John Chapter 18 Discussion

Notice they sought Jesus of Nazareth, the lowly son of the carpenter. The gospel is hid to them that are lost.

Now the name Jesus of Nazareth is the name above all creatures, above all creation. Jesus of Nazareth inscribed above his cross.

Jesus of Nazareth is God.

Also, the scriptures were fulfilled even in the details we miss.

Psalms 27:1-2

1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Psalms 35:4

"Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt."

Finally, Saul of Tarsus came confronted by the reality of Calvary.

Acts 22:8

"And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest."

Samuel,

In Verse 8, Jesus answered and said I have told you that I AM: if therefore you are seeking me, and in the Greek, this is called a first-class condition assumed to be true. He is saying since therefore you are seeking me. And check this out because this is a command in the Greek text. He says, "let these (His disciples) go their way:" He is not asking permission. It is a command, imperative mood in the Greek text!

Verse 9: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

That was back in John Chapter 17 Verse 12. Now He told them that soon they will scatter. That's at the cross. Now He is saying allow these disciples to leave. That is His protection.

Remember He said in John Chapter 10 that the shepherd goes out and he faces the wolf. A hireling won't do that. So not only is it provision that a shepherd gives, but protection.

And here's Jesus fulfilling His prayer that all that the Father has given Him, He has not lost one. And so, they had to let them go. Why? Because Jesus commanded it! So now it is Jesus alone with the 1,000 people that came out to take Him.

What does the Bible verses St. John 18:8,9 mean

Thanks Philip.

Great insight!

Thank you Philip. That was a very good, clear teaching on the "officers of the temple" (in both your pages).

Who were these "officers" recorded in John 18:3?

These particular band and officers were not Roman soldiers. These were Jewish temple officers and their band of subordinates employed by temple officials to enforce the proper entrance and behavior of the Jews' activities when on the temple's campus, or in the temple's structures, and certainly within the temple proper.

Compare the expression "the captain of the temple" (Ac. 4:1; 5:24, 26) identifying the Jewish officer appointed to preserve the temple's sanctity.

Rome did not involve its legionary officers and captains in such Jewish matters, nor would the Jews care to have such Roman Gentile involvement. Rome seldom involved herself in mitigating Jewish disagreements concerning their laws and traditions. Pilate so much as said so when Caiaphas delivered JESUS to Pilate for judgment ( Jn. 18:31): "Take ye HIM, and judge HIM according to your law."

The following explanatory exegesis substantiate that this band and officers were Jews:

1st, they were "from the chief priests and Pharisees" (v.3) and "of the Jews" (v.12). Roman officials would not humiliate themselves into Jewish servitude in such fashion. Doing so would be tantamount to the conquerors serving the conquered.

2nd, John 7:28 and 32 reveals the employment of Jewish officers to accomplish temple tasks and missions. There, CHRIST taught in the temple (v. 28) when "the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take HIM" (v.32). The Pharisees and the chief priests would never send heathen Gentile Roman military officers into the temple for any reason.

The identity of the "officers" recorded in John 18:3 (continued) =

3rd, the officer that "struck JESUS" (v.22) was just "one of the officers" in this plurality. He was in the close and immediate presence, company, and service of the High Priest (v.19). This officer was a Jew because the high priest would not have allowed a Gentile Roman military soldier (officer) in such close quarters for fear of ceremonial defilement (v.28).

Ironically, this officer and his fellow officers may have previously voiced another opinion concerning CHRIST: "Never man spoke like This Man" ( Jn. 7:46).

4th, the officer that struck JESUS (v.22) was a Jew because he thought JESUS disrespected the high priest. A Gentile Roman military officer would consider this confrontation a trivial insult between Jews and would not bother inserting himself in such matters.

5th, the Jews greatly feared potential ceremonial defilement during the Passover (v.28). Therefore, they exercised great care to avoid Gentile contact. These officers were Jews because contact was not a defilement issue (see vv. 3, 12, 18, and 22).

6th, John 19:6 clearly prove the nationality of these officers as Jews. There, the verse implies the officers stand with the chief priests and join their murderous rage demanding Pilate to crucify CHRIST.

7th, Roman military personnel simply would not serve the Jews by accomplishing or enforcing their religious mandates. Rather the reverse would occur. When CHRIST said, "Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain" ( Mt. 5:41), HE referred to Gentile Roman officials who abused their authority by oppressing the Jews into menial governmental service, usually by delivering posts and dispatches, or by forcing Jews to carry their military and personal packs and equipment. Forcing Simon of Cyrene to bear CHRIST's cross is a Scriptural example of such compelling ( Mt. 27:32; Mk. 15:21; Lu. 23:26).

Good explanation of John 18:36 The Kingdom Of God. Thanks.

In John 18: 36 and Romans 14: 17, In these two chapters How was Jesus's kingdom different from what the Jews were envisioning?

Though the Jews, through unbelief, unjustly demanded the death of Jesus, and the Romans followed through with the wicked plot, the glorious truth is that God himself determined that Jesus would be slain as the sinless Lamb of God for our sins. ( Acts 2:22-24; Romans 4:24-25; Romans 11).

Geoff, we certainly can't argue against the 'Truth' you have shared there. Thank you. Praise God for sending the One Who is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life".

Pilate ask "what is truth?" The bible is written for all generations, not forgetting those yet to come. Jesus is being searched by Pilate for understanding on who he is. It's for different reasons than others may search for Jesus. So, when Pilate is asking what is truth, we too may be asking what is truth? Who is Jesus? What are the teachings and examples of Jesus? Asking for learning to be more like Jesus. As we read the bible aren't we searching for understanding and lesson to be learned? The point is, that's not just Pilate asking what is truth, but everyone seeking to know Jesus better asking. The truth is the light of God. "in Him was life, and life was the light of men." Jesus just prayed for us in the previous chapter to be within Jesus and within God, and for Jesus to be within us and God to be within us. So, everyone that hears or in our cases reads his voice is of the truth,we are within Jesus and God.We have the parables explained to us. Let us have ears to hear, eyes to see and hearts to receive. So, truth is God who never lies, and asking what is truth is also us trying to be closer to Truth and hear and know and understand Truth in our own Asking, Seeking and Knocking. And, to be filled with God, Jesus his son our savior and the Holy Spirit our guidance and comforter till Jesus comes again in which is he promised and never lies. And, that's the truth.

Peter you are right it was the Pharisees who had Jesus killed. Why you wonder

Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he (Jesus) began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Matthew 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Read Matthew 23 sometime and see what Jesus had to say to their man made rules and practices.

John 8 is another eye opener. Jesus hated hypocrisy and traditions that made the Laws of God void.

The chief priests & Pharisees had it in for Jesus right through His ministry.The Gospels are replete with occasions that raised their ire & plots to do away with Him. I will list some of them, but you ask, "the reason that Jesus was arrested". If I could give just one Scripture, it would be John 19:7: the law was that death would be the penalty for blasphemy, so they demanded this sentence from Pilate for Jesus claimed to be God's Son. Other verses in Mark's Gospel that demonstrate their hatred of Jesus: 2:16, 6:3, 2:24, 2:7, 3:6, 3:22, 7:5, 14:53-64. Jesus not only claimed Deity & called them a generation of vipers ( Mt 3:7), but also broke their traditions & accused them of many things.

It was Jewish soldiers -band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, who took Jesus to Caiaphas ( John 18) , But what did the Jews have against Jesus Is there another gospel that explains why they arrested Jesus

The LORD Is my Shepherd. I Shall not want. My cup runneth over.

I think its a metaphor for Jesus's purpose or responsibility. Jesus had used this word in his prayer to God the father, like Luke 22:42.

Hey Peggy - Hit youtube and type in CUP OF THE LORD
see what pops up. there are a number of times the cup of the Lord is in the Bible.
Psalms 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
1 Corinthians 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

John 18:11 what is the cup

It's really sad that peter denied Jesus

but when they came to force him to a cross, he offered himself for he came into this world to suffer, and went to the other world to reign. I believe Jesus was not a man of violence but he knew it was his time to suffer for our sins. In today's culture many would have done Jesus the same turn their backs due to fear and disbelief refusing accept the truth.

Verse 37~If we are truly on the side of the truth we will make sure that we listen to Jesus by obeying his teachings found in God's Word the Bible.

11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? (as it was then, Jehovah /GOD assigned a duty to Jesus; so is it in 2019 GOD assign us duties).

The perpetual play twixt good and evil played out perfectly. For evil was the crucifixion of God's son, for glory was the resurrection. We pray that God's will be done on earth, but mankind does evil, for he has the power on earth to choose. In order to choose good over evil one needs to know which is which. Lifetimes are spent in deciphering the good from the evil. Most never figure it out.?

Verse 36~Jesus did not deny being a king because he is a king. He let Pilate know that he was king of a heavenly Kingdom.

John 18:40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus came to die for all sinners. Jesus is the redeemer.

The Israelites DID NOT STEAL from the Egyptians; God took the Egyptians wealth and gave it to His people, for all that they suffered from the Egyptians. The LORD gave the lands of the Canaanites to His people, because the Canaanites were a completely ruined and filthy race; and God saw NOTHING in them worth saving! So shall it be when the time is up for the world; all shall be given to the Saints!

V40, interesting that the Jews saved a thief. The Jews were thieves when leaving Egypt. When someone borrows something they refuse to return, that is theft. Steal from a Jew, the punishment is death. Deuteronomy 24:7 But if a Jew steals from a Jew when caught he just has to pay double, no death sentence.

Amen.

Jn. 18:38 - "What is truth?" From the book, "The Bible; it's origin and Use" by Word Aflame Elective Series; "Truth, the revelation of God and all things as He sees them, can only be found in the Scriptures."