"The Conspirators Plot Jesus Death"

Matthew 26:57-58: And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

Each of the Gospels has a different emphasis and includes the items that were significant to their intended audience. Adding them all together we get a coherent picture of the entire night. John mentions that first Jesus was take n to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, and a former high priest. Annas then has Jesus go to the home of the current high priest, who has assembled the Sanhedrin in the middle of the night at his spacious home.

Think for a moment about the contrasts here. Jesus, who had no home but was always at the mercy of others, is taken to the beautiful and spacious home of Caiaphas, the High Priest of the Temple. Yet, Caiaphas ultimate superior was this 33 year-old who stood bound before him for trial. The high priest, whose chief duty was to represent the people to God on the Day of Atonement, now has the opportunity to have God in his home. Yet, he allows people to curse, beat, and plot how to kill the very One that he (Caiaphas) is supposed to serve.

Caiaphas and Annas knew that everything had to be done in haste. The crowd would find out, and might switch back to their loyalty to Christ that had been demonstrated on Palm Sunday. Caiaphas was motivated also by the thought that if Jesus slipped through their hands and returned to teaching, the whole movement might soon overwhelm the established religion. Eliminatinig Jesus once and for all was in a real sense, job security. Besides that, it was Passover, and another day would bring the Sabbath. No execution could take place on the Sabbath. The trial of course was illegal as it was not held at the Temple, was not public, and it was not held in the day as required by Jewish law. As Satan himself moves within the hearts of his willing accomplises, he could taste the victory that would soon occur.

Peter, who had recovered from his first fright, joined the company, following jesus at a distance to see what the result might be of all these unlawful proceedings. He entered the corridor of the high priest's home,and sat in a place where he could see what was transpiring within. I love the words chosen in verse 58: "to see the end." Yes, Peter was given a ring side seat at the final battle of Christ's earthly life, but it was not the end. It was the beginning of the Church that Peter and the other apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit would carry forward. We now stand upon the shoulders of those who have led the church up until our century.