In today’s edition of The Vine, a spin off of the Sunday Branch feature, my notes refer to John 18 (Amplified Version).

John Archive
John 1
John 2
John 3
John 4
John 5
John 6
John 7
John 8
John 9
John 10
John 11
John 12
John 13
John 14
John 15
John 16
John 17

Verse 3
It was a lynch mob. Which is something because in verse 6, the people are in awe of Him.

Verse 5
Who are you standing with? Like Thresh said in The Hunger Games, “Remember who the enemy is.”

Verse 9
Piggybacking off of chapter 17 when Jesus said he had lost not one of his people. Wow!

Verse 10
It’s telling that Peter cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear. Without an ear, you can’t hear and some would even say understand. What are you cutting yourself off from hearing? Peter is very reactionary. Act first, think later. He’s not always like this though. His character growth sure is something.

Verse 11
Jesus told him to put his sword away. I love the response after, “The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” Wow. So much in that question. Are you going to destroy what’s in your path or are you going to face it, knowing that you’ve had a drink from the Father’s cup?

Verse 12
You can’t bind Jesus. Jesus is boundless.

Verse 15
The other disciple was John.

Verse 16
Haha! Peter was outside. After all that he did, the little teacher’s pet.

Verses 16-18, 25-27
– Peter was loyal until reality set in. Jesus tried to tell him! Of course, when the fire gets hot, we warm up to the lukewarm Christians but we need to get it together.

Verses 20-23
Regarding, “I have spoken nothing secretly,” if people in the church are being secretive, watch out. (This is not in regards to Christians who are being persecuted, praying and praising God in secret.)

So Jesus is being questioned about his disciples and teaching. Jesus told them that He had done nothing in secret so ask the people who heard him, they know what He said. Boom! Then, an attendant struck Jesus saying “Is that how you speak to the high priest?!” Ugh. I love Verse 23 Jesus replied, If I have said anything wrong [if I have spoken abusively, if there was evil in what I said] tell what was wrong with it. But if I spoke rightly and properly, why do you strike Me?

Verses 28-30
At this point, Jesus is being brought from Caiaphas to Praetorium, the governor’s palace but not inside, for they did not want to become ceremonially unclean for Passover. So, Pilate came out and asked about accusations against Jesus. Basically, they didn’t have a real answer so they just talked to hear themselves talk. People will say anything to justify their beliefs. Pilate wasn’t a fool and didn’t want the decision on his hands so he told them to judge Jesus themselves according to their own law. The Jews said that it wasn’t lawful to put anyone to death. Ding ding ding that should give you a clue as to what your answer should be right there! Anyway…

Verses 29-31
They had already made up their mind to kill Him. Pilate didn’t want any part of it.

Verses 33-35
I love this exchange.

Verse 37-40
– Jesus responds of his people and his kingdom and Pilate asks, “So you are a King then?” and Jesus says, “You say it. For I am a King and I am truth.” Pilate asks, “What is truth?” and after saying this he knew he had no fault in Jesus. So he went outside and went about the custom of releasing a prisoner on Passover, which the people chose to be the robber, Barabbas instead of Jesus. People will choose what’s wrong even when they know it’s wrong if it beats going against what they don’t favor even more, which is really…the unknown and what they do not understand.

– All of this is happening over Passover. Amazing.

Tomorrow…John 19.