TRIAL BY THE HIGH PRIEST AND DENIAL BY PETER
John chapter 18: verses 12 to 27
The chief captain, the officers and the band of soldiers arrested and bound Christ (with no warrant in law and with no charge against him), before taking Him to their masters, the Jewish priests. He had placed Himself in their hands, in dignity and in His glory, as the Lamb to be slain for the sins of many, and they need not have bound Him.
They immediately took the Lord to the high priest's residence, even though this was the middle of the night, for the religious leaders were in a hurry to complete the execution before the Passover Sabbath. This residence was a palace whose outer walls enclosed a courtyard where servants and soldiers would warm themselves around a fire.
John, who personally witnessed the interviews because he was known to the high priest, tells us that Annas was the first to interrogate the Lord.
Secular history testifies to the fact that Annas was Israel's high priest from AD 6 to 15, and was reckoned to be the most brilliant, one of the most clever, and one of the most satanic of all the high priests. He was deposed by the Roman rulers because they couldn't stand him, and Caiaphas, Annas' son-in-law, and more acceptable by the Romans, took his place. He was appointed high priest in AD 18, and held this post until 36/37.
According to Jewish law, the office of high priest was to be held for life, so on that basis Annas was still the real head of the religious group, and was acknowledged as high priest. It was probably he who plotted the arrest, the farcical trial, and the crucifixion of Christ. Caiaphas, his son-in-law, was officially responsible. Both should have known that Jesus was the Messiah about whom the Scriptures spoke, but were blinded by their own wickedness and deceit.
We are reminded that it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people: he had already decided that Christ was to die. They had forged a charge against Him to get the death penalty from the Roman authorities. The whole trial was nothing but a mockery.
Two disciples followed the soldiers to the palace of the high priest: Simon Peter and John, who here modestly calls himself "another disciple". John was not necessarily a personal friend of the high priest, but was well enough known for the door keeper to admit him into the courtyard, and, at his request, to also allow Peter in.
It was familiar ground for John, but it proved dangerous for Peter. He was feeling cold, and so he went to warm himself by the fire where the servants and officers stood, yet probably trying not to attract notice. Simon Peter was in the wrong place, the place of temptation for him. The account of Peter's denials varies between the Gospels, but the full picture can be arrived at by putting together the facts mentioned by each Gospel, as done below.
Annas questioned the Lord Jesus, to see on what terms He made disciples and to check His "theology". Anything He said could be used against Him at the meeting of the Sanhedrin which was to follow.
The Lord ignored the sneer at his disciples, and in a dignified way challenged the need to explain his teaching. During three years He had taught people all over the country, including the religious leaders in the synagogues and in the temple at Jerusalem (chapter 2:19; 6:59; 7:14, 28; 8:20; 19:23; Mark 14:49, etc.).
There was an abundance of witnesses to His teaching, and the religious leaders had never been able to get Him to condemn Himself with their catch questions. Only two days earlier multitudes had heard Him in the great debate in the temple when the Sanhedrin were routed to the joy of the common people, who heard His teaching gladly (Mark 12:37).
One of the temple police, who felt his importance as protector of Annas, gave Jesus a slap in the face for His apparent lack of respect for Annas. This was the beginning of His humiliation on the way to the cross. But He protested at this time (he did not turn the other cheek), and defied the officer to prove that He had spoken evilly to Annas - which He had not.
He was clearly entitled to proof of such a charge if there was any. Thus He called their attention to the fact that what they were doing was illegal and contrary to the Mosaic Law. They had no witness that He had done evil, before they smote Him. They were the ones who were breaking the Law: no trial was to begin at night nor end at night; a trial was not to begin and end on the same day; they were not to strike a prisoner who had not yet been proven guilty (Deuteronomy 25:2).
The Lord Jesus was bound on his arrest (verse 12) and apparently unbound during the preliminary examination by Annas. Verse 24 tells us that Annas sent Him bound, again, to Caiaphas, as if He were a dangerous criminal.
The servants and officers had kindled a fire outside, below, in the midst of the courtyard. They first stood and then sat down together, and Peter with them.
A certain servant girl of the high priest came, and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said to him "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee" and to the others "This man was also with Him". But he denied it (and the Lord) before them all, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him. I neither know nor understand what you are saying." Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." And he went out to the gateway on the porch, and a rooster crowed (Matthew 26:69-70; Mark 14:66-68; Luke 22:55-57; John 18:17). This was his first denial, made in public to the servants and officers, like the next two. The first crowing of the rooster marked the third night watch - around 3 am.
Simon Peter came closer to the fire to warm himself, but remained standing. The first servant girl saw him and came with another servant girl and a manservant and they said to him "You also are of them" and denounced him to those who were there, standing by "This fellow is one of them, he also was with Jesus of Nazareth." Therefore those standing by said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" But again he denied, with an oath, "Man, I am not! I do not know the Man!" (Matthew 26:71-72, Mark 14:69-70, Luke 22:58, John 18:25). This was his second denial.
After about an hour had passed, those who stood by came up to Peter and another man flatly stated, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean," and others agreed "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech betrays you." Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!" One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed again (Matthew 26:73-74, Mark 14:71-72, Luke 22:60, John 18:26-27). This time was known as the crow of the rooster, just before dawn.
The Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. Peter went out in shame, and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61-62). He loved the Lord and was sincere when he promised to be loyal to Him, but he did not know his own weakness. Peter wept tears of genuine repentance, and later found that the Lord Jesus had never left him, as he wrote: "(you) who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5). In fact, Peter was the one to whom He gave the privilege of preaching the first sermon after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and three thousand people were saved! That is the real test of a genuine believer, for any child of God who sins can and will come back to Him in repentance: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
R David Jones
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.
13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.
14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.
17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."
18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.
21 "Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."
22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"
23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!"
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"
27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.