John 18 & 19

Only John tells us that Jesus was first brought before Annas. Annas was the Jewish High Priest from 6 to 15 AD. Four of his sons also held this office. His son-in-law Caiaphas was now in office. The family was immensely rich and they bribed themselves into office with Annas the power behind it all.

The family made their money be selling sacrifices inside the Court of the Gentiles in the temple. Every animal offered in the temple had to be without blemish. There were inspectors to make sure each animal met the necessary quality. If an animal was bought outside the Temple it was certain that a flaw would be found. The worshipper was directed to buy at the Temple booths where the animals had already been examined and where there was no risk of rejection. Sounds helpful right? But outside the temple a pair of doves would cost about 4 p; inside the Temple at the booths ran by Annas it would cost as much as 75 p. The whole business was set up to exploit the worshippers. The Jews hated Annas for this reason.

Jesus had attacked this business, thrown over the tables, chased out the livestock and called them a den of thieves. Jesus had hit Annas where it would hurt the most-his pocket.

So now Annas wanted to be the first to gloat over the capture of this disturbing Galilaean.

One more tid bit from today's reading. When Jesus and His disciples left the upper room after celebrating the Last Super they walked to the Garden of Gethsemane. Bible scholars tell us that path would have taken them down a steep valley and across the channel of the Kedron brook. At this time all the Passover lambs were being killed in the Temple, and the blood of the lambs was poured on the altar as an offering to God. Some estimates say that as many as 250,000 lambs may have been slaughtered. That's a lot of blood. From the altar there was a channel down to the Kedron brook, though that channel the blood of the Passover lambs drained away. So as Jesus walked over the brook it would be red with the blood of the lambs. And as He did so wouldn't the thought of His own sacrifice be vivid in His mind.