Luke 22:54-7154Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 55And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilean. 60And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. 63And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. 64And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? 65And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. 66And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, 67Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: 68And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. 69Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 70Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. 71And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. (Luke 22:54‑71)
After Jesus was made a prisoner He was taken into the city to the house of the high priest, the leader of the temple. He should have led the people for God, and have been the first to know that Jesus was their promised Messiah. But, instead, this man did not believe God’s words written in the scriptures, and had been very angry when He taught in the temple, because His words showed that he and the other leaders were doing wrong things. This man had been the first to say that Jesus should die (John 11:49,5049And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. (John 11:49‑50)).
Others who hated Jesus were waiting with the high priest, and when He stood before them bound, all mocked and spoke against Him. They allowed the soldiers to blindfold Him, then strike Him on His face and ask Him to say who had done it. Could He not have told the name of each person? Yes, we know He could, but He did not answer or defend Himself (Mark 14:6161But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? (Mark 14:61)).
Two of the disciples had followed after the soldiers to the high priest’s house to know what would be done with the Lord, though at first they had fled away. One of these is not named, the other was Peter, and while Jesus was mocked and questioned, he sat with the crowd of servants and officers, hut he did not want them to know that he was Jesus’ disciple.
The servant girl who kept the door spoke to some that Peter was with Jesus, but Peter denied, saying he did not know Him. Later another said the same, but Peter again declared he did not know Jesus. After a time another servant spoke to him that he had been with Jesus, and for the third time Peter denied that he knew Jesus.
All this had been done in the night, but the dawn was just beginning, and a cock, or rooster, crowed, as is usual before daylight. Before the soldiers came to take the Lord, He had said to Peter, “The cock shall not crow this day before thou shall thrice deny that thou knowest Me.”
It had happened, just as Jesus said; Peter had three times said he did not know Him. It would seem they were in the same large room, or in a hall close, where Jesus stood bound, and when the rooster crowed, Jesus turned and looked at Peter. Although He was in that sad place of spite and mocking, He did not forget Peter, and His look must have been kind, for at once Peter felt how wrong he had been to say he did not know Him, and he went outside to weep.
Peter loved the Lord and was a true disciple, but he had been so sure he would do better than the others, that he forgot the Lord’s words, and “to watch and pray”.
As soon as it was day the men took Jesus to their council room, for all the scribes and leaders to question Him and decide what charge to tell the governor. But there also all spoke falsely. At last the high priest asked Him “Art thou the Son of God?” And He told him that was true. That made the high priest most angry, and he declared Him worthy of death.
ML 03/03/1946