The Prophecies

John 18:¹⁴ “Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”

Caiaphas, being the high priest, said that not knowing that he was prophesying that Jesus was going to take the place of you and me. He was prophesying that Jesus was going to take the place of the people and that is a huge substitutional sacrifice. You will notice that both Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, and Caiaphas are referred to as the high priests. It was because of Annas that a guard slapped Jesus, remember? So, what was happening here? Were they according the respect of the son-in-law to the father-in-law? No. Annas was one of the most powerful men in Jerusalem at the time. He was a high priest and that office at the time of Jesus was being rotated. So, Annas and his sons-in-law were all high priests along with others.

John 18:¹³ “And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year” (NKJV, emphasis]. So, even though Annas was not the high priest that year, Annas was a High Priest. In John 18:15-16 “Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in.” We see evidence of John’s local knowledge as a Judean homeboy. John did not let that get lost in the narration.

Jesus already foretold Peter’s denial in John 13:³⁸ “Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” When Peter said he would die for Jesus, did he mean it? Yes. Was he sincere? Yes. It is totally different from Judas that would kiss Jesus then go back and sell Him. John 18:^{17, 25-27} “The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” …Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.” (NRSV].

Luke 22:^61-62 “At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.” That word “looked at Peter” is a special word in the original called “emblepo”. It is the same word Jesus used when He first called Peter in John 1:⁴² “…Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”)”. It was the same intense look Jesus gave Peter and Peter must have just lost it and he ran out of the place.

Prayer: Father, I pray that my life will follow the good prophecies that have gone ahead of me, in Jesus Name. Amen!