And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
For the exposition, see the notes at John 18:1-12.
Had we only the first three Gospels, we should have concluded that our Lord was led immediately to Caiaphas, and had before the Council. But as the Sanhedrim could hardly have been brought together at the dead hour of night-by which time our Lord was in the hands of the officers sent to take Him-and as it was only "as soon as it was day" that the Council met (Luke 22:66), we should have had some difficulty in knowing what was done with Him during those intervening hours. In the fourth Gospel, however, all this is cleared up, and a very important addition to our information is made (John 18:13-14; John 18:19-24). Let us endeavour to trace the events in the true order of succession, and in the detail supplied by a comparison of all the four streams of text.
JESUS IS BROUGHT PRIVATELY BEFORE ANNAS, THE FATHER-IN-LAW OF CAIAPHAS (= John 18:13-14)
Verse 13. "And they led Him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year." This successful Annas, as Ellicott remarks, was appointed high priest by Quirinus
A.D. 12 AD, and after holding the office for several years, was deposed by Valerius Gratus, Pilate's predecessor in the procuratorship of Judea, (Josephus, Ant. 18: 2. 1, etc.) He appears, however, to have possessed vast influence, having obtained the high priesthood, not only for his son Eleazar, and his son-in-law Caiaphas, but subsequently for four other sons, under the last of whom James, the brother of our Lord, was put to death (Ib. 20: 9. 1). It is thus highly probable that, besides having the title of "high priest" merely as one who had filled the office, he to a great degree retained the powers he had formerly exercised, and came to be regarded practically as a kind of rightful high priest. John 18:14. "Now Caiaphas was he which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people." See the note at John 11:50. What passed between Annas and our Lord during this interval the beloved disciple reserves until he has related the beginning of Peter's fall. To this, then, as recorded by our own Evangelist, let us meanwhile listen.