Matthew 26:58

“Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.  He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.”

Peter’s world was rapidly crashing.  Jesus did not even to try to defend himself.  He just stood there, alone and silent as a crescendo of hate rose to fever pitch.  It was exactly what the leaders of the Jews had hoped. They now had Jesus alone! No defense at all.

Thousands cursed and reviled him.  Not one voice was raised to defend him.  Peter, lurking in the shadows, should have rushed to Jesus’ side exclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah, for all to hear. But he hid in the gloom among the temple guards.  Where the other disciples were at this time we know not, but it was Peter who had, a few short hours ago, declared that he would stand with Jesus even if it meant death.

Where is Peter now? He is there in the dim shadows of night, hearing the harsh words of the high priest addressed to Jesus. “I charge you under oath by the living God; tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”  Jesus, alone, with not one witness or defender, not one, simply said, “Yes, it is as you say.” v 64

Then Jesus said, “I say to all of you; in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Mighty One and coming in the clouds of heaven.”  v 64  He makes no mention of the throne of King David.

Jesus did not intend to defend himself. He could have appealed to his mighty works, his divine teaching, his compassion for the poor, his coming as prophesied in the Scriptures. No, he saw, as we already noted, what will surely happen, “In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming in clouds of heaven.”  v 64

We can hear the unspoken.  That helpless Jesus, standing there alone, has the temerity to claim to be the Messiah!!   It is clear that he will not lift as much as one finger to throw of the Roman rule.  What kind of rule does a bereft carpenter from Nazareth in Galilee hope to install?  Their reading of the prophecies led them to believe that the Messiah is to mount David’s throne. Jesus wants no part in that. He speaks about his reign in heaven, not in Jerusalem. No wonder they thought that Jesus is an impostor.  They wanted him killed because he claims he is the Messiah yet has no intention to act like one.  So they sought to kill him because he claims to be what he obviously is not!

“They spit in his face and struck him with their fists.”  v 67  They wanted no such weakling to pose as God’s Messiah.

Peter heard and saw it all – without lifting a finger to help or to speak for Jesus.

Are we not all like Peter?