“Indeed They Know What I Said”

John 18:19-24

The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."
And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

In verse 15, we learn that another disciple went into the courtyard of the High Priest with Jesus, while Peter wished to remain outside. However, this other disciple — who it is reasonable to assume was John himself — encouraged Peter to come into the courtyard, but on entering, Peter denied Jesus to the servant girl at the door. John was a believing witness to the cross-examination in the High Priest’s house to which Jesus was subjected. Indeed, only John tells the story in this way, and it has the feel of an eye-witness account that the other Gospel writers do not have.

John intercuts between Peter in the courtyard and Jesus before the High Priest Annas in a most dramatic way — giving us a simultaneous presentation of the fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s denial, as Jesus was being struck by one of the officers. A double blow indeed. Even today when someone betrays us in some way, we say “Well, that was a slap in the face!”

But all through this trial, Jesus remains level, reasoned and calm. Indeed it is His confidence in the face of questioning, which appears to provoke the officer’s attack. “I spoke openly to the world.” “Why do you ask me?” “Why do you strike me?” These are the responses of someone with authority.

While the other Gospel writers tell this story as a show trial before the Sanhedrin — with Caiaphas rending his clothes in fury, which may be seen as a prefiguring of the veil in the temple tearing in two at the crucifixion — John’s telling seems low key in comparison, but all the more telling for that. It may be that in sending Jesus bound to Caiaphas, there would be a gathering of the Sanhedrin as we read elsewhere, but John tells us nothing of that. The point has been made; the religious order will have none of what they consider to be Jesus’ blasphemy.

The disciples knew exactly what Jesus had said to them, signifying by what death He would die.

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Meditate On These Things

JOHN 12:27-33
"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name."
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."
Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."
Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."
This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

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I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY — Hymns of Grace

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A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --

EVERY TIME YOU venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common-sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense contradicts Him?
[from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]

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