​Well, what did you think about our last two character studies on Malchus and Pontius Pilate?  Did aspects of their life convict, encourage, and exhort you?  Which one did you relate most with? 
 
We have two more people to look at before finishing this series.  But before we get into the next character, let’s take a moment to reflect and focus on our Savior as He carries the cross—which should be ours—up the hill Golgotha.
 
The gospel of John doesn’t give us nearly as much detail surrounding the actual crucifixion as the other gospel writers do.  However, John alone gives us a glimpse into Jesus’ private conversation with Pontius Pilate, and the bold statement Jesus made during His defense.  

As we leave the Upper Room Discourse and enter into the events leading up to and after our Savior’s crucifixion, and the crucifixion itself, we’re going to look into the lives of the people Jesus brushed shoulders with during His harrowing, yet victorious, journey. 
 
So as we look at John 18, the first obscure person we meet is a man named Malchus.  This man is mentioned as a fleeting character in one verse of all four gospels, and the introduction is not all that pleasant.