John 18:15

‘And Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the High Priest and entered in with Jesus into the court of the High Priest.'

In view of the writer's particularity about names, even to the naming in this very chapter of the servant of the High Priest, the failure to give a name to this disciple throughout the Gospel stands out, especially in view of his prominence. It is extremely probable therefore that we must identify this ‘other disciple' with the deliberately anonymous ‘disciple whom Jesus loved', who was at Jesus' right hand at the Last Supper and that he must be John, one of the ‘inner three' who is never mentioned in the Gospel. If this unknown disciple is John, as seems almost certain, then it explains fully his knowledge of things not known to the other Apostles.

‘Entered into the court of the High Priest with Jesus.' The large houses in those days were built around a central courtyard protected by a gate. He clearly had access to the court of Annas' house and was able to witness some of what went on. The large house was probably the home of the extended family with Annas and Caiaphas both having their own set of rooms in different parts of the house. There are no real grounds for arguing that such a position was unlikely for ‘a Galilean fisherman'. We know that John's family owned their own fishing business and had ‘hired servants' to help in the boat, and we have no way of knowing how wealthy they were. Nor do we know what his background was, or what kind of situation intermarriage may have produced. He may well have been the nephew of someone who had married into Chief Priestly circles. Thus all such judgments are highly subjective and based simply on surmise, not fact. The one clear fact in the case is the description here. Connection with the High Priestly family was hardly something for a Christian to boast of, so that this may even be seen as evidence of his humility.