Scripture for Sunday, August 13th, 2017
John 18:12-18
Then the band and the captain and officers...
12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
14 Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.
18 And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.
Annas
Annas had been appointed high priest by Quirinius in the year 6 AD., and was deposed by Valerius Gratus, about 15 A.D. Though deposed, he remained for a long time the ruling spirit of the Sanhedrin. He was the dominant member of the Jewish hierarchical machine. There have been somewhat similar "machines" since that day. It generally takes a clever manipulator to be the virtual head of one. Annas was just such a man. Five sons (Eleazar, Jonathan, Theophilus, Matthias, and Ananus), one son-in-law (Caiaphas), and a grandson followed him in the high-priesthood. ...Thus, during the entire period of Christ's ministry and for a long time afterward, Annas was the man who was responsible, to a large extent, for the actions of the Jewish Sanhedrin. Someone else might be the presiding officer of the Sanhedrin; Annas was the man to consult. He was very proud, exceedingly ambitious, and fabulously wealthy... The main source of his wealth seems to have been a goodly share of the proceeds from the price of sacrificial animals, which were sold in the Court of the Gentiles... By him the house of prayer had been turned into a den of robbers.
William Hendriksen, John, Vol. 2, quoting material taken from the Gospels and Josephus, Baker: Grand Rapids, 2007, pages 387-388.