Summary of passage: Jesus was arrested and taken to Annas, Caiaphas’ father-in-law. Peter and John followed Jesus. John went with Jesus while Peter waited outside. When asked by a little girl if he was one of the disciples, Peter denies Jesus for the first time.
Annas questions Jesus who is struck by a soldier. He’s shipped off to Caiaphas. Meanwhile, Peter denies Jesus a second and third time. A rooster crows.
Questions:
11) Part personal Question. My answer: Fear. Shame. In what I accomplish. I don’t say things are God things when I should and I know they are in front of others. God does arrange everything. Nothing is coincidence but I omit saying it and am guilty of giving God the credit for it. A strong faith helps us avoid being like Peter. Reading the Word more. Praying. Drawing closer to Jesus. Like Jesus, pray for my protection more from the devil and his ways and for God’s light more in my life.
12) Personal Question. My answer: I’m alone in my work as a believer. I try to impart words of wisdom and fate to my colleagues.
13) Part personal Question. My answer: Well, they are happening at the same time so it follows chronologically. We see Jesus’ trials alongside Peter’s. We see Jesus strong and Peter weak. We see Jesus’ faith in God and Peter’s lack of faith in God. We see Jesus’ love and Peter’s lack of love. We see Jesus’ sacrifice and Peter’s self-preservation. By contrasting both, we see how you are supposed to act and what happens when you don’t act like Jesus.
Conclusions: Good questions. Convicting on how we need to stand up for Christ and give him the glory and how fear holds us back from doing so. We must pray for protection in this world for the devil is sneaky and cause us to do things we normally wouldn’t because fear grasps our hearts.
End Notes: Annas was the power behind the throne in Jerusalem. He himself had been High Priest from AD 6 to 15. Four of his sons had also held the high priesthood and Caiaphas was his son-in-law. His name meant “Yahweh is gracious”. He is still called the high priest in Acts 4:6 when Peter and John are arrested.
One reason John reminds us of what Caiaphas said in John 11:49-52 is to show that the judgment against Jesus was already decided. It would not be a fair trial. He would die for the people.
John who had the connections is the reason they had access to the high priest’s house and the reason we know what went on there.
A mere girl scares Peter enough to deny Christ and then he tries to blend into the crowd and shrink himself by standing around a fire with others. How tragic!
Annas means merciful. Ironic.
Jesus was not going to throw his disciples under the bus. He never mentions them. He asks for evidence in asking for others to testify to his words. This should have been the first step Annas should have taken for one accused of crimes. But there would be no fairness here for Jesus. He was a threat that had to be annihilated.
The first blow is laid upon Jesus be an unnamed official. Jesus calls the man out and having no answer, Annas sends Jesus on, still bound.
Luke 22:61 indicates that Peter could see Jesus and see him being slapped. No doubt his fear increased and he lied twice more. John is also present and Peter lied in front of John. The same question is asked in the same way, using the negative. The questioners expected the answer “No”, not expecting a follower of Jesus amongst them. The questioner is identified differently in all Gospels (Matthew 26:71; Mark 14:69; Luke 22:58).
John would know Malchus’ relative and a relative would be eager to know if this was the man who cut off his relative’s ear. Matthew 26:74 tells us Peter cursed this denial. He was adamant and he was a coward.
The rooster crowing fulfilled what Jesus said in John 13:38, and would have immediately reminded Peter of the prediction Jesus made in the upper room. And I would imagine shame would have flooded Peter.
