Guilty of what exactly? The religious leaders were floundering to figure out what to charge Jesus with that would convict him of death. Jesus’ visit to the home of the High Priest was certainly not by choice, and the hospitality was seriously lacking. After parading several witnesses through this laughable “trial court” scene, it was clear nobody could collaborate.
And then it happened. After remaining silent for what must have seemed like an eternity, Jesus spoke. He responded to their inquiry about whether he was the Messiah. What was Jesus’ response? He said, “I AM. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
That was all it took. Jesus’ confession could not be denied. If Jesus had not been the Son of God, he would have indeed been guilty of the charge of blasphemy. This crime against God was punishable by death, according to the laws given to Moses. The religious leaders had to be almost giddy.
Jesus’ guilt was sealed when he claimed to be Christ, the Son of God. Other ways one could blaspheme would be to slander, show contempt, or dishonor the name, being, or work of God by one’s word or action. In the United States, people are not put to death for blasphemy because of their constitutional right to freedom of speech and religion. That doesn’t mean God’s laws haven’t been broken when people disrespect God.
The religious leaders were blinded to see who was standing before them, even when Jesus told them exactly who he was. Their hateful response boggles my mind. I always remind myself, “they didn’t realize who Jesus really was.” But does that condone such bullying? No! Can you imagine how Jesus felt being blindfolded and mocked like that?
Meanwhile, we learn that Peter has found his way to where Jesus is being questioned. Peter tries to blend in, it seems, but he must have been memorable, at least to the servant girl. What caused him to deny his relationship with Jesus? Was he ashamed, or was he somehow possessed to answer the way he did?
Of course, when the rooster crowed the second time, Jesus’ words came flooding back to Peter. He was left standing there in a puddle of tears. What humiliation he must have felt. He realized his lies, as well as his words when he so vehemently criticized Jesus’ prediction. Peter had said he’d die for Jesus before he’d deny him.
Have you ever found yourself denying your faith and allegiance to Jesus for some reason? Maybe you’ve only downplayed the fact that you go to church and honor a quiet time to read the Bible as often as you can. Maybe you tell yourself it’s because you want to be “respectful” of others who might not believe the same. Is that any different than what Peter did? Shouldn’t we be shouting the Good News for the world to hear?
Peter was guilty of not telling the truth, and he will pay the price. He will have to live with the fact that he distanced himself from Jesus, claiming no association at all. His guilt would be overwhelming. How did Jesus know Peter would be so weak or afraid? Jesus understands more than we can ever imagine. We saw here how Jesus warned Peter in advance. Has Jesus spoken a word of caution in your life?
What are you guilty of? The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” That’s where our guilt lies—in our sinfulness. Unfortunately, we can’t do much about our human nature, but we can rely on our Savior to rescue us. Thankfully, we have the promise of Romans 5:8, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Jesus didn’t wait until we had it all figured out. Peter didn’t have it all figured out either.
What Jesus walked through in this reading is part of his journey to the cross, to his death. It was a process. There were many moving parts to this story. It does us good to walk through them so we can remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us–even if it is painful to shine the light on our own dark places.
How do you respond? You are guilty, but you are loved. You are guilty, but Jesus has paid the price for you.
Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, my heart overflows with gratitude for you and what you endured for me. I can’t fathom what it was like to stand before those priests and be abused so fiercely. I don’t want to be blind like them. Open my eyes to see you and know you. I want to grow closer to you and shine your light for all to see. Empower me to make you known in this world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
