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GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

The Trial by the Sanhedrin

Chapter  26:57-75

The temple guards and soldiers led the Lord Jesus to those who had hired them to arrest Him: the religious leaders. Each Gospel recounts some of the events of the trial period, none has them all, and it is necessary to catch all the records and put them in order to have an idea of ??the whole. For a general outline we also turn to Mark 14: 53- 72, Luke 22: 54- 62 and John 18: 12-27.

John says that they proceeded first to the house of Annas, father in law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. It was still very early in the morning. Annas questioned the Lord about His disciples and His teaching, as if He were guilty of a trial and Annas the judge.

Annas undoubtedly wanted to see if the Lord would provide Him details that allowed accusing Him of sedition (with a number of companions) and blasphemy or heresy (His teaching).

Annas had no authority to make any judgment, and the Lord just told him that if He was interested in knowing these things, that He question those who had been present the many times He had taught openly in the synagogues and in the temple. He had always acted openly, had no secrets to reveal.

One of the officers of the temple hit Him in the face for disrespecting Annas, but the Lord very logically and calmly asked him why he did it, since He had spoken the truth. Annas then sent Him with His hands bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Therefore, they went to the house of Caiaphas, where the chief priests, the scribes, and elders (leaders of the people) were already gathered. Effectively, they represented all the civil and religious government of the Jews.

Everyone wanted to condemn Jesus to death, and sought false witnesses to justify it, as the attempt by Annas had failed. That court was most extraordinary, where judges had already decided to convict the Defendant without having at least one charge against Him, and tried to find some proof of wrongdoing to justify the death sentence!

If they really wanted to do justice, they would have found hundreds of witnesses who would confirm that He was innocent, even that they had never found any sin in Him. This was even the conclusion reached later by the Roman governor Pilate.

Some "witnesses" came forward telling obvious lies, and were discarded. Eventually two appeared saying that He had declared that He was able to destroy the temple of God, built by the hands of men, and rebuild it in three days, not done by human hands.

It was a distortion of what He had said long before, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up ", but He spoke of the temple of His body (John 2:19, 21 - see HERE ).

This now being a case of a claim involving supernatural powers, the priest saw an opportunity to catch the Lord, who did supernatural signs to prove that He was the Messiah. He asked Him, then, abruptly: “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"

It was a tricky question, to catch him in any circumstance:

1. If He remained silent, as He had been so far, He would be failing in the duty of every Jew, according to the law, to testify to the truth by an oath before God to the priest.

2. If He denied that He was the Christ, He would be contradicting His teachings and previous statements, which could be widely proven and so He would be guilty of blasphemy earlier.

3. If He declared that He was the Messiah, the priest could also accuse Him of blasphemy because the priest had already decided He was not and would never be persuaded to change his mind.

Up to this point the Lord had remained silent, but on receiving this challenge, to obey the law He stated the truth clearly: "As you said " and "I am ". He added that there would come a day that they would see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.

The first part of His answer was addressed the high priest, but the second part was directed to everyone who represented the people of Israel. So the people of Israel will see the second coming of the Lord Jesus, the Son of man, to the world in glory to judge and to reign over the earth, which has yet to happen (Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13).

Some people like to say that the Lord Jesus never declared He was God. So here He declared under a solemn oath: being the "Son of man" He was the second person of the Trinity.

Jubilant, the high priest rent his clothes, showing deep hurt (what hypocrisy!) for the "blasphemy" of the Lord. Anyone else would really be blaspheming if he made that statement, but the Lord Jesus was telling the truth, which the high priest could perfectly determine if he really wanted to. But he was blind and wanted to stay that way. Like so many, he had created for himself a dogma, and did not credit the evidence of facts, of undeniable proofs amply given by that Man of who He really was.

It was impossible to find witnesses, but now they no longer needed them, because everyone had witnessed His clear statement that He was the Messiah - and none of them accepted this as the truth. Upon the question of the high priest: "what do you think?" They all answered "He is worthy of death." It was still night, and the trial had to be done after sunrise, according to the law. Blasphemy carried the death penalty under the Mosaic Law, but they had no authority to execute it.

In their hatred, they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands and mocked Him. Cowards, abusing a helpless prisoner, demonstrating their bad character.

The Denials of Peter

The Lord Jesus had said that before the cock crowed that same night Peter would deny Him three times.

So it happened, making a reconciliation of the four Gospels:

1. Peter had followed the procession from afar, and would stay out of the house of the high priest when the procession entered, but another disciple got permission for him to enter (John 18:15-17). A servant in charge of the door asked if he was one of the disciples of the prisoner. He denied before them all (John 18:17).

2. The soldiers lit a fire in the courtyard to warm, and Peter approached them. Another maid came and said he also was with "Jesus the Galilean." He said he did not know what she was talking about (Matthew 26:69).

3. Others who were around came to Peter and said he certainly was one of "them" because he spoke like a Galilean. He then began to curse and swear.

At this point, the cock crowed. Mark tells us that the cock also crowed once after the first denial. Nothing prevents there to have been other cocks, a bird imported by the Romans, because they usually crow near each other in the early dawn.

However, Peter heard the crowing of the cock (the second) and Luke says the Lord turned and looked at that moment at him. Like a flash, he remembered the prophecy of the Lord Jesus. Shocked by what he had done, he retreated, weeping bitterly.

The Lord Jesus had taught that those who deny Him before men, would also be denied by him before the Father (Chapter 10:33). Peter could not stay there in the middle of the mockers, and the look of the Lord Jesus must have increased his bitterness.

Peter was desperate - but the Lord had prayed specifically for him (Luke 22:31f). In John 21:15-23 we find out how he was restored to perfect communion with the Lord.

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

 

57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward

 

 

 

 

 

 

61 and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.' "
62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?"
63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."

 

 

 

 

 

 

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

 

 

66 What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."

 

 

 

67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,
68 saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?"

 

 

69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."
70 But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."
71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72 But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"
73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."
Mat 26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.

75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.

Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 57 to 75