On the way to taking Jesus to the home of the high priest (Caiaphas, who was the one who had advised the Jews that it was wise to have one person die for the people), the crowd stopped briefly at the house of Annas, Caiaphas father-in-law and the previous high priest.  [John 18:12-14]

 

Now Simon Peter, who had followed them at a distance [Luke 22:54b], was sitting outside in the courtyard, warming himself by the fire there, when one of the servant-girls of the high priest saw him in the firelight and approached him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean, the man from Nazareth.  Are you not also one of his disciples?” But Peter denied it, saying, “I am not.  Indeed, I do not even know him, nor do I understand what you are talking about.”  And then Peter left the fire and went out into the forecourt, and the cock crowed the first time, albeit quietly. [Matthew 26:69-70, Mark 14:66-68, Luke 22:55-57 & John 18:17-18]

Meanwhile, Annas (who was still revered by many as though he were still high priest, even though he had been deposed from that office by the Romans some years before) was questioning Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.  And Jesus answered him, saying, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.  Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; for they know what I said.”  And after he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” And Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”

 

Then Annas bound him and sent him to Caiaphas, the official high priest [John 18:19-24], in whose home all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes had already gathered. [Matthew 26:57 & Mark 14:53]

And Peter, this time accompanied by yet another disciple who had joined him, continued to follow at a distance, going as far as the gate of the high priest’s courtyard.  Because this new disciple was known to the high priest, he was able to follow Jesus into the courtyard while Peter was forced to wait outside at the gate.  Upon seeing this, the disciple returned and spoke to the woman guarding the gate, and was allowed to bring Peter inside.  And Peter followed him in and sat down quietly with the guards, and again warmed himself by their fire. [Matthew 26:58, Mark 14:54, Luke 22:54b & John 18:15-16]

For quite some time thereafter, indeed late into the night, the chief priests and the assembled council were looking for testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, and yet they found none.  For even though many witnesses came forward, their testimony did not agree. [Matthew 26:59-60 & Mark 14:55-56] At last, two witnesses came forward and said, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” And then the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?”  But Jesus remained silent. [Matthew 26:61-63a & Mark 14:57-58]

 

About this time, a small group of people had gathered in the forecourt near Simon Peter, and another servant girl saw him there, and both she and his first accuser said to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.  This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” And yet again Peter denied it with an oath, “Man, I am not!  I do not even know him.” And yet about an hour later another one of the bystanders accused him yet again, saying, “Certainly you are one of them, for your accent betrays you — You are a Galilean.  Are you not also one of his disciples?”  Then Peter began to curse and he swore aloud an oath, denying it a third time, saying “I do not know this man you are talking about!” And at that moment, the cock crowed again – this time loud enough for all to hear.  And Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he went out, and broke down and wept bitterly.  [Matthew 26:71-75, Mark 14:69-72, Luke 22:58-62 & John 18:25-27]

And then, when morning had come, the high priest finally said to Jesus, “I put you under oath before the living God.  Tell us, are you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the Blessed One?”  And Jesus said to him, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer.  But from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  And the rest of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?”  And he replied to them, “You say that I am.”

 

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” And those gathered there answered, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.  He deserves death!”  And some of them spat in his face and struck him and heaped insults upon him, and the two men who were holding him blindfolded him and mocked him; slapping him and saying more than once, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who was it that struck you?”  [Matthew 26:63-68, Mark 14:61-65 & Luke 22:63-71]  And then the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and the scribes and the entire assembled council in order to bring about Jesus’ death.  And they bound him, and led him away to hand him over to Pilate the governor. [Matthew 27:1-2, Mark 15:1, Luke 23:1 & John 18:28]

Filed under: Exhuming Easter by Scaughdt