In this episode of Exposit, we enter John 18:12–27 and encounter “The Tale of Two Trials.”

Jesus is arrested, bound, and brought before Annas while Peter remains nearby in the courtyard. As Jesus is questioned about His teaching, He stands firm, speaks openly, and refuses to compromise the truth. Meanwhile, Peter—the disciple who promised he would die for Jesus—finds himself under a very different kind of pressure and denies knowing Him three times.

But there is much more happening in this passage than Peter’s failure.

We’ll dig deeply into the Greek text, first-century Jewish culture, the role of Annas and Caiaphas, the legal and religious context surrounding Jesus’ interrogation, and the literary contrast John creates between Jesus and Peter. We’ll ...