Exhuming Easter (complete - 3rd edition)

Then Annas bound him and sent him to Caiaphas, the official high priest [John
18:19-24], in whose home all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes had already
gathered. [Matthew 26:57 & Mark 14:53]
And Peter, this time accompanied by yet another disciple who had
joined him, continued to follow at a distance, going as far as the gate of the
high priest’s courtyard. Because this new disciple was known to the high
priest, he was able to follow Jesus into the courtyard while Peter was
forced to wait outside at the gate. Upon seeing this, the disciple returned
and spoke to the woman guarding the gate, and was allowed to bring Peter
inside. And Peter followed him in and sat down quietly with the guards,
and again warmed himself by their fire. [Matthew 26:58, Mark 14:54, Luke
22:54b & John 18:15-16]
For quite some time thereafter, indeed late into the night, the chief
priests and the assembled council were looking for testimony against Jesus so that they
might put him to death, and yet they found none. For even though many witnesses came
forward, their testimony did not agree. [Matthew 26:59-60 & Mark 14:55-56] At last, two
witnesses came forward and said, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is
made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” And then
the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify
against you?” But Jesus remained silent. [Matthew 26:61-63a & Mark 14:57-58]
About this time, a small group of people had gathered in the forecourt near Simon
Peter, and another servant girl saw him there, and both she and his first accuser said to
the bystanders, “This man is one of them. This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” One of
the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked “Did
I not see you in the garden with him?” And yet again Peter denied it with an oath, “Man,
I am not! I do not even know him.” And yet about an hour later another one of the
bystanders accused him yet again, saying, “Certainly you are one of them, for your accent
betrays you -- You are a Galilean. Are you not also one of his disciples?” Then Peter
began to curse and he swore aloud an oath, denying it a third time, saying “I do not know
this man you are talking about!” And at that moment, the cock crowed again – this time
loud enough for all to hear. And Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered
that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
And he went out, and broke down and wept bitterly. [Matthew 26:71-75, Mark 14:69-72,
Luke 22:58-62 & John 18:25-27]
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