John 18:14 Commentary and Bible Study

Annas and Caiaphas had made up their minds that when Christ was arrested he would be found guilty, and so here we are reminded, ‘Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that is was expedient that one man should die for the people.’ They had already decided, because he was likely to trouble them and stir up the Romans against them, that he should die in order to preserve the nation. So Christ had already been pre-judged by the Jewish leaders. The preliminary hearing before Annas was therefore a farce because Caiaphas had determined already what would take place.