John 18:15–32

¹⁵Now Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he also went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. ¹⁶But Peter stood outside at the door. Then the disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.

¹⁷At this, the servant girl watching the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?”

“I am not,” he answered.

¹⁸Because it was cold, the servants and officers were standing around a charcoal fire they had made to keep warm. And Peter was also standing with them, warming himself.

¹⁹Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching.

²⁰“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered. “I always taught in the synagogues and at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. ²¹Why are you asking Me? Ask those who heard My message. Surely they know what I said.”

²²When Jesus had said this, one of the officers standing nearby slapped Him in the face and said, “Is this how You answer the high priest?”

²³Jesus replied, “If I said something wrong, testify as to what was wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me?”

²⁴Then Annas sent Him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

²⁵Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they asked him, “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?”

He denied it and said, “I am not.”

²⁶One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”

²⁷Peter denied it once more, and immediately a rooster crowed.

²⁸Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.

²⁹So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰“If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”

³¹“You take Him and judge Him by your own law,” Pilate told them.

“We are not permitted to execute anyone,” the Jews replied. ³²This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.^c