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Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.
As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."
- Luke 22:54-69
Yesterday, we read that after His Passover supper (the Last Supper) with His apostles, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation." And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."
Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." My study bible suggests that "a girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6). Our fallen state is overcome in Christ when women are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (24:1-10)."
But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly. My study bible notes: "Peter is so overcome with fear that neither Christ's prediction nor the crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance, but only the Lord's gaze causes him to weep bitterly. Nevertheless, 'through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud' (Ambrose of Milan)."
Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him. Here is another example of the evil at work in this situation, the "power of darkness" as Jesus has called it.
As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go." During a hearing in which the council violates their own rules of procedure, Jesus is not permitted His own questioning (and, as we read elsewhere, His own witnesses). My study bible says that during His ministry, at times of open confrontation with them in the temple, Jesus asked many questions of these leaders which they refused to answer because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (Luke 20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).
"Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." It is His last hearing; Jesus makes an open declaration that He is equal with God. And, it is also another prophecy for us to hear.
It's interesting that Jesus declares His equality with God here before these men who will neither believe Him nor enter into a truthful questioning of Him. They have brought Him in order find a way to kill Him. He, in making this declaration, offers them all they need to do so according to their thinking. But His mission is finished -- or rather, almost finished. His careful earthly ministry of the past three years, building and constructing guidance and gradual revelation of His divinity for His apostles, disciples, and followers, has come to an end, and it is His Passion which has arrived -- the time of suffering and death. But He is already speaking of Resurrection, which of course the leadership cannot understand. It's as if the time is up; there is no more time for ministry of the type He has engaged in. If He tells then the truth, they won't believe Him. If He asks them questions, they won't answer Him and they will never let Him go. They have made up their minds and there is no opening them. It is the very definition of "hard-hearted" as the Scriptures use the term. They have no eyes for seeing and no ears for hearing. Jesus simply sticks to His own truth, His testimony about Himself, and it is a point on which He will not budge, a time of pure declaration, the only line in the sand. He is who He is and He will not deny it, even if He must die for it. Elsewhere Jesus teaches His apostles that they must be careful not to give what is holy to dogs, and not to cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). He knows these men are so intent on having Him put to death that they will never listen to truth and they don't care whatever it is He has to say, or even Who He truly is. It is the power of darkness: a deliberate ignorance that throws away every good thing they know in favor of their envy of His Person and His ministry, their competition and fear that He holds more authority with the people than they do. And such darkness has crowded out everything else. All is expendable for this one goal of murdering Jesus, getting rid of Him permanently -- including traditions of justice in their own regulations. And we come down to this one point, and we must learn from Jesus. At such a time there remains something we never give up, and that is the spiritual truth we know. It's more important than convincing those who cannot be convinced. It's more important than everything else. It becomes the only way to minister, even among those who would trample the pearls of spiritual truth underfoot, and simply tear one to pieces. Jesus answers the question, "Who are You?" and tells us that His earthly ministry is finished; hereafter He will sit at the right hand of God. Let us understand His courageous example, let us understand His faith and strength. It is over. It is enough. In how many ways is this scene played out over and over again when any form of darkness or injustice is at work? His is the example for us, always.
