Bible

Back in the Bible room today, we are continuing to read the Gospel of John with Session 9, the summaries of chapters 18 and 19.

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John

Session 9

Chapter 18. Arrested

Jesus finishes speaking, then He and His disciples, go out:

• They cross the Brook Kidron into a familiar garden;
• Meanwhile, Judas has been gathering troops and officers;
• They have come with the chief priest and some Pharisees;
• They are carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons;
• Jesus knows what these people plan to do;
• So, He moves up to meet them, asks them whom they want;
• They say they want Jesus of Nazareth; He says “I am He”;
• Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, stands with the crowd;
• When Jesus answers them, they all move back, fall down;
• Again, He asks them whom they are seeking;
• They say they want Jesus of Nazareth;
• Jesus repeats that He is the Man, and they can take Him;
• Only they should not take the men with Him;
• Simon Peter has a sword, swings it, cuts off a man’s ear;
• Malchus, servant of the high priest, loses his right ear;
• Jesus tells Peter to put away his sword;
• He must drink the cup His Father has given Him;
• Then Jesus is arrested, bound, and taken to Caiaphas;
• He is the high priest that year;
• He had told the Jews that one man should die for the people;
• Simon Peter, and another disciple, follow after Jesus;
• The other disciple is known to the high priest,
• And he allows him into the courtyard of the house;
• But Peter stands at the door outside;
• The other disciple speaks to the doorkeeper to let Peter inside;
• The doorkeeper, a girl, asks Peter if he is a disciple of Jesus;
• His answer: I am not;
• Peter stands with the accusers, warming himself at their fire;
• A high priest questions Jesus about His disciples;
• And he also wants to know about His doctrine;
• Jesus says He has always spoken in public and in synagogues;
• He has never tried to hide anything He has said;
• He tells the high priest to ask anyone who has heard him speak;
• He says they all know what Jesus has taught;
• At that, one of the officers slaps Jesus with an open hand;
• He says Jesus did not answer the priest appropriately;
• Jesus asks him if He has answered correctly, or not;
• If He has said anything wrong, they should tell Him;
• But if He has spoken correctly, they why did he slap Him?
• Annas then sends Jesus, bound, to Caiaphas, the high priest;
• Out by the fire, Peter is asked again if he is a disciple of Jesus;
• Again, his answer is: I am not;
• A relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, speaks up:
• He asks Peter if he was with Jesus in the garden;
• Peter denies again, then the rooster crows;
• Early in the morning they take Jesus to the governor’s house;
• They do not go inside so Pilate comes out to meet them;
• He asks what the accusation is against this Man;
• They tell Pilate He is a criminal, so they brought Him here;
• Pilate tells them to judge Him according to Jewish law;
• They tell Pilate it is unlawful for them to execute anyone;
• Pilate asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews;
• Jesus asks him if he is speaking from his own knowledge,
• Or has someone told him to ask such a question?
• Pilate says he is not a Jew, they have brought Jesus to him;
• Then he asks Jesus what He has done;
• Jesus says He is not the king of this world;
• If He were His followers would fight to protect Him;
• Pilate asks Him if He is a king;
• Jesus says He is a king, that’s why He has come into the world;
• Everyone who knows the truth understands His words;
• Pilate then asks: What is truth?
• With that, he goes and tells the Jews he finds no fault in Jesus;
• It is the Jews’ custom that Pilate release someone at Passover;
• He asks them if they want him to release the King of the Jews;
• They all shout: Not this Man, release Barabbas, the robber.

Chapter 19. Finished

Then Pilate has Jesus whipped, and soldiers twist some thorns into a crown:

• They put the crown on His head, and a purple robe on Him;
• They say to Him: Hail, King of the Jews!
• And hit Him with their hands;
• Pilate again says to the Jews: I find no fault in Him;
• The people shout: Crucify Him, crucify Him;
• Pilate says to them: You take Him, and you crucify Him;
• For I find no fault in Him;
• The Jews say He must die as He claims to be the Son of God;
• Pilate is then even more afraid, goes back to see Jesus;
• And asks Him again where He is from;
• Jesus does not give Pilate an answer to his question;
• Angry, Pilate reminds Jesus he has the power to crucify Him;
• And he also has the authority to release Him;
• Then Jesus tells him he really has no power at all,
• Except that which is given to him from above;
• Therefore, those who brought Jesus to him,
• Are guilty of the greater sin;
• Pilate continues his attempt to release Jesus to the Jews;
• But the Jews claim Jesus is against the king, Caesar;
• Pilate again brings Jesus in front of the Jews;
• There, he proclaims to them: Behold, your King!
• But the Jews shout: Away with Him; Crucify Him!
• Pilate asks: Shall I crucify your King?
• The priests answer him: We have no king but Caesar!
• So, Pilate hands Jesus over to them to be crucified;
• Then Jesus, with His cross, goes to a place called Golgotha;
• A place known as the Place of a Skull;
• They crucify Jesus with two others, one on each side of Him;
• Pilate makes a signboard, hangs it on the cross above Jesus:
• JESUS OF NAZARETH
• THE KING OF THE JEWS
• The words are written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin;
• The chief priests of the Jews implore Pilate to change the sign;
• They do not like the words: The King of the Jews;
• Jesus had said He was the King of the Jews;
• Pilate will not change the sign;
• The soldiers divide Jesus’s garment among themselves;
• They tear it into four parts, one for each of them;
• But His tunic is made without seams, woven as one piece;
• They decide to keep it whole, so they cast lots for it;
• This fulfills the scripture about His clothing;
• Standing near the cross of Jesus is His mother;
• Also, there is His mother’s sister, Mary, wife of Clopas;
• Mary Magdalene is there as well;
• From the cross, Jesus sees the disciple whom He loved;
• Jesus tells His mother this beloved disciple is now her son;
• He tells them both His mother is now the disciple’s mother;
• From that day, His mother lives with the beloved disciple;
• Fulfilling scripture, Jesus says: I thirst;
• Someone fills a sponge with sour wine, offers it to Him;
• After this, Jesus says: It is finished, bows His head, dies;
• It is Preparation Day, the day before Sabbath day;
• Bodies should not be hanging on a cross on the Sabbath;
• The Jews ask Pilate if they could take the bodies down;
• They could break the legs of anyone not already dead;
• Which they do to the two who are crucified with Jesus;
• Jesus has already died, so they do not break His legs;
• A soldier runs a spear into the side of Jesus;
• Immediately blood and water flow out;
• This story is being told by an eye witness to all these things;
• And he is telling the truth so that the reader might believe;
• And to prove the fulfilling of scripture;
• That none of His bones would be broken;
• And that His body would be pierced;
• Joseph of Arimathea is a secret disciple of Jesus;
• He asks, and receives, permission from Pilate to bury Jesus;
• Nicodemus had earlier come to Jesus at night;
• He now brings a hundred pounds of spices for the burial;
• They bind the body with strips of cloth with the spices;
• Jesus is buried in a new tomb, in a garden;
• Not far from where He was crucified.

End of Session 9 of the book of John.