John 18:19-27

The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine? (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. (21) Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. (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? (23) Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? (24) Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas, the high priest. (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. (26) One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did I not see thee in the garden with him? (27) Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.

John is the only Evangelist which hath recorded this examination of Christ. And the drift of it was, if possible, to discover somewhat more particularly concerning what they deemed blasphemy. See Deuteronomy 13:1. But though they wished to make this in some measure a cover with the people, yet, as they desired above all things to bring Christ under the Roman power, in order that he might be crucified, and not stoned, as was the punishment for blasphemy, they only designed this examination as preparatory to the bringing him before Pilate. Hence we find, according to the account given by Luke, (Luke 23:1) that their charge against Christ before Pilate was, that they had found him perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying, that he himself was Christ, a King. There is nothing said of blasphemy; this charge would have thrown back Christ upon them, to be judged at their tribunal, which of all things they studied to avoid. Christ must, according to their wishes, be turned over to the civil power, and in this case, crucifixion must be the punishment.

And here I just detain the Reader to remark how the Lord overruled their minds to confess the very reverse of what they intended. First, by declaring that it was not lawful for them to put any man to death, according to the Roman custom, for sedition, whereby they confessed that the prediction of the Patriarch Jacob, when he lay a dying, was fulfilled, the sceptre was departed from Judah, and the lawgiver from between his feet, and consequently the Shiloh was come. Genesis 49:10. We have no king (said they) but Cesar! John 19:15. Reader! do not fail to ponder well these things!