2nd Trial – Jesus arrested and taken to the High Priest Caiaphas

Luke 22:54-65. Jesus was brought before Caiaphas, the High Priest, for His second pre-dawn, and thus another illegal, trial.

Peter disowned Jesus three times by saying that he did not know Him. Then the rooster crowed.

Joseph Caiaphas was the High Priest for eighteen years, from AD18 until AD36, and son-in-law of Annas.

Caiaphas as the High Priest was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. He meant that it was better for one man, that is Jesus, to die rather than for many people to die under Roman rule. He probably thought that the excitement around Jesus would lead to an insurrection against Rome, that would be crushed. It was the way out of the Sanhedrin’s dilemma.

Background Reading:

Jesus Arrested Taken to High Priest Caiaphas — 2nd Trial

22:54 Then they arrested him, led him away, and brought him to the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55 When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had taken their seats, Peter, too, sat down among them. 56 A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire, stared at him, and said, “This man was with him, too.”

Peter Denies Jesus

57 But he denied it, “I don’t know him, woman!” he responded.

58 A little later, a man looked at him and said, “You are one of them, too.”

But Peter said, “Mister, I am not!”

59 About an hour later, another man emphatically asserted, “This man was certainly with him, because he is a Galilean!”

60 But Peter said, “Mister, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just then, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

61 Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered the word from the Lord, and how he had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 So he went outside and cried bitterly.

Jesus is Insulted and Beaten

63 Then the men who were holding Jesus in custody began to make fun of him while they beat him. 64 They blindfolded him and asked him over and over again, “Prophesy! Who is the one who hit you?” 65 And they kept insulting him in many other ways.
Luke 22:54–65
Also read: Matthew 26:57-58, 69-75; Mark 14:53-54, 66-72; John 18:12-18, 25-27.


Other modules in this unit: