What does John 18:24 mean?
ESV: Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
NIV: Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
NASB: So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
CSB: Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
NLT: Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.
KJV: Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.
NKJV: Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Verse Commentary:
Earlier in this same passage, the person questioning Jesus was referred to as "the high priest" (John 18:19). That man is Annas (John 18:13). Secular history tells us Annas was the high priest until around AD 18, when the Romans replaced him with his son-in-law, Caiaphas. Old Testament law made the high priesthood a lifetime appointment (Numbers 35:25), but the Roman Empire preferred to be more in control of their conquered territories. It's possible Annas was considered the "real" high priest by the Jewish people, yet Caiaphas held that title according to the Romans. So, what happens here is Jesus being taken from the [legitimate] high priest to the [government-approved] high priest.
As noted earlier (John 18:14), it was Caiaphas who advocated that Jesus be killed, innocent or not, to prevent His ministry from creating further harm (John 11:47–50). This sequence of sham trials is only for show: the religious leaders of Israel have already made up their minds to put Jesus to death (Mark 14:1–2).
Verse Context:
John 18:19–24 begins a series of dishonest hearings led by Jewish religious leaders. The person leading the interrogation is Annas, the "true" high priest, though his son-in-law Caiaphas is Rome's current appointee. Much as a courtroom prosecutor might ask an accused to explain their actions, the high priest gives Jesus an opportunity to confess what He has taught. Yet, as Jesus points out, everyone there already knows what He has been teaching. Additional details of this sham trial are found in Matthew 26:59–68, Mark 14:55–65 and Luke 22:63–71.
Chapter Summary:
Jesus is secretly, quietly arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and taken to a series of sham trials before Jewish leadership. This leads to His encounter with the local Roman governor. Jesus accepts being described as "King" but denies that His current purpose is earthly rule. A mob assembled by Jesus' enemies reject Pilate's attempt to free Jesus. In the meantime, Peter fulfills Christ's prophecy about a three-fold denial.
Chapter Context:
John's Gospel was written well after the other three, so he frequently chooses to present different details. Chapter 17 detailed Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, just before He entered the garden of Gethsemane. This chapter describes Jesus' arrest, sham trials before Jewish leadership, and the beginning of His trial before the Roman governor. In the following chapter, Jesus will be unfairly condemned, executed, and buried.
Book Summary:
The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.
Accessed 5/2/2024 10:28:58 AM
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