John 18

Jesus Betrayed

18After ⁱJesus had said these things, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it. ²Judas, ^jwho betrayed ^kHim, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with His disciples. ³So Judas took a company of soldiers and some temple police from the chief priests and the Pharisees ^land came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

⁴Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to Him, ^mwent out and said to them, “Who is it you’re looking for?”

⁵“Jesus the Nazarene,” they answered.

“I am He,” ^noJesus told them.

Judas, who betrayed Him, was also standing with them. ⁶When He told them, “I am He,” they stepped back and fell to the ground.

⁷Then He asked them again, “Who is it you’re looking for?”

“Jesus the Nazarene,” they said.

⁸“I told you I am He,” Jesus replied. “So if you’re looking for Me, let these men go.” ⁹This was to fulfill ^pthe words He had said: “I have not lost one of those You have given Me.” ^q

¹⁰Then Simon ^rPeter, ^swho had a sword, ^tdrew it, struck the high priest’s ^uslave, and cut off his right ear. (The slave’s name was Malchus.)

¹¹At that, Jesus said to Peter, “Sheathe your sword! Am I not to drink the cup ^vthe Father has given Me?”

Jesus Arrested and Taken to Annas

¹²Then the company of soldiers, the commander, and the Jewish temple police arrested Jesus and tied Him up. ¹³First they led Him to Annas, ^wfor he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, ^xwho was high priest that year. ¹⁴Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was advantageous that one man should die for the people. ^y

Peter Denies Jesus

¹⁵Meanwhile, Simon Peter ^zwas following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. ¹⁶But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.

¹⁷Then the slave girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”

“I am not!” he said. ¹⁸Now the slaves and the temple police had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.

Jesus before Annas

¹⁹The high priest ^aquestioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching.

²⁰“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the ^•synagogue ^band in the ^•temple complex, ^cwhere all the Jews congregate, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret. ²¹Why do you question Me? Question those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.”

²²When He had said these things, one of the temple police standing by slapped Jesus, saying, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”

²³“If I have spoken wrongly,” Jesus answered him, “give evidence ^dabout the wrong; but if rightly, ^ewhy do you hit Me?”

²⁴Then ^fAnnas ^gsent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Twice More

²⁵Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of His disciples too, are you?”

He denied it and said, “I am not!”

²⁶One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”

²⁷Peter then denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed. ^h

Jesus before Pilate

²⁸Then ⁱthey took Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. ^jIt was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.

²⁹Then Pilate ^kcame out to them and said, “What charge ^ldo you bring against this man?”

³⁰They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal, ^mwe wouldn’t have handed Him over to you.”

³¹So Pilate told them, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your law.”

“It’s not legal ⁿfor us to put anyone to death,” the Jews declared. ³²They said this so that Jesus’ words might be fulfilled signifying what kind of death He was going to die. ^o

³³Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” ^p

³⁴Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about Me?”

³⁵“I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”

³⁶“My kingdom ^qis not of this ^•world,” said Jesus. “If My kingdom were of this world, ^rMy servants ^stwould fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here.” ^uv

³⁷“You are a king then?” Pilate asked.

“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world ^wfor this: to testify ^xto the truth. ^yEveryone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

³⁸“What is truth?” said Pilate.

Jesus or Barabbas

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds ^zfor charging Him. ³⁹You ^ahave a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

⁴⁰They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” ^bNow Barabbas was a revolutionary. ^cd