"O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." John 17:25, 26

1.   The love of the apostles for Jesus was soon to be tested upon His arrest. How has your love for Jesus recently been tested, and how did remembering the prayer of Jesus in chapter 17 help you through that test?

   
   
   The Betrayal and Arrest in the Garden (John 18:1-14)

2. Following the prayer of chapter 17, Jesus went over the brook of Kidron into the garden with His apostles. How was Judas familiar with this place?

   
   
   

3. Describe the arrest of Jesus. Who made the arrest possible?

   
   
   

4. Peter had vowed to lay down his life for Christ's sake. What was Peter's first action, and what was Jesus' response? See also Matthew 26:52-54.

   
   
   

5. How does the arrest in the garden demonstrate the following qualities of Jesus?

   His courage ________________________________________________________________

   His authority ______________________________________________________________

   His choosing to die ________________________________________________________

   His protective love ________________________________________________________

   His utter obedience ________________________________________________________

   Peter's Denial (John 18:15-18; 25-27)

6. Peter denied being a disciple of the Lord. What prompted a man who had vowed to die for Christ, had used a sword to defend Him, to now deny Him?

   
   
   Are there ways we deny Him?

   
   
   

7. Whom might the other apostle be that followed Jesus after His arrest?

   
   
   

8. Peter warmed himself at the enemy's fire. What lesson can be learned from his example?

   
   
   

9.   Peter later rose above this embarrassing moment and did great things for the Lord. Discuss how the Lord loves us not for what we may do in a given moment, but for what we have in us to become.

   
   
   

   The High Priests Annas and Caiaphas         Annas was a notorious familial, political, and religious patriarch. Having served as High Priest for the nation of Israel from A.D. 6 to 15, Annas had four sons who followed him in that office. The Jewish High Priests no longer held office for life, but were chosen by the Roman rulers. The office was a matter for contention, intrigue, bribery and corruption. At the time of the crucifixion of our Lord, Annas' son-in-law Caiaphas held the title of High Priest.         The exploitative selling of sacrificial animals outside the temple was under the control of Annas and was even referred to as Annas' Bazaar. This ruling family was generally hated. Barclay's commentary says there is a passage in the Talmad which says: "Woe to the house of Annas! Woe to their serpent's hiss! They are high priests; their sons are keepers of the treasury; their sons-in-law are guardians of the Temple; and their servants beat the people with staves."

   Jesus Before the Jewish Authorities (John 18:19-24)

10. When asked by the high priest about His doctrine and disciples, Jesus declared that He had taught openly and never in secret. Is it ever expedient to be a secret disciple?

    
    
    Jesus Before Pilate (John 18:28-32)

11.   The Jewish leaders did not want to defile themselves by going into Pilate's headquarters before Passover, yet they justified their hatred of a righteous Man and His followers. How are we guilty of such duplicity when we fuss about the sheerest of trifles in the church and then break God's law of love and forgiveness toward our fellow man?

    
    
    

12. How did the Jews answer Pilate when he went out to them and asked what accusation they were bringing to him about Jesus?

    
    
    

13. What statement of the crowd showed their intentions?

    
    
    How did this signify by what death Jesus would die?

    
    
    Are You the King of the Jews? (John 18:33-38)

14. Jesus' answer to Pilate's question about His kingdom was, "You rightly say that I am a King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world." Explain how Christ is King.

    
    
    

15.   How would you answer Pilate's question, "What is truth?"

    
    
    Shall I Release the King of the Jews? (John 18:39-19:7)

16. Pilate tried to evade the trap of condemning Jesus by telling the Jews themselves to deal with Jesus (v 31), offering to release Him as the token Passover prisoner (v 39), and seeing if just scourging Jesus would mollify the crowd (19:1). How are Pilate's evasive tactics to deal with Jesus and yield to the pressures of the world similar to what many in our society do today?

    
    
    

17. Describe what Jesus endured before Pilate brought Him out declaring that he found no fault in Him.

    
    
    

18. When Pilate tried to rid himself of this just Man, what did the Jews cry out and how did they justify their actions?

    
    
    Where Are You From? (John 19:8-16)

19. Describe the power that the Roman procurator Pilate had.

    
    
    

20. Why did Pilate not want to condemn Jesus?

    
    
    

21. How did the Jewish officials trap Pilate by changing their accusation against Jesus?

    
    
    

22. In order to get Pilate to crucify Jesus, the Jews cried, "We have no king but Caesar." What is true and what is false about this statement? See I Samuel 12:12.

    
    
    

23.   We are astonished at the unreasonable hatred of the Jewish leaders towards our Savior. How does hatred warp people's judgement?

    
    
    Crucified (John 19:17-27)

24. Describe the crucifixion as told in John 19:17-22.

    
    
    

25. Jesus was taken out bearing His own cross to Golgotha. Besides His cross, what did He also bear for you?

    
    
    

26. Tell of Jesus' followers who were present at the cross.

    
    
    Dead (John 19:28-30)

27. What was finished when Jesus died?

    
    
    Buried (John 19:31-42)

28. Who buried Jesus, and what is known of them?

    
    
    

29. What Old Testament prophesies were fulfilled in John 19.

    Isaiah 3:7	______________________________________________	John 19:9
    Psalm 22:18	______________________________________________	John 19:24
    Psalm 69:21	______________________________________________	John 19:29
    Psalm 34:20	______________________________________________	John 19:36
    Zechariah 12:10	______________________________________________	John 19:37

    What is your understanding about God's hand in all of the events surrounding the arrest, trials, and crucifixion of Jesus?

Lesson Fourteen table of contents