Three Days, One Messiah

Chapter 4

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
Matthew 26:75 (NKJV)

No one had seen Judas since he had disappeared from the garden following his malicious act. He had been extremely startled by Jesus’s calm and serene attitude at the appearance of the mob and the meekness with which He submitted to the arrest. He had expected Jesus to free Himself, and show them once and for all that He was their King. But He hadn’t. Judas, racked with concern for the success of his scheme, secretly followed after the mob. Maybe for the time being, he should just watch and see what would happen. Surely there was a plan in all this, and Jesus would free Himself after all.

Peter and John also secretly followed the mob. They reached the courtyard not long after the mob had, and the girl at the gate immediately recognized John and let him in. John noticed that Peter was still in the shadows and asked the girl, who was named Abigail, to let him in as well before disappearing into the gathered crowd of servants and spectators.

“Are you also one of the Galilean’s followers?” Abigail asked Peter.
Peter stared at her for a moment before stuttering, “N...No, of course not. Never met the guy.”

John had managed to make it inside and witness the trial from some distance away, but Peter stayed in the courtyard near the fire, afraid of being further recognized.

The first witnesses of the trial, personally paid by the Sanhedrin to testify against Jesus, were in the midst of their testimony when John snuck in. He remained in the shadows, out of sight, but still able to see and hear everything that went on. He leaned against the cornered wall, his eyes focused only on Jesus. He silently prayed that Jesus would know he was there.

“I heard this Man say that He would destroy our holy temple, and then raise it up in three days,” the first witness said. His companion promptly contradicted him.

“No, that isn’t what He said, it was more than three days!”

Neither of these men had heard Jesus speak, they had been told a handful of statements by the same priests who had paid them, a desperate attempt to succeed in finding a reason to pass the death penalty. They continued their contradictory statements and arguing, until Annas, the former high priest who was presiding, interrupted in a tone of frustration.

“Guards, get these men out of here! They’re not helping!”

His son in law Caiaphas, who was the current high priest and who harbored a deep dislike of Jesus, decided he could no longer let Annas do the job and proceeded to take over.

“Let me handle this, Annas,” he said. Then he turned to Jesus and asked, “Will You not answer these charges? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against You? Speak!” But Jesus, who had not said a word in His own defense, remained silent.

Caiaphas was furious, and determined to make Jesus say something that would seal His fate, he asked Him the one question he knew Jesus could not refuse to answer. “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God!”

He was right, for Jesus could not ignore the question, and He replied, “You have spoken the truth. Truly I tell you, one day you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, and coming in the clouds of Heaven!”

Caiaphas turned three shades of red before angrily tearing his garments. In this action, though he could not have known it, he publicly rent the honor of the priesthood not just from himself, but from all the Jews. It was the beginning of the undoing of the common Jewish tradition. Soon the use of sacrifices would be rendered null and void. The ultimate sacrifice had come.