John Zebedee is Permitted to Stay with Jesus 

Before they started away from the garden with Jesus, a dispute arose between the Jewish captain of the temple guards and the Roman captain of the company of soldiers regarding where they were to take Jesus. The captain of the temple guards gave orders that he should be taken to Caiaphas, the acting high priest. The captain of the Roman soldiers directed that Jesus be taken to the palace of Annas, the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas. He did this because the Romans typically dealt directly with Annas concerning the enforcement of Jewish ecclesiastical laws. The orders of the Roman captain were followed; they took Jesus to the home of Annas for his preliminary examination.

Judas marched along near the captains, overhearing all that was said, but took no part in the dispute, for neither the Jewish captain nor the Roman officer would even speak to the betrayer – they held him in such contempt.

John Zebedee followed behind the mob when they arrested Jesus and were headed to the palace of Annas. A few hours before, at the Last Supper, Jesus told John to remain near at hand. When John recalled this, he moved up to the front near Jesus. It was borderline suicide to be associated with Jesus at this moment, but John was willing to die rather than disobey his Master.

The commander of the temple guards, seeing John come up alongside, said to his assistant: "Take this man and bind him. He is one of this fellow’s followers." But when the Roman captain heard this and looked around to see John, he gave orders that the apostle should come over by him and that no man should harm him. Then, the Roman captain told the Jewish captain: "This man is neither a traitor nor a coward. I saw him in the garden, and he did not draw a sword to resist us. He has the courage to come forward to be with his Master, and no man shall lay hands on him. The Roman law allows that any prisoner may have at least one friend to stand with him before the judgment bar, and this man shall not be prevented from standing by the side of his Master, the prisoner." When Judas heard this, he was so ashamed and humiliated that he dropped back behind the marchers, coming up to Anna's palace alone.

This is why John Zebedee was permitted to remain near Jesus throughout his trying experiences that night and the next day. The Jews feared to say anything to John or to bother him in any way because he had something of the status of a Roman counselor designated to act as an observer of the transactions of the Jewish ecclesiastical court. John’s position of privilege was made even more secure when, in turning Jesus over to the captain of the temple guards at the gate of Annas’s palace, the Roman, addressing his assistant, said: "Go along with this prisoner and see that these Jews do not kill him without Pilate’s consent. Watch that they do not assassinate him and see that his friend, the Galilean, is permitted to stand by and observe all that goes on." Thus, John could be near Jesus right up to the time of his death on the cross, although the other ten apostles were forced to remain in hiding. John was acting under Roman protection, and the Jews dared not bother him until after the Master’s death.

Jesus, from the time of his arrest to entering the palace of Annas, spoke not a word.