John 18:19-27 - Jesus is Questioned and Peter's Denials

In the beginning of John 18, Jesus is betrayed by Judas who leads a group of men to the place where he knew Jesus would be.  Jesus is arrested and taken before the high priest, Caiaphas.  Peter has denied knowing the Lord Jesus one time and is now warming himself by a fire where the officers who arrested Jesus stood.  

V19-24 "The high priest then asked Jesus ....... of his doctrine.  Jesus answered hi, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the Temple whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.  Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said."  But one of the officers struck Jesus with the palm of his hand....."Jesus answered him, if I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?  Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiphas the high priest."

Jesus was questioned by Caiaphus about his doctrine and Jesus' response is that he never taught anything in secret, it was always in public.  The synagogue was a house of worship, while the Temple is the holy place in Jerusalem.   Jesus asked Caiaphas, since his teachings were  always public, why was the high priest questioning him when they could have found out the doctrines of Jesus from anyone who was in attendance when Jesus was teaching.   One of the officers, probably one who had arrested Jesus, did not like the way that Jesus was speaking to the high priest, so he slapped Jesus across the face.   The way Jesus reacted was to ask the man a question, why did he slap him instead of giving evidence of what Jesus taught, whether good or evil.  I think that the officer was, in his mind, exercising power over Jesus not knowing that he was, in fact, striking the Christ.  This is another example of Jesus submitting.   V24 says that Annas had sent Jesus bound to the high priest.  As if cords or ropes could have kept the Lord Jesus bound if that was not his will.

V25-27 "And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples?  He denied it and said I am not.  One of the servants of the high priest, being the kinsman (of the man) whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?  Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crowed."

We know that Peter loved the Lord, yet his faith wavered and he was fearful of what would happen to him if he admitted that he was one of Jesus' disciples.  We are told again that  Peter was warming himself while the Lord Jesus was being questioned by Caiaphas.  It seems that he has forgotten his words that he would lay down his life for Jesus.  But fellow believers, what would we do if we were faced with a similar situation as Peter?  We say we would stand for him, but it is only by the grace of God to strengthen any of us that we stand for Jesus at any time.   Even when faced with a question by one who saw Peter in the garden, Peter denied that he was one of Jesus' disciples.  But then, a rooster crowed, fulfilling Jesus words to Peter that he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. The gospel of Luke tells us that after this "Peter went out and wept bitterly"..

At this point it is good to remember that Jesus had told Peter that Satan desired to sift him as wheat but that Jesus had prayed for him that his faith would not fail and that later he would strengthen his brethren. (Luke 22:31-32)

The next post will be about Jesus brought to Pilate.
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