The soldiers led Jesus to the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest. A large crowd, including of religious leaders and teachers, assembled to witness Jesus's trial right away.
Peter stepped inside and sat with the guards since he didn't want anyone to notice him following the crowd to see what was happening.
Meanwhile on the other side powerful priests and high council were running around to find witnesses to testify against Jesus and would tell lies about him so they could justify having him put to death.
They found quite of few who would lie but they couldn't find a testimony that would cause Jesus' death penalty.
Finally the priest found two men who said "we heard this man declare that he could destroyed the temple and then rebuild it in three days without using human hands."
The high priest turned to Jesus "what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to answer these charges?"
Jesus remained silent. This angered the high priest. He demanded "I insist that you tell us whether you are the Messiah the Son of Living God."
"I am" Jesus very calmly said "one day you will see me sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming down on clouds of heaven."
That was all the high priest needed to hear. He said "we don't need any other witnesses" then he turned and said to the council "what he said was blasphemous what is the punishment."
They all voted for Jesus death penalty. Some of the men even walked up to Jesus and spat on him. They blindfolded him. They hit him. They shouted at him.
Meanwhile Peter was warming his hands in the fire with the guards at the gate. Suddenly a girl who worked for the high priest noticed him. She stared at him for few minutes and then said "I recongise you. You were with Jesus before. Afraid to be recongise?"
Peter said "No I was not. I don't even know what you're talking about." And he left.
Little later, outside, another girl saw Peter and said "this man was with Jesus. I saw him."
"I don't even know him" Peter shouted in response.
Some time later, some other people saw Peter and said to him "you must be one of Jesus' followers because you have Galilean accent."
"I swear I do not know him." Peter said
Just then he heard a rooster crowed. Peter remembered that a few days earlier when he saying that he would always stand strong with Jesus. Jesus had said that Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed.
Peter ran away crying harder than he had ever had.
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