Matthew 26:57–75

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

26:57–68pp—Mk 14:53–65; Jn 18:12,13,19–24

⁵⁷Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas^h the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.ⁱ He entered and sat down with the guards^j to see the outcome.

⁵⁹The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^k were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses^l came forward.

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

⁶²Then 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?” ⁶³But Jesus remained silent.^o

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath^p by the living God:^q Tell us if you are the Messiah,^r the Son of God.”^s

⁶⁴“You have said so,”^t 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^u and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^ev

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothes^w and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,”^x they answered.

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

Peter Disowns Jesus

26:69–75pp—Mk 14:66–72; Lk 22:55–62; Jn 18:16–18,25–27

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹Then 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.”

⁷²He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”^a And he went outside and wept bitterly.