John 18:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They lead Him “to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas.” From this the thought arises in us that he was the author and arranger of the crime against Christ. Probably the betrayer who had sold himself demanded from him the crowd of servants and soldiers for taking Christ. Therefore He is led to him first.

Thus for the Jews and for us, what they were saying through the voice of the prophet had already proved true and fulfilled: “Let us bind the righteous man, because he is of no use to us” (Is 3:10).

Indeed, Christ was of no use to the Jews, not because He Himself was such, but because to them He seemed to bring nothing better. They had a disposition that loved sin and the passions. He introduced a righteousness beyond the law and set forth for knowledge, without any covering, the true will of the God who loves the good.

The law did not proceed in this way. Through shadow and riddles, indirectly and only barely, it indicated to its hearers what could bring them benefit.

Thus, for those with impaired sight, the light of the sun is perhaps of no use, since illness prevents it from benefiting them. And to those suffering a diseased condition of health, foods seem almost wholly useless, though they can bring the desired health.

So also Christ seemed to the Jews to be somehow useless, although He was the author of salvation, for salvation was not dear to them. And they sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

“This was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die for the people.” Therefore, through the scheming of Annas and the wickedness of those hired for this, the sacred and holy Sacrifice, that is, Christ, was caught. Taken in the nets, He is led to the author or director of the unrighteous slaughter.

This was Caiaphas, though he was crowned with the grace of priesthood. Thus, as in word he appears the originator of the murder, so afterward he proves the firstfruits of the wicked deed itself. For he receives Jesus bound. As the fruit, so to speak, of his counsel and impious designs, the wretched man committed this deed, the most impious of all evils. For what can be more grievous than impiety against Christ?

This was Caiaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was better for one man to die for the people. Matthew, wishing to relate this more briefly, rightly mentioned that He was led to Caiaphas (cf. Mt 26:57). For He was first led to Annas because he was the father-in-law of that Caiaphas. From this we should understand that Caiaphas himself had wished it.

Yet Annas, though he formally yielded, continued to exercise influence over the great council through the younger members of his family. Now the presiding chair was occupied by his energetic son-in-law Caiaphas. Yet the aged head of the house remained, in the opinion of orthodox Jews, high priest de jure judaico.

While Christ was being taken into custody, the high conspirators were sitting in a night assembly, awaiting the victim, in the house of the chief leader of the whole conspiracy, the high priest Caiaphas. But the divine Prisoner was first led to the high priest Annas, as the senior hierarch.

They hoped that, having personally seen Jesus, Annas would by his tested wisdom help his son-in-law Caiaphas decide how best to act in the present case, so as to condemn the Prisoner and at the same time not arouse the indignation of the people.

The high-priestly house in Jerusalem, like the houses of prominent persons in the East generally, was a whole row of buildings arranged in a quadrangle. Inside was a paved courtyard, with one or two entrances. The courtyard was sometimes planted with trees and adorned with green patches of grass.

Sometimes a cistern or a fountain with abundant water was placed there, making the courtyard a pleasant place for rest or refreshment. Around the courtyard ran porticoes and galleries, providing space for guests and assemblies.

In some houses there was also a front courtyard, closed off from the street by walls. In general, one entered the inner courtyard through an arch in the front building, the “portico” mentioned in the Gospels.

In these buildings were housed not only both high priests, but also various chambers for meetings, as well as all kinds of service rooms needed in the house of such distinguished dignitaries.

Into such a courtyard Christ was brought by the armed crowd. Passing through the arch into the inner courtyard, the soldiers brought Jesus into one of the courtyard rooms, the house of the high priest Annas. He had already prepared himself for this most unjust tribunal.

The Roman soldiers themselves, in all likelihood, remained outside the gates, because their presence would have been a defilement. But the Jewish servants could enter inside with the Prisoner, although of course few people were needed to lead Him into the very place of the sitting.

Besides, the old schemer seems to have enjoyed particular respect in his circle. Finally, they no doubt thought that even the mere sight of the bound Prisoner standing before him would give him special pleasure. The Sanhedrin had so feared this Prisoner, not knowing what to do with Him. “High priest that year”: see the note on Jn 12:49.

Annas, or Ananus, had been high priest for eleven years. It did not mean much that even now, after being removed from office, he bore the name high priest. In that time of disorder in the Jewish Church, unlike her better times, there were many high priests. Thus St. Luke says, “Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family” (Acts 4:6).

But Ananus enjoyed special respect and had influence over the course of governmental affairs, both by connections and wealth, and by age and acquired skill in administration. Despite the Roman authority’s unwillingness to leave the power of the high priest long in the hands of one person, Ananus managed to prolong this power in his family.

First he handed it to his son Eleazar, then to his son-in-law Caiaphas, and afterward to another son, Jonathan. Ananus was a fortunate impious man, a Sadducee in the fullest sense. We may say in the words of the Prophet: a hundred-year-old sinner (Is 65:20).

All the more so, since ancient tradition says that Annas’s own house lay on the way to Caiaphas. Therefore it cost the guard leading Jesus nothing to give him, a former high priest still enjoying special respect because of his age and experience, the chance to be the first to see bound before him the One who had recently seemed unassailable to the whole Sanhedrin.