John began his account of Jesus' trials with a brief description of His arrest and by identifying the chief religious leaders who examined Him.
18:12 The commander (Gr. chiliarchos, cf. Acts 22:24, 26, 27, 28; 23:17, 19, 22) in view was the officer in charge of the Roman soldiers. He was evidently the person with the most official authority on the scene. However the Jewish officers (i.e., temple police) also played a part in Jesus' arrest. Perhaps John noted that they bound Jesus in view of Isaiah's prophecy that Messiah's enemies would lead Him as a lamb to the slaughter (Isa. 53:7). Jesus' disciples abandoned Him when His enemies took him into custody (cf. Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50).
18:13 The soldiers evidently led Jesus to the residence of the high priest. The location of this building is uncertain, though the traditional site is in the southern part of old Jerusalem just west of the Tyropoeon Valley.536
Both high priests evidently occupied the same building. One was Annas, the former high priest whom the Jews still regarded as the legitimate high priest since the high priesthood under the Mosaic Law was for life. He served as the official high priest from 6 to 15 A.D. when the Roman procurator Valerius Gratus deposed him. Five of Annas' sons plus his son-in-law, Caiaphas, succeeded him in this office.537Consequently it was natural that the Jews regarded Annas as the patriarch and the true high priest and that he continued to exert considerable influence throughout his lifetime. The other high priest was Caiaphas, Annas' son-in-law whom the Romans had placed in the office in 18 A.D. where he remained until 36 A.D. Annas was the first of the two men to interview Jesus.
"That year"refers to the fateful year of Jesus' death (i.e., 33 A.D.).
The High Priests of Israel
(c. 6-36 A.D.)
Annas (c. 6-15 A.D.)
Unofficial high priest with Caiaphas during Jesus' trial (Luke 3:2; John 18:13, 24)
Unofficial high priest who, with Caiaphas, tried Peter and John (Acts 4:6)
Eleazar (c. 16-17 A.D.)
Son of Annas whose name does not appear in the New Testament
Caiaphas (c. 18-36 A.D.)
Son-in-law of Annas
Official high priest during Jesus' earthly ministry (Luke 3:2; Matt. 26:3, 57; John 11:49-50)
With Annas tried Peter and John (Acts 4:6)
18:14 John doubtless identified Caiaphas as he did here to remind his readers of the prediction of Jesus' substitute sacrifice (11:50), not just to identify Caiaphas. This identification also makes unnecessary a full recording of the deliberations that led to the Sanhedrin's verdict. That record was already available in the Synoptics and was therefore unnecessary in John's Gospel.
