Day 4 | Jesus’ First Trial and Peter’s Denial
Lisa Sheffler, author
Because we are created in God’s image, we have an innate sense of justice. We like to see the guilty held accountable for their actions and nothing seems more unfair than when someone is punished for something they didn’t do. We hate it when someone accuses us wrongly, or even worse, when that charge is believed. It is difficult for us to accept when an innocent is condemned. Yet while the particular charge may be false, no one is truly innocent. We’re all guilty of something. Except for Jesus.
No one has ever been able to claim true innocence besides Jesus. Not only was he innocent of the crimes for which he was arrested, but he was completely sinless. His trial was a mockery of justice that he endured for our sakes.
Read
Matthew 26:57-27:10
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
27 1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Reflect
Peter loved Jesus but was controlled by fear. Judas followed Jesus but was controlled by greed. The chief priests despised Jesus and were controlled by self-interest. Both Peter and Judas regret their actions. Yet Judas’ remorse falls far short of the genuine repentance that leads Peter to restoration and reconciliation with his Lord. The chief priests show no regret or remorse, only more hypocrisy.
In light of the cosmic battle being waged over God’s plan to save humanity, the opposition to Jesus isn’t unexpected. Though Jesus lived his life in service to others, the Jewish religious leaders showed him contempt. Puffed up by their arrogance, the religious elite could not imagine a simple carpenter as their long-promised Messiah. Jesus shined a light on their hypocrisy.
Jesus also challenged the authority of the Jewish establishment. Not only did they fear losing their power but feared that this itinerant teacher from Galilee could inspire an uprising that would bring the full fury of the Roman Empire down on tiny Judea. The Roman government tolerated no dissent. In their minds, executing Jesus seemed expedient and justifiable. His innocence was irrelevant to them.
The powers aligned against the Son of God and unknowingly laid the groundwork for the ultimate defeat of sin and death. But then as now, for those rebelling against God’s authority, and those who find themselves comfortable in darkness and sin, Jesus is a blinding and unbearable source of light. But as John tells us, Jesus was “the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).
From our vantage point, it’s easy to believe that we’d have acted differently than Peter, Judas, or the religious leaders. We’d like to believe we would have been steadfast in our allegiance to Jesus, even if it cost us our lives. But it’s entirely possible that we would we have hated Jesus for exposing our hypocrisy, followed him only for what we might gain, or responded with cowardice when threatened. But even if we’d committed such heinous sin, it’s our response to the light of truth that would have mattered most. Those who embrace that light and commit themselves to Jesus will find what their heart truly desires — wholeness, peace, love, and purpose.
Pray
No matter how you’ve sinned against him, Jesus offers forgiveness and restoration. When we allow the light of God’s truth to shine into our darkness, we don’t have to be afraid. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The God of justice endured the ultimate injustice to save each of us. When we repent and turn to him, we will find love and grace. As you spend time in prayer today, rejoice in the salvation and restoration that you’ve received in Christ.
