John 18: 12 – 40 (NLT)
“So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time.14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”
Peter’s First Denial
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?”
“No,” he said, “I am not.”
18 Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus
19 Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. 20 Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. 21 Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.”
22 Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded.
23 Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?”
24 Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.
Peter’s Second and Third Denials
25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.”
26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”
30 “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.
31 “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.
“Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. 32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)
33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.
34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?”
Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. 39 But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”
40 But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)”
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If I were a lawyer, I don’t think I would want to go up against Jesus in a courtroom. Did you notice His replies? He sure couldn’t be convicted of leading a political uprising with the answers he gave. Based on this courtroom dialogue, would He be a threat to the Roman Empire? Yet Jesus ends up being convicted and sentenced to death. Talk about a rigged trial!
Jesus knew He would be crucified. He mentions it several times throughout the gospels. He had even mentioned it in the days before this trial. He was in Jerusalem after what we call Palm Sunday, speaking to groups of people who were curious about Jesus. In John 12: 32 – 33, Jesus says, “And I, if I am lifted up from earth, will draw all men to Myself. But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” (NASB) It’s rather ironic that Barabbas, the man who was freed, was actually a revolutionary, a man who was stirring up trouble against the Roman rule. Pilate may have thought he was in control of this situation, but actually God was in control. Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, the sins of the world, was God’s plan.
But once again, I want to focus on Peter. Jesus told him at the Last Supper, that he would deny knowing Jesus. Peter said that would never happen. Yet Peter walks right into a difficult situation by going into the courtyard of the high priest. We don’t know who let him in, but some Bible scholars wonder if it was Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea. As members of the Sanhedrin, they would have access to the high priest’s courtyard. I think it was brave of Peter to try to follow Jesus and watch what was going on, but he was also putting himself in danger’s way. But then we know that about Peter; he was an impetuous kind of guy.
So, it’s not a surprise that Peter gets nailed in the courtyard. He looked like he didn’t belong. The servants who were there, repeatedly asked him if he was a follower of Jesus. Three times he denied it, the third time vehemently according to other gospel accounts. When Peter heard the rooster crow, announcing the dawn, he left in a hurry and wept unconsolably. Can you imagine how he felt?
Later in John, we’ll look at the story of Jesus deliberately seeking Peter out to make sure Peter knew he was forgiven. And when we read that story, we can be reassured of Jesus reaching out to each one of us. But today, I want you to think about the times in your life when you denied in some way that you knew Jesus. I think we tend to be very critical of Peter. He was warned by Jesus and then went right ahead and did what he said he would never do.
If I want to go back over my life, there have been many times that I’ve stayed silent when I could/should have spoken up. It’s more important to me to stay quiet and be liked than to speak the truth. So, I can’t be too judgmental about Peter. I can identify with him. And later in John, as Jesus forgives Peter, I can be thankful that Jesus will still seek me out and give me new opportunities to share my faith.
Our song for today is World Changers by Audio Adrenaline.