After Jesus finished praying, he and his disciples crossed a small stream and went into a garden. Judas knew the place well because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. Judas arrived with a large group of soldiers and officers, carrying torches and weapons. Jesus stepped forward and asked who they were looking for. When they said 'Jesus of Nazareth,' he said 'I am he.' The soldiers stumbled backward and fell to the ground. Jesus asked them again, and this time told them to let his disciples go.
Peter pulled out a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, whose name was Malchus. Jesus told Peter to put the sword away. Jesus was taken and tied up, while the disciples ran. Another disciple who knew the high priest followed and got Peter into the courtyard. A servant girl at the door asked Peter if he was one of Jesus's disciples. Peter said no, his first denial. He stood warming himself by a fire.
Jesus was brought before Annas, the former high priest, who questioned him about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus said he had always spoken openly, in the synagogues and temple for all to hear. He had nothing to hide. One of the officers slapped Jesus for how he answered. Annas then sent Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest. Meanwhile, Peter denied being a disciple two more times, once by the fire, and once when a relative of Malchus recognized him from the garden. A rooster crowed.
Early in the morning, Jesus was taken to Pilate, the Roman governor. The Jewish leaders would not go inside Pilate's building so they would stay clean for Passover. Pilate asked what crime Jesus had committed. The leaders said to trust them, he was guilty. Pilate asked Jesus directly: 'Are you the king of the Jews?' Jesus said his kingdom was not from this world. Pilate said he found no reason to punish Jesus and offered to release one prisoner as was the custom. The crowd shouted for Barabbas, a criminal, instead of Jesus.
Historical Context
The garden where Jesus was arrested was across a stream called the Kidron Valley, on the side of the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem. It was a well-known spot, which is why Judas knew to take the soldiers there. The large group that came to arrest one man showed that the leaders were very afraid of Jesus and wanted to make sure he could not escape.
Pilate was the Roman governor in charge of the region. Jewish leaders did not have the power to execute anyone on their own, they needed Roman permission. The leaders refused to go inside Pilate's building because it was the home of a non-Jewish person, and going in might make them ceremonially unclean before Passover. This detail shows how focused they were on following religious rules, even while they were plotting to kill an innocent man.
