John 18:1a| He| vv. 1-11: Matt. 26:36-56;| Mark 14:32-52;| Luke 22:39-53
John 18:11| went
| The Lord delivered Himself of His own accord to the process of death, as He had indicated in 10:17-18. He did it voluntarily and boldly.
John 18:1b| Kedron| 2|Sam. 15:23
John 18:2a| betraying| John 6:71;| 12:4;| 13:2, 21
John 18:4a| knowing| John 13:1
John 18:41| went
| See note 11.
John 18:5a| Nazarene| Matt. 2:23;| cf. John 1:46
John 18:51b| I| John 18:6, 8;| 8:24, 28, 58
| I Am is the name of Jehovah (so in vv. 6, 8). See note 241 in ch. 8. When the soldiers heard this name, they drew back and fell to the ground.
John 18:8a| I| John 18:5
John 18:81| these
| While suffering betrayal at the hands of His false disciple and arrest by the soldiers, the Lord still took good care of His disciples. This reveals that He was at ease in passing through the process of death.
John 18:9a| Of| John 17:12
John 18:10a| sword| Luke 22:38
John 18:10b| cut| John 18:26
John 18:111| cup
| This word, too, shows that the Lord was willing to pass through the process of death.
John 18:12a| seized| vv. 12-27: Matt. 26:57-75;| Mark 14:53-72;| Luke 22:54-71
John 18:131| led
| The Lord was the Lamb of God (1:29), and He was killed on the day of the Passover (v. 28). As the passover lamb was examined before it was killed (Exo. 12:3-6), so He was examined by the whole of mankind, represented by the high priest of the Jews and the governor of the Romans, and proved to be without blemish (v. 38b; 19:4, 6). See note 371 in Mark 12.
John 18:14a| Caiaphas| John 11:49-51
John 18:17a| I| John 18:25, 27
John 18:211| Why
| While judging the Lord, both the high priest of the Jewish religion and the governor of the Roman Empire were judged by Him in His dignity.
John 18:22a| slapped| John 19:3;| Matt. 26:67;| cf. Matt. 5:39
John 18:28a| Then| vv. 28-40: Matt. 27:1-26a;| Mark 15:1-15a;| Luke 23:1-25a
John 18:281| praetorium
| The governor’s official residence.
John 18:282| early
| A reference to the fourth watch, 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
John 18:31a| law| John 19:7;| Lev. 24:16
John 18:32a| word| John 12:32-33
John 18:321| kind
| The Jews’ way to put criminals to death was to stone them (Lev. 24:16). But the Lord Jesus predicted, according to the type in the Old Testament (Num. 21:8-9), that He would be lifted up (3:14; 8:28; 12:32). It was of God’s sovereignty that not long before that time the Roman Empire had made it a law that criminals sentenced to death should be crucified. It was in this way that the Lord was executed. This proves that the Lord’s death was not accidental but was predetermined by God (Acts 2:23).
John 18:33a| King| John 1:49;| 12:13, 15;| Matt. 2:2
John 18:341| Are
| See note 211.
John 18:36a| kingdom| 2|Sam. 7:12-13;| Dan. 2:44;| 7:14;| Luke 19:12, 15;| Heb. 1:8;| Rev. 1:9;| Eph. 5:5;| Rev. 20:4, 6
John 18:361| of
| Lit., out of; so in v. 37.
John 18:362| here
| The world.
John 18:37a| born| Matt. 2:2
John 18:371b| truth| John 1:14, 17;| 8:32;| 14:6;| 17:17
| In view of the entire revelation of this book, truth here denotes the divine reality embodied, revealed, and expressed in Christ as the Son of God. See notes 146 in ch. 1 and 66 in 1|John 1.
John 18:38a| no| John 19:4, 6;| Luke 23:4, 14, 22