John 18:22 Commentary and Bible Study

Then he was struck with the palm of the hand’, no doubt very forcibly, by a pompous and cruel Levite, probably serving as a temple policeman. This is an insight into the administration of this serpent-like high priest. No witnesses were called at this stage. What was this preliminary hearing? The experts tell us that there was no such thing in the Jewish law of the time. This is just Annas trying to set things up in advance. Why, under Jewish law everything was to be done in the presence of witnesses. There are no witnesses here in this preliminary trial; it’s an entirely illegal thing. It’s held, by the way, at night which was against the rules for the Jews; everything had to be done by day when justice could be seen to be done, when others would be present. Everything about this, the experts assure us, was illegal. And, of course, the guilt of Christ was entirely pre-supposed. And in addition you get brutality to get an admission. You get brutality here to try and cause somebody to submit to their cross-examination, and Christ was hit while bound. And he responds very calmly and with dignity to the one who struck him: ‘If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil.’ Tell me what I have done, what is improper. But if I have spoken well, then why do you smite me, and there is this dignified reproof for this whole basis and set-up of this hearing in effect.