THE LIFE OF CHRIST

We ended with Jesus being arrested and being taken away to Annas first, then to Caiphas’ house (Jn. 18:13; Lk. 22:54), where the chief priest, scribes, and elders were assembled (Mk. 14:53).

John 18:15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple John 18:15 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.

John 18:19 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.  

Mr. Walker writes:   First, the individual was to be considered innocent until proven guilty.  Second, the individual was not even to face trial until the evidence of witnesses could be stated and confirmed.  Third, an individual could not be called on to incriminate himself.  The case had to be established by witnesses.  This understanding will help us when we see the response that Jesus' answer brings (Denton Lectures Electronic Version, Gospel of John).

(Mt. 26:57-68; Mk. 14:53-65; Lk. 22:66-71)

Matt. 26:59 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 none1. 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.'"

Deut. 17:6 "Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'

Mk. 14:59 But not even then did their testimony agree.  

Jn. 2:19 "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up Jn. 2:19 "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

Matt. 26:62 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?"

Lk. 22:66 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 "And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. 69 "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." 70 Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." 71 And they said, "What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth." 

John 18:25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself John 18:25 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 himwhose 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.     

Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  

These events teach us a couple of lessons:   We cannot follow Jesus from afar and hang around the fire with the world and think that we will stand firm in the faith. Even faithful Christians like Peter can fall from God’s grace if we do not stay close to Jesus.

John 18:28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

What is a Praetorium? Thayer explains:   1) "head-quarters" in a Roman camp, the tent of the commander-in-chief 2) the palace in which the governor or procurator of a province resided, to which use the Romans were accustomed to appropriate the palaces already existing, and formerly dwelt in by kings or princes; at Jerusalem it was a magnificent palace which Herod the Great had built for himself, and which the Roman procurators seemed to have occupied whenever they came from Caesarea to Jerusalem to transact public business.

We know that Jesus and His disciples partook of the Passover meal the day before (Mt. 26:18; Mk. 14:14).

“Did Jesus eat the Passover Supper?”   1. Some claim the meal Jesus and His disciples ate was not the Passover, but this contradicts what the Bible teaches.  2. Some have suggested that they ate the Passover a day early and that it was acceptable because Jesus had the authority to do so. This explanation does not work because Jesus made sure that He kept the Law of Moses, and He did not change it; He fulfilled it. 

3. Some claim that these opposing Jews were so busy trying to find Jesus that they did not eat the Passover on the right day, so they were going to eat it the next day.  4. Some claim that Jesus and these other Jews were using different calendars to determine when the Passover occurred. 

While number 3 and 4 may be plausible, I believe the best explanation is that the word “Passover” can be used to describe the Pascal lamb itself (Mk. 14:12; Lk. 22:7; 1 Cor. 5:7), a meal that was eaten on the 14th of Nisan (Mt. 26:18-19; Lk. 22:8, 13; Heb. 11:28), and it is also used to refer to the eight-day period that included eating the Passover meal and the feast of unleavened bread (Ezek: 45:21; Lk. 22:1, 7; Acts 12:3-4). This explanation has the most evidence and many respectable scholars hold this view.

Matthew 27:1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Acts 1:18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 "and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."