And Peter, the ardent lover, is overcome by such insensibility that they have already led the Teacher away, yet he still does not move from his place and warms himself, so that he is questioned again, and he denies Him — and not only a second time, but even a third.
Why did all the evangelists write about Peter in agreement? Not in order to condemn their fellow disciple, but to teach us how bad it is not to turn to God in all things and to rely on oneself.
One must marvel at the compassion of the Master as well. He is bound; He is led from place to place; yet He did not abandon His care for His disciple, but, turning, looked at Peter, as another evangelist notes (Luke 22:61), and with this look reproached him for his weakness and stirred in him repentance and tears.
What happened then to Peter, the same many of us now experience in ourselves, as can be seen. The Word of God that is within us is bound and, as it were, taken captive, enslaved now by sorrow, now by pleasure. For we are bound by both and led into captivity, either by worldly pleasures or by sorrows, forgetting God. Then the Word is condemned, and irrationality prevails, and the servant strikes the Master, for such is the uprising of the passions. Our mind, like another Peter, often trusts in itself that it will not deny the Word, and therefore stands and warms itself. It "stands" because it does not bow down, does not humble itself, but equally and stubbornly remains in self-confidence. It "warms itself" because it is inflamed with self-confidence, from fervor and pride. But a "servant girl" exposes it — some small and enfeebling pleasure — and it immediately denies the Word and submits to irrationality. Or some sorrowful temptation exposes it, just as then a "servant" exposed Peter, and then its powerlessness is revealed. But let us pray that Jesus, the Word of God, would look upon us and rouse us to repentance and tears, when we go out from the court of the prince of this world, that high priest who crucifies the Lord. For when we go out from this world, which is the court of the prince of the world, only then shall we awaken to sincere repentance, as the Apostle Paul also says: "Let us go forth to Him outside the camp, that is, this world, bearing His reproach" (Heb. 13:13).
Jn. 18:28. From Caiaphas they led Jesus to the Praetorium.
The Lord is led through many tribunals, with the thought that they would disgrace Him; but the truth, on the contrary, was revealed all the more, through the examination of the case by many tribunals. For the Lord came out of all of them uncondemned, having received irrefutable vindication.
They lead Him to the Praetorium, because they themselves did not have the authority to put anyone to death, since they were under the dominion of the Romans. At the same time, they were afraid that they might afterwards be subjected to trial and punishment for having put Him to death without a trial.
Jn. 18:28. It was morning;
"It was morning," he says, so that you might know that Caiaphas interrogated the Lord at midnight, for He had been led to Caiaphas before the rooster crowed. What he asked the Lord, this evangelist passed over in silence, but the others have told. When the night had passed in these interrogations, in the morning they lead Him to Pilate.
Jn. 18:28. And they did not enter the Praetorium, so as not to defile themselves,
What madness! When they kill unjustly, they do not think that they are defiled. But to enter the judgment hall they consider a defilement for themselves.
Jn. 18:28. But so that they could eat the Passover.
The Lord performed it on the first day of unleavened bread (Mark 14:12). Therefore, by Pascha we must understand either the entire seven-day feast, or understand it in this way: that on this occasion they were supposed to eat the Pascha on Friday evening, but He performed it one day earlier, so as to reserve the slaying of Himself for Friday, when the Old Testament Pascha was also celebrated.
Jn. 18:29. Pilate went out to them and said: What do you accuse this Man of?
Pilate acts somewhat more justly. He himself comes out. And although he saw the Lord bound, nevertheless, he did not consider this sufficient for the accusation of Christ, but asks why He is bound.
Jn. 18:30. They answered and said to him: If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.
But they, having nothing to say, say: "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have handed Him over to you." Do you see how they everywhere avoid proofs? Annas asked, and found nothing, and sent Him to Caiaphas. The latter, having deliberated somewhat, sends Him to Pilate. Then Pilate again asks: "What do you accuse this Man of?" And here too they can say nothing.
Jn. 18:31. Pilate said to them: Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.
Since they bring forward no accusation, he says, "Take Him yourselves." Since you claim the right of judgment for yourselves and boast that you would never act unjustly (for they say, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you"), then take Him yourselves and judge Him. But if you have brought Him to me and give His case the appearance of a trial (a legal form), then it is necessary to state what this Man is guilty of. So judge Him yourselves, for I cannot be such a judge; if your law punishes without guilt, then judge Him yourselves.
Jn. 18:31. The Jews said to him: it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death, –
To this they say: "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." They say this knowing that the Romans condemn rebels to crucifixion. So that the Lord would be crucified, and His death would be more shameful, and they would proclaim Him accursed, for this reason they pretend to say that they are not permitted to kill anyone. But how then did they stone Stephen? However, I have said that they say this because they wish the Lord to be crucified. It is as if they said: "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death on the cross, but we desire that This One be crucified."
Jn. 18:32. That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
"That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled" concerning His death, namely: either that He would be crucified (Matt. 20:18–19), or that He would be put to death not by the Jews, but by the Gentiles (Mark 10:33). So when the Jews said that it was not lawful for them to put anyone to death, then the Gentiles take Him, and according to their custom crucify Him on the cross, and thus the word of Jesus is fulfilled in both respects: in that He was delivered to the Gentiles, and in that He was crucified.
Jn. 18:33. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, and called Jesus, and said to Him: Are You the King of the Jews?
Pilate called Jesus aside privately. Since there was a high opinion about Him, he wanted to learn everything more precisely, away from the tumult of the Jews. So he asks Him whether He is a king. What everyone was saying, that is what he brings up.