Mark 14:53-54. And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
We may regard what was said to Jesus, by Annas and Caiaphas, as a sort of unofficial preliminary examination; and, meanwhile, their fellow conspirators were scouring the streets of Jerusalem to gather together the members of the Sanhedrim, and also searching among the slums in order to find witnesses who could be bribed to give false evidence against Jesus.
Mark 14:55. And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
A pretty court that was, occupied in seeking for witnesses who might enable them to condemn to death a prisoner against whom no charge had yet been formulated.
Mark 14:56-59. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together.
It was a rule that they should be examined separately, and there had not been time for them to be coached up as to what they were to say, so one contradicted the other, and it looked as if the trial must break down.
Mark 14:60. And the high priest stood up in the midst,
Losing all patience, he stood up, in a furious rage at the turn things were taking.
Mark 14:60-61. And asked Jesus, saying, Answered thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
This time, according to Matthew's account, the high priest said to Jesus, «I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.» Being thus, as it were, put upon his oath, the Saviour felt compelled to answer. He could not remain silent when such a great and important question was at stake.
Mark 14:62-65. And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
Perhaps we have the same narrative in Luke; possibly, however, he gives us a continuation of the sad story; it is difficult to say which is the case. (See Luke 22:63-71)
This exposition consisted of readings from John 18:12-14; John 18:19-26; Mark 14:53-65; and Luke 22:63-71; Luke 3:1.