Daily Bread

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin^(A)

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas^(B) 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.^(C) He entered and sat down with the guards^(D) to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(E) 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^(F) came forward.

Finally two^(G) came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”^(H)

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.^(I)

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath^(J) by the living God:^(K) Tell us if you are the Messiah,^(L) the Son of God.”^(M)

⁶⁴ “You have said so,”^(N) 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^(O) and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[a](P)

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes^(Q) 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,”^(R) they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.^(S) Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”^(T)

Peter Disowns Jesus^(U)

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.”^(V) And he went outside and wept bitterly.