The Gospel of John, Chapter 18:14-32

¹⁴ Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Caiaphas was the High Priest at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus. This position he was in was like being the head of the Pharisees and the Sadducees…and the supreme court (Sanhedrin). Caiaphas was giving a prophecy in his comment, though he didn’t intend to. Caiaphas feared the influence of Jesus causing an uprising against the Romans, which in turn would cause a crack-down of the Romans rule over the Jews… making it hard on everyone. In his opinion, putting Jesus to death would end his influence and strike fear in the hearts of the people, thus bringing them into line. Caiaphas was worried that he would lose his power if the Romans came in to sort out an uprising, so his desire to put Jesus to death was to protect the interest of the Jews, but it was still wrong to put an innocent man to death.

¹⁵ And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

¹⁶ But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.

It sounds like the unknown disciple asked the woman who kept the palace door to allow Peter to enter.

¹⁷ Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.

When she was letting him in she asked him if he was one of Jesus’s disciples. Peter denied he was.

¹⁸ And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

¹⁹ The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

Annas was the high priest appointed by the Roman governor Quirinius and was the son-in-law of Caiaphas. Annas questioned Jesus first.

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.

Jesus is letting them know that he has been open with everything he has taught… teaching in front of them in the synagogue….nothing was hidden, it was all open for all to hear.

²¹ Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

Anyone who heard Jesus could verify what he has 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.

Simon Peter was watching what was happening, and his fear was taking over…he denied knowing Jesus a second time.

²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?

Now Peter is confronted by the man whose ear he cut off just before this began…the man Jesus healed in the garden…Malchus. “Didn’t I see you in the garden with Jesus?”

²⁷ Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.

Peter denied knowing Jesus again…followed by the cock crowing. In Luke 22:61-62 ⁶¹ And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.⁶² And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

²⁸ Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

²⁹ Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

Caiaphas was recognized as the High Priest by the Romans and had the authority to judge and punish those who violated Jewish law…but this didn’t extend to giving someone the death penalty. In order to give the death penalty, a Roman governor, who at the time was Pilate, had to pass judgment and sentence a person to death. When Caiaphas failed to pull together a case against Jesus, he sent him on to Pilate and tried to paint Jesus as a seditionist to incite Pilate into passing a death sentence.
The Jewish officers that delivered Jesus would not go into the Roman hall of Judgment because Passover was about to begin and going in would have defiled them, and they would not have been able to partake in the feast. These officers adhered to ritual purity laws (The book of Numbers chapter 19).

³⁰ They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

³¹ Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

Pilate didn’t find a reason to be involved in this case, so they stated plainly that they wanted the death penalty for Jesus which was something they had no authority to pass.

³² That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.

It was common in that time for the Romans to put a person accused of causing a revolt to death by crucifying them. Jesus knew how he was going to die.