And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. (14) Now Caiaphas was he which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. (15) And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple; that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. (16) But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. (17) Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? he saith, I am not. (18) And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals, for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
I have before noticed in the former Evangelists, some of the leading circumstances concerning the wearisome and painful walks of Jesus, from the Garden to Annas, and from Annas to Caiaphas, to Pilate, and to Herod, to which I refer. But there are several very weighty things connected with this view of the Lord Jesus, when led as a lamb to the slaughter, that merit our closest attention, and which, in this place, I would beg to propose to the Reader's notice.
It was according to the law of sacrifices, that the Children of Israel should present them first to the Priest, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And probably this with a view, to see, that the thing offered had no blemish. I beg the Reader to turn to Leviticus 17:1-9 in proof. Now though Annas, and Caiaphas, were both silent as to the spotlessness of Christ, yet the Holy Ghost so ordered, that Jesus should not be led away, without this testimony: and therefore Pilate, in passing sentence, shall declare the Lord's innocency. See Matthew 27:24-25. What a very blessed proof this is, of Christ, the great Sacrifice. Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 1:17-18
And while we are taking this transient view of the Lord Jesus, in the presentation before the High Priest, as a spotless sacrifice, it may not be amiss to connect with it another; namely, that when led away to slaughter, and bound with the sins of his people; so here again there was a correspondence, in being led without the camp, and suffering without the gate, Hebrews 13:12. He was taken from prison and from judgment, the Prophet said, when the Lord Jehovah had laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:8. Surely the wonderful correspondence of those things with the types of old, could not have had such an exact fulfilment, but from God the Holy Ghost, watching over his Church, and arranging the whole to the Lord's glory, and to the joy of his people.
In relation to the following of Christ, by Peter, and another disciple; I do not think it necessary to enlarge. Whether this other disciple was John, as has been generally supposed, or not, cannot be a point of great consequence to seek to know, since the Holy Ghost is silent upon it. I confess I should rather think that it was not John, or either of the Apostles; but rather one of those many private disciples we read of, John 12:42. For John was of Galilee, as well as Peter, and therefore his speech would have betrayed John, as well as Peter. Neither is it likely that John, a poor fisherman of Galilee, should have had much acquaintance at the High Priest's palace. But be this as it may, it cannot be important to determine; since the Holy Ghost hath not explained.
But in relation to Peter, it was among the overruling providences of the Lord, that he should follow Christ at this memorable hall, because here was to take place that event, of his denial of Christ, and that grace of Jesus towards him, in his recovery from so awful a fall, as hath proved in the Church of Christ, and will prove until the whole Church is brought to heaven, a subject of the deepest teaching of man's nothingness, and Christ's all-sufficiency. See Luke 22:31
I pray the Reader to remark what is said in this scripture of the fire in the hall, kindled to warm the servants, and of the coldness of the night, which made it necessary. And yet this was the selfsame night, and but a few hours before, when Jesus sweat the bloody sweat, under the burning heat of his agony in the garden. Reader! what must the sufferings of the God-Man have been, when in the open air, in a garden, and in a night of extreme cold, the Lord was thus exercised, when within a hall, full of company, as it should seem, a fire was kindled to give warmth to the people!