Matthew 26:57 ¶ And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
Jesus is brought before the High Priest and the Council as a type
of the world today sitting in judgment of Christ through Christians, seeking
false witness against Him and us. The Law given to Moses forbade this, did it
not?
Deuteronomy 19:15 One
witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in
any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of
three witnesses, shall the matter be established. 16 If a false witness rise up against any man to
testify against him that which is wrong; 17
Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before
the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
18 And the judges shall make diligent
inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified
falsely against his brother; 19 Then
shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt
thou put the evil away from among you. 20
And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit
no more any such evil among you. 21 And
thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
We know that John gives us the explanation that Jesus was talking
about the temple of His body, not the physical temple in Jerusalem in John
2:19. But that’s how lies are woven into criminal justice proceedings and it is
not hard to weaponize any court proceeding if people are not interested in the
truth as much as they are in a conviction.
Matthew 25:31 ¶ When the
Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Daniel 7:13 I saw in the
night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of
heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
When Jesus said Thou hast said He was saying something
like, “you said it!” as the interrogator is caught in his own accusation
confirming the truth of what Jesus has already said.
Jesus confessed to being the Messiah, God in the flesh, then His
treatment continued to get worse as this is not only what they expected to hear
but it was something they could not and would not wrap their minds around.
Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back
to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my
face from shame and spitting.
Matthew 26:69 ¶ Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
Peter, in this passage, denies Christ three times, as was
predicted. His realization of the truth of Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s betrayal
caused him to weep bitterly. But Jesus does not reject Peter for this egregious
sin. Like Christians who turn their back on God there is a way back for Peter.
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