John Chapter Eighteen
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
[Text Parallels Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52 and Luke 22:47-53]
18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
After celebrating Passover and was finished teaching and praying, Jesus and His disciples left the upper room and walked across the brook Kidron[1] to a garden known as the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives (see Matthew 26:30, 36; Mark 14:26, 32; Luke 22:39).
18:2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
John records that Judas, again identified as the betrayer, now in the process of that betrayal, led a band of soldiers and officers from the Temple to the garden, as it was a location where Jesus and His disciples often met. They came with lanterns (Greek ‘phanōn’,[2] a lantern, the word is found only here in the Bible, most often translated as a torch in other literature, unknown difference), torches (Greek ‘lampadōn’,[3] a torch, lamp, or lantern) and weapons (Greek ‘hoplōn’,[4] weapons of warfare).
18:4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”
Jesus, knowing what was about to happen stepped forward towards the arriving contingent of soldiers and officers, and asked, “Whom do you seek?” They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth,” Jesus responded, “I am He.” Apparently Judas was silent at this time as John records him being there but not saying anything. John does note that when Jesus told them that He was Jesus that, “they drew back and fell to the ground.” John does not include what caused them to retreat and fall down, far from being a professional soldier’s response. Some believe they were overwhelmed and had a moment of weakness falling backwards not knowing how Jesus (being sent by God) would react to being arrested. Others believe that they fell due to some supernatural cause. Yet others believe this was a less-than-professional band of soldiers and were just inexperienced. Jesus once again tells them that He is the person they are looking for and that they should let the disciples go free.
18:9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”
John interjects that Jesus’ request to let the disciples go free without being arrested, to fulfill what He prayed earlier, as recorded in John 17:12, “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”[5]
18:10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” 12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.
Using Peter’s given name and his God-given name, John reports that Simon Peter pulls out one of the two swords they had (see Luke 22:38) and manages to cut off the right ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest. Jesus immediately stopped Peter, telling him that He must go through what His Father sent Him to do. John does not report Jesus healing the ear (see Luke 22:51). The band of soldiers and officers of the Jews (the Temple guards)[6] bound and arrested Jesus.
Jesus Before Annas
18:13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
Jesus endured six trials in one evening.[7] None of the gospel accounts record all six, John is the only gospel writer that wrote about this first trial in front of Annas. Technically not the official high priest, but since he was the previous high priest, he was considered by many to be the actual God-appointed high priest.[8] as his son-in-law Caiaphas was appointed by the Romans. Annas had the public support and Caiaphas had the political influence, so the two worked together. Annas will begin to question Jesus in verse 19.
When John records that Caiaphas was high priest that year, he is not implying that the high priest only serves one year, he is stating it as a “time stamp,” simply acknowledging that Caiaphas was the high priest at that time. John reminds his readers that Caiaphas was the same man who advised the council that, “it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” (John 11:50)
Peter Denies Jesus
18:15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.
Simon Peter followed Jesus along with another unnamed disciple. The other disciple is undoubtably John, who never identifies himself in his gospel account.[9] Some believe that John’s family operated a successful fishing company with several employees (see Mark 1:19-20) and that he may have delivered fish to the high priest’s family. It is interesting to note that an apocryphal book, the “Gospel of the Hebrews” (not to be confused with the Epistle to the Hebrews), is often divided into smaller ‘gospels’ including one named the “Gospel of the Nazaraeans” which records a similar story:
In the Gospel of the Nazaraeans, we are told how John had become acquainted with the high priest. He was the son of the poor fisherman Zebedee and had often brought fish to the palace of the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. John went out to the girl who kept the door and persuaded her to admit his companion Peter, who stood outside the gate weeping loudly.[10]
18:17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
As Peter walked by the servant girl she recognized Peter as being one of Jesus’ disciples and questions him. He immediately responded with his first denial, “I am not.” John then describes the scene of the courtyard. He notes that a group made a charcoal fire (Greek ‘anthrakian’,[11] from the noun ‘anthrax’,[12] meaning burning coal) which implies they lit some form of apparatus designed for warming, not some makeshift “fire in a barrel.” Some note that having a fire gives further evidence that the trials Jesus went through were indeed at night.[13]
Considerations
The word ‘apocrypha,’ as explained earlier,[14] means hidden away or concealed. The word ‘apocryphal’ at one time referred to writings that were kept secret because they were thought to contain special knowledge that was either too great or sacred to be revealed to those that were not ‘enlightened’. The word later became associated with writings that were hidden, not because of any super-spiritual insight or special access to God, but because they were considered fake, questionable, or otherwise in error. And therefore not included in the canon of Scripture.
The term ‘canon’ is a general term that refers to a law, standard, or criterion on by which something is judged. In theology it is a set of rules that are used to determine if a document is legitimately divinely inspired. It has been a practice of nearly every theologian, church, or denomination from the birth of Christianity to examine all potentially sacred writings to determine if they are truly from God. Depending on the group or theologian, the rules to determine what is and what is not from God vary. If deemed legitimate, those writings are included in the canon of Scripture and are then organized and published as Bibles.
Many of the writings known as the ‘Apocrypha’ can be found in the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate Bible (the primary reason why the Apocrypha books are an integral part of Catholic theology and can be found in their Bibles still today).
Apocryphal and Other Extra-Biblical Writings
There are four main types of extra-biblical writings that are often considered profitable to study but due to their failing the criterion of the canon, they are not considered God’s Word by most theologians and groups, and therefore they are not included in most Bibles. Those four types are: Apocryphal (touted as being true but authenticity is doubtful or questioned); Pseudepigraphal (a falsely attributed writing, the claimed author is not the true author); Historical (history is recorded, although may require verification or the facts are wrong); and Commentary (books that simply explain existing text are not usually considered part of God’s Word). Since much of the world was clamoring for more information about God and Jesus by the end of the first century, several books started to appear, creating a New Testament set of apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings. Many of these ‘discovered’ books included the title of ‘gospel’, playing on the name given to the books that described the real story of salvation. Some titles include: Book of Noah, Prayer of Joseph, Testament of Job, Elijah the Prophet, Secrets of Enoch, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of the Hebrews, Epistles of Barnabas, Apocalypse of Peter, Apocalypse of Paul, and the list goes on! Most of these are very limited in number and in some cases only one copy was found (many of those had missing words, paragraphs, and pages). Even though there are a number of non-biblical writings that are referenced in the Bible (for example: the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jasher, the writings of Menander, etc.) that doesn’t automatically elevate those works as being from God (or even being true). Books have been, and probably always will be, part of life. Regardless of accuracy or truth, they can influence people, as such, the Biblical text simply acknowledges and records that influence. Most of these extra-Biblical books appear to have been written to support the false doctrine of Gnosticism.
Annas Questions Jesus
18:19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Having two ‘high priests’ at one time was unique, and probably somewhat awkward for Annas[15]. He is given the opportunity to interrogate Jesus before anyone else. Some believe since He had the greater experience as a high priest that he would likely be more successful in getting information from Jesus than with the council or even his son-in-law Caiaphas. Others believe he saw an opportunity and jumped on it, thinking perhaps that he could show everyone else he was still a capable high priest. But when he spoke to Jesus, he immediately asked Him what He was teaching, an obvious attempt to coax Jesus into incriminate Himself. Jesus responded saying, why don’t you ask those that heard me teach? Seemingly seeking favor with Annas, one of the officers then struck Jesus telling Him that He shouldn’t speak to the high priest in that manner. Jesus then asked, what did He say wrong? It is interesting to note that both God’s law and Jewish law prohibited the use of any statement from an accused person against them.[16] Not able to get Jesus to self-incriminate, Annas has Him bound and sent to his son-in-law, Caiaphas.
Note: The difference between self-incrimination and a confession in this scenario, is that a confession would be an admission that the person knowingly did something wrong, and a self-incrimination would be a statement made that would implicate that the person did something illegal without admitting doing anything wrong. They needed Jesus to violate their law in order to legally arrest Him. What they truly desired was for Him to say He was God in front of several witnesses to have Him executed.
Peter Denies Jesus Again
[Text Parallels Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72 and Luke 22:55-65]
18:25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
John then takes the reader back to Peter who is now standing outside in the courtyard of the high priest’s home. He notes that Peter was standing warming himself when some others (plural) ask him if he was a disciple of Jesus. Peter quickly denied it, then another man identified by John as being a servant of the high priest, a relative of Malchus, the one Peter had cut off his ear. Why did John include this information? Perhaps to help readers realize that this person may have been somewhat hostile towards Peter. He asks Peter, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied the accusation. Then the rooster crowed.
Considerations
Denied That He Would Ever Deny
Just as Jesus had told him earlier (see John 13:38), that he would deny Him three times before the rooster would crow, Peter did exactly what he denied that he would do. After realizing what he had done he went out and, “wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:62b)
Since we are still sinners, denying Jesus will undoubtedly occur at some point (or perhaps several points) in a Christian’s life. Before you quickly deny and say, like Peter, not me! Understand that denial does not always require saying something, it could also be from remaining silent when something should have been said or not doing something when it should have. These actions, or perhaps better to refer to them as inactions, are considered by many as sins of omission. James clarifies, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17).
Sadly, Christians often deny God. By not praying with someone when they should. By not offering aid to someone in need. By not sharing Jesus with a coworker. By not wearing clothing that states your beliefs. By not praying at the restaurant before eating. By not talking about your beliefs when the subject contrary to the Bible comes up. The list goes on. While it is true that you probably at the time justified your actions (or inactions). Christians should never be ashamed of God, His Word the Bible, or the gospel message (see Matthew 10:33; Mark 8:38; Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:8-18; 1 John 2:28). But it happens. Why? Most often to minimize or negate any criticism, ridicule, or fear of rejection, that of being pushed away. The main excuse offered is that the person doesn’t feel they know the Bible well enough to engage in a conversation, let alone in a discussion regarding a disagreement of interpretation. Good news! This problem can be fixed. Start with more prayers for the lost and more Bible study (don’t forget to seek the Holy Spirit for discernment).
Jesus Brought Before Pilate
[Text Parallels Matthew 27:2, Mark 15:1b and Luke 23:1-2]
18:28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
Neither the trial before Caiaphas (see Matthew 26:57-68; Luke 22:54) nor the trial before the Sanhedrin (see Matthew 27:1; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-21) are recorded by John.[17] He transitions directly to the first phase of the Roman trials, to the local governor, Pilate. John notes that in the early morning Jesus was taken to the governor’s headquarters (Latin ‘Praetorium’). The ’they’ (those who led Jesus) would have been the high priests, some members of the Sanhedrin, and possibly other Jewish leaders.
When they arrived, since entering the facility would make them ceremonially unclean and that it was during the spring festivals, defilement would have prevented them from being able to participate in those festivals (potential issues in a Roman’s house could range from locations defiled by dead bodies to the presence of pagan idols, which would require one week to be cleansed, see Leviticus 5:3; Numbers 19:11-12), Pilate obliged and came out to meet them. Pilate asks them what charges are they bringing against Jesus. Perhaps responding to a negative attitude of Pilate’s, the Jewish leadership retorts, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” Pilate tells them to judge Him using their own law. By claiming that they, the Jews, have no authority to put someone to death,[18] they are telling Pilate that they want to execute Jesus.
John notes that this dialog pointed to Jesus dying in the hands of the Romans, who executed their criminals by crucifixion (as opposed to being stoned by the Jews). Fulfilling the prophecy given when Jesus referred to Himself being “lifted up,” while earlier speaking to His disciples and some Greek followers (see John 12:32-33) regarding how He was going to die.
Considerations
The irony of the Jewish leadership, who, on one hand were concerned for their ceremonial cleanliness, while on the other hand, plan on murdering Jesus. This horrific irony exudes arrogance, ignorance, and of course hypocrisy. It is hard to imagine how someone could possibly think these actions would be acceptable to God. Jesus is not only innocent of any and all crime, He is without sin!
By this time Jesus was a well-known celebrity. Probably the best-known non-government related Jew in all of Galilee and Judea. So if the Jewish leadership outright killed Jesus, such as being stoned to death for blaspheme (like some had tried several times, see John 8:29; 11:8; 10:31), they would run the risk of the people turning on them. Which would likely result in an insurrection, of which the Romans would have to stop using any means necessary. In verse 31, the Jews (likely Caiaphas) remind Pilate that they no longer have the authority to put someone to death, which was true. However, what about those times when the Jews attempted to stone Him on the spot? Or later, when we read in Acts chapter seven about how the Jews stoned Stephen to death? They apparently “got away” with that execution. Regarding Jesus, it appears that they did not want the public pressure, nor the blame. But we need to remember that even though Jesus was certainly the victim of dirty politics, this was all prearranged before time or the existence of man. God’s plan for our salvation included this bizarre sequence of events, which provides a clear picture of the depravity of man. Remember what Jeremiah wrote about our hearts and minds, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
My Kingdom Is Not of This World
[Verses 33-38 Parallels Matthew 27:11-14, Mark 15:2-5 and Luke 23:3-5. Verses 39-40 Parallels Matthew 27:17-26, Mark 15: 9-11 and Luke 23:16-19]
18:33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
Pilate returns to his headquarters and has Jesus brought in to interrogate Him. He begins with the question, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Undoubtedly barraged with a number of accusations against Jesus from the Jewish leadership when Jesus was handed over to him, Pilate chooses to ask Him about the claim He was the King of the Jews. He asks a question aimed to evaluate any threat to his own (and Rome’s) political power. Jesus, in response asks Pilate if he came up with that assessment of Jesus’ identity on his own or was he told that by someone else. A peculiar response, but one directed to clarify, not insult. Pilate had little to no respect or interest in the spiritual matters of the Jews, to him they were a troublesome group of people with their own infuriating customs and law. If Pilate determined Jesus was the King of the Jews, he would understand the “bigger picture,” that His kingdom was greater than any earthly kingdom. But if he was simply told that Jesus proclaims to be a king, Pilate would likely think of a kingdom much smaller. Pilate, insulted by the query, indignantly responded, “Am I a Jew?” Implying that he isn’t concerned over the Jewish perspective, those things that he considers as being trivial. Pilate further states that Jesus’ own people and leadership have brought Him here, and that He must have done something serious enough to get them so “riled up.” So he asks, “What have you done?”
18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Jesus answered by clarifying the nature of His kingdom. It is not of this world, if He was interested in being a king on earth He would have His servants fighting to prevent being handed over to the Jews. But instead His kingdom is not from the world. Pilate interjects, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king,” which sounds odd to our ears, but He is indirectly saying, ‘yes’ (some suggest that it would be equivalent to the modern-day saying, “You said it!”) Jesus adds that for this purpose He came into the world was to bear witness to the truth. That everyone who accepts the truth listens to His voice.
18:38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
In this exchange of words between Jesus and Pilate, recorded in all four gospels, Jesus mentions ‘truth’ and that He bears witness to the truth. Pilate hearing from the chief priests, the Sanhedrin, and other Jews what they believe to be the truth and hearing from Jesus something entirely different, he makes his now-famous statement, “What is truth?” Without further interrogation, Pilate goes out to the Jews and tells them that he finds Jesus not guilty. He further tells them that during this time of year he releases a prisoner that they want, so he asks them if he wants them to release Jesus. Based on the other gospel accounts it appears that the crowd is growing and likely being prompted by the Jewish leadership, they ask for Barabbas, a known robber (Greek ‘lēstēs’,[19] one who deprives another through the use of violence).
Considerations
How important is truth? When traveling, the truth is required to get you where you want to go. When an engineer designs a new product, knowing the truth will be the difference of a design working or not working. In a justice system, the truth can be the difference between a criminal being convicted or not. There is no end to the comparisons, the truth is that truth does in fact matter, a lot!
So why does Pilate’s question still haunt us today? What is truth? What makes truth so mirky and hard to spot? To help us answer that question we need to go back to the beginning and review some basic principles.
What was creation all about? We can only answer that from God’s Word. In the Bible we find that the greatest truth is that God loves us. While that seems inconceivable, it is nonetheless true. God created man for His glory (see Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11) and for His pleasure (see Colossians 1:16). And as John recorded earlier, that God so loved the world that He sent His Son to suffer and die (see John 3:16-17). So, what went wrong? Moses wrote in Genesis 3:1 about an odd conversation between a human (Eve) and a snake (being Satan) who asks her, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” So, we see that shortly after creation, Satan enters the picture and immediately begins to force a wedge between Eve and God by introducing her to doubt, disbelief, and deception. While it is true that both Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit resulting in a curse on all creation including the start of all things dying, it was Satan that sparked the whole rebellion against truth. Jesus later referred to Satan as, “… a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) The battle between truth and deception has been going on since the beginning.
One could describe this battle to be similar to a boxing ring where God is in one corner and Satan in the opposite corner. However, this is another example of the Creator versus His creation, meaning there is really no contest. God can stop the battle anytime He wants. So once again we are faced with the ‘why’ question, why does God allow the corruption of the truth? Especially as we can ‘map out’ how sin and deception are literally responsible for all conflicts in the world.
There are some that point out that there really are no absolute truths, that truth is relative. That each person can accept or reject something as being true. But in reality, truth is not relative. Here are a few simple examples that show that truth can be known: The periodic table provides guidance for safe chemical reactions. Positive identification of plants before consumption can prevent one from being poisoned. Drug effectiveness and interaction are dependent on proper drug identification. Building material selection is critical to prevent structural collapse. Accurate compass headings are necessary to get to the correct destination. Consistent numeric assignment of a number is essential for an equation to work. The understanding of a word is critical for proper communications.
Okay, you get the point, we are surrounded by examples of absolute truths, so why is there an ongoing debate regarding absolute truths? It comes back to those ’things’ that are perceived as being ‘less-than-absolute’, essentially anything that prevents a person from living the way they want to live. Those annoying things called morals. When someone lives outside the moral absolutes of the Bible, instead of admitting they are violating the guidelines God has provided, they attempt to change the rules. After all, why would they care what God wants, as they place the question regarding the existence of God as one of those relative realities. Here again a tool used by the devil to push one away from God.
When we examine where those that believe truth is relative, we see that the greatest victim is the Word of God, which is most-often interpreted in light of relative truth. Thus, allowing for a wide range of conclusions. This phenomenon, combined with false teaching in general, have essentially made a mockery of Christianity today. When schools teach subjects like epistemology[20] and ontology,[21] students are often encouraged to establish their own “set of realities.” Of course, man’s sinful heart seems to always lean towards a reality that they prefer, again pushing away God.
Jesus and all of the New Testament epistle writers warn about false teaching. In a manner similar to how rumors are often stated as fact, having an ounce of truth combined with a pound of lies that appeal to one’s lusts and desires, false teaching attempts to corrupt the hearts and minds of those that do not know Scripture.
The purpose of false teaching again is to push people away from God. The more they get innocently involved (not knowing any better) with a false set of beliefs, the further they get indoctrinated in the wrong theology, something that is worse than not knowing God at all. Why? Because when someone thinks they know something they are less likely going to accept (or pursue) something different. The greatest barrier to knowing the truth is thinking you already know it. This is what Jesus meant when He told the church in Laodicea, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16) If someone is cold, being a non-believer, when they hear the truth of the gospel message, they can realize that they don’t have Jesus and ask for Him to come into their lives. If the person is hot, they already know the truth and have accepted Jesus as their Savior. However, if a person is lukewarm, thinking they know everything the need to know about Jesus, but in reality they have accepted a lie instead of the truth, then as a result, reject the real Jesus (just as most of the Jews did during His ministry). False teaching, like having an inaccurate compass, can be just a little off, preventing you from arriving your intended destination, heaven.
In the last epistle of the Bible, just before the book of Revelation, Jude warns, “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4) Crept in where? The church! Note, this was written before the end of the first century of Christianity. Can you imagine the level of corruption after nearly 2,000 years? Sadly, many churches and denominations today have forgotten the truth (as depicted by the church in Ephesus, see Revelation 2:1-7), accepted a lie instead of the truth (like the church in Pergamum, see Revelation 2:12-17), succumbed to world pressure (as did the church in Thyatira, see Revelation 2:18-28), became useless to God (similar to the church in Sardis, see Revelation 3:1-6), and forced Jesus out (like the church in Laodicea, see Revelation 3:14-22).
Always remember, there is only one book that matters after you die and that is the Bible. Get to know it and Jesus before it is too late. Also, don’t be afraid to challenge your church leaders if you find a ‘different’ truth. Knowing the truth is critical, it has eternal consequences. Bottom line, through the completed work on the cross, Jesus did all the work for your salvation, the Bible only points to Him.
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[1] Typically s small creek, although during rain it is believed that it could turn into a torrent. This is the only reference to the brook in the New Testament. At that time it ran from northwest of Jerusalem towards the southeast and came near the northeast corner of the city wall.
[2] Strong’s Greek 5322.
[3] Strong’s Greek 2985.
[4] Strong’s Greek 3696.
[5] See also commentary under John 17:11-12.
[6] See commentary under Matthew 26:47-49.
[7] See Introduction to Jesus' Trials under Matthew 26:55-56.
[8] See Considerations under Matthew 26:3-5 "Chief Priest versus High Priest."
[9] See Introduction to John “The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved.”
[10] Klauck, H.-J. (2003). Apocryphal gospels: an introduction (p. 50). T&T Clark.
[11] Strong’s Greek 439.
[12] Strong’s Greek 440.
[13] See Introduction to Jesus' Trials under Matthew 26:55-56.
[14] See commentary under Mark 4:21-23.
[15] See Considerations under Matthew 26:3-5 “Chief Priest versus High Priest.”
[16] See Deuteronomy 19:15; Numbers 35:30, and the Sanhedrin Tractate of the Talmud (Folios 9A and 27B).
[17] See Introduction to Jesus' Trials under Matthew 26:55-56.
[18] See Considerations under Matthew 20:17-20 "Capital Punishment by the Jews Revoked."
[19] Strong’s Greek 3027.
[20] The theory of knowledge, primarily regarding the perception of reality. The study of how do we know things.
[21] The study of existence and how we know if something exists. Often taking abstract ideas and establishing them as being real.