JESUS BEFORE ANNAS, CAIAPHAS, AND THE SANHEDRIN / JESUS MOCKED BY THE GUARDS / PETER'S DENIALS

The cohort and its tribune and the Jewish guards who had arrested Jesus and bound him; they took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered, 'I have spoken openly for the entire world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together; I have said nothing in secret. Why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught; they know what I said.' At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, 'Is that the way you answer the high priest?' Jesus replied, 'If there is some offence in what I said, point it out; but if not, why do you strike me?' Then Annas sent him, bound, to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Caiaphas had counseled the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’ Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus at a distance right to the high priest's palace. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest's palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. Therefore, the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in. Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire in the middle of the courtyard and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter also stood there to get warm with the others at the fire to see what the end would be. When day broke, there was a meeting of the elders of the people, the chief priests and scribes. He was brought before their council. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus, however false, on which they might have him executed. However, they could not find any, though several lying witnesses came forward, but their evidence was conflicting. Eventually two came forward and submitted this false evidence against him, 'We heard this man say, "I have power to destroy the Temple of God made by human hands, and in three days build another, not made by human hands." But even on this point their evidence was conflicting. The high priest then rose before the whole assembly and put this question to him, 'Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence these men are bringing against you?' However, Jesus was silent. In addition, the high priest put a second question to him, 'I put you on oath by the living God to tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One.' Jesus answered him, 'If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question you, you will not answer. I tell you that from this time onward you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of the Power of God and coming with the clouds of heaven.' Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, 'He has blasphemed. What do we need of witnesses? Why do we need any evidence? There! You have just heard the blasphemy from his lips. What is your finding?' Their verdict was unanimous, 'He deserves to die.' Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists. They blindfolded him and questioned him as they struck him, 'Prophesy to us, Christ! Play the prophet! Who hit you then?' Meanwhile the men who guarded Jesus were mocking and beating him. In addition, they heaped many other insults on him. Meanwhile Peter was down below sitting outside in the courtyard; one of the high priest's servant-girls, the girl on duty at the door, came up to him. She saw Peter warming himself there, looked closely at him and said, 'You, too, were with Jesus, the man from Galilee.' However, he denied it in front of them all. 'Woman, I do not know, I do not understand what you are talking about,' he said. When he went out to the gateway another servant-girl saw him and said to the people there, 'This man was with Jesus the Galilean.' Again, with an oath, he denied it, 'I am not, my friend. I do not know the man.' A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, 'You are certainly one of them too! Why, you are a Galilean. Your accent gives you away.' Then he started cursing and swearing, 'I do not know the man you speak of.' In addition, at once, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord's words when he had said to him, 'Before the cock crows today, you will have disowned me three times.' In addition, he went outside and wept bitterly. Return