The progression and culmination of the betrayal and persecution of Jesus is now fully underway and He is brought before Caiaphas the High Priest (Matt.26:57) and the members of the Sanhedrin. This informal trial before dawn precedes the formal trial when Jesus is taken before Pontius Pilate (Matt.27:1-2). We notice that Peter is following far enough behind not to be taken for one of His disciples. It must have been difficult for Peter to sit in the company of the Lord's enemies and to warm himself at their fire. The Lord had already made Peter aware that Satan had sought to sift him as wheat. Peter would later write in , "Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1Peter 5:8) We know that Peter had succumbed to his own fears and denied Christ before witnesses. Satan temporarily deceived Peter but this was not going to last much longer. Sacred Scripture and history tells us that St. Peter went on to be a great leader of the Church. The important thing to note is that we have great falls in our walk with God, but the focus as in this case should always be what one does with their failures. We know that Peter rose up from the ashes of failure and blossomed into a warrior for God and following the example of Jesus he moves from the background of failure to the forefront of the battle.
Jesus is now in the thick of it all, false accusations, taunting, buffeting, and slaps not easily endured by our Lord, but nonetheless he endures the lies and evil surrounding Him. No one would voluntarily subject himself to such humiliation and accusation. But Jesus willing took our shame and our sin, that he might redeem us and save us. St. Paul says to the Corinthians regarding the Lord's humiliation, "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2Cor.5:21) In their bold accusations Caiaphas asks Jesus if he is the Christ, meaning the anointed one, the Messiah. Caiaphas most likely expected at this point for this imposter to acquiesce and fall victim to their insults and lies regarding his true mission and identity. But now the time had come and Jesus with all the power and authority given to Him of His Father says to Caiaphas and all his accusers, I am; and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. This seems like Jesus' version of "go ahead and make my day." In true form Jesus has come for this ultimate battle and to lay his life down only to later pick it up in resurrection power.
Jesus specifically used a very important phrase in responding to Caiaphas. He says to Caiaphas I am, we have heard this mentioned before when God said to Moses I am who I am in Ex. 3:13, Jesus would also say as recorded by the apostle John, "Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." (Jn.8:58) He declares his eternality and his authority to be respected by this crowd. But like many who are willfully ignorant and stubborn they refuse to listen. Jesus has given them every opportunity to see and accept who he really is. This is why no one can ever say they did not have a chance to receive Christ as their savior. Their unbelief was a willful choice to declare that Jesus was a liar and that he deserved to be put to death. The Church and her people confront the world with the claims of Christ and Him being all God and all man. The decision is always will you trust in God and accept His Son Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. We who are part of the Church are the bearers and followers of this Good News the Gospel. The message is and always will be that Jesus came to be born of a virgin, to live and die and be resurrected on the third day. This resurrection power is the same power that Paul writes to the Philippians, "That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Phil. 3:10) We who believe and persevere will continue in this resurrection power.
His servants and yours,
Gerard & Yolanda Cleffi Directors
Oratory of Divine Love
The marvelous supernatural life of the Church is all traceable to the grace of headship which is Christ's. From this point of view, we can say that the Church is Christ; it is from Him that supernatural life flows to all its members. Christ lives on forever in His Church; here on earth the Church is the continuance of His life. In the Church, Christ still teaches men the truths of salvation, sanctifies their souls, and rules them for the salvation of the world.
Walter Farrell, O.P.,S.T.M. and Martin J. Healy, S.T.D., My Way Of Life, Brooklyn, NY, Confraternity Of The Precious Blood Of Jesus, Pg.462-463
Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "Ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you," we beg you to grant us the gift of divine love, so that we may sincerely love you with our thoughts, words and actions and never cease to praise you. Lord, give us a constant reverence and a fervent love for your most holy name; for you never cease to protect those whom you shower with the treasures of your heart, you who live and reign forever an ever. Amen
Marianne Lorraine TrouveŽ, FSP Editor, Favorite Prayers and Novenas, Boston, Pauline Books and Media, Pg. 59