“Even though all fall away, even if I have to lay down my life for you, I will not deny you – I will never fall away!” – Peter to Jesus (varies in all four gospels)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, Peter, that this very night, the rooster will not crow twice today until you yourself deny three times that you know Me.” – Jesus to Peter (varies in all four gospels)
Jewish Trials and Peter’s Denials
THURSDAY NIGHT
Jesus Faces Annas (First Jewish Trial)
(Matt. 26:57-58, Mark 14:53-54, Luke 22:54, John 18:12-24)
So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. Then those who had seized Jesus led him away first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas the high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. They led him to the high priest’s house, where all the chief priests and the scribes and the elders had gathered. But Simon Peter was following Jesus at a distance, and so did another disciple, as far as the courtyard of the high priest. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. He sat down with the officers to see the outcome, warming himself at the fire.
Peter’s First Denial
(Matt. 26:69-70, Mark 14:66-68b, Luke 22:55-57, John 18:15-18)
And when the servants and officers had kindled a charcoal fire, because it was cold, in the middle of the courtyard below and sat down together, Peter sat down among them outside. Then one of the servant girls of the high priest, the servant girl at the door, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him warming himself, came up to him and said, “This man also was with him.” She said to Peter, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus…the Galilean. You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He denied it before them all, saying, “Woman, I am not. I neither know him nor understand what you mean.” Now they and Peter with them were standing and warming themselves.
The high priest (note: this is Annas! google it!) then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Caiaphas the High Priest Questions Jesus Before the Council (Second Jewish Trial)
(Matthew 26:57-68, Mark 14:53-65, Luke 22:63-65)
Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward, but their testimony did not agree. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent and made no answer. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God, the Blessed.” Jesus said to him, “I am as you have said. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They all, condemning him, answered, “He deserves death.” Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. Then some began to spit on him in his face and strike him. And some also blindfolded him and slapped him, and kept asking him, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. And the guards received him with blows.
Peter’s Second Denial
(Matt. 26:71-72, Mark 14:68b-70a, Luke 22:58, John 18:25)
Now a little later Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. And when he went out into the gateway entrance and the rooster crowed (note: this crow was added by later scribes), the servant girl or another servant girl (someone else) saw him, and she began to say again to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth. He is one of them.” And they said to him, “You also are one of them, are you not?” And again he denied it with an oath: “Man, I am not. I do not know the man.”
Peter’s Third Denial
(Matt. 26:73-75, Mark 14:70b-72, Luke 22:59-62, John 18:26-27)
After a little while, an interval of about an hour, the bystanders came up and still another (one of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off) said again to Peter, insisting, “Certainly this man was with him.” He said to Peter, “Did I not see you in the garden with him? Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you too are a Galilean.” But Peter then began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “Man, I do not know this man of whom you speak. I do not know what you are talking about.” And at once the rooster crowed, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed a second time. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered how the Lord had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out, broke down, and wept bitterly.
FRIDAY MORNING
Jesus Before the Council (Third Jewish Trial)
(Matthew 27:1, Mark 15:1a, Luke 22:66-71)
As soon as morning came, the assembly of elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and held a consultation with the whole council against Jesus to put him to death. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
(JOHN Does Not Include Third Trial)
“Do you love me more than these?…Do you love me?…Do you love me?” // “Tend my lambs…Shepherd my sheep…Feed my sheep.” – Jesus to Peter, John 21 (only JOHN includes this)
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Lydia McGrew, I appreciate this post, as your and Blomberg’s thoughts were a helpful guide to the blending :)
Ichthus77 