Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Tuesday, April 1, 2014 Read John 18:12-14 As we have noted earlier, all four gospel writers have merges in their telling of the story at this point. Following his arrest, all four gospel writers tell us that Jesus was brought to the home of the high priest. Mark does not identify who the high priest was and proceeds to speak of a gathering of all the chief priests, the elders and the council who put Jesus on trial. Matthew follows Mark quite closely but he does identify the high priest as Caiaphas. Matthew also tells of an immediate trial of Jesus before the council. Luke does not identify who the high priest was but simply that Jesus was brought to his house. For Luke, the trial does not begin until the morning. Mark, Matthew, and Luke all insert a reference to Peter following at a distance. Mark and Matthew speak no more of Peter until after the trial of Jesus is complete and then tell of his denial. Luke proceeds directly from telling of Jesus being brought to the house of the high priest to Peter’s betrayal and then will return to tell of the trial of Jesus before the council the next morning. Only John tells of Jesus being brought to the home of Annas who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Annas had been the high priest for a number of years prior to this time, but was deposed in favor of another man who was in turn replaced by Caiaphas. The Roman governor had jurisdiction over who was the high priest and apparently Annas and his family had fallen out of favor for a time and then came back into favor when Caiaphas became high priest – it was a family affair. Actually John says something rather peculiar when he speaks of Caiaphas as “the high priest that year” as if the high priest changed from year to year. That was not the case. The high priest served multiple years at the discretion of the governor. Caiaphas was not only the priest “that year” but for a number of years. This language may hint that the author of John was not as familiar with Jewish practice as we might think. The delivery of Jesus to the home of the high priest does not result in a trial before a Jewish council in John’s gospel. That trial, we remember, has already happened in the aftermath of the raising of Lazarus (John 11:45-53). John reminds his readers of that trial at this point and of Caiaphas’ ironic remark that “it is better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish.” It is important that we highlight that John does not tell of a trial of Jesus before the religious council. The only ones present are the high priests, Annas and Caiaphas.