him. Each of the three trials might, from. different point of view, have been regarded as the most fatal and important of the three. That of Annas was the authoritative pre-judgment, that of Caiaphas the real determination, that of the Sanhedrim, at daybreak, the final ratification. "-- Farrar.

15. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and another disciple.

At the time of the seizure of Christ all the apostles fled in panic (Matthew 26:56), but in. short time some of them recovered and followed (Matthew 26:58), one of them being Peter. The other "disciple" named is admitted by all commentators to be John. He was "known to the high priest," how we cannot say; some have supposed that he was. relative; others that he had. home in Jerusalem (19:27) and had thus become acquainted. As an acquaintance he was at once admitted through the gates of the high priest's palace, while Peter was refused admission.

High priest.

In verse 13 it is stated that Jesus "was led away to Annas first," while here he is taken into the "high priest's palace," though we have just been informed that "Caiaphas was high priest that year." This may be explained in two ways. Annas who had been high priest for seven years, who was the father of four sons who were high priests, and whose son-in-law was high priest, was probably the most influential man among the Jews and was dignified with his old title of high priest. In Luke 3:2, both Annas and Caiaphas are named as high priests; in Acts 4:6, Annas is spoken of as high priest. Though his son-in-law was now by Roman appointment in the position, he was still called high priest, and from what we learn elsewhere, his counsels swayed the ruling party. It is, however, likely that he still had. home in the official residence of the high priest and that he and his son-in-law lived under the same roof. The band that had arrested Jesus brought him to Annas first, perhaps because at that midnight hour Caiaphas was asleep while the more active and vigilant Annas was on the alert. Perhaps because Annas, the power behind the throne, had directed them to do so; or, as some have urged, he held some high dignity that entitled him to examine Jesus and commit him for trial. His was. preliminary examination. It seems certain that he and Caiaphas lodged in the same palace and hence, that all that is recorded of Peter's denials in the four accounts, occurred at the same place.